By Luke Fara, Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey
COVID-19 Changing Life, Schedules, and Work
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s October, 2020 Newsletter edition.
Long-tailed Ducks flying over Lake Michigan near Two Rivers, WI. Photo taken on 20 April 2015 by Luke Fara
As we are all aware, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives in many ways. Some of these changes are, and continue to be difficult to deal with, especially when following the constantly evolving protocols to keep our communities safe and healthy. One unfortunate consequence of this situation is that USGS staff, and collaborating partners, will no longer be able to conduct in-person hunter surveys at boat launches along Green Bay and Lake Michigan during fall 2020. On a positive note, however, during the pandemic we have learned to become more flexible in what we do and have developed additional ways to conduct our work while maintaining safe practices for us and our communities. Thanks to technology, primarily cell phones and survey applications, we will still be able to collect information to help inform managers on the preferred season frameworks for the new Open Water Zone which will be established during the 2021 hunting season. For additional information on the Open Water Zone, see The Open Water Edition newsletter distributed by Wisconsin Waterfowl Association.
The Revamped Survey
Our new survey method will be hosted through Microsoft Forms[1] and can be accessed by this link or QR code to the right. The survey consists of two sections. Section #1, the Hunter Harvest Section, looks to determine what species are harvested, and where harvest is occurring in these open water environments. If filled out for each hunt, this section would also provide information to determine what environmental conditions (e.g., wave height, wind speed, wind directions, temperature, etc.) favor hunter participation. We ask that this section gets filled out each time you hunt Green Bay or Lake Michigan. Section #2, the Hunter Questionnaire, allows hunters an opportunity to provide input for the season framework they would prefer for the Open Water Zone. This section only needs to be filled out once during the entire hunting season.
A Call for Hunter Support
We hope that this fall’s waterfowl hunting season provides an opportunity for all of us to get away from some of the stresses in our lives this year. We ask that all hunters assist us with this project by filling out the survey each time they hunt on Green Bay or Lake Michigan. We anticipate the survey will take less than 7 minutes to fill out the first time you take it and less than 5 minutes for each consecutive hunt thereafter. The survey offers an opportunity to provide data for science, as well as inform waterfowl managers as they develop the season frameworks for the Open Water Zone. In closing, thank you for your support with this project, and we hope that you have a safe and successful hunting season.
[1] Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.