Recreational Waterfowl Hunting Activity and Harvests in Northern-Territory, Australia

Abstract

Results of mail-card surveys of registered shotgun owners in the Northern Territory during 1984 and 1985 are reported. Responses were used to generate estimates of seasonal and daily bags of waterfowl, the level of hunter activity, and a crude estimate of hunter numbers. In 1984 the mean seasonal bag was 73.2 birds taken over 10.3 hunter-days, which fell to 21.4 birds taken in 6.3 hunter-days during the 1985 season. The magpie goose was taken most frequently, constituting 84% of 1984 and 79% of 1985 bags. Hunting activity was concentrated in the Darwin area at small, readily accessible sites. Estimates of total seasonal harvests are derived to provide an indication of the scale of hunting mortality. All estimates are based on relatively low returns and improved targeting of surveys is desirable to increase sample size and reliability.