Statistics show fewer people hunted ducks and geese last year in North America than during any season in the past 60 years.

Since the arrival of COVID-19 recreational activity was restricted, the number of waterfowl hunters in both the United States and Canada were on a downward slide.

In the United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Hunter Activity and Harvest Report shows waterfowl hunter numbers slipped to 913,700, an 8% decrease from 2021-22 season participation and the lowest tally since 1962. 1.04 million waterfowl hunters were active in North America during the 2022-23 season.

According to statistics from the Canadian Wildlife Service, 125,635 residents hunted waterfowl during the 2022-23 season. That’s the lowest number since Canada begin tracking in 1966 and represents a 75% decrease from the country’s high of 505,681 resident waterfowl hunters in 1978. 

For further stats, the province of Ontario, that has the most resident duck and geese hunters, had 150,994 waterfowl hunters in 1978, compared to just 44,091 last season. 

Joel Brice, chief conservation officer for Delta Waterfowl, said “More people are falling out the bottom, exiting hunting, than are coming in the top. It’s people aging out and a percentage of people losing interest.”

The Baby Boomer generation, people born from 1946 to 1964, have represented a high percentage of the waterfowl hunting population for the past half century. The oldest of the Boomers are now 77, while the youngest are 59. The median age of a Boomer is currently 68. 

Brice went on to say, “There is a huge urgency to fixing this problem. When that big mass of hunters that are in the system hit age 70, we’re going to see a noticeable decline. Also, urbanization, loss of access, less free time, and cost are frequently cited as reasons not to take up hunting. In addition, people who try waterfowl hunting but don’t stick with it often point to a lack of ducks/geese and complex regulations as factors.” 

Brice concluded, “The number of hunters matters for political relevancy and conservation funding, but that’s not why individuals hunt. The smaller the pool of hunters, the more easily we can be dismissed. As the population is growing, even if the number of hunters stays the same, we are a declining percentage and viewpoint of society.”

Kansas Cancels Fall Turkey Season!

Kansas state officials have announced they are canceling the fall turkey hunting season, due to a decline in turkey populations across the Midwest and Southeast of the U.S. Kansas has documented consistent declines in turkey populations over the last 15 years, as fewer turkeys are reaching adulthood said Kent Fricke a game biologist. 

Fricke said, ‘”Possible reasons include turkey habitat destruction from urbanization and habitat loss from extreme weather events like drought and flooding. It is unclear which factors are impacting turkey populations to what extent.”