Singing-ground surveys of the American woodcock indicate that breeding populations have increased gradually over the past 7 years while production, as indicated by wing-collection surveys, has remained relatively stable. The woodcock harvest, meanwhile, has probably more than doubled during the past decade. This suggests that while woodcock are probably becoming more important to North American sportsmen, hunting mortality is still relatively unimportant.
Groups of data are organized by flyways, from Pacific to Atlantic, with appendixes of tables to correspond. Individuals or organizations that submitted a report have been credited. Although many of the narrative statements have been briefed, and a few tables deleted or shortened if they contained data submitted previously or in another form, the essential information from each report has been retained to the greatest extent possible.
Surveys designed to determine the population status of American woodcock indicate little change in recent continental breeding populations, but a continuing decline in production. The annual harvest of this species, meanwhile, continues to soar with an apparent upsurge in hunter's awareness of the woodcock's sporting qualities. Research activities continue to uncover information related to the reliability of singing-ground surveys while banding operations in Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, and West Virginia testify to the feasibility of expanding this very important program throughout North America. West Virginia has contributed significantly to this program through its improvement of the night-lighting technique which was developed in association with their primary objective of evaluating the importance of hunting as a mortality factor. Woodcock bandings and recoveries from the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge are being examined to determine more about the characteristics of this lightly harvested population and to better understand their use of various habitat types.
A bibliography comprising annotated citations of 2037 scientific and technical publications from ten series issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Includes a six-page introduction containing a history of the Service and a description of the research and development series.
