Annual waterfowl survey typically informs hunting quotas
Cuts to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees could threaten waterfowl surveys that help wildlife managers to maintain sustainable harvest limits for hunting seasons across the country. Retired bird bosses and lawmakers have expressed concern that the ongoing cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency may impact the annual waterfowl survey that helps agencies determine appropriate bag limits and quotas. “If there’s a decrease somewhere in the Fish and Wildlife Service, particularly at refuges and the Division of Migratory Bird Management, it will affect the staffing for the surveys,” Brad Bortner, a retired biologist who served as the Chief of Migratory Bird Management, told Field & Stream.
