Canada had 10% fewer waterfowlers last season, while the United States dropped 8%
Fewer people hunted ducks and geese last year in North America than during any season in the past 60 years.
After a one-year uptick in 2020 presumably because of COVID-19 closures restricted other recreational activities, the number of waterfowl hunters in both the United States and Canada has resumed a downward slide.
According to statistics from the Canadian Wildlife Service, 125,635 residents hunted waterfowl during the 2022-2023 season. That’s the lowest number since Canada began tracking in 1966, and represents a 75% decrease from the country’s high of 505,681 resident waterfowl hunters in 1978. For further context, Ontario—the province with the most resident duck and goose hunters—had 150,994 waterfowl hunters in 1978, compared to just 44,091 last season.
by Paul Wait
THE OUTDOOR FEED 