| Southern Illinois long has been recognized as one of the premier places in the U.S. to hunt waterfowl, particularly Canada geese (Branta canadensis ). In recent years, Canada geese have migrated through the region in greatly reduced numbers. This trend has significantly impacted the commercial waterfowl hunting industry causing many waterfowl hunting club operators to diversify, downsize or close. Twenty in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with southern Illinois waterfowl hunters and hunting club owners and operators. This study documents the responses of the waterfowl hunting industry to migration changes and a pattern of business migration as waterfowl hunting businesses are opened and closed in response to waterfowl migrations. The development of a model to examine integrated social, economic, and ecological impacts of waterfowl migration changes helps to bridge the gap between human and ecological dimensions of wildlife management. |
