Actividad de caza y cosecha de patos en Santa Fe (Argentina): una prueba piloto.

MARÍA DE LA PAZ DUCOMMUN; MARÍA ALEJANDRA ROSSETTI; MARÍA SOLEDAD LÓPEZ; FERNANDO VITTAR; MARIANO ORDANO; ADOLFO H. BELTZER; GABRIEL MARTELEUR

Monterrey y Saltillo, México

Simposio; VI Congreso de Ornitología Neotropical; 1999

Sociedad de Ornitología Neotropical

Thirty-eight duck species are found in Argentina, 21 of them inhabiting Santa Fe province. A few species, however, comprise most of the harvested proportion. Ducks use rice fields, are the focus of tourism hunting and are a nonconventional protein source to humans. We assessed hunter activity and duck harvesting by questionnaires, considering the following topics and variables: 1) duck number and species hunted, 2) hunting localities, 3) hunting environments, 4) harvesting destination, 5) hunting methods, 6) time devoted to hunting, 7) periodic frequency ofhunting surveys, 8) duck mortality events presumably caused by agrochemicals, 9) possible relationships between duck hunting and other impact activities on wildlife, 10) natural history, 11) habitat use by ducks, and 12) hunters’ attitude and knowledge with respect to hunting laws. As a second objective we examined questionnaire efficiency. As in Argentina an unknown proportion of hunters is not registered, we performed an oral questionnaire system. We analyzed questionnaire use and showed questionnaire improvement. It may be tested in places with similarconditions by wildlife agencies in cooperation wit h research groups.