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Harsens Island Annual Report

Harsens Island annual report

Overview

In 2023, Harsens Island marked its 53rd year of managed waterfowl hunting. The growing season began well, with warm conditions and good rainfall through June. However, in July and August, several large rainstorms damaged our buckwheat and millet crops.

The migration season was mild and warmer than usual, with meaningful ice development not occurring until November 24. Despite this, our hunting season was fantastic, with a total of 10,737 ducks harvested and an average of 1.35 ducks per hunter trip. The black duck and pintail harvest increased dramatically, while mallard and green-winged teal harvests were average to above average. In contrast, wood ducks, wigeon, ringnecks, and gadwall were all down substantially from the 2022 season.

Zone 29 was the best zone by a significant margin, with one of the best single-season totals in decades, harvesting 916 ducks and averaging 3.08 ducks per trip. Zone 28 followed with 801 total ducks harvested and a 2.56 ducks per trip average. Zone 30 shot 624 ducks and averaged 2.17 ducks per trip, rounding out the top three in both categories.

Hunter trips increased by 17.5% compared to the previous five-year average. We had more parties in the draw this year than in most years, averaging 35 parties per draw compared to 32 in previous years. Our largest draw of the year was the afternoon of November 24, with 72 parties. We had only two draws all season with fewer than 10 parties participating, both of which were morning hunts during a week of mostly frozen conditions.

The late split on December 30 and 31 was heavily hunted, with 58 parties in the draw for the Saturday morning hunt. A total of 276 ducks and 14 geese were harvested by 310 hunters that weekend.

Harsens Island data

Grand total

Area: Hunter trips: Ducks: Geese: Ducks per hunter trip: % of harvest:
Crops 6133 9000 104 1.47 85.11%
West 1232 1302 26 1.06 12.31%
East 552 435 39 0.79 4.11%
Uplands 7 0 0 0.00 0.00%
Z-Totals 7924 10737 169 1.35 N/A

Cropped areas

Area: Hunter trips: Ducks: Geese: Ducks per hunter Trip: % of harvest:
01 51 12 0 0.24 0.11%
02 134 33 0 0.25 0.31%
03 138 128 1 0.93 1.19%
04 218 165 1 0.76 1.54%
05 196 148 0 0.76 1.38%
06 264 344 0 1.30 3.20%
07 265 349 2 1.32 3.25%
09 153 49 1 0.32 0.46%
10 151 80 1 0.53 0.75%
11 141 107 2 0.76 1.00%
13 203 111 1 0.55 1.03%
14 285 368 7 1.29 3.43%
15 305 538 3 1.76 5.01%
16 314 543 12 1.73 5.06%
17 283 362 1 1.28 3.37%
18 196 107 0 0.55 1.00%
20 47 37 2 0.79 0.34%
21 205 245 1 1.20 2.28%
22 271 465 5 1.72 4.33%
23 272 427 2 1.57 3.98%
24 273 507 2 1.86 4.72%
25 285 573 4 2.01 5.34%
26 300 576 13 1.92 5.36%
27 285 385 6 1.35 3.59%
28 313 801 10 2.56 7.46%
29 297 916 15 3.08 8.53%
30 288 624 12 2.17 5.81%
TOTAL 6133 9000 104 1.47 83.82%

West marsh

Area: Hunter trips: Ducks: Geese: Ducks per hunter trip: % of harvest:
60 3 0 0 0.00 0.00%
62 0 0 0 N/A 0.00%
63 3 0 0 0.00 0.00%
64 5 0 0 0.00 0.00%
65 4 2 0 0.50 0.02%
66 12 12 1 1.00 0.11%
67 41 22 1 0.54 0.20%
68 117 114 2 0.97 1.06%
70 88 54 1 0.61 0.50%
71 196 198 4 1.01 1.84%
72 133 137 0 1.03 1.28%
73 221 301 8 1.36 2.80%
74 234 296 5 1.26 2.76%
75 48 28 2 0.58 0.26%
76 23 17 0 0.74 0.16%
80 104 121 2 1.16 1.13%
TOTAL 1232 1302 26 1.06 12.13%

East marsh

Area: Hunter trips: Ducks: Geese: Ducks per hunter trip: % of harvest:
31 168 154 9 0.92 1.43%
32 28 19 1 0.68 0.18%
33 42 32 4 0.76 0.30%
34 10 1 0 0.10 0.01%
35 90 56 1 0.62 0.52%
36 36 24 12 0.67 0.22%
37 25 4 1 0.16 0.04%
38 31 28 1 0.90 0.26%
39 43 26 10 0.60 0.24%
40 39 52 0 1.33 0.48%
41 5 3 0 0.60 0.03%
42 4 7 0 1.75 0.07%
43 9 9 0 1.00 0.08%
44 5 6 0 1.20 0.06%
45 9 8 0 0.89 0.07%
46 8 6 0 0.75 0.06%
47 0 0 0 N/A N/A
TOTAL 552 435 39 0.79 4.05%

Weekly totals

Date: Number of days: Hunter trips: Hunters per day: Ducks harvested: Ducks per day: Ducks per hunter trip: Geese harvested:
09/17 and 09/18 2 75 38 60 30 0.80 7
10/14–10/22 9 1321 147 1516 168 1.15 73
10/23–10/29 7 771 110 1189 170 1.54 16
10/30–11/5 7 1064 152 2037 291 1.91 9
11/6–1/12 7 1073 153 1396 199 1.30 16
11/13–11/19 7 774 111 1117 160 1.44 1
11/20–11/26 7 1006 144 1189 170 1.18 13
11/27–12/3 7 671 96 1146 164 1.71 11
12/4–12/10 7 859 123 811 116 0.94 9
12/30– 12/31 2 310 155 276 138 0.89 14
Totals 60 7924 132 10737 179 1.35 169

Species totals

Species: Total: % of harvest:
Mallard 6885 64.12%
Black duck 1080 10.06%
Pintail 733 6.83%
Green-winged teal 590 5.50%
Wood duck 329 3.06%
Wigeon 301 2.80%
Ringneck 257 2.39%
Gadwall 178 1.66%
Shoveler 171 1.59%
Ruddy duck 56 0.52%
Redhead 37 0.34%
Bufflehead 36 0.34%
Hooded merganser 25 0.23%
Scaup 18 0.17%
Blue-wing teal 16 0.15%
Coots 9 0.08%
Common merganser 6 0.06%
Canvasback 4 0.04%
Black/Mallard hybrid 2 0.02%
Unknown 2 0.02%
Goldeneye 1 0.01%
Long-tailed duck 1 0.01%
Geese 169 N/A

Need more info?

If additional information is needed about Harsens Island that is not contained within this report, please contact John Darling, Wildlife technician, St. Clair Flats Wildlife Area.