Dept. of Game, Fish and Parks
For Immediate Release: Monday, Dec. 23, 2002
For more information: Corey Huxoll, 773-4195

WEB-RESPONSE OPTION FOR ALL HARVEST SURVEY REPORTS

PIERRE – Hunters have the option to respond to all hunter harvest survey cards through a Department of Game, Fish and Parks web site.

Harvest cards are being mailed from the Department of Game, Fish and Parks, and hunters who receive one need to complete and return it, whether or not they hunted or were successful or unsuccessful.

In addition to the usual mail-back option, hunters can respond through a web site address where they can record their hunting activities for any of the hunting seasons, according to Corey Huxoll, Game Harvest Surveys Coordinator. A statistical procedure is used to randomly select a limited number of hunters to receive a survey card.

"Responding quickly to the first survey card helps to eliminate the costs of sending additional cards," Huxoll said. The survey is based on achieving a high percentage of returned surveys, and if the first survey is not returned, the hunter will get a second or even third survey card.

"Hunters who respond through the web site will answer the same general harvest questions, such as success, number of animals taken, animal species and sex, how long they hunted and their general hunting satisfaction, just like on the regular survey cards.

"The advantage to this system is the convenience to the hunters, cost savings and quicker receipt of the harvest information for the department," Huxoll noted. "Estimates indicate that each survey response received through the web saves Game, Fish and Parks more than 50 cents. It not only saves us return mail costs, but also the time it takes to sort the cards and enter the information into the computer. Over the span of a year, the cost savings should become quite impressive, and the savings will continue to increase as more hunters use the web site. As of Dec. 18, approximately 20 percent of hunters (about 5,000) have utilized the web-response option."

When the age structure information from the tooth survey is combined with harvest survey data, summer doe/fawn counts and preseason buck/doe ratios, game managers have a clearer picture of what is happening to the populations in each unit.

The harvest survey card and the tooth envelope are two different surveys, however, both are essential and required.

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