When I was a kid we often ate game my father brought home. Without question,
surf scoter was the worse tasting bird we ever had at our table. Why anybody
would hunt such a bird is beyond me.....

Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer
The Environmental Science School
http://www.nonprofitpages.com/nica/SVE.htm
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From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Kelly
McAllister
Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2007 7:31 PM
To: Tweeters
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Surf Scoter Considered a "Game Bird"??


All of the Anatidae are game birds in Washington. This, however, does not
preclude listing under the federal Endangered Species Act. If the species
was found to warrant listing, it could be listed. Not much is being listed
of late. It's been my impression that a "Evolutionarily Significant Unit"
like a subspecies of distinct population segment has to be very much on the
brink of extinction before it's likely to be listed. The interpretation of
what warrants listing, that is, the imminency of extinction, seems to have
gotten tighter and tighter. The timeframe in which surf scoters may face
certain extinction may not be imminent enough to warrent listing under
today's standards. That's my impression of federal listing as practiced in
this century.

Kelly McAllister
Olympia, Washington








----- Original Message -----
From: Jeff Kozma <mailto:jkozma at charter.net>
To: Tweeters <mailto:Tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2007 7:09 PM
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Surf Scoter Considered a "Game Bird"??

As to why Surf Scoter wouldn't be included under the ESA because it is a
gamebird, I can't answer that. It must be a misinterpretation somewhere,
because I thought all species, regardless of huntable status, are covered
under the ESA. But again, I am not sure on this, but it doesn't make sense
to not include game animals. I will have to do some checking on that.

Secondly, all scoter species and even eiders are hunted. Much of this,
particularly on the eastern seaboard, are steeped in deep tradition. In
addition, these species are often seasonal staples in the diets of many
native american tribes. With proper handling of the meat (such as
marinating in buttermilk to pull the blood out) and proper preparation, they
become palatable. Waterfowl populations (and other huntable birds such as
quail, pheasants, etc.) allow for compensatory mortality. In other words,
hunting mortality is compensated for by an increase in survival of the
animals remaining after the hunting season by the density-dependent decrease
in mortality because of fewer animals in the population. Another way to put
it, if the birds weren't harvested, they would die by other causes
(predation, starvation, poison, etc, etc).

However, new work being done and looking at seaducks in particular, shows
that the seaduck's (scoter, eiders, long-tailed ducks, etc) unique life
history promotes a lower threshold mortality rate. Sustainable harvest rates
for seaducks are much lower than for other waterfowl. Declines indicate
that this lower threshold point is being reached so these species have less
capacity to compensate for any additional form of mortality such as hunting
(mortality becomes additive instead of compensatory).

There is more information on the plight of seaducks, from this website
http://seaducks.org/compensatoryadditive.htm where I got some of the above
information.

Jeff Kozma

j kozma at charter dot net

Yakima\



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