Harvest Management Working Group Report 2021

This report provides a summary of presentations and discussions that occurred at the 33rd meeting of the Harvest Management Working Group (HMWG). The 2021 meeting focused on the revision of the pintail Adaptive Harvest Management framework and the problem framing and discussions of management objectives associated with the reconsideration of North American duck harvest management. 

A working group comprised of representatives from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS), and the four Flyway Councils (HMWG Members) was established in 1992 to review the scientific basis for managing waterfowl harvests. The working group, supported by technical experts from the waterfowl management and research communities, subsequently proposed a framework for adaptive harvest management, which was first implemented in 1995.

The 2021 HMWG meeting report was prepared by the USFWS Division of Migratory Bird Management based on contributions from meeting participants. G. Scott Boomer was the principal compiler and serves as the coordinator of the HMWG.