yaaaayayaayay
I finished my stupid Information Needs and Uses paper. Now I can make dinner and then study for my last final tomorrow. Huzzah!
Jonathan Zuhosky
Information Needs and Uses Part 2
December 9th, 2007
Access to Information 60001
In the first part of this project I addressed the information needs and uses of waterfowl hunters. I established that waterfowlers had a focused need for specific types of information. To avoid fines and jail time, waterfowlers need to know the state laws and regulations. Waterfowlers also need to know about the equipment that they will be using, be it their shotguns, ammunition, calls, or decoys. Finally, waterfowlers need to understand the behavior of their prey so that they can hunt more effectively.
In an effort to meet the information needs of waterfowlers, I identified six of the most useful reference sources that I could find. First I examined a bibliographic database called DUCKDATA that is managed by the USGS. Then I moved on to study two different index and abstract services. The first was Biological Abstracts, an academic and scientific-oriented database that included many articles about waterfowl and wetlands. The second service was SPORTdiscuss, which indexed mostly popular periodicals that dealt with sports and leisure, and featured a large hunting collection.
I then looked at a popular directory called Black’s Wing and Clay. This directory gives information on how to contact and where to locate places to hunt, people to instruct you in safe hunting, and stores from which you can purchase all of your equipment. Finally I discussed two pocket-sized books that are worth more than their weight in gold. First was Peterson’s Field Guide, a handy book that can help a hunter tell the difference between an endangered species and a bird that’s safe to shoot. Lastly, I examined the reference book that every hunter receives with his license and should never be without, the hunting and fishing regulations of his state.
The DUCKDATA database is a massive bibliographic source that contains 14,913 records concerning the “ecology, conservation, and management of North American waterfowl and their wetland habitats”. It is primarily designed to hold records about “North American waterfowl, including references emphasizing wetlands but having implications for waterfowl ecology, conservation, and management”. The records tend to be more academic, including science works and graduate theses, but more popular works are also included to round out the database. (DUCKDATA.)
The database is arranged by classifying each record by both a broad and a specific subject. Records dealing with a specific region have that data assigned as a keyword. For further ease of use, common names of animals are used. Searching for “Canadian goose” is far easier than typing “Branta Canadensis” into the search field. Finally, a list of keywords with their frequency of use is provided to facilitate easier searching.
When I first searched DUCKDATA, I was struck by how unintuitive the interface was. A user is presented with several search boxes with Boolean operators available to narrow or expand the search. A user also has to select the field they want to search. The normal choices of author, title and keyword are there, but a user can also select to search abstracts, non-indexed text fields, periodicals or by year. After several failed searches for very broad terms, I went back and scanned through the keyword list for items that I was interested in. By inputting these terms, I was able to search the database much more effectively.
DUCKDATA has many interesting records, but since they deal with very scientific aspects of waterfowl, a cursory glance would seem to reveal that many of the records would not appeal to the average hunter. This could not be farther from the truth. There are many keywords that could yield good results for the dedicated searcher. A hunter can use DUCKDATA to research how ducks and geese react to decoys, different types of calls, escape patterns, and different types of shot.
For instance, I found a good article from the Wildlife Society Bulletin that had information on the effectiveness of different shot on geese and ducks. (Martz, Mikula, & Ryel, 1977) DUCKDATA almost entirely lists only the bibliographic data for an item, offering a link only if the record is available online, so access to other databases via an academic or public library is necessary to view any record. For the Wildlife Society Bulletin, I had to use an OSU library computer because the records from the 1970’s were located on a JSTOR collection that Kent didn’t have access to. The articles were very interesting and informative, but the average hunter would have to go to a large library to look at the print periodical which limits the overall usefulness of DUCKDATA.
Whereas DUCKDATA is purely a bibliographic reference source, Biological Abstracts, like the name suggests, accompanies its records with abstracts. Biological Abstracts is a broad database that does not specifically cater towards waterfowlers, but careful searching can reveal important data for the clever hunter. Much like DUCKDATA, Biological Abstracts leans towards very academic and scientific information, but just like with DUCKDATA, many of the articles have practical purposes outside of their original scientific intent.
Biological Abstracts is offered through Kent and other Ohio colleges and is accessed through the standard OhioLINK database search page. It has several search boxes with pull down boxes that allow the user to use Boolean operators to enhance their search. Unlike DUCKDATA, Biological Abstracts is more forgiving with search terms and a quick search for “waterfowl and Ohio” resulted in 29 results. Many of these were too specific and off-topic for a waterfowl hunter, but a few were very pertinent. First was an article that described which types of wetlands were best for breeding mallards. (Yerkes et al., 2007) This information would be perfect for members of habitat conservation and preservation groups. There was also an article about how wood ducks and mallards can be found in wooded wetlands in late season. (Sherman D, Kaminski R, & Leopold, 1992) Finally there was a preponderance of articles about the effect of avian influenza on geese and ducks. Many of these articles are written for medical or biological professionals, but they all feature easy to understand conclusions. Since they come into contact with the blood of wild birds on a frequent basis, waterfowl hunters will especially want to keep abreast of the latest findings on avian diseases.
By searching through the journal titles available through Biological Abstracts, I was able to find much more pertinent information. I came across a journal called “Waterbirds” and, by limiting my search to just that journal, I was able to find abstracts about many different waterfowl topics. I found an article about how and why different ducks molt at specific times (Pyle, 2005) and another detailing the number of waterfowl found nesting in Canada with shot pellets embedded in their skin. (Hicklin & Barrow, 2004) By browsing further, I found a journal called “Wetlands”, searched the abstracts available and found an article that discussed the types of birds most likely to inhabit specific types of wetlands. By taking the data in this article and applying it to his local hunting areas, a hunter could considerably increase his chances of bagging the kind of duck or goose that he wants. (Riffell, Keas, & Burton, 2001)
Unlike DUCKDATA or Biological Abstracts, SPORTdiscuss caters much more to the non-academic hunter. SPORTdiscuss’ indexes and abstracts deal primarily with sports and leisure activities. SPORTdiscuss is much more advanced than the earlier two databases. It is based in EBSCOhost and features a powerful search engine. It even has grokker capabilities for a visual search.
While the visual search was fun to play around with and useful to see how topics related to each other, I opted to use the basic search features to explore the abstracts. I searched for “waterfowl” and received a list of 30 results with a sidebar on the left that let me narrow my search. I chose “WATERFOWL shooting” and was presented with a much narrower selection of excellent articles. There were articles on duck calls, winter hunts and the effectiveness of the newest type of steel and tungsten shots. I wanted to read up on the latest techniques, so I searched further and found an informative article about pass shooting. (Brezny, 2003) These are exactly the sort of articles that the waterfowlers I know read and discuss frequently.
Sadly, most of the articles I looked at were just the full text HTML versions without pictures. As sporting journals and magazines generally have instructive diagrams and maps, this was a major disadvantage. However many public libraries have subscriptions to the periodicals featured in SPORTdiscuss, so obtaining a print copy would not be too difficult. It would still be far easier than trying to locate a copy of the Wildlife Society Bulletin from DUCKDATA.
Completely different from the first three databases we’ve discussed, Black’s Wing and Clay is a very informative printed directory that all waterfowlers should consult. It is broken up into three basic sections. There is information about different places where hunters can schedule hunts, there is information about places for a waterfowler to practice his shooting at skeet ranges, and finally there is information about shotguns and shotgun-related items. As a directory, Black’s lists basic information about each store or location and gives a small description of it. Black’s directory is also updated annually, growing in size and information with each year. As regional or national retail outlets close or move, Black’s updates each entry to ensure that the reader has the latest and most correct information possible. (Black's, 2000)
I think this directory is very useful especially for older hunters who might not be as familiar with the Internet. For example, if I wanted to find information about the new Beretta field guns, I would just search for Beretta’s website and explore from there. Someone who isn’t as comfortable with the Internet could consult Black’s directory and look in the table of contents, the index, or by subject and section. Going to the “Shotgun Manufacturers / Importers” section gives me a long list of different shotgun manufacturers. Under Beretta’s listing I can find the mailing address, phone number, email, website, and a brief description. The directory says they sell over/under and semi-automatic shotguns for both competition and field use, so I know that I’ve found the right entry. If, however, I searched in the “Waterfowl: Shotgun Manufacturers” section, I could still find an entry for Beretta with the same information and a waterfowl specific description that says Berretta carries a “complete line of Waterfowl shotguns including the new Xtrem2 Autoloader”. (Black's, 2000)
Another invaluable printed resource is Peterson’s Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America. (Peterson & Peterson, 2002) Peterson’s guide is full of detailed drawings and pictures of all the different birds in an area. It has a table of contents that breaks down birds into different categories, listing the birds by their scientific and common names. The guide also has a map and two indexes, one for the scientific names and one for the common names. Peterson’s also makes a similar guide for the other half of the country so hunters out west are in luck.
What makes Peterson’s Field Guide so valuable is the arrangement and layout of information. Each bird has a beautifully done drawing that shows coloration in the summer and the winter, along with color patterns of uncommon morphs. The accompanying text succinctly describes the key elements for identification of the bird, giving its flight formations, habitat, physical size and coloration, an approximation of its call, and even how rare the bird is due to over hunting or loss of habitat.
The section describing swans and snow geese is an excellent example of how important a good field guide can be. The art for the swans and snow geese are on the same page, so comparison of each other is easy and quick. Since the easiest way to differentiate the two birds is by beak, the guide gives detailed drawings of what the beaks of both an adult and juvenile swan look like and what the beaks of snow geese look like in comparison. The text says that both the swans and snow geese fly in V formations and share the same habitats, but that swans are slightly larger than snow geese. The key point of information however is the description of the calls. A swan either hisses or makes a high pitched coo that sounds like “woo-ho, woo-woo, woo-ho” whereas a snow goose vocalizes with the familiar loud and nasal “houck”. (pp 60-61, Peterson & Peterson, 2002) Knowing whether you’ve a swan or a goose in your sights before you shoot could be the difference between a nice meal and a hefty fine.
Another essential reference book that a hunter can take with him into the field is the official hunting and fishing regulations of his state, in this case, Ohio. (Ohio, 2007) This handbook is issued free by the state and contains aspects of just about every type of reference source imaginable. It has an index in the front that organizes the book by the hunting seasons, permit requirements, legal definitions, youth hunting, and wildlife officials by county. The handbook is full of maps, tables and helpful graphics. It even shows you how to properly attach a temporary tag to a deer before you take it to be processed and recorded.
The waterfowl section of the regulations has more specific rules and regulations that pertain just to waterfowl hunting. It details what licenses and stamps you have to obtain before you can hunt and what rules you have to follow while hunting. There are detailed rules on what kind of decoys you can use, what constitutes an illegally baited hunting area and even how to transport and ship birds. The maps in the waterfowl section are very important because they show the different zones across the state, defined by a series of state routes running east from the bottom of Columbiana county to the west at the bottom of Van Wert county. There are also Mandatory Reporting Zones located in two places in Ohio. These MRZs are next to wildlife preserves and so a hunter must obtain a permit and report any Canadian geese taken on that day within two hours of the end of legal shooting time. As one can see, without a handbook to explain and illustrate these zones, a hunter could find himself paying a lot of unnecessary fines.
Despite all the information contained within, the hunting and fishing regulations are not enough for a waterfowler to have. He also must obtain specific regulations just for waterfowl hunting. (Publication 295, Ohio, 2007) This is because migratory birds are also covered under federal law, and as such, more specific rules are needed to differentiate local from migratory flocks. For instance, there is a narrow band within the North Zone called the Lake Erie Canada Goose Zone. This strip of land has different start and end times to their seasons than the rest of the North Zone due to the number of local Lake Erie birds compared to migratory flights. Luckily this additional publication is a two-sided tri fold pamphlet that is also issued free of charge when you buy your license.
In conclusion, to help hunters seeking information about waterfowl, I assembled six different reference sources. I included one bibliographic database, DUCKDATA, which provided academic but very useful resources for a hunter. Then I added two index and abstract services; Biological Abstracts, which dealt primarily with high-level scientific data about waterfowl and wetlands, and SPORTdiscuss, which indexed popular journals and magazines to provide data about hunting techniques and tactics.
I then included Black’s Wing and Clay, a popular directory that’s filled with information about outfitters and places to hunt. To round out the collection, I included two valuable guidebooks; Peterson’s Field Guide for identifying birds by sight and sound, and Ohio’s hunting and fishing regulations so that a hunter would know all the proper areas to hunt and the rules for taking game.
All of these sources together provide an excellent reference package for any waterfowl hunter that may walk into a library. Some of the more esoteric journals from DUCKDATA or Biological Abstracts may require searches through research databases or inter-library loans, but every other reference source should either be in most collections or readily accessible from other institutions. These sources will help meet the most common needs as well as more scholarly pursuits. Some sources are available online, while others are still in print, ensuring that hunters young to old feel familiar and comfortable with these works.
References
Black's 2001 wing & clay: The complete shotgunner's guide to equipment, instruction and destinations (2000). . Red Bank, N.J.: Jfb.
Brezny, L. P. (2003). Pass-shooting waterfowl. Southern Sporting Journal, 9(6), 20.
Databases available to search on reference web poster: USGS patuxent wildlife research center. Retrieved December 7, 2007, from http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/rwp/database_descriptions.htm#DUCKDATA
Hicklin, P. W., & Barrow, W. R. (2004). The incidence of embedded shot in waterfowl in atlantic canada and hudson strait. Waterbirds, 27(1), 41-45.
Martz, G. F., Mikula, E. J., & Ryel, L. A. (1977). A comparison of lead and steel shot for waterfowl hunting. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 5(1), 3.
Ohio. (2007). Ohio hunting & trapping regulations. Columbus: Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife.
Peterson, R. T., & Peterson, V. M. (2002). A field guide to the birds of eastern and central north America (5th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.
Pyle, P. (2005). Molts and plumages of ducks (anatinae). Waterbirds, 28(2), 208-219.
Riffell, S. K., Keas, B. E., & Burton, T. M. (2001). Area and habitat relationships of birds in great lakes coastal wet meadows. Wetlands, 21(4), 492-507.
Sherman D, E., Kaminski R, M., & Leopold, B. D. (1992). Potential Indices of Mallard and Wood Duck Abundance in Forested Wetlands During Winter. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 20(2), 148-156.
Yerkes, T., Paige, R., Macleod, R., Armstrong, L., Soulliere, G., & Gatti, R. (2007). Predicted distribution and characteristics of wetlands used by mallard pairs in five great lakes states. The American Midland Naturalist, 157(2), 356-364.
I had to use ALA. I hate ALA. But the reference thing OSU and Kent have in their library software helped a lot!