Lack of sex-selectivity in harvest of mallards under the point system

States using the point system during 1980-87 changed to conventional bag limits in 1988 and 1989. This change provided a basis for contrasting the effect of the point system in redistributing harvest pressure toward male and away from female mallards Anas platyrhynchos versus the effect of sex-specific, conventional bag limits. Direct, in-state recoveries in northern states where adequate preseason banding took place were used to calculate the proportion of male recoveries to total recoveries. The proportion of male recoveries did not decrease in 1988 and 1989 when states changed to conventional bag limits. This is contrary to the result expected if the point system shifted hunting pressure toward males and away from females. -from Authors