Long-term studies show that woodcock populations have been declining gradually since the late 1960s. These birds are highly secretive, and biologists have spent decades unraveling their mystery in order to stabilize the species and manage it for the future.

Excise taxes on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment play an important role in woodcock research and management. A new interactive ArcGIS StoryMap, produced by the Partner with a Payer initiative, shows how funding from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program enables crucial work on woodcock by State fish & wildlife agencies across the species’ range. 

View the StoryMap here: https://arcg.is/1GyzbX0