Alaskan Waterfoivl Management— Gabrielson 299 



food and water conditions prevail. The production of these 

 scattered populations added to that of the major units makes 

 Alaska's waterfowl production of increasing importance. It is 

 impossible to evaluate it on a numerical basis, but it is certain 

 that the loss of this contribution would have a definitely adverse 

 effect on the waterfowl resources. 



The returns from banding projects also demonstrate its im- 

 portance to waterfowl production. Lincoln, writing in 1926 

 of the returns secured from about 250 Cackling Geese banded 

 in late July of 1924 in the vicinity of Hooper Bay, reported 

 that of the 39 birds recovered, 35 were taken on the coastal 

 areas of Oregon and Washington, at Tule Lake, lying on the 

 Oregon-California boundary, and in the Sacramento Valley. 

 Only one, a bird taken on Moresby Island, was recovered in 

 British Columbia. One bird was killed on Nelson Island the 

 following June not far from the point of banding, and 2 birds 

 killed by a Snowy Owl were recovered in the owl nest soon after 

 banding. These returns indicated a wintering concentration 

 in California and a definite migration route to and from that 

 area. 



During the last two seasons, extensive banding has been 

 undertaken in several localities by the use of Pittman-Robert- 

 son funds. This followed more limited work in 1948. Six 

 hundred ninety two waterfowl were banded in 1948, 2629 in 

 1949, and 3573 in 1950. Naturally, returns from the birds 

 banded in the summer of 1950 are not yet available, and past 

 experience indicates that additional bands will be returned 

 from 1949 banded birds. During the 1949 operation, 2634 birds 

 were banded, all but 5 of which were either ducks or geese. 

 Six hundred ninety eight Cackling Geese were banded, and 4 

 of these were recovered that fall relatively near the banding 

 stations in the Yukon Delta, 1 was returned from Washington, 

 16 from Oregon, and 17 from California. Three hundred eighty 

 two Black Brant were banded in the Yukon Delta of which 2 

 were taken near the banding area, 1 in British Columbia, 1 in 

 Washington, and 8 in California. Of the 138 White-fronted 

 Geese banded that season, 1 2 that were banded on the Innoko 



