ways. In the Mississippi, the wood duck kill 

 increased greatly in 1962, amounting to 15 percent 

 of the total and ranking second only to the mal- 

 lard with 40 percent. In contrast, the wood duck 

 kill represented 15.3 percent of the kill in 15)63, 

 but only 6.1 percent in 1961. The increase in the 

 proportion of wood ducks in 1963 was probably 

 the combined results of the liberalized wood duck 

 bag limit and the restrictive limit on mallards. 

 Despite a "bonus scaup" regulation, the kill of 

 lesser scaup generally declined in all fly ways: the 

 kill of greater scaup increased substantially in all 

 but the Central Flyway where this species is not 

 common. 



The sex composition of the mallard kill in the 

 1962-63 season was of special interest in view of 

 the restrictive regulations in effect. In the Cen- 

 tral Flyway. the sex composition of the kill in 



adult mallards changed from 2.5 males per female 

 in 1961-62 to 2.8 in 1962-63. [n the southern half 

 of the Mississippi Flyway, the sex composition of 

 the kill increased from 2.3 to 2.7 males per female. 

 These data suggest that, with the one-mallard 

 limit, hunters showed slightly greater tendency 

 to shoot drakes. For mallards in entile United 

 States, the adult sex composition of the kill was 

 two males per female, while that of immature 

 birds was 1.2 males per female. 



Whistling swan limiting survey. — The whistling 

 swan hunting season in Utah in 1962 was evalu- 

 ated through a mail head-feather collection sur- 

 vey, as well as three mail questionnaire surveys. 

 The head-feather collection provided information 

 on age composition, since gray feathers from im- 

 mature birds can readily be differentiated from 

 white feathers of older birds. It also showed that 



A "wing-bee' 



mined from 

 survey — info 

 4 waterfowl 



' — identifying ducks from wings mailed to the Bureau by successful hunters. Sex and age can he deter- 

 examination of these wings. Distribution of hunters and kill likewise are obtained from the wing 

 rmation of great value to management. In 1963. "wing-bees" were held at one location in each of the 

 Byways, and a total of about 100.000 wings were processed. (Photo by Arnold O. Haugen) 



15 



