Ae 
Hunters' mistakes in 1958 accounted for the illegal killing 
of hundreds of wood ducks. The wood duck is "beautiful but dumb" and 
falls an easy victim to the aim of novices who are unable to identify 
one species from another. All increases in wood ducks resulting from 
improvement in the nesting habitat in 1938 are believed to have been 
canceled by careless hunters. 
Mechanically harvested grain fields were found to be an im- 
portant source of food. Up to 8,000 wood ducks have been observed in 
@ single evening feeding in the grainflelds in. one drainage district 
near Havana. 
Duck Food Survey in, jhe Llanos Valley 
The vegetation in all the important bottom-land lakes was 
mapped to scale, to determine the relative abundance of various food 
and non-food plants. These maps will serve as a basis for comparison 
with conditions in future years. A comparison between the 19358 and 
mos fandinges Ws piven later in this-report. 
Survey of the 1958 Hunting Season 
A preliminary report of the survey of the 1958 duck hunting 
Season in the Illinois Valley was presented before the Fourth North 
American Wildlife Conference,* held in Detroit in February, 1939. 
Much additional information is now available, largely through the co- 
operation of the State Department of Conservation in giving free ac- 
cess to reports from duck clubs. A revision of parts of the prelim-— 
inary report, which was based on less information than is now avail- 
able, is presented in the following summary. 
1. Gistimaced tetal kill, including cripples lost, 85,000. 
pa thie acl 1. by Species of 250 elubs: ts eciven nm tabie i. 
Tabiic de--Duck kill of 250 .«lubs, Illinois Valley, Z8ss. 
inp Ducks — Number Diving Ducks Number 
Mallard 32,047 Lesser scaup (bluebill) 2,537 
Pintail (En ey Ae Ring-necked (blackjack) 414 
Green-winged teal 5,652 Canvasback 240 
Gadwall 5,082 Redhead 130 
Baldpate 2,068 Bufflehead 129 
Blue-winged teal 2,025 Ruddy 70 
Shoveler 1,457 Golden-eye i. 
Black duck 881 Miscellaneous fe) 
Total 55,262 Total 35,550 
*This report was published in the July-August issue of 
American Wildlife. Reprints can be obtained by writing to the I11li- 
nois Natural History Survey, Urbana, Illinois. 
