CHAPTER IX 

 WATERFOWL 



THIS chapter does not purport to be a well-rounded appraisal of the water- 

 fowl situation in the north central States. Only incidental attention was 

 given to waterfowl during the survey. The following impressions of the situation 

 are offered as merely a rough and incomplete picture which is in great need of be- 

 ing corrected and extended by a more careful survey of the region as a whole, and 

 of the individual States. 



Explanation of Map. Map 17 is a very generalized and "uneven" pre- 

 sentation of the waterfowl situation. 



Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri show a nearly complete picture of the re- 

 maining grounds with their location, tenure, and status. Minnesota has more 

 remaining grounds than any of these States, but no details were gathered and 

 hence cannot be presented. 



Iowa, Indiana, and Ohio have hardly any waterfowl grounds left, hence 

 there is little to present. The map of these States is nearly complete. 



An inventory of annual production on the larger breeding grounds is given 

 on the map for Wisconsin, but not for Minnesota and Michigan. The southerly 

 tier of States has few breeding grounds, so there is little to present. 



All waterfowl grounds which breed any birds show as squares; those which 

 harbor transitory birds only show as circles. Various appendages attached to each 

 square or circle show whether it serves as a refuge, whether it is public, private, or 

 commercial, whether any banding is done, etc. Letters or symbols within squares 

 or circles show a few salient facts as to the species or groups represented, where 

 this is known. 



One of the most important things shown on the map is the location of the 

 more important marshland restoration projects, and of the larger State and Federal 

 refuges. 



In general, this map will be intelligible only to those with a fairly good 

 advance knowledge of conditions. To make all these matters clear to others 

 would require half a dozen maps. 



Trends in Waterfowl. Ten salient trends in the present situation were 

 noted, four favorable and six unfavorable. 

 The favorable trends are: 



(1) An actual beginning in three marshland restoration projects. 



(2) One, and possibly two, instances of successful restoration of feeding 

 grounds through carp control. 



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