percent. Practically all the numerically 
important puddle ducks were down from 
last year, this is, mallards 20 percent, 
gadwall 19 percent, and shoveler 37 per¬ 
cent. The only one showing improve¬ 
ment was pintail, up 17 percent. Com¬ 
paring them to the long-term averages, 
all were down except gadwall, which 
showed a plus 52 percent. These still 
remain down by a considerable figure 
when related to the average. 
Coot populations increased 20 percent 
over last year, but still remained 68 
percent below the average. They defi¬ 
nitely followed the improvement in water 
conditions and probably do not reflect a 
true population change. It is more than 
likely a shift of populations to the well- 
watered prairie areas. The Canada 
goose population was unchanged, for all 
practical purposes, from last year 
(table B-24). 
The lone drake index was 82 percent 
this year, made up of mallards, pintails, 
and canvas backs. It is high enough to 
indicate a early nesting season but this 
is not borne out by the late spring 
weather or the early habitat conditions. 
However, it may be that the birds caught 
up as did the vegetation as the season 
progressed (table B-25). 
Production indexes 
Weather conditions apparently affected 
the early hatch although it was difficult 
to determine just what did take place. It 
is likely that the repeated rains did con¬ 
siderable damage. The extreme cold 
snap with snow on May 26 may have been 
a real blow to the early hatch. Actually, 
the number of class II broods was also 
low, indicating adverse conditions during 
June. However, class I broods were 
showing up in substantial numbers by 
mid-July. 
The brood index this year stood at 
49, 800 compared to 66, 900 a year ago 
and 219, 000 for the long-term average. 
This is 26 percent under last year and 77 
percent less than the average. Brood 
size was good. It showed 6. 0 ducklings 
per brood which was 15 percent above the 
long-term average. Coot broods were 
down about 10 percent from last year but 
indications of nesting birds would make 
it appear that late success will be all 
right. 
The extremely high late nesting index 
this year adds a great deal to the produc¬ 
tion outlook. This, combined with the 
satisfactory pond condition, does give 
measurable hope for a good, late hatch. 
This probably will be noted mainly in the 
middle and late nesting species. Certain 
renesting efforts by the early laying 
species will probably show only mediocre 
production. 
The index is 152 percent above last 
year and 36 percent over the average. It 
is better than any year since 1960. The 
dabblers are all up with an over-all in¬ 
crease of 242 percent over last year and 
52 percent above the average. On the 
other hand, divers are generally down 
with the exception of redheads (table B-26). 
MONTANA 
Data supplied by Henry A. Hansen 
Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife 
An operational waterfowl population 
survey was established for eastern Mon¬ 
tana in May of 1965. This was patterned 
after J. D. Smith’s 1958 experimental 
survey south of the Missouri River and 
continued north of the Missouri River in 
conformity with the established pattern 
in adjacent Alberta, Saskatchewan, and 
North Dakota. The aerial survey con¬ 
ducted by the Montana Department of Fish 
and Game north of the Missouri River 
the past few years will be replaced by the 
standard operation initiated in 1965. 
Area and methods 
Eastern Montana falls into the two 
natural ecological units divided by the 
Missouri River. These have been desig¬ 
nated as stratum 1 (South) and 2 (North). 
The standard sampling plan was used with 
east-west transects divided into 18-mile 
14 
