Weather and habitat conditions 
Breakup in the southern and western 
portions of the survey area was about two 
weeks earlier than normal. Elsewhere, 
breakup varied from one week earlier to 
two weeks later than normal. By mid- 
June extensive portions of the area were 
experiencing moderate to severe drought 
conditions, but this did not appear to have 
any serious effect on waterfowl habitat. 
Lakes, rivers, and muskegs all appeared 
to have adequate water throughout the 
summer. 
Over the survey area as a whole the 
most serious effect of the drought was the 
occurrence of numerous extensive and 
severe forest fires. 
Breeding population index 
There was considerable variation in the 
population index both among species and 
among strata, but much smaller varia¬ 
tions in the total waterfowl index (tables 
B-68 and B-70). 
The percent of lone drakes indicates 
that there was more nesting in progress 
at the time of the survey this year than 
in any previous year (table B-69). 
Production indexes 
The duck brood index and average size 
were down for 1964, -69 percent and -4 
percent, respectively; the goose brood 
index was down 63 percent from 1963, 
but average brood size was up 14 percent 
(table B-71). 
The late nesting index was up for all 
species except the Canada goose (table 
B-71). This upward trend may have 
been caused by the late breakup this 
year. However, if this is the cause it 
seems strange that the goose late-nest¬ 
ing index was down, since even as late 
as August 1 many of the lakes in the 
northern part of the survey area were 
more than 50 percent ice covered. 
BANDING AND RECOVERY DATA 
RECOVERY RATES FROM 1963 PRE-HUNTING-SEASON BANDINGS OF 
MALLARDS AND BLACK DUCKS 
Data supplied by R. Kahler Martinson 
Division of Wildlife Research 
Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife 
INTRODUCTION 
Pre-hunting-season banding of water- 
fowl provides data on the rate of band 
recovery which can be used to estimate 
rates of hunting kill. Band recovery rates 
can be examined to detect hunting pressure 
differences among age and sex cohorts 
within populations and/or the differences 
between populations. Several aspects of 
band recovery rates among mallards and 
black ducks have been discussed in U. S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service Special Scienti¬ 
fic Report—Wildlife No. 60 (1959 and 
1960 bandings). Migratory Bird Popula¬ 
tions Station Administrative Reports 12 
and 22 (1961 and 1962 bandings). The 
purpose of this report is to present the 
results of the 1963 pre-hunting-season 
banding program. 
Cooperators in the 1963 pre-hunting- 
season banding program banded nearly 
50 percent more mallards than they did 
in 1962. Important bandings in Saskat¬ 
chewan by U. S. Game Management 
Agent E. M. Bosak and in Manitoba 
21 
