sales reports were definitely incomplete. 
Measures to correct this reporting lag 
were negotiated with the Post Office De¬ 
partment, and a substantial improvement 
in reporting has been noticed this year. 
Because of some still-remaining in¬ 
completeness of the three-quarter fiscal 
year reports of certain States (especially 
Massachusetts, West Virginia, and 
Virginia), it was necessary to recompute 
parts of the 1963 analysis. The revised 
estimates, based on the full year's stamp 
sales, are presented in this report. 
The 1962 estimates presented here for 
comparison with the revised 1963 esti¬ 
mates have also been recalculated utiliz¬ 
ing the same stratification system used 
for the 1963 data and on the basis of full 
year's stamp sales. 
As in each year since 1960, the flyway 
bag estimates for ducks, geese, and 
coots were adjusted for response bias in 
reported figures by using the correction 
factors calculated in that year. The 
hunting activity and bag of "junior hunters" 
have again been estimated by the use of 
expansion factors based on findings in 
previous years. The species composition 
of the duck and goose harvest is based on 
the results of the annual Duck Wing and 
Goose Tail Collection Surveys. 
Previously, geographic zones were 
used mainly for the selection of sample 
outlets for the survey. This year, for 
the first time, they, together with the post 
office strata, have been used in the an¬ 
alysis of the data as well. This increase 
in number of strata used in sampling and 
in the analysis of data was made possible 
through the use of computer methods. 
Computer calculations were done entirely 
by the Migratory Bird Populations Station 
Machine Data Processing Unit. 
The 1963 estimates have been derived 
from the responses of approximately 
55, 530 hunters contacted throughout 
2, 736 post offices (table D-7). 
Pacific Flyway 
An estimated 2, 741, 500 ducks were 
bagged in the Pacific Flyway during the 
1963-64 waterfowl season, an increase of 
45 percent over the previous season 
(table D-8). An additional 545, 500 ducks 
were knocked down but not retrieved, for 
a total kill (bag plus criples) of approxi¬ 
mately 3, 286, 900 ducks. All States 
registered increases in the total duck 
bag as compared to the previous season. 
Analysis of the total Flyway duck bag 
by species, as derived from data pro¬ 
vided by the Duck Wing Survey, shows 
that the bags of five species—mallard 
(843,900), pintail (585,800), green- 
winged teal (376,300), American widgeon 
(324,400), and shoveler (256,900) — 
totaled 2, 387, 300 ducks or 87 percent 
of the Flyway bag of all species. The 
bags of most species of ducks increased, 
except for greater scaup, mergansers, 
and scoters, all of which showed de¬ 
creases. 
The total Flyway goose bag of an 
estimated 328, 900 birds increased 54 
percent over the previous season. An 
additional 64, 500 geese were knocked 
down but not retrieved, for a total kill 
(bag plus cripples) of approximately 
393,400 geese (table D-9). All States 
registered increases in the total goose 
kill except Arizona (-16%). 
An estimated 72, 000 coots were 
bagged in the Flyway, an increase of 
7 percent over the previous season. 
An additional 52, 300 coots were 
knocked down but not retrieved, yielding 
a total kill (bag plus cripples) of about 
124, 300 coots. 
A total of approximately 268, 020 
waterfowl hunters were afield during 
an estimated 1, 992, 500 hunter-days 
(table D-10), registering a 12 percent 
increase in the number of active hunters 
and a 15 percent increase in total 
hunter-days over the previous season. 
Central Flyway 
An estimated 1, 078, 600 ducks were 
bagged in the Central Flyway during the 
1963-64 waterfowl season, an increase 
of 130 percent over the previous season 
(table D-ll). An additional 264, 800 
ducks were knocked down but not retriev¬ 
ed, for a total kill (bag plus cripples) 
of approximately 1, 343, 500 ducks. 
30 
