The firet indication of a serious outbreak in 194° was noted on the 
gouth hore July el. Further inveatiomtiona followed, and by July 77 a total 
of 165 milea of ehoreline had been covered and 7,200 dead birds tallied. The 
firet outbreak thie year war centered north of the town of Whitewater. A 
complete recheck of the entire south shore ann a reconnpissance of ather areas 
wae made by a U. 8. Fish anu Wildlife Service air boat August 5 and &. The 
die-of f had spread into # vwhitetep meadow dotted with cattail islands, This 
made the work of counting and salvaging ducke very difficult. Ducks continued 
to die at the rate of 1,000 to 1,200 e aay through August 28. Thie rate 
eteadily decreaged until on September 3 the salvage crew found only 70 eick 
birds on & miles of shoreline {letter from Kei th Story dated September A), 
Cur figure for total lose#s le based on the sample counts applied to the ares 
at 2 whole. 
Throughout the botulism outbreak the weather was extremely hot with 
temperatures ranging wp te 104%, 4 period of high winds accompanied the 
excecsive heat, causing wind tides to flood new areae and thus fet up optimum 
conditions for botulism. 
4 summary of the 6,170 ducke tallied by species, and sex from July 14 to 
September 4 i¢ given in Table 1. It shows how the sex ratio varied from period 
to period, how the species composition changed and gives an indication of the 
chronology of the eclipse moult of many species of ducks. The data have been 
broken into seven periods for analysis. Table 1 ehows that the population war 
at firet uredominantly male, treat gredually the ratio became more or lese 
balanced as the hene Left their broods to begin their eclipse moult. 
Dr, William A, Elder {University of Miseovri) flurosconed ducks for 
lead ehot. Hle findings will be reported elsewhere. 
A solvage program wee organized by the Manitoba Game Branch with 
Concervation Officers Erenz and Rendereon in charge. Mr. Keith Story, who 
operates a genera’ store at Whitewater Village has for yeare collected and 
treated victima of the polsoning without compensation. Thier year his efforts 
were ccordinated with those of the Game and Fisheries Branch. Ale expenecea, 
incurred in bullding pens, ete., were poald by Ducks Unlimited (Canada). 
Others who actively participated in salvage operations included pereon- 
nel of the U. 3. Fish and Wildlife Service, Dominion Wildlife Service, Delta 
Waterfowl Reasearch Station, Ducks Unlimited Dr. KR. F. Heet, locel veteringrian, 
and interested local sportsmen. Indians and school boys were hired by the 
Gane Branch to pick up and bury dead birds. The U. 5. Fish and Wildlife 
Service provided an air-thrust boat August § - 12. The hospital ic a pereenent 
fixture and can be used in the advent of a future die-off at Whitewater Lake. 
LP gee 
1. 80,000 to 60,000 birds died. 
4. 6,170 were waed for species composition end eex ratioe. An iocrease in 
females was recorded as the season advanced, 
3, <A4’pproximately 4,200 birds were treated, 3,300 banded and releaeaed. 
4. 1,265 ducke were flucroscoped for lead shot. 
a7 
