WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND SURVEY IN SASKATCHEWAN, 1 

John Lynco 
This year’s work in southsra Saskatchswan had ths following objectives: 1, 
appraisal of population trends, 2, analysis of production, and. 3, banding, . Sur 
opsrationa covered that part ef ths Proevines south of latitude: 44°, which includes 
the Grassleande, tha Aspen Parklands, and portions of thy Mixed Conifercur Forsst, 
Population trands wears determined by maans of asrial and ground transacta, 
U. &. Game Management Agent Floyd Thompesen and Bielogiat John Lynch, useing a 
Stinson L-5, flew &7 hours of air transesta.da May and early Juns. Dominion 
Wildlife Officer Days Golia acted ag observer during 4 portion of thse aerial aur- 
vay. Gams Menagensnot Agut Ras Sjostrom, asaisted by Devs Colle and Saskatchswan 
Game Hrench Agent Mervin MacDonald, ran the ground trangsctts ost up in LO4#, and 
conducted the first part of the-production studies, Gans Managemant Agomt 3. W. 
Falae completed theas studies, Air and greund teams, together with Saakatchewan 
Gams Branch Agent Harold Disten ond Game Managoment Agent Ralph Sahnelle, workad 
on banding opsrationes during July. 
Methoda 
Asrial work followed the pattern asteabliehed in 1948, with ths pilot record- 
ing total ducks on the lsft sida of the plans, whils ths cbesrvsr dsterminad 
specisa as well ae total numbers on the right side. It was impossible this summsr 
to retraca sxactly sil of the 1948 air transects, but 45 of the. latter, roprsasnt- 
ing 4 525 asquare-mils gampls, wears Ts-covsrsd, This sampls, idanticai-in -both 
yaars, BShowsd almost sxactly tha gams tromds as comparison of ths total 1949 air 
eoverags with that of 1948, Asrial dete wars broken dom into ths twelres 
production ragions outlined by the 1948 air crew, hut it is racommendsd that 
in the futurs, asrial data be tabuleted-on ths basis of ths more aimplifisd seil- 
typs ragione now utilized by ths ground tranese+ crowa, All. air traneset data 
in thie report are proasnted without adjustment. : 
The ground erew, on its first coverages of ths 45 tranascts 39t up in 1948, 
satablishsd every tanth pothole 48-4 praduction study area, #ach area was 
mappad, and revisited at intarvals throughout ths season. Data on nating 
success and brood survivel ware recerdsd from a -totel of 43 .of these arsss, 
tha Spring Waterfowl Population 
We find that tho May-June waterfowl population of southern Saskatchewan 
wes about 49 percent lower this year than it was itr the corresponding pariod 
of 1948. The following data from all air trenescts and firat covsrags of 
ground transscta are affersd in support of this finding. 
