Danagement of North American waterfowl on the thesis of summer productiin. 
When the use of large-scale quantitative survey methods was started in 
1947, one of the majer ocojectives wasn to obtain information in euch a way that 
pl] of the wartous atudles could be combined into one sertes of data fron which 
continento-wide estimates as to annual production could be drawn. Prerioun to 
1947, workers in certain localities had been conducting atudiesa of a gquantita-— 
tire nature. Tentative ldeas exiated, therefore, as to how the task might be 
accomplished, yet many probleme remained to be anewered. Some of them were 
aa Follows: 
1. Was the sarnple taken representative of the region? 
2, What te the extent of the warious regions sampledt 
3. Was the sample adequate as to sige or was it too smallT 
4. Was the waterfowl data representative of tha waterfowl 
populatisat 
5. Wae 1t possible before July 1, the date on which information 
for setting shooting regulations must be in Washington, to 
collect information which wouhd be sufficiently representative 
of the fall population? 
6. How could the information be taken eo that the data in one 
gtate or province could be added to the data taken in other 
regions #0 4s to obtain an over-all picture? For example, 
would a 50 percent decrease in production in 4lberta be 
effset by a 50 percent increase in ManitcbaT 
Since management information was needed at the same time thet the 
studies in the various regions was helng dereleped, 1t was necestary that the 
production of techniques gc hand in hand with the production of usable data. 
Needless to amy, both eauffered somewhat and yat a great deal cf progrese has 
been Made mlong beth lines. It will he found, howerer, that analysis of 
techniagues still forme an important part of many of the reports. Alas, 
this year for the firet time, syecial atudies were conducted with the analysis 
of methods as an major alin, Additional studies of thie type may do much to 
increase the efficiency of the work in the future, 
