WATERFOWL BREZDING GROUND SURVEY IN THE DAKOTAS - 1949 
Jerome H. Stoudt 
The 1949 waterfowl breeding ground survey in the Dakotas consisted of 
two parts, namely: (1) Spring Ground Transects run on exactly the same areas 
as in 1948 to give actual trends in the spring breeding population; and (2) 
Production surveys conducted on one-quarter square mile sample check areas. 
These check areas were surveyed three times for the purpose of determining: 
(a) Total number of nesting pairs. 
(b) Extent of nest mortality and causes. 
(c) Total number of broods produced. 
Coverage of the transects and check areas would not have been possible 
without the invaluable aid of the following personnel: Game Management Agents 
Harry Jensen, Everett Sutton, William McClure, Ralph Schnelle and Charles 
Carlton; Refuge Manager Fred Staunton; Biologists Edward Wellein, Merrill 
Fammond and Biological Aid ©. H. Safranek. Much of the above assistance was 
made possible through the excellent cooperation of Mr. F. H. Davis, Regional 
Supervisor of Game Management Agents. Aerial coverage in North Dakota was 
accomplished by Don Vogtman of the River Basin Survey. 
Population Statistics - May Data 
Transect data for 1948 and 1949 are summarized in Table 1. One of the 
extremely interesting sidelights of the transect data shown in Table 1 is the 
fact that although in general the decrease in number of water areas in 1949 
resulted in an increase in occupancy in North Dakota, this was not the case 
in the Coteau Area where the percent of occupancy remained almost exactly the 
same. This suggests that perhape this region wae nearly at carrying capacity 
in 1948, and when the number of water areas were reduced in 1949 the ducks did = 
not merely "crowd" over into adjacent areas but moved out of the region entire- 
ly. This was further borne out by the fact that the 33 percent decrease in 
number of water areas in the Coteau Hills was accompanied by a 17 percent 
decrease in number of breeding pairs. 
Weather and Water Conditions 
Rainfall during the months of April, May, and June was very spotty in 
the Dakota region. While large areas of North Dakota were receiving a super- 
abundance of rain, other areas were suffering from a decided lack of water. 
In general, eastern and northern North Dakota received abundant rainfall while 
the southern two tiers of counties and areas west of the Missouri River were 
very dry. 
South Dakota experienced a loss in water over most of the areas east of 
the Missouri River but stock ponds in the "West River" country were full and 
produced a good supply of ducks. One of the hardest hit areas in South Dakota 
was the Bitter Lake region south of Waubay. Many water areas which yielded 
maximum production from 1945 through 1947 were completely dry in 1949. The 
drougth extended northwerd through the Waubay - Lake City Lake region but here 
there were enough permanent or semi-permanent bodies of water to take care of 
the broods after hatching. 
143 
