CHIPPEWA NATIONAL FOREST WATERFOWL CENSUS - 1949 
(EIGHTH YEAR} 
Jerome A. Stoudt 
The 1949 waterfewl csneus on the Chippewa National Forsst in northsrn 
Minnssota was conducted on exactly ths sams elaven census areas as in 1948. 
For ths agscond tims sinets 1937, high water-lLeyola at the tima of the census 
made an accurate count of broods impossitlse, On most of the esnsus sreeas thg 
water was backed up ioto larest meadows or swamps where tress, brush and grease 
Made acturats csnsusing of the broods impoessibls. The breed csnaus in the Laks 
Stetest ragion depends upon the drying up of temporary water araas hy mid-July. 
This is an annual cecurrence durlog normal yaars and foreess ths hans with their 
broods down to the shorslinss of psrmanent lakes and streams where thay can be 
easily counted, This was not ths cass in 1949 when heavy raina continusd right 
up to and including the time of the census (July 6 to 10). 
The 1949 census showed 4» 33 percent decreases from 1948, but dus to the 
conditions outlined abeys there was probably actually an in¢rsass in ducks, 
especially since spring breeding-greund transscts by State personnel showed 
a big increass in Dresding pairs for ths State as a whels,. Although it is 
certain that the heavy rainfall during the month of Juns adversely affacted 
brood production, this less should not have been severe enough te offset the 
Jarg9 gein in bresding peirs. The following Tebls illustrates tha results of 
the 1949 csansus by esnsus arsas: 
. Variation 
19°39-40 1947 1946 1949 from 19/8 
Bowstring Laks B19 £98 461 337 - 124 
Burns Lake 215 107 i” Bi, - 86 
Kitchi Laks 21 168 249 48 - 191 
Long Laks yap 58 ral rie - 24 
Lower Pigeon Lake 28 Fs) od, 30 *€ 6 
Mud Laks 12] 230 271 200 - 7 
Rabideau Lake o4 119 215 Lo ~ 166 
Raven Lake 196 43 on 17 - § 
Round Lake 580 4,90 606 57h - 32 
Third River é50 420 1010 526 - £84 
L. Winnibigeshish 568 262 ae 22h + 1% 
Total 3656 2390 4177 2136  -1041 
Qnliy ons important arsa, Laks Winnibigoshish, showad an increase, and thers 
the higher water-lovels made the area mote attractive ta both broods end adults. 
In 1944 the arse was mainly barren sand shorslins, This was the yeat that we 
had hoped would show a population ¢lose to that found during ths so-called 
‘normal" yoars of 1939 and 1940. 
Total population figures for the Chippowa National Forget are: 
1937 - 29,400 1939 - 40,300 1941 - 24,150 1948 - 37,70 
1938 - 46,650 1940 - 46,400 1947 - 28,500 1949 - 25,400 
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