WILSON'S SNIPE POPULATION AT GRAY'S LAKE, IDAHO 
Thomas PD. Burleigh 
U. S&S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
This study was started on May 21, 1951 and concluded 8 days later 
on May 28. 
At the beginning there was some question as to the best time to 
census the breeding snipe population, so for several days counts were 
. made both in the early morning and at dusk. It was soon apparent that 
the early morning was unsatisfactory for an accurate count. Snipe were 
in the air to some extent from daylight until 8 A.M., but their "winnow- 
ing" was of short duration, and the count was so low in comparison to 
that made in the evening that there was little question that many in- 
dividuals were inactive then. At no time were any heard from shortly 
after 8 A.M. until approximately 6 P.M. 
The method employed in making this census of the breeding snipe was 
as follows: An initial station, No. 1 was established at the point where 
the road from Gray, Idaho entered the main highway north and south that 
parallel Gray's Lake on its east side. With this as a starting point, 
successive stations were established at half mile intervals for a dis- 
tance 9 miles north of this road intersection, and 8 miles south. This 
made it possible to cover with reasonable accuracy almost the entire 
length of the lake on its east side. Half mile intervals were decided 
upon after a number of tests were made to determine how far away a fly~ 
ing bird could be distinctly heard. Closer stations would have involved. 
possible duplication. At half mile intervals it was believed no duplica- 
tion resulted, while on the other hand longer distances would have un- 
questionably meant an incomplete count. Consequently for the duration 
of this study 18 stations were established on the north end of the lake, 
and 16 on the south end. Under the circumstances a car proved ideal for 
this purpose. Mileage between stations was carefully checked, and at 
each established point "winnowing" snipe were recorded during the 8 days 
that this study was carried on. 
The results of this population study indicate a large breeding 
population of Wilson's Snipe at Gray's Lake. It is realized that be- 
cause of the many factors involved the figures obtained must be accepted 
as more or less an estimate of the actual number of birds in this area 
in 1951. Important factors in obtaining an accurate count include: 
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