
154 
Many pintails and mallards had moved ahead of or "jumped over" the snow 
and ice sheet in northern South Dakota and North Dakota to go on further north where 
the arrival of spring weather was on schedule or even earlier than usual. But most 
of the waterfowl including shovelers, gadwall, teal, diving ducks, and snow and blue 
geese were delayed from two to three weeks in their northward migration. 
Observations of full-grown broods of pintails in the first week in July which 
were starting to fly indicated that some pintails started nesting in mid-April and 
actually brought their nests through several severe blizzards which piled up snow 
several inches deep wherever nesting cover occurred, Sub-freezing temperatures 
followed most of the snowstorms, However, the main hatch of ducks was delayed and 
the big hatch came off in North Dakota during the first ten days of August instead of 
shortly after mid-July, as is normally the case. Actually the nesting season was 
spread over a longer period than usual and newly hatched broods were seen as late 
as August 29 with more to come off no doubt. 
In many permanent water areas over-the-water nesting cover in the form of 
bulrushes, cat-tail, etc., was completely inundated and in many areas was flooded 
out for the summer. In other areas that were about to dry up and become land 
communities the additional water made nesting conditions ideal. The high water came 
early but after over-the-water nesting began very little flooding occurred. The only 
real loss to diving duck production will occur when late hatched redheads and ruddy 
ducks fall easy prey to the hunter due to the fact that they are still learning to fly or 
cannot fly at all by October 6. 
Breeding Population Trends 
Table 1 gives the results of the 1950 ground transect data for North and 
South Dakota. 
Although only a portion of the 1949 transects were run in 1950 in North 
Dakota due to flooded roads, the 26 percent increase indicated is almost exactly the 
same as that found by state-wide aerial and ground transects. The new transect 
routes laid out in 1950 (see accompanying map) were run in spite of flood waters and 
can be continued in the future. 
Table 1. -- Ground Transect Data For The Dakotas - 1949 and 1950 



Square Water Total Ducks Total Pairs Coots Per 
Miles Areas Per Sq. Mile Per Sq. Mile Sq. Mile 
State 1949-50. 1949 1950 1949 1950 1949 1950 1949 1950 
N. Dakota 45.4 398 554 47 61 30 38 6.3 17.9 
Change from '49 - +<39% F29% + 26% + 184% 
S. Dakota 53,5 407 716 82 68 37 35 13.1 18.4 
Change from '49 - + 76% — 17% ~— 5% x 40% 

Heavy snows and rains in late April and May in South Dakota created thou- 
sands of temporary water areas in the flat, agricultural land between the Leola and 
Waubay Hills areas and especially around the former. These water areas furnished 
waiting sites for lone drakes and much early nesting was accomplished. A large 
percentage of these nests were destroyed either by predators or by the plow. In view 
of the fact that no transects were located in this area the 5 percent decrease found in 
the Hills Areas does not represent a true picture of the entire breeding area in South 
