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Generally the game management areas having a higher "pairs per Square mile"! 
figure were those that contain the best duck breeding habitat of the State (See Map 1). 
The very large "ducks per square mile" figure, especially for Areas 1V and 
V, is indicative of the large number of migrants present in the State late in the season 
when in ordinary years mostly resident breeding waterfowl are present. 
Some changes over 1949 are noted in species composition. Mallard dropped 
from 22 percent to 18.04 percent in 1950. Pintail increased from 3.30 percent to 
5.52 percent. Blue-winged teal dropped from 52.4 percent to 45.8 percent. Of the 
total water areas tallied, 30.20 percent were occupied as compared with 31.20 per- 
cent in 1949, . 
The aerial transect (See Map 1) was laid out according to the soil types of 
the State for the purpose of sampling proportionately the various topographic regions. 
A total of 3,029 miles, representing 757.25 square miles, or a 0.90 percent sample 
of the State's area, was flown. The flights were made from May 18 to June 2. A 
"ducks per square mile" figure of 3.88 was obtained for the entire State. In 1948 an 
aerial survey was made in the principal duck-producing portions of the State. Data of 
the 1948 flight and portions of the 1950 flight, pertaining to the same general area, 
when compared, show a somewhat higher population for 1950. 
Success of the Season 
Brood count data (Tables 3 and 4) were collected on 96 water bodies in 11 
game management areas from July 1 to August 30. Counts were made along an 
estimated 319 miles of shoreline on an estimated 42,537 acres of water area. A 
total of 2,982 young ducks was counted. When the total acres of the survey (42, 537) 
is divided by the total number of young ducks (2,982) a figure of 14.2 acres per young 
duck is obtained. Acres per young duck were calculated in previous years as follows: 
1949, 13.8 acres; 1948, 17.3 acres; 1947, 66.1 acres; 1946, 124.2 acres. 
Miscellaneous brood size data in addition to information from the specific 
counts were incorporated to give the ''total counted broods" (Tables 3 and 4) used in 
calculation of final average brood sizes. All tabulated broods were classed as to "A" 
or "B" accuracy. Broods seen under conditions where it was apparent that the complete 
brood was seen were classed as "'"A.'' Broods seen in dense cover or conditions where 
only a partial count of young could be made were classed as 'B.'"' Only Class A broods 
were considered for calculation of average brood sizes. 
A total of 459 broods was used in calculating the over-all average brood size 
of 7.3. The 1949 average brood size was 7.1. 
Blue-winged teal, mallard, and ruddy duck young ranked highest in percentage 
composition of young waterfowl tallied this year. In 1949, blue-winged teal, mallard, 
and pintail ranked highest. A decrease in species composition of young is noted in 
blue-winged teal, mallard, and pintail from the 1949 figures. 
The late spring undoubtedly retarded the start of the breeding season. Many 
of the "dabblers' were still paired on July 1. Nesting or renesting was such that 
broods were hatched out from early July to mid-August and a few broods of Class 1, 
downy young, were noted as late as September 1. Brood sizes were fairly large, 
giving the over-all average brood size of 7.3 as compared with 7.1 for 1949, This 
"scattering" of broods throughout the season made brood count data of specific areas 
of little use for comparison with last year's count on the same areas. The following 
summary of the number of broods by age class and date from Areas 1V, V, 1X, and 
X, illustrates the prolonged brood season. 
