
178 
July 1-15 Class July 16-29 Class July 30-August 12 Class 
a oo, ae) te lb Mibs “ta ate ete Wie 
85 25 7 43. "59 <28 65 46 82 
Breeding conditions in game management Areas V, 1X, and X, were quite 
favorable, These areas contain numerous potholes, and water levels stayed up quite 
well during the summer. Most observers thought that the production of waterfowl in 
these areas was above 1949. The Area 1V manager found puddle ducks, especially 
mallards, less abundant than previously and divers somewhat more prominent. Brood 
counts in Areas 1, 11, and V1l were below last year. This is the part of the State 
that was affected by floods and a very late spring break-up date. 
The aerial resident waterfowl count was flown by two biologists from August 
29 to September 1, (See Map 2.) In 1949 it was flown during the second and third 
weeks of August. This is a repetition of the 1947 count in which a flight line of 2,222 
miles was laid out in an attempt to sample all of the various types, both topographic 
and vegetative, found within the State. This flight line represents a 2/3 of 1 percent 
sample of the State's area. At the time of the 1947 count the State was divided into 
eight zones, following the pattern set by the More Game Birds Foundation in their 
count of 1935. Density figures were prepared to compare with the results of 1935. 
Thus the 1950 data are comparable to that of 1935, 1947, and 1949. 
A total of 62,194 waterfowl was recorded as compared with 52, 229 in 1949. 
The calculated waterfowl population per square mile was 112.0 as compared with 94.0 
last year, Examination of Map 2 shows decreases from 1949 for zones 3, 4, and 6, the 
wooded northeastern part of the State, probably adversely affected by a late spring and 
flood conditions. Density figures that are near or above the 1949 averages are noted 
for other zones which contain the principal duck producing habitat of the State. 
Summary 
Spring breeding pair counts indicated an average breeding waterfowl population 
for the State comparable with or somewhat larger than that of 1949. An average brood 
size of 7.3 indicated that brood success was generally as good as or better than in 1949. 
Brood counts and summer breeding ground observations indicated that waterfowl pro- 
duction in the principal duck producing habitat of the State was probably somewhat better 
than last year, while in the poorer habitat of northeastern Minnesota, production was 
down, probably due to adverse flood and weather conditions in the spring. The aerial 
resident waterfowl count indicated a somewhat larger population for the State than in. 
1949. 
Banding Summary -- August 1 to September 15 
Species Adult Male Adult Female Juvenile Male Juvenile Female 
B-w. teal 9 52 158 136 
Pintail ] - 10 14 
Mallard 23 \1 31 46 
Gadwall oo - - i 
G-w. teal 1 - ] 3 
Ringneck - - 2 ] 
Black duck - oo 3 1 
Redhead - - 8 5 
Ruddy 1 - - - 
ca SS i SP Se 
