88 
very helpful in this operation, especially in large areas of potential nesting cover. 
In other attempts, a rope, hung with short pieces of light chain, was dragged by 
two men over several areas of extensive cover. This method was not too success- 
ful in the late nest-hunting. All nests found were numbered and recorded ona 
nesting form and on the graph map of the transect. Data gathered on subsequent 
checks of the nest was recorded on the form. All completed nests were shown both 
on the nesting form and on the graph map. All successful nests were shown on the 
map by a blue square surrounding the red 'X'' marking the nest. The '"X's!'! of 
unsuccessful nests were circled in blue. This method of marking completed nests 
assisted in checks of active ones that followed. 
During the month of July, two beat-out brood counts were completed. The 
first count, begun on July 13 was completed in four days. On this count, water 
areas where the cover was not too heavy were beat-out by one man. Areas that 
were large and those with heavy or extensive cover were worked by two men who 
beat-out opposite sides of the pond and converged at a sparsely covered spot for 
better observation. Itis felt that this method was not thorough enough to force all 
broods out into the open. The second brood count was begun on July 29 and 
completed on August 3. Two crews of three men each were used on this beat-out, 
One crew made valuable use of a dog and in Some cases it retrieved young ducks in 
as many as three different ape classes from a pothole where only one feigning hen 
was flushed by the beaters. The other three-man crew covered potholes with heavy 
vegetation cover by sending two men around one side of the pond and the third man 
around the other side. A few of the largest, most choked-up, areas were worked 
by all six men and the dog while some of the large open ones were counted by 
evening observations for periods of up to one and one-half hours. It is felt thata 
large crew, or the efforts of crews from other areas, at the time of a beat-out 
brood count gives a more thorough coverage and a more accurate picture of the 
area concerned. 
Discussion and Conclusions 
As the Elkhorn Study Area was established only this year, there are no data 
with which to compare the results of this summer's investigations. Some general 
conclusions can be reached through examination of the collected information but 
more important, the results of this year's work will serve as a basis for comparison 
in future studies in this same area. 
Table I is a summary of the four breeding pair counts conducted during the 
months of June and July. For uniformity and to avoid duplication in computing the 
breeding pairs, a hen was assigned to each drake that was observed on the transect. 
Lone hens, although recorded on the study sheets, were discarded when Table I was 
compiled. The presence of the large numbers of breeding pairs on the 6/11-13 
count indicates either a late nesting season or a sizable second nesting effort. 
Normally at this time of the year, as observed in other study areas in Manitoba, 
drakes have begun to congregate at the molting lakes and breeding pairs are less in 
evidence. This, in conjunction with nests observed early in May and adverse 
weather which was known to have affected nesting early in June seems to indicate 
a sizable second neSting attempt. 
Table II indicates the results of concluded nests on the area. Because of the 
small size of the sample, no definite conclusions can be reached, although in the 
