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WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND SURVEY IN IDAHO 
Robert L. Salter 
Waterfowl work in Idaho during 1953 was done under Federal Aid Project 
96-R-4. District biologists Elwood Bizeau, Charles Blake, Hugh Harper and Uharles 
Haynes were responsible for activities in their districts. Mr. F. Sheldon Dart, 
Refuge Manager, Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge cooperated as in the past on the 
goose nesting work on the Lower Snake River. Conservation officers contributed to 
the waterfowl brood counts taken during regular patrol duties. 
This year several breeding pair transects and brood routes weré established 
for ducks. Since this is the first year for such work and no trend information is 
available, it will not be presented here. 
Weather and Water 
The mild winter experienced during 1952-53 blended into spring with every 
impression that Idaho would experience a very early spring. This trend continued 
during March and the forepart of April. The latter part of April, all of May and early 
June were characterized by unseasonably cold weather and recurring rain storms. 
About the middle of June the earlier pattern set in and the weather for the rest of the 
summer was hot and dry. 
The snow pack was ample to insure adequate water for all irrigation projects, 
The run-off progressed satisfactorily and no serious flooding was reported in the 
State. 
Goose Nesting Study 
A Canada goose nesting study on four areas on which direct comparisons with 
the 1952 season can be drawn was continued this year. The same areas were covered 
in the Same manner. 
The results of the 1953 work are shown in Table I. A comparison of this year's 
results and those of 1952 is shown in Table II. The goose nesting on these four areas, 
which represent a good sample of the major goose breeding areas of the State, was 
definitely up (25 percent) over last year. Due to increased nesting success, primarily 
on the Homedale Unit, the production was also higher (53 percent) than during 1952, 
Brood Counts 
Waterfowl brood counts were taken by Biologists, Fish and Wildlife Service 
personnel and Conservation Officers with primary emphasis being placed on deter- 
mination of brood survival. The bulk (506 out of 641) of the brood counts came from 
southeastern Idaho. The State-wide totals are given in Table III. 
