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Table I. - Breeding Ground Survey 
Pairs per Ducks per Lone Males 
Routes and Dates Computed Square Total Square 100 pairs 
Pairs * Mile Ducks Mile Ratio 
Mid-May Counts 
Western - 1952 851 25.4 1,629 49.2 67:100 
Western - 1953 677 22.3 1, 704 56.1. 22:100 
Eastern - 1952 160 14.3 270 34.2 41:100 
Eastern - 1953 183 23.2 347 43.9 36:100 
Over-all - 1952 1,011 24.6 1,905 46.4 62:100 
Over-all - 1953 860 22.5 2,051 53.5 28: 100 
Percent Change - 8.5 +15.3 
Mid-June Counts 
Western - 1948 12.8 35.8 
- 1949 20.0 32.8 
- 1950 13.9 29.2 
- 1951 21.2 34.4 
- 1952 557 20.3 851 33.0 -181:100 
- 1953 348 12.1 532 18,5 122:100 
Percent Change ** -11.0 ~43.9 
Eastern - 1952 112 13.7 152 18.5 203:100 
- 1953 81 10.3 103 12.9 285:100 
Percent Change -24.9 -30.3 
Over-all - 1952 669 17.6 1,053 27.7 185:100 
- 1953 429 11.7 635 17.3 141;100 
Percent Change -38.1 -42.5 
* Assuming lone males to be territorial and to represent a pair. 
** Western route change based on average of five prior years, all 
other changes from 1952 only. 
The purpose of two counts as listed in Table I is an attempt at sampling the 
late breeding blue-winged teal as well as the early nesting mallards and pintails. 
It is believed that the mid-June counts more nearly sample the sandhill breeding 
population than do the mid-May counts. The blue-winged teal represented 49 percent 
of the breeding pairs; the mallard, 22 percent; and the shoveler, redhead and pintail 
next 8 percent, 6 percent and 6 percent in that order, 
Success of the Season ~ 
The average brood size for the prior five years of brood surveys has been from 
7.0 to 7.1 ducklings for all age classes as compared to 6.2 ducklings for all age 
classes in 1953, 
