Aerial transect lines.tetaled 3,108 miles, or 777.3 square miles.of |... 
sample. This sample represents 37,296 square miles of habitat. 
A total of 1, 834 ducks was recorded this year compared with 2, 841 in 
1952 and 2,875 in 1951. In other words, a density of 2.36 ducks per square 
mile was noted compared with 3.65 ducks per square mile in 1952 and 3. 69 
ducks per square mile in 1951. This is a 35.5 percent decrease from 1952 
and a 36.2 percent decrease from 1951. 
The ground survey consisted of comparable auto transects driven in 
48 counties from May 6 to May 26. These routes totaled 1,874 miles and 
were run in Game Management Areas II, III, IV, V, VIII, IX, X, XI 
and XII which include the principal waterfowl breeding range in the State. 
The auto transect data are shown in Table 1. 
This year 1.66 pairs of ducks per square mile were recorded compared 
with 3.17 in 1954, 2.41 in 1953, 1.89 in 1952, and 1.24 in 1951. The 2.18 © 
pairs per square mile figure shown in parenthesis for 1954 is believed to 
represent a more accurate figure for that year as is explained in the 1954 report. 
Table 1 - Auto Transect Data Summary 
1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 
Number Counties: | 51 48 48 48 48 
Total Miles: 1,945 1,853 1,891 1,866 1,874 
Square Miles 486. 3 463.3 472.8 466.5 468.5 
Total Water Areas: 1,693 1,451 2,150 2,421 1,421 
Water Areas/Square Mile: 3.5 3.1 4.6 5.2 3.0 
Areas Occupied: 340 429 549 506 284 
Percent Occupied: 20.1 29.6 25.5 20.9 20.0 
Total Pairs 603 876 1,141 1,477 776 
Pairs/Square Mile: 1.24 1.89 2.4] 3.17 1, 66 
(2. 18)* 
Total Ducks 1,219 1,590 2, 885 2,933 1, 342 
Ducks/Square Mile: “= Re od 3.43 6.11 6.29 2. 86 
Coots: 145 539 535 967 97 

* Pair per square mile figure when adjustments 
are made for blue-winged teal for Areas 
X and XI. 
66 
