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WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND AND PRODUCTION SURVEYS IN WISCONSIN, 
1955 
Laurence R. Jahn and Richard A. Hunt 
Introduction 
Since 1951, a randomized selected area type sample system has been 
employed to determine the trend in the Wisconsin waterfowl breeding population and 
in brood production. The district game managers of the five administrative State 
areas of the game division conducted the field work for the waterfowl surveys. 
Advisory help was given this group of men by personnel of the Pittman-Robertson 
waterfowl research project (W-6-R). 
Methods and Description 
Game managers used conventional ground methods for censusing the 
waterfowl on the selected aquatic sites. For a detailed discussion of the methods 
used, see past issues of Waterfowl Populations and Breeding Conditions; Special 
Scientific Reports or Wisconsin Wildlife Research. Only the main points of sampling 
system are described here. 
Each game manager, except in districts 8 and 10 in game area III and 
district 17 in game area V was again asked to census at least 15 water areas in 
each district using ground survey techniques. The sites censused in 1955 were 
essentially the same as those sampled in 1954, Only those sites destroyed, such 
as through drainage, were replaced by new sites. No aerial census was conducted. 
The water sites were censused once during the breeding ground survey 
from May 10 - 30 during regular working hours. The same water areas were 
covered once during the production survey from June 19 to July 3 between 4:00 and 
8:00 a.m. The hour and one-half immediately preceding sunset was also used for 
running production surveys in a few instances. 
The 20 game districts in the State were again divided into three groups. 
Each group had slightly different calendar dates for conducting the waterfowl surveys 
to correct for phenological differences. 
Game managers were urged to census water sites ranging in size from 
one-quarter to 10 acres, In districts where such areas were scarce strips of 
lakes and flowages were covered. A few rivers and streams were censused in the 
northern part of the State. 
