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WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND SURVEY IN SASKATCHEWAN 
KINDERSLEY-ESTON STUDY AREA 
J. B. Gollop 
Methods of Sampling and Area Covered 
The Kindersley-Eston Study Area is located in the (light) brown soil zone 
which occupies that part of the grassland region of southwestern Saskatchewan 
from Lloydminster on the northwest to Weyburn on the southeast. It consists of 
an 82-mile transect (one-quarter mile wide) along the following route: #7 Highway 
from the Brock Road west to Kindersley, #30 south to Glidden, #44 east to Eston, 
and a secondary (dirt) road north to its junction with #7 (cf. map in aerial report). 
The area was chosen for two reasons: first, prior to 1951 there had usually 
been a high breeding population but very low production. An investigation of this 
situation was desirable because it applied to approximately one-third of the southern 
half of Saskatchewan. Secondly, a knowledge of the relation of the aerial count, on 
which Provincial waterfowl trends are now wholly based, to the actual ground 
population was needed. It was known that the visibility of waterfowl from the air 
varies over different habitats and with different species. The Kindersley and Caron 
areas were to be used to determine what correction factors might be necessary for 
the treeless, open sloughs of the mixed prairie section of the Province. As for the 
first phase, this year the production was in line with the breeding population, and 
the data obtained are presented in this report. As for the second aim, some data 
have been gathered and they are also presented. 
Observations were made within one-eighth of a mile on each side of the road 
along the 82-mile transect, giving a 20.5 square mile sample. Where the transect 
line dissected a slough, record was kept of the birds beyond it, where practical, in 
such a way that they could be later separated from birds in the transect. Several 
areas, however, extended for more than a mile from the road; one, crossing the 
transect south of Kindersley and again east of Glidden, was estimated to be 
thirty-five miles long. 
Four coverages were made between May 13 and June 5 for breeding pairs. 
On each of these coverages, areas on one side of the road were circled, where 
practicable, and areas on the other were observed from a vantage point for periods 
varying from five minutes to more than an hour. Two complete coverages were 
made for broods, one in July and one in August, with a partial one the last week in 
June, not completed because of impassable roads. On these three coverages all 
areas were worked over carefully and, where possible, flightless young were caught 
(with fish-landing nets) and banded. The writer had assistance for the July coverage 
from Bob Caldwell, Ducks Unlimited, and in August from Don Reid, Canadian 
Wildlife Service; in May and June he worked alone. 
To gather additional data thirty-one water gauges were erected and a total 
of thirty-six photographic stations were set up on twenty-nine sloughs; pictures 
were taken on each coverage. 
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