205 
Success of the Season 
ee apn ee ey 
Although intensive ground work was not done in 1952 there is no reason to 
believe that nesting conditions were abnormal, The nesting season was dry with 
no protracted cold or rainy spells which would adversely affect newly hatched 
ducklings. No known die-off of the usual predators occurred but agricultural 
operations were somewhat ahead of normal with plowing of remaining stubble and 
seeding of small grains accomplished a few days earlier than usual. 
Due to the early season, brood counts were attempted as early as July 10 by 
Agents Jensen, Meyer and Jacobsen, but it was too soon to find any broods except 
early broods of pintail, mallard and canvasback. On July 19-21 all brood transects 
were run with the following results: 
Table II - Number of Broods - July 19-21 Coverage 

Species 1951 1952 
Blue-winged teal 151 94 
Pintail 34 39 
Gadwall 35 16 
Mallard 18 15 
Redhead 15 9 
Shoveler 10 4 
Ruddy duck 9 9 
Lesser scaup 7 1 
Canvasback 6 3 
Baldpate 2 3 
Unidentified 5 - 
Total 292 193 
The above data indicated a 34 percent decrease in brood production and the 
ground transects showed an increase of 12 percent and State aerial surveys indicated 
a 100 percent increase in breeding pairs, it was decided that the transects would be 
run again. On August 4 and 5 the brood transects were run again by Jerome H. Stoudt 
with the following results: 
Table III - Number of Broods - August 4-5 Coverage 
Number of Broods Broods/Sq. Mile Percent 
S12, OL gl OR 2 
Blue-winged teal 151 180 2.29 2.79 + 19.2 
Pintail 34 49 0.51 0.74 + 44,0 
Gadwall 35 70 0.53. 1.06 + 100.0 
Mallard 18 36 0.27 0.54 + 100.0 
Redhead 15 22 0.23 0,33 + 46,7 
Shoveler 10 16 0.15 0.24 + 60.0 
Ruddy duck 9 33 0.14 0.50 + 267.0 
Lesser scaup 7 19 0.11 0.29 + 171.0 
Canvasback 6 3 0.09 0.05 - 50,0 
Baldpate 2 2 0.03 0.03 0.0 
Green-winged teal 0 l - 0.01 - 
Unidentified 5 17 i r 
Total 292 448 4.43 6.79 + 53.4 
