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Brood counts in 1952 were made from July 10 to August 6 but mostly between 
July 19 and August 6. As a result only Class III broods are comparable to previous 
years when averages included brood counts from May through August 15, Blue- 
winged teal data in 1952 were based on 203 Class III broods and pintails on 124 
‘broods. The Class II I average for pintails is exceptionally high. 
Summary 
Over most of the breeding area in South Dakota there was more water in 1952 
than in 1951 during the spring breeding pair count. In general, North Dakota had 
less water than in 1951. Weather conditions were particularly optimum for nesting. 
Ground transects in South Dakota indicated a 11.7 percent increase in breeding 
pairs per square mile. Brood transects were up 53.4 percent. Ground transects 
in North Dakota indicated a decrease of 7 percent in breeding pairs per square mile. 
Brood transects were down 26 percent. The decrease in waterfowl in North Dakota 
was apparently due to a lesser number of water areas than in 1951. 
