WISCONSIN WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND AND PRODUCTION SURVEYS, 1952 
Laurence R. Jahn 
Introduction 

Through extensive ground and aerial transects employed in 1949 and 1950, it 
was concluded that Wisconsin produced few waterfowl when compared to parts of 
the prime breeding range. Therefore, in 1951 a simple spot type sampling system 
was initiated for following the trends in our State waterfowl breeding population. 
This system was again used this year and will be employed in future years. 
Methods Used in Sampling 
The 20 district game managers of the five administrative areas of the game 
division conducted the field work for the waterfowl surveys. Advisory and limited 
field assistance was given this group of men by personnel of the Pittman-Robertson 
waterfowl research project (6-R). 
To follow trends in the State waterfowl picture, the method described below 
was used in 1951, and again this year. For a detailed discussion of the method, 
see U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Scientific Report: Wildlife No. 13 (1951) 
or Wisconsin Wildlife Research X (3): 10-24 (1951). Only the highlights of the 
system are given in this report. 
1, Each game manager was asked to cover 15 to 25 water areas in his 
district by ground. Districts 10 and 17 were not requested to do so 
Since they contain practically no water areas other than rivers and 
Streams. Each district was asked to cover nearly all the same water 
Sites censused in 1951. Since last year was the first year this type 
of survey was employed, some sites chosen then were later found to 
be unsuitable. This year each manager was allowed to change 
25 percent of the number of areas surveyed a year ago. In this way 
the undesirable sites were discarded. No aerial work was carried out. 
(a) The water sites in each district were covered once during the 
breeding-ground survey, from May 10-30, during regular working 
hours, The same water areas were covered twice during the 
production survey, from June 11 to July 12, between 4:00 and 
8:00 a.m. The hour and one-half immediately preceeding sunset 
was also used for running production surveys in a few cases. 
(b) Since Wisconsin lies in an ecotone, widely different phenological 
differences exist, To allow for these differences, the 20 game 
districts were divided into three groups. Each group had different 
calendar dates for conducting the waterfowl surveys. 
2. It was urged that water sites ranging in size from 1/4 acre to 10 acres 
be censused. Where such areas are scarce, lakes and flowages were 
covered. Rivers and streams were not surveyed in the southern part 
of the State and only a few in the northern portion. 
