236 
WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND SURVEYS - CHIPPEWA NATIONAL FOREST 
1937 - 1952 
Jerome H. Stoudt 
Introduction 
For the first time since the inception of the waterfowl census on the 
Chippewa National Forest in 1937 the author was unable to take part in the actual 
field work, The 1952 census was carried on by Regional Supervisor F. H. Davis 
and Game Management Agents Rae Sjostrom, Loren Bonde and State Warden 
Robert Greig, during the week of July 7 to 12. Agent Sjostrom had assisted with 
the census in 1951. The technique used was similar to previous years with one 
exception, and that was the fact that no dog was used. 
Water Conditions 
Water levels on the Chippewa area were about normal with the exception of 
Mud Lake which was above normal for the second consecutive year due to the 
overflow waters from the Leech Lake River. There was no abnormality in either 
weather or water conditions to adversely effect the conducting of the census in 1952. 
Half of the 10 census areas are affected directly by water levels at the 
Winnibigoshish Dam. July 10 gauge readings in feet for each year of the census 
are as follows: 
1937 - 6.60 1941 - 10.79 1945 - 10.30 1949 - 10.50 
1938 - 12.03 1942 - 10.83 1946 - 9.80 1950 - 13.80 
1939 - 9.57 1943 - 12.49 1947 - 11.36 1951 - 10.57 
1940 - 9.72 1944 - 11.78 1948 - 9.78 1952 - 10.01 
Breeding Population Trends 
The following table illustrates the results of the 1952 census compared with 
previous years and the difference between the 1952 data and the data from 1939 to 
1940 which was considered "par" for this area. 
Waterfowl Population by Areas 
Change 
1939-40 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 From 1939 
Bowstring Lake 519 498 416 337 521 545 263 - 256 
Burns Lake 215 107 170 84 108 103 231 + 16 
Kitchi Lake 241 168 239 48 69 161 246 + 5 
Lower Pigeon 28 5 z24 30 57 35 50 + 22 
Mud Lake 181 230 271 200.—=CtiésS1 45 z4 - 156 
Rabideau Lake 94 119 215 49 64 140 193 + 99 
Raven Lake 198 33 22 17 25 18 128 - 70 
Round Lake 580 490 606 574 382 565 714 + 134 
Third River 650 420 1,010 526 301 1,019 239 - 411 
Winnibigoshish 568 262 88 224 157 202 104 - 464 
Total 3,274 2,332 3,106 2,089 1,765 2,833 2,192 -1081 
, -32.9 percent 
