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The effects of this stormy period on waterfowl might be several. Ordinarily, 
judging from our brood age data, some early nesting takes place in April and some 
ducks start incubating around the first of May. These are mostly mallards, and in 
the prairie areas, pintails, also. It is doubtful if any nesting had started in the 
northeast part of the State. However, in the periphery area of the storm the spring 
had started out early and some nesting likely had begun. These nests were especially 
vulnerable to the below-freezing weather and snow since incubation in most cases 
would not have started and the eggs were exposed to the elements. 
Another effect of this weather was on the spring migration. Some observers 
believed that migrants moved out of the areas hardest hit, and others noted that the 
northward movement of ducks slowed up considerably at this time. At any rate, 
large rafts of ducks were on lakes in the periphery area of the storm. Unusual 
numbers of paired blue-winged teal were noted on the temporary ponds in Area VIII 
on May 7 and 8. Unusual numbers of blue-winged teal were noted in Areas X and XI 
as will be discussed later. Mr. Arthur S. Hawkins was contacted during the week 
of May. 10 after he had just returned from Canada and his comment was that much of 
the migration had not yet reached the areas he had visited. 
Breeding Population Trends 
The breeding pair census consisted of comparable auto transects driven in 
48 counties. These routes totaled 1866 miles and were run in Game Management 
Areas II, III, IV, V, VIII, [X, XI, and XII, which include the principal waterfow] 
breeding range in the State. 
This year 5.2 water areas per square mile were tallied compared with 4. 6 
in 1953, 3.1 in 1952, and 3.5 in 1951. This increase in water areas was due largely 
to excesses in Areas II, III, and [V from the melting snow and some rains. Actually 
AreasV, VIII, [X,X, XI and XII had fewer water areas this year and Area X was about 
the same. In these areas the drought conditions of the fall of 1953 had lowered water 
levels considerably and many water areas had low levels in May 1954. 
This year 3.17 pairs of ducks per square mile were recorded compared with 
2.41 in 1953, 1.89 in 1952, and 1.24 in 1951. Offhand these figures would indicate an 
increase in the breeding duck population of the State. However, an examination of the 
data by areas pives somewhat of a different outlook. In the north, fewer pairs were 
seen in Areas II and III and in Area IV the number was slightly above what it was last 
year. In the central part of the State, a slight increase was noted in Area V, and a 
definite decrease is shown for Areas VIII and IX. In the south, a substantial decrease 
is shown for Area XII, however, for Area X an increase of nearly 200 percent was 
* Continued 
Area VIII, Forrest B. Lee, St. Paul; Area IX, Robert I. Benson, 
Glenwood; Area X, Gerald T. Bue, Marshall; Area XI, Maynard M. 
Nelson, Fairmont; and Area XII, William H. Longley, Kasson. 
Clare L. Johnson and members of his duck lake survey crew gave 
valuable assistance in brood counts. 
axel. ool 
