Kill Survey 
Each year following the shooting season the Bureau carries out 
a mail questionnaire survey among waterfowl hunters for the purpose of 
determining the number of birds killed and relationships between hunting 
regulations, hunter activity, and harvest. The specific objectives are 
as follows: 
1. To estimate for each Flyway the kill of ducks, 
geese, and coots with a standard error of not 
to exceed 5 percent in the estimate of all ducks 
bagged. 
2. To estimate total numbers of potential and active 
waterfowl bunters. 
30 To estimate number of times the average hunter 
went afield during the season and the distribu- 
tion of hunting activity through the season. 
4, To estimate number of banded waterfowl that are 
bagged. 
de To estimate the georgraphic and density distribu- 
tion of hunters in the areas of waterfowl hunting. 
The survey functions through the cooperation of the Post Office 
Department and provides for a sampling of the hunters in each flyway in 
proportion to their occurrence in the various States. Mailing addresses 
for the questionnaire survey are obtained at the time duck stamps are 
purchased at a series of randomly selected post offices. The question- 
naires are mailed out on the closing date of the shooting season in each 
State. Three weeks later, a follow-up questionnaire is sent to those who 
have not answered the first questionnaire. The number of questionnaires 
mailed out and the number returned in each Flyway are shown in the fol- 
lowing tables 
1957-58 Sample 
No. of Hunters 

Receiving No. of Hunters Percent 
Questionnaires Responding Returned 
a 5ST - 58 56 - 57 at = =p 56 = 57 57 - 50 50 - +5 
Atlantic 15,804 10,287 11,160 7,125 70.6 693 
Mississippi 15,022 10, 374 10,226 7,542 68.1 TeeT 
Central 8,087 6,809 5,386 4,685 66.6 68.8 
Pacific 6,634 7,478 L743 5,284 71-5 70.7 
TOTAL 45,547 34,948 31,515 24,636 69 2 1005 

