INTRODUCTION 
Each year, immediately after the shooting season, the Bureau 
of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
carries out a mail-questionnaire survey among waterfowl hunters. 
The purpose of this survey is to estimate the size of the waterfowl 
harvest and the amount of hunting; and to provide data for relating 
the harvest, hunter activity, and regulations, under changing condi- 
tions. This survey system was inaugurated during the waterfowl 
hunting season of 1952-53, 
The objectives of the 1960-61 survey were. to estimate for each 
flyway: 
1. The total number of ducks, geese, and coots shot, 
including those that were lost as well as those that 
were retrieved, 
2. The number of people, adults and juniors, who planned 
to hunt (potential hunters). 
3. The number of people who did hunt (active hunters). 
4. The average number of days active hunters were in 
the field hunting. 
3. The proportional distribution of the duck bag and the 
proportional participation of hunters during the 
different parts of the season. 
6. The species composition of ducks and geese in the 
waterfowl bag. 
The sampling system for the survey is based upon post offices 
where Migratory Bird Hunting Stamps are sold, because there exists 
no listing of waterfowl hunters that might be sampled. Within each 
State, a series of sales outlets at post offices is selected at 
random (the numbers of outlets used are listed by flyway later in 
this report). For sampling efficiency, the post offices are grouped 
in two categories: Those with single sales outlets (usually in 
smaller towns) and those with multiple outlets (usually in larger 
cities), and each category is sampled separately. The postmaster 
at each outlet selected is asked to give an address card to each 
