
from the 1959-60 waterfowl season. In three of the four flyways, 
changes in the estimated duck bag conformed closely to the national 
pattern; there was a 2 percent decrease in the Central Flyway, a 5 
percent increase in the Pacific Flyway, and a 7 percent increase in 
the Mississippi Flyway. In the Atlantic Flyway, however, there was 
a 19 percent increase. An estimated 1,696,322 ducks were killed but 
not retrieved. This was a 23 percent increase from the 1959-60 season. 
The estimated number of ducks retrieved increased for most species, 
with the greatest changes among shovelers (74 percent), ruddy ducks 
(44 percent), and American widgeon (26 percent). Hunters reported 
killing 19,358 canvasbacks (17 percent of the 1959-60 kill), and 
9,443 redheads (12 percent of the 1959-60 kill) even though the 
season was closed for these species. The reported kill of scaup 
decreased 23 percent. Im general, the bag of species whose principal 
nesting area is in the prairie provinces increased. 
It was estimated that 749,301 geese were bagged, a slight increase 
(2 percent) from the 1959-60 season (table 2). The estimated goose bag 
increased 1 percent in the Central Flyway, 21 percent in the Pacific 
Flyway, 61 percent in the Atlantic Flyway, and declined 28 percent in 
the Mississippi Flyway. The estimated bag of Canada geese decreased 
18 percent in the Mississippi Flyway but increased 3 percent in the 
Central Flyway, 11 percent in the Pacific Flyway, and 75 percent in 
the Atlantic Flyway. It was estimated that 139,047 geese were killed 
but not retrieved, a decrease of about 2 percent from 1959-60. 
The bag of coots was estimated as 305,357, an increase of 83 
percent from 1959-60, but still not as great as the bag of 587,174 
coots during the 1958-59 waterfowl season. The increases were: 152 
percent in the Atlantic Flyway, 136 percent in the Mississippi Flyway, 
49 percent in the Central Flyway, and 3 percent in the Pacific Flyway. 
Coots that were killed but not retrieved were estimated at 121,137, an 
increase of 27 percent from the 1959-60 season. 
The number of potential hunters remained about the same (table 3), 
but the number of active hunters decreased 5 percent. The number of 
potential hunters increased about 3 percent in the Atlantic Flyway, 
slightly less than 1 percent in the Mississippi Flyway, remained about 
the same in the Central Flyway, and decreased about 2 percent in the 
Pacific Flyway. 
Hunter Participation During Different Parts of the Duck Season 
To judge from the answers provided by cooperating hunters, there 
are certain fairly consistent patterns of participation in hunting. 
