ABSTRACT 
During the 1959 hunting season, a sample of 8,000 Mississippi 
Flyway hunters were provided envelopes and requested tq send a 
wing from each duck they bagged. The more than 10,000 wings re- 
ceived yielded important information on the age, sex, and species 
composition, of the kill. The lowest age ratios were found in the 
kill of redheads, mallards, canvasbacks, and pintails. Marked 
regional and chronological differences were observed in the age, 
Sex, and species composition of the kill. The species composition 
of the wing collection was compared with that reported in the 
Bureau's Mail Questionnaire Survey. Information was secured on | 
the distribution of the kill by hour of the day, day of the week, 
and period within the season. The incidence of banded mallards 
in the wing collection reflected a pronounced drop in the kill in 
1959. Although there are a number of complex problems concerning 
the analysis and interpretation of the data, the results of this 
survey indicate that it is a promising new method for gathering 
information on waterfowl populations. 
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