average of over 3 adult females shot for each adult male. Had the 
adult age ratio been even in the Minnesota sample, for example, the 
age ratio would have been 1.02 immatures per adult instead of 1.57 
and would have indicated poor productione 
Pintail 
Pintail age ratios are summarized on a regional basis in Table 
45. In the northern tier of States, the age ratios were approximately 
1.5 immatures per adults Throughout the remainder of the Flyway, 
there appeared to be a distinct difference between the age composition 
of the kill east and west of the Mississippi Rivers In a sample of 
91 wings from Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana, the age ratio 
was 0.68 immatures per adult, in contrast to a ratio of 2.67 immatures 
per adult in a sample of 65 wings from Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, and 
Mississippi. The samples from the States east of the Mississippi River 
and south of the northernmost tier of States had a higher age ratio 
than the samples from the northernmost tierof States. This suggests 
that the birds originated in a different production area, since it 
would be anticipated that if the same population of birds were being 
sampled, the age ratio would be lower in the southern States, where 
the season opened later. Bag checks at Magee Marsh, Qhio, indicated 
4.51 immatures per adult in a sample of 490 birds. This high age 
ratio is similar to the 3.80 immatures per adult observed in the 
small wing-collection sample from Ohio. Bag checks in Louisiana 
showed 0.88 immature per adult in a sample of 180 birds (Smith, 1960), 
higher than the age ratio of 0.40 found in the wing-collection sample 
ef 49 wings from Louisiana. This difference may have been because 
the bag checks were made in areas farther east than the areas of the 
wing-collection samples, which Wweremostly from the extreme south- 
western portion of the State. Pintail age ratios from Minnesota were 
Separated into two perieds, the first week of the season and the 
remainder. There was a slight increase in the proportion of immatures 
in the bag during the later period (Table 46). 
Because of the great importance of the pintail in the west, wing 
collections were made in the vicinity of several Federal refuges. Age 
ratios determined from these wings are summarized in Table 47. At 
Tule Lake Refuge, California, the age ratio was only 0.29 immature 
per adult, while farther south at Willows, California, the age ratio 
was 06.48 immature per adult. At Bear River Refuge, Utah, the age 
ratio was only 0.15 immature per adult. The fact that pintail age 
ratios were very low in the samples from these three places in the 
Pacific Flyway and also very low in the wing-collection samples from 
the westernmost States of the Mississippi Flyway suggests that pintail 
production was very poor during the 1959 breeding season. 
=~32- 
