KILL AND POPULATION ESTIMATES 
Eventually, one of the most impertant uses for information on 
the age ratio in the kill will be in interpreting "Lincoln Index" 
population estimates. This subject is discussed in greater detail 
by Carney and Geis (1960). For example, an estimate of the population 
of a given species during the wintering period could be made from band 
recoveries from wintering-ground bandings and from results of the Mail 
Questionnaire Survey if the proportion of the kill consisting of adult 
birds were known. Unfortunately it has not been possible to examine the 
band-recovery data because of the fire in the Banding Office. 
It has, however, been possible to make a rough estimate of the 
total kill from the banding information of the present study. Hunters 
were requested on the wing-collection envelope (Figure 1) to report 
the band number on the envelope if the duck wing enclosed was from a 
banded bird. A total of 101 bands from 10 species was reported on 
envelopes. Fish and Wildlife Service band numbers were reported for 
46 of the 4,731 mallard wings returned. Weighted totals were 47.4 
banded mallards among 4,554. A very rough estimate of the mallard 
kill can be made by using these figures with the figures for the 
total number of banded mallards normally reported to the Banding Office 
from the Mississippi Flyway. Since an average of approximately 3,300 
banded mallards are reported from the Mississippi Flyway each year, 
the estimate can be made as shown in the equation below: 
47.4 = 3300 
4544 X 
X = 316,354 
If we assume that three banded birds are taken for every one 
reported, the estimate of the total kill would be 949,062. Although 
this estimate is considerably lower than the estimate made from the 
data of the Mail Questionnaire Survey, the two estimates are of the 
same general magnitude. The estimate from the Mail Questionnaire 
Survey was 1,279,578 in 1959-60 and considerably higher in previous 
years. 
PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN SAMPLING THE DUCK KILL 
BY THE WING-COLLECTION TECHNIQUE 
Geographic Distribution of the Sample 
The wing collection showed that there were marked geographic 
differences ‘in both age ratios and species composition. For best 
results, wings should be received from the same percentages of the 
kill in all areas, but such an ideal distribution of the sample is 
very difficult to attain. Several of the State samples in the 
1959-60 survey did not have satisfactory geographic distribution 
ye 
