CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 
Results of the wing-collection pilot study reported here 
show that the wing-collection technique is a promising method for 
evaluating the factors affecting waterfowl production, understanding 
the status of waterfowl populations, and measuring the effect of 
regulations on the kill. The greatest significance of the data will 
come when information from different years can be compared. It is 
recommended that the wing collection be continued. 
SUMMARY 
The duck-wing collection in the Mississippi Flyway was under- 
taken as a trial to determine if it was a feasible method for 
Measuring species composition, age ratios, and the sex ratios in the 
hunting kill. Letters were sent to approximately 8,000 hunters, who 
responded by sending about 10,000 wings. The response was judged to 
be very satisfactory. For analysis, the data from each State were 
weighted according to the relationship between the number of hunters 
to whom request letters were sent in the wing survey and the previous 
year’s duck-stamp sales. 
The wing data were used to measure the proportion of the reported 
kill in different parts of the waterfowl season and to show the pro- 
portion of the kill during different hours of the day and on different 
days of the week. In six northern States, a much higher proportion of 
the birds were killed early in the season than were killed early in 
the season in two southern States. The proportion of the kill early 
in the season, as estimated from data of the wing collection, was 
greater than the proportion estimated from the data of the Bureau's 
Mail Questionnaire Survey. The wing collection showed that the hourly 
distribution of the kill varied also. For example, hunters in several 
southern States reported a greater part of the kill in the morning 
than did those in any northern State. 
Species composition of the kill also was determined from the 
wing-collection data. In the Flyway as a whole, the mallard made up 
almost half of the reported kill. The lesser scaup, which was the 
next most numerous, made up only about one-tenth of the kill. The 
combined daily bag limit of canvasbacks, redheads, and ruddy ducks 
in 1959-60 was one bird. These species made up only 2.1 per cent of 
the kill. The species composition determined from the wing collection 
was in general agreement with the composition determined from the Mail 
Questionnaire Survey, and the most important species in the kill were 
the same in both surveys. There were some differences in results of 
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