The number of questionnaires mailed out and the number 
returned in each Flyway are shown in the following table: 
1958-59 Sample 
No, of Hunters 







Receiving No. of Hunters Percent 
Questionnaires Responding Responding 
Flyway 1958-59 1957-55 1958-59 1957-58 1958-59 1957-38 
Atlantic | 13,093 15, 804. 9, 306 11,160 71.1 70.6 
Mississippi 17,097 15,022 11,902 10,226 69.6 68.1 
Central 6,598 8,087 4550 5,386 69.0 66.6 
iy 
Pacific 11,756 6,634 8, 396 9743 71.4 71.5 
. Experience has shown that mail-questionnaire data from hunters 
contain both sampling errors and response-bias errors. Hunters tend to 
exaggerate when reporting their kill which results in an inflated esti- 
mate, These response errors are not consistent in size from one area to 
another or from one year to the next in the same area. Also, they are 
large as compared to sampling error and their presence serigusly limits 
the usefulness of the survey data unless they are ee 
Methods for removing response-bias errors have been developea2/ 
and kill data presented in this report have been adjusted in accordance 
_ therewith. 
The Bureau's annual survey to determine waterfowl kill has 
been organized and supervised by E. L. Atwood, Chief, Section of 
Wildlife Biometry, Branch of Wildlife Research, since 1952. 
L/ E. L. Atwood, Validity of Mail Survey Data on Bagged Waterfowl, 
Journal of Wildlife Management, Vol. XX, No. 1, pages 1 through 16. 
2/ E. L. Atwood, A Procedure for Removing the effect of Response 
Bias Errors from Waterfowl Questionnaire Responses, Biometrics 
Vol. XIV, No. 1, March Il, 1950. 
