TDAHO 
Weather and Water Conditions 
The spring run-off was quite late and generally below normal, 
with very little flooding noted. The month of April was characterized 
by above average temperatures and below average precipitation with the 
situation reversed in May and early June when below average temperatures 
and above average precipitation was the rule in most sections of the 
State. 
Breeding Population Indices 
An aerial count was taken in the major goose nesting areas 
of the State for the fifth consecutive year. The results as given in 
Table 1 indicate a 3% reduction in total geese from last year and a 
20% increase from the average of the four previous years. Of particu- 
lar interest is the fact that the count in the Grays Lake=Blackfoot 
Reservoir-Dingle Marsh complex remained at the high level of 1958. 
Production Indices 
Canada goose nesting studies were continued in several areas 
of the State. The results as shown in Table 2 do not indicate total 
estimated production. They show population trends based on the number 
of and hatching success of nests found on the same areas covered in 
the same manner each year. On this basis, the estimated production 
on four areas with trend information for eignt years is 17% below last 
year and laso 17% below the average of the previous six years. ‘The 
estimated production on six areas with trend data for six years is 10% 
below last year and 11% below the average for the previous five years. 
The reduction was due primarily to a drop for the second consecutive 
year in the production on the Homedale unit. For all practical pur- 
poses these birds are non=migratory. The eastern Idaho units showed 
a 20% increase over last year with the largest proportion occurring 
in the North Fork Unit. 
Duck brood production routes were counted in three areas of 
the State. The routes were run twice with all classes of broods 
counted on the first run and only Class I broods counted on the second 
run. The results are shown in Tables 3 and 4. ‘The southcentral Idaho 
counts were down 30% from last year and about the same as in 1957. 
The Camas National Wildlife Refuge counts were only slightly below 
last year, as were the counts from the Blackfoot Reservoir. It was 
felt by personnel doing the counting on all three areas that the reduc- 
tions were due entirely to a delayed hatch. Many of the late nesters, 
such as redhead and gadwall, were not observed in the numbers that they 
will be in the next two weeks. 
Brood counts to date indicate average survival to Class III 
size. 
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