OHIO 
Weather and Water Conditions 
Both weather and water conditions covld be considered 
as ideal for the production of wood duck in Ohio during the 
spring and summer of 1959. 
Breeding Population Indices 
Ohio waterfowl breeding grounds surveys during 1959 
were primarily aimed at obtaining an index to wood duck production 
in this State. 
Two methods were used to determine production of species. 
These included the conventional float-trip censuses on 100 Linear 
miles of streams and the wood duck nest-box checks. 
| Each portion of the streams that were surveyed were 
floated three times. These surveys were conducted during mid-May, 
June and July. 
The wood duck nest boxes were checked during the last 
two weeks in June. 
There was an average of .40 broods of wood ducks 
observed per linear mile of stream surveyed during 1959. This 
represents about an 18 percent increase over the -year average 
of .34 broods per linear mile of stream surveyed (Table 1). 
Table 1 - Wood Duck Broods Observed on Streams 

In Ohio 
Broods Per 
Year Lineal Mile ; 
1954 »30 
1955 3h 
1956 38 
1957 | 34 
1958* ~ 
1959 ; oO 
— = 
"lone taken curl 

There were 1,534 wood duck nest-boxes checked in Ohio 
during 1959. Of this number only 1,24) were in useable condition. 
132 
