
Yet in the presunrise hunting where 1,001 hours of hunting 
accounted for a loss of 129 ducks, the loss was 0.128 ducks per 
hour, representing a loss 43.82% greater per hour than for the 
average hour of the day. 
Although the hourly crippling loss was higher in the presun- 
rise period than fox other times of the day, the rate of crippling 
was actually less. Presunrise hunters reported losing 129 ducks 
while bagging 609 so that the percentage loss during that period 
was 17.48% compared with the overall loss of 20.94%. While pre- 
sunrise hunters have; a crippling loss per hour that is nearly 44% 
greater than the overall loss per hour, they also bag twice as 
many ducks while doing so, with the result that the rate of crip- 
pling is actually less in the presunrise period. 
In 1953 we were concerned over the effect of the last hour of 
hunting when an additional period of time was provided at the close 
of each day. In connection with consideration of the effect of the 
extra shooting time in the evening, we conducted studies here to 
sample the period of the day when most hunting was done as well as 
to sample the kill in the last hour of the day. 
At that time, of the 4,166 hunters contacted, 235 hunted dur- 
ing the last hour. These hunters took only 5.64% of the total 
checked kill (which was recorded separately and not included in 
the afternoon checks since that would have resulted in duplication). 
At that time we were averaging 11 hours of potential hunting 
each day, as shooting started 1/2 hour before sunrise and continued 
to sunset. If this provided 11 hours of shooting, then one could 
asstme that at least 9% of the kill could be taken each hour; yet 
the last hour hunters took only about 15% of the hourly potential. 
Figures obtained at that time unfortunately did not separate 
the presunrise data from -the rest of the morning hunting. However, 
it was found that of the total kill, 34.45% occurred among hunters 
who shot only in the afternoon, 48.82% among hunters out only in 
the afternoon (not including the last hour), 11.09% among hunters 
who were out al] day, and only 5.64% of the kill occurred the last 
hour. 
EVALUATION OF HUNTING PRESSURE 
Distribution of kill among hunters checked 
One of the most interesting facets of the study has been a 
breakdown of data to show the percentage of hunters who success- 
fully took a limit, those who took less than limits, and those who 
failed to bag ducks on the day they were checked. 
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