PRESEASON BANDING 
The prehunting season banding program 
was started on a continent-wide basis in 
1959 with emphasis on the banding of 
mallards and black ducks. Its objective is to 
band a sufficient number of free-flying birds 
to obtain at least 50 (and preferably 100) 
direct recoveries of both immature and 
adult birds from each of a series of banding 
stations distributed across southern Canada 
and northern United States. It is the best 
type of banding to obtain information on-- 
1. Annual rates of hunting kill. 
2. Annual mortality rates. 
3. Importance of hunting as a mortality 
factor. 
4. Relation between hunting regulations 
and proportion of waterfowl population 
harvested. 
5. Relative degree to which various ages, 
sexes, and species are taken by 
hunting. 
Information on the relative degree to which 
various ages are taken by hunting is espe- 
cially important since it permits age ratios 
in the population to be determined from 
age ratios in the hunting kill as measured 
by the wing collection survey. For example, 
based on a comparison of recovery rates 
from adults and immatures in the Missis- 
Sippi Flyway, it was possible to estimate 
from the age ratio observed in the kill of 
0.77 immatures per adult during the 1959- 
60 hunting season that the age ratio in the 
population before the season was 0.53; while 
the age ratio in the kill of 1.84 immatures 
per adult during the 1960-61 hunting season 
represented a preseason ratio of 1.30 
immatures per adult. Unfortunately, relia- 
bility of the data resulting from the pre- 
season banding program thus far has been 
questionable, because of an inadequate 
number of birds banded at most stations and 
the poor geographic distribution of the 
banded sample, due largely to inadequate 
preseason banding in Canada. Results of the 
preseason banding program in 1959 and 1960 
are discussed fully in another report (Smith 
and Geis, 1961). 
WOOD DUCK BANDING 
The cooperative wood duck banding pro- 
gram was started in 1959 by the Missis- 
sippi Flyway Council because of the lack of 
information about this important duck. To 
complete the picture, the Atlantic Flyway 
States renewed their efforts in the banding 
of wood ducks. Of primary concern in the 
wood duck banding program is an appraisal 
of the importance of hunting as a mortality 
factor and the effects that hunting regulations 
have on size of the kill. Another major 
objective of the wood duck banding program 
is to determine the feasibility of making 
indirect population estimates based on band- 
ing data, in conjunction with information 
from wing collection and waterfowl kill 
surveys. 
Progress made in 1959 and 1960 in the 
wood duck banding program was reviewed 
recently (Kaczynski and Geis, 1961). In1960, 
cooperators in the United States and Canada 
banded 10,563 wood ducks, a 49-percent 
increase over the number banded in 1959. 
Wood ducks banded in four States, Wis- 
consin, Illinois, Ohio, and Iowa, provided 
76 percent of the 7,625 banded in the 
Mississippi Flyway, while two States, New 
- York and Vermont, provided 61 percent of 
the 2,561 banded in the Atlantic Flyway. 
Almost all of the bandings were in late 
summer and early fall. 
The possibility was explored of using the 
data obtained from the 1959-60 wood duck 
banding program, in conjunction with other 
information, to determine importance of 
hunting as a mortality factor, effects of 
regulations on the kill, distribution of the 
hunting kill, and size of the prehunting 
Season population. Unfortunately, due to 
small sample sizes and the absence of 
banded samples in important areas, present 
information cannot be regarded as reliable. 
The wood duck banding program shows 
promise, however, of contributing important 
information of management significance. 
POSTHUNTING-SEASON 
WINTERING GROUND BANDING 
Banding in wintering areas after close of 
the hunting season provides information on 
distribution of the hunting kill of various 
wintering populations among the various 
harvest areas. Thus, it aids in interpreting 
winter inventory counts in much the same 
way that breeding ground banding permits 
interpreting breeding ground surveys. Also, 
it provides much the same type of informa- 
tion outlined for the preseason banding pro- 
pram, except that the accuracy with which 
these determinations can be made is les- 
