and winter but were improved by early 
spring snows and rains to the point of being 
the best in several years. 
Late water conditions in the glaciated 
subdivisions and the prairies in eastern 
Montana have deteriorated from the time of 
the May survey. In the Flathead Valley, 
west of the Continental Divide, good water 
conditions have held through the summer. 
BREEDING POPULATION INDEXES 
The May 1961 survey indicated a de- 
crease in total ducks from last year in the 
glaciated subdivisions and a decrease in 
most areas from the lé-year average 
(table E-16, p. 92). 
The number of breeding waterfowl in the 
Flathead Valley area is about equal to 1960 
and is one of the highest recorded (table 
E-17). 
Considering the total Montana waterfowl 
breeding populations and water conditions 
in the most of the State, there is an 
apparent decrease from last year and from 
the long-term average. The one major 
exception to this is the Flathead Valley 
trend area, or that part of the State lying 
west of the Continental Divide. 
There is evidence of some decrease in 
the breeding population of Canada geese 
this year, when all breeding areas are 
viewed collectively (table E-18). 
PRODUCTION INDEXES 
The only area in the State where duck 
production data are gathered is in the 
Flathead Valley. At the time of this report, 
brood production appears to be running 
about 2 weeks late, possibly because of the 
extremely wet spring. 
From reports on production and late 
water conditions in the eastern part of the 
state, production and brooding conditions 
appear poor. 
Canada goose production decreased 
markedly in the Hi-Line unit and remained 
about the same in the Helena and Great 
Falls-Piedmont units. Production survey 
data for these units are presented in 
table F-19 (p. 116). In the Flathead Valley 
unit both breeding population and production 
increased this year. Production in 1961 is 
577 as compared with 493 last year. 
21 
CONCLUSIONS 
Breeding populations of ducks are down 
19 percent in the eastern part of the State 
and production prospects. are poor due to 
drought conditions. Although habitat con- 
. ditions are good west of the Continental 
Divide the populations involved are rela- 
tively small. Therefore, for the State as a 
whole a decrease in the fall flight of ducks 
is expected as compared with last year. 
The decrease in both breeding population 
and production of Canada geese in the Hi- 
Line unit is such that the fall flight of 
this species from the State is expected to 
decrease as compared with 1960. 
NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, 
AND WESTERN MINNESOTA 
Data supplied by Glen 
Orton and David Fisher, 
Bureau of Sport Fisheries 
and Wildlife 
WEATHER AND WATER CONDITIONS 
Above normal temperatures prevailed 
throughout the Dakotas and western Minne- 
sota during the late winter. Snowfall was 
light. The low water levels from the fall of 
1960 were not supplemented to any extent 
from spring runoff, 
Rains during April were light and the 
entire area was lacking in top and subsoil 
moisture, Range land in the western strata 
was in poor condition because of lack of 
winter snow, but was given some relief by 
rains during mid-May. 
Vegetative growth, which made recovery 
during the spring and summer of 1960, 
was completely destroyed onmany potential . 
waterfowl production areas because of the | 
receding water. Burning was in evidence 
in the tri-State area and this practice was 
accelerated as spring advanced. 
Receding water levels exposed mud flats 
which stranded emergent and shoreline 
vegetation. Many potential pothole basins 
were under cultivation. 
Compared with 1960, the May water 
indexes in 1961 declined 32 percent, 73 
percent, and 33 percent for the east, 
central, and west strata of the tri-State 
area with an overall drop of 56 percent. 
The number of water areas is 9.7 Rercent 
below the dry year of 1959, 
