ABSTRACT 
Progress made in the pre-hunting season mallard and black duck 
banding program in 1959 and 1960 was summarized. Samples banded at 
most locations were too small to yield reliable results and pre- 
season populations in Canada were very poorly represented. Other 
factors influencing the effectiveness of pre-season banding are 
discussed; these include accuracy of age determinations, the repre- 
sentativeness of ducks banded on refuge areas, and the effects of 
band collecting activities. A comparison of direct recovery rates 
in 1959 and 1960 indicated that the rate of kill did not differ 
Significantly between years. Regional and annual differences in the 
relative recovery rates of immatures and adults were apparent from 
examination of the larger banded samples. Adults frequently were 
more likely to be shot than immatures in southern areas; immatures 
often were subjected to heavy hunting pressure near the banding 
stations. Pre-season banding data were used with information from 
the Mail Questionnaire Survey and Wing Collection Survey to estimate 
the size, age composition and harvest rate of the pre-season mallard 
population associated with the Mississippi Flyway. 
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