David H. Brakhage

The T. M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area (WMA) is a 1,566-ha freshwater wetland restoration project developed by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (Commission) in east central Florida. The land was historically floodplain marsh, but was drained beginning in the 1950s and thereafter managed as improved pasture for cattle production. The St. Johns River Water Management District (District) purchased the land in 1988 for $6.3 million, and leased it to the Commission to restore wetland habitat and provide public recreation. Based on conceptual input from the Commission, the...

During 1987-1996, 9,598 wood ducks (Aix sponsa) were banded, and 358 bands were recovered and reported during the hunting season. Males survived at an estimated annual ration of 0.585 (SE = 0.028) and females at 0.406 (SE = 0.040). Analysis of capture-recapture data from box-nesting female wood ducks resulted in a mean survival rate estimate of 0.490 (SE = 0.012), which was higher than that estimated for females from preseason banding (P = 0.045). Band recovery rates averaged 0.021 (SE = 0.002) for males and 0.018 (SE = 0.002) for females, suggesting that harvest rates were relatively low...