Diane Roth Eggeman

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...

We studied fall and winter food habits of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) in the Swan Lake Zone of north-central Missouri during the 1980-82 hunting seasons. Gizzards from hunter-killed geese were obtained during 5 periods of each hunting season. Average proportions of native foods, row crops, winter wheat, and other forage were highly variable among and within years. Row crops in the diet ranged from an average of 1.1%to 99.6% by volume, compared to 0.3% to 98.8% for native foods. In general, row crops increased and native foods decreased in average percent volume through the hunting...