DUCK
PRODUCTION |
Waterfowl production data for the five most abundant
breeding species in the Long Lake WMD are presented below. This data
is derived from the annual four-square mile survey conducted throughout
the WMD each May. |
| |
SPECIES |
OWNERSHIP |
BREEDING
PAIRS |
PAIRS/
SQ. MI |
RECRUITS |
RECRUITS/
SQ. MI |
RECRUIT.
RATE* |
|
| |
BWTE
|
Easement
Federal
Private
Total |
69,501
2,898
74,367
146,766
|
73.34
55.67
20.24
31.39 |
106,770
3,034
106,362
216,166 |
112.67
58.27
28.94
46.24 |
.
.
.
0.74 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| GADW |
Easement
Federal
Private
Total |
50,625
3,632
53,676
107,933 |
53.42
69.72
14.61
23.09 |
76,224
3,911
71,352
151,487 |
80.44
75.11
19.41
32.40 |
.
.
.
0.70 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| MALL |
Easement
Federal
Private
Total |
31,822
1,674
33,938
67,434 |
33.58
32.16
9.23
14.42 |
34,300
1,848
32,001
68,149 |
36.20
35.49
8.71
14.58 |
.
.
.
0.51 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
NOPI |
Easement
Federal
Private
Total |
19,054
795
20,388
40,236 |
20.11
15.26
5.55
8.61 |
17,575
470
18,282
36,327 |
18.55
9.04
4.97
7.77 |
.
.
.
0.45 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| NSHO |
Easement
Federal
Private
Total |
17,316
1,069
18,416
36,800 |
18.27
20.53
5.01
7.87 |
26,438
781
25,201
52,419 |
27.90
14.99
6.86
11.21 |
.
.
.
0.71 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| TOTAL |
Easement
Federal
Private
Total |
188,318
10,068
200,784
399,170 |
198.73
193.37
54.63
85.39 |
261,306
10,044
253,199
524,549 |
275.75
192.90
68.89
112.21 |
.
.
.
0.6 |
|
*Recruitment
rate is defined as the number of young females fledged per adult
female in the breeding population. A recruitment rate of about 0.49
is needed to maintain a population. |
| |
| DUCK NEST SEARCHES |
| |
 In
the summer of 2002, Refuge staff searched seven different fields on
Long Lake NWR. Study fields were randomly selected from all Refuge
units that had perennial grassland cover in 2002. Searching was done
with the two Jeep® Wranglers that were purchased early in 2001.
A single 61 m (9.5 mm diameter) chain drag was used. Typically three
and sometimes four individuals were used for search activities (minimum
of 1 spotter). Below is summary information on the units that were
searched. |
| |
REFUGE
UNIT |
ACRES
SEARCHED (GPS’d) |
VEGETATION
TYPE |
NUMBER
OF SEARCHES* |
|
| |
G-19E
G-19W
A-15
G-17
G-20
G-4A
G-5
|
57.2
32.5
36.8
62.3
65.7
65.3
95.3
|
tamegrass
tamegrass
recently cropped land with invaded tamegrass
tamegrass with low-prairie veg. component
tamegrass with small area of natives
tamegrass with some natives
tamegrass
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
ALL |
415.1 |
|
|
|
| |
*Does
not include a final check to determine the outcome of some
nests.
|
|
|
|
A total of 83 duck
nests were found across 415.1 acres, for a mean of 0.20 nests per acre. |
| Nest
Success |
| Following
are summary tables, including nesting results presented by Refuge Unit
(all species combined) and by species (all Refuge Units combined). |
| |
| Table 1. Nesting Results by Refuge Unit, All Species
Combined |
| |
NWR
UNIT |
TOTAL
NESTS/
SUCCESSFUL
NEST* |
EXPOSURE
DAYS |
APPARENT
SUCCESS
% |
LOWER
95%
C.L. |
MAYFIELD
SUCCESS
% |
UPPER
95%
C.L. |
|
| |
G-19E
G-19W
A-15
G-17
G-20
G-4A
G-5
ALL
|
3/0
9/3
11/2
15/3
6/1
12/2
23/3
79/14
|
20.0
121.2
79.5
122.9
36.9
102.1
180.6
663.2
|
0.0
33.3
18.2
20.0
16.7
16.7
13.0
17.7
|
0.0
4.2
0.1
0.4
0.0
0.3
0.3
1.2
|
0.4
17.8
1.7
3.0
0.7
3.0
1.8
3.0
|
100.0
70.8
23.1
21.6
45.6
25.8
10.5
7.1
|
|
| |
*Total
nests includes only “normal” nests, and therefore
exclude four total nests for 2002.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Table
1. Nesting Results by Species, All Refuge Units Combined
|
| |
SPECIES |
TOTAL
NESTS/
SUCCESSFUL
NEST* |
EXPOSURE
DAYS |
APPARENT
SUCCESS %
|
LOWER
95%
C.L. |
MAYFIELD
SUCCESS %
|
UPPER
95%
C.L. |
|
| |
MALL
GADW
BWTE
NSHO
NOPI
LESC
ALL
|
9/0
28/9
20/2
14/1
7/2
1/0
79/14
|
66.0
276.8
151.9
122.8
38.7
7.0
663.2
|
0.0
32.1
10.0
7.1
28.6
0.0
17.7
|
0.0
2.9
0.2
0.3
0.0
0.0
1.2
|
0.7
8.9
1.4
2.2
0.9
0.5
3.0
|
16.3
26.6
9.8
17.3
48.0
100.0
7.1
|
|
|
|
*Total
nests includes only “normal” nests, and therefore
exclude four total nests for 2002. |
|
| Nest
Predation |
| Of 65
total unsuccessful nests, 64 were predated (98.5%). Analysis of Predator
Nest Forms (completed by Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center)
attributed the predation to three mammalian species: striped skunk,
racoon, and badger. A species determination was made for 58% of all
predated nests. No hen mortality was noted at any of the predated nests.
Below are the percentages of nests destroyed by specific species. |
| |
SPECIES |
%
OF PREDATED NESTS
ASSIGNED TO EACH SPECIES |
MAXIMUM
% OF PREDATED NESTS LIKELY DESTROYED BY EACH SPECIES |
|
| |
Striped Skunk
Racoon
Badger
|
|
|
|
|
| ARTIFICIAL NEST STRUCTURES |
| |
 During
late winter 2002-2003, new flax was placed in the 10 artificial goose
tubs and 11 hen houses that currently exist on the Refuge. During
the winter of 2001-2002 and the fall of 2002, 10 hen houses were
erected throughout the Refuge (two of these were erected after the
2002 breeding season). Five of the six goose tubs were used successfully
(the sixth was a structure that hadn't been checked or re-flaxed
in at least eight years, and was just re-discovered in the fall of
2002). After the 2002 nesting season, it was found that four tubs
were used successfully, whereas the remaining 6 tubs were not used.
One of the tubs was used by a mallard, rather than a Canada goose.
In comparison, 3 tubs were successful in 2001 and only 2 tubs were
successful in 2000. None of the Refuge’s hen houses were used
by ducks, but most were used by breeding passerines (e.g., common
grackle) at some point during the summer. Lack of duck use in these
structures is not surprising, given the short amount of time (most
for only one breeding season) since they were erected. In addition
to replacing flax, the locations of the remaining structures were
recorded with a Trimble GeoExplorer III GPS unit. |
| |
|
| |
|
Please
direct questions and comments to:
Long
Lake National Wildlife Refuge
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
12000 353rd St. SE
Moffit, North Dakota 58560-9704
Phone: 701-387-4397
E-mail: longlake@fws.gov
|
In
the summer of 2002, Refuge staff searched seven different fields on
Long Lake NWR. Study fields were randomly selected from all Refuge
units that had perennial grassland cover in 2002. Searching was done
with the two Jeep® Wranglers that were purchased early in 2001.
A single 61 m (9.5 mm diameter) chain drag was used. Typically three
and sometimes four individuals were used for search activities (minimum
of 1 spotter). Below is summary information on the units that were
searched.