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Show Waterfowl hunt of 1963 tops Final tabulations of all data covering Utah's 1963 waterfowl water-fowl seasons shows more hunters hunt-ers afield and the best bag of birds during the past five years, according to the department depart-ment of fish and game. Donald A. Smith, assistant game chief in charge of waterfowl, water-fowl, said generally better hunting weather, good water conditions, and more local and migrant birds were the major factors in this most successful season since 1958. Smith said i that increased number of hunters afield also accounted for the increased harvest of birds. This year's duck harvest totalled 370,748 compared to 2i5,655 birds bagged bag-ged in 1962. Total number of duck hunters was 25,950. This is an increase of nearly 6,000 hunters over the average number num-ber afield since 1958. Projected data show duck hunters were afield an average of slightly more than six trips each and bagged just over 14 ducks for the season. A heavy increase is noted in the harvest of geese, with gunners gun-ners taking 15,400 Canada and 1,045 snow geese for a total of 16,445 birds. This compares with 9,957 geese bagged during the 1962 seasan. An interesting figure shows duck hunters took 4,782 geese while on the marshes and the gunners hunting hunt-ing geese specifically took 9,863 birds. Holders of 1,000 special one-bird one-bird permits for taking a whistlmg swan bagged a total of 394 birds compared to the 313 harvested in 1962. Once again, Ogden Bay Waterfowl Management Area was most popular for hunting the swan and accounted for a majority of the kill. Smith noted that water conditions con-ditions on the marshes had been good this spring and that brood and bird numbers look good at this time. He said, "We had an exceptionally excep-tionally good year last year and are optimistic at present regarding the waterfowl hunts this fall. We appreciate the cooperation and response from the public in respect to the return re-turn of kill questionaires and for their participation in field checks. This cooperation is invaluable in-valuable in the proper management manage-ment of our birds." As a man grows older he begins to appreciate his own father a little more. |