Survival and fates of staging juvenile, female mallards in the Vermont / Quebec border region

We alternately marked 80 juvenile, female mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), half with transmitters and bands and half with only bands in 1990 and 1991. Survival of radio-marked ducks was monitored daily and then summarized weekly for the periods 31 August - 6 December, 1990 (weeks 5-18) and 11 September - 6 December, 1991) (weeks 6-18). The pattern of survival throughout the staging period did not differ (P = 0.785) between 1990 and 1991. Survival at the end of the staging period (week 18) was low in both years (0.379 in 1990; 0.282 in 1991; and 0.337 for a combined estimate). Only 2.5% (1990) and 7.5% (1991) of the bands of the banded-only sample were recovered. Fates of the ducks were associated with hunter opportunity and are evaluated as related to body mass, flock size and duck behavior as determined from hunter questionnaires.