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Hunting pressure was probably the primary factor influencing habitat shifts during early winter from Unit A and greentree reservoirs on Duck Creek Wildlife Management Area to unhunted areas on Mingo National Wildlife Refuge (MNWR). During all 3 years of this study, Unit A was used extensively by mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) before and after waterfowl hunting season but received little use during the season. Non-hunting disturbance (e.g. vehicular traffic) may have also influenced mallard distribution in the Mingo Swamp and warrants additional research. Lack of hunting probably contributed to reduced alert activity during early spring, and habitat shifts to unhunted areas on MNWR may have influenced a midwinter decline in alert behavior during 1985-86. Alert behavior was also greater in shallow habitats than in open water zones where disturbance was minimal because of distance from roads.