  We present the results of a preliminary H-alpha survey of M81 for novae
conducted over a 5 month interval using the 5' field of view camera (WFCAM) on
the Calypso Telescope at Kitt Peak, AZ. We observed M81 nearly every clear
night during this interval, covering the entire galaxy, and discovered 12
novae. Our comprehensive time coverage allowed us to produce the most complete
set of H-alpha light curves for novae in M81 to date. A raw nova rate for M81
gives 23 yr^-1 which, because of the nature of our survey, is a hard lower
limit. An analysis of the completeness in our survey gives a corrected nova
rate of 30 yr^-1. This agrees well with the rate of 33 (+13,-8) yr^-1, derived
from Monte Carlo simulations using nova light curves and survey frame limits.
The spatial distribution of the novae we discovered follows the bulge light
much better than the disk or total light according to Kolmogorov - Smirnov
tests of their radial distributions. The asymmetry in the distribution of novae
across the major axis line of M81 implies a bulge-to-disk nova ratio of > 9 and
supports the idea that novae originate primarily in older stellar populations.
