134 



CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 



UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE COOPERATION. 



STEELHEAD TROUT IN THE CALI- 

 FORNIA NATIONAL FOREST. 



There are a number of streams in the 

 California National Forest well stocked 

 with fish. Those on the east side, 

 flowing into the Sacramento River, are 

 slocked with rainbow trout; and on 

 the west side, the streams tributary 

 to Eel River, with steelhead trout. A 

 few other varieties, stich as Loch Leven, 

 eastern brook and black-spotted trout, 

 ha\e l>een introduced into the east 

 side streams. It is cummonly believed that 

 steelhead trout, after attaining a length 

 of ? or 8 inches, migrate to the ocean, 

 returning after maturity, being usually 

 from 24 to 40 inches in length ajid 

 weighing from 5 to 15 pounds. These 

 large steelheads have been coming up the 

 various branches of Eel River only, prob- 

 ably for all time ; but until recently 

 they were practically exterminated every 

 year by Indian fishemien. There is one 

 stream on the forest, the north fork of 

 the Middle Fork of Eel River, which has 

 many large, deep holes in which these 

 fish stay all summer if unmolested, and 

 as they readily take a hook they furnish 

 splendid sport. Until the past few years 

 the Indians have systematically netted 

 and blasted these holes until they got 

 every fish. We have been making a de- 

 termined effort to stop this pi'actice, with 

 some results. During the past season two 

 Indians were caught in the act of using 

 illegal nets, one of whom plead guilty to 

 the charge and a fine of .*flOO was im- 

 posed on him. 



DEER SEASON TOO EARLY ON THE 

 EL DORADO FOREST. 



The open sea.sou on deer in Fish and 

 Game District l-I is believed by local 

 forest officers to be entirely too early. It 

 had far better be reduced to one month, 

 from September 15 to October 15, than 

 as it is at present. August 15 to Septem- 

 ber 15 is a very hot period, and many 

 of the deer killed, or large parts thereof, 

 spoil and are unfit for use. 



In quite a few of the streams on the 

 north side the fish (trout being the only 

 game species) are pretty well depleted 

 since up to last year little or no replen- 

 ishing was done. Many of the Takes never 

 have had any in them. At the proper 



tiiuc cousideralile cooperation can be got- 

 ten from interested parties, and the For- 

 est Service should plan to be in position, 

 financially, to help out. 



MULE DEER ON THE LASSEN 

 FOREST. 



Rig game, as it goes in California, is 

 to be found on the Lassen in abundance. 

 The mule deer {Odocolleus Ivcniioiitis) is 

 plentiful in the northeastern part and 

 appear to be on the increase. They win- 

 ter in the lava beds of Lassen and Mo<loc 

 counties, and follow the snow to the higher 

 areas in the spring. The bucks do not 

 run with the does during the summer. 

 Both, however, stay at comparatively low 

 elevations until the middle of the summer 

 when the bucks go to the high ridges. 

 They will stay on the summer range 

 until there is considerable snow before 

 moving to the lower elevations. All move 

 out together over well defined trails. The 

 rutting season is November and Decem- 

 ber and the fawns are born in May and 

 June. They usually are in pairs, one 

 buck and one doe. The game refuge 1-F 

 has been posted and we do not believe 

 that there was any hunting within this 

 area this season. It is well situated and 

 should be a material factor for the in- 

 crease of the species in its locality. There 

 is considerable controversy as to whether 

 or not the mule deer and Columbia black- 

 tail deer cross. On certain ridges and 

 mountains mule deer but no blacktail 

 deer will be found, while on others black- 

 tail only are found. However, several 

 deer have been killed on the Lassen with- 

 in the past two or three years that are 

 apparently crosses, having the tail of the 

 Columbia blacktail with no patch of white 

 around the base of the tail, but having 

 all other appearances of the mule deer. 

 One of these is reported to have weighed 

 one hundred and eighty pounds. 



The only other species of deer known 

 to be indigenous is the Columbia blacks 

 tail. This species is found in every part 

 of the for&st but less often in the country 

 where the mule deer aboundl^. This deer 

 winters in the foothills of the valley and 

 moves to the higher areas as the snow goes 

 off. During the spring and summer the 

 bucks are to be found on the high rough 

 ridges and the does and fawns on the 



