98 PISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 



Bray, California. 

 Dear Sir : The accompanj'ing picture was taken of a band of 87 antelope. I 

 watched them for some time and got the direction thej' were traveling, then I got 

 ahead of them and waited for them. I was hid in a juniper, but the leaders spotted 

 me and lined up to take a look. The picture was taken at a distance of fifty-five 

 yards. These animals are not wild at this time of the year. It is no trouble to get 

 within 150 or 200 yards of them in the open, but it is some job to get close enough 

 to take a good picture. I am going out there again in a short time and will try to 

 get some more pictures of the herd. The same day I took the picture I found three 

 more antelope in Mitchell's field, making 90 altogether. It is possible that there 

 was another small band somewhere that I did not find. 



J. O. Miller, Deputy. 



This is an example of what a strict application of game patrol will 

 do for game conservation. A refuge should and no doubt will be created 

 for their winter and summer range by the 1923 legislature. 



DEER. 



Irrespective of any action taken toward surrounding the black-tail 

 deer with more protection, either by limit or season, it is absolutely 



■Fig. 33. Winter feeding of deer at Blairsden, California, March, 1922. Photograph 



by Otto A. Riffles. 



necessary to afford greater protection to the mule deer of Lassen and 

 Modoc counties, especially in the Lava Bed sections, before they are 

 finally exterminated. This grand animal, the largest of the deer family, 

 with the exception of the elk, many of which weigh nearly 300 pounds, 

 is laboring under a protective handicap placed by nature. It is unlaw- 

 ful to kill a spike buck, which among the black-tail is usually a j^earling 

 deer. About 98 percent of yearling mule deer have forked or branched 

 antlers. Very few have spikes. They consequently are legal deer to kill 

 even before they are yearlings. As the youngest buck deer are more 

 valuable for service, it does not take much calculation to figure out the 

 great disadvantage under which this species of deer labor. A closed sea- 

 son in the counties of Lassen and Modoc for two or more years would 

 result in bringing back this splendid animal. 



QUAIL. 



The excessive snowfall at such low altitudes was more or less destruc- 

 tive to both mountain and valley quail. One compensative feature was 

 the fact that the snowstorms were intermittent and the birds were able 



