26 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



number of deer legally killed each year and also in a material way to 

 curtail the illegal killing of deer, consequently, in 1927, the deer tag 

 license act was passed, which act requires every person who hunts deer 

 to have, in addition to his regular hunting license, a deer tag license, 

 the cost of which is $1. As the law allows each hunter to take two 

 deer each season, the tag was made in duplicate and must be carried 

 by the hunter at all times when hunting deer. Immediately upon kill- 

 ing a deer the hunter must attach one-half of the original tag to the 

 horns of the deer and the other half must be mailed to the office of the 

 Division of Fish and Game, giving information as to the number of 

 horns and the time and place where killed. From the information that 

 has been received from the cards returned by the hunters, it has been 

 shown that the deer population of the state is practically holding its 

 own. Through this source of information it can readily be deter- 

 mined whether the population of deer is increasing or decreasing. A 

 comparative statement of the number of licenses sold and deer killed in 

 the three-year period follows : 



Percentage of 



Hunters killing hunters who 



Year Licenses sold Deer killed one or more deer killed deer 



1927 110,760 19,507 17,284 6.41% 



192S 105,638 21,515 19,136 5.52% 



1929 115,472 21,222 18,929 6.04% 



COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN'S LICENSES 



Since 1912 the revenue derived from the sale of commercial fisher- 

 men's licenses, which are also kno^vu as market fishermen's licenses, 

 has increased from $23,860 to $60,140 in 1929-30. This license requires 

 that all persons who fish for the purpose of selling their catch must be 

 licensed, the cost of such license being $10 for all persons. The bulk 

 of the sales are made around San Francisco Bay, Monterey, San Diego 

 and San Pedro. A few licenses are also sold along the Sacramento 

 River, Shelter Cove, Humboldt Bay and Requa. 



o 



FISH PACKERS' AND WHOLESALE SHELL FISH DEALERS' LICENSES 



The law requires that any person or corporation in this state who 

 cans, cures or preserves any fresh fish taken in the waters of this state 

 or brought in from the outside or who manufactures any fish meal, fish 

 oil or fertilizer from fish or who deals in shellfish by wholesale, must 

 take out what is known as the Fish Packers' and Wholesale Shell Fish 

 Dealers' license. The fee for this license is $5 for citizens and $20 for 

 aliens. Since 1912-13, the returns from the sale of this license have 

 made only slight changes, some years showing a slight decrease while 

 in other years a slight increase. 



GAME BREEDERS' LICENSES 



In 1913 a law was enacted permitting persons to engage in the raising 

 and selling of domesticated game birds and mammals. Before a license 

 is issued to the applicant, however, their property is inspected by a 

 representative of the Di^asion of Fish and Game and a report sub- 

 mitted stating the species of birds or mammals that they intend raising 

 and from whom the same were obtained. The division encourages 

 people to engage in this business. In 1914, there were 14 licenses sold, 

 while in 1929, 329 licenses were sold. Pheasants seem to be the prin- 

 cipal birds raised. 



