THIRTY-FIRST BIENNIAL REPORT Z'^ 



REPORT OF VOLUNTEER DEPUTIES 



By Walter R. Welch, Captain of Patrol, in charge 



Under the provisions of section 642 of the Political Code, which 

 section defines the duties of the Fish and Game Commissioners, the 

 Commissioners may from time to time employ such deputies, with or 

 without pay, as they may deem necessary to strictly enforce the laws 

 enacted for the protection and preservation of fish and game. 



This section of the Political Code also provides that each deputy 

 appointed by the Fish and Game Commissioners to serve without pay, 

 except employes of the federal government, shall furnish the state with 

 a surety bond in the sum of $2,500 for the faithful performance of his 

 duties, the premium on the bond to be paid by the state out of the fish 

 and game preservation fund. 



In order that the Division of Fish and Game may receive the benefit 

 of those who are willing to volunteer their services to the cause of fish, 

 game and wild life protection and for the enforcement of the laws 

 enacted for that purpose, and in order to establish and maintain proper 

 morale within the ranks of the deputies appointed to serve without pay, 

 the commissioners have established a system and set of rules governing 

 their appointment and supervising their activities as volunteer depu- 

 ties and has attached these deputies to the department of the regular 

 patrol. 



As the status and authority of the volunteer deputies for the enforce- 

 ment of the fish and game laws within the state is the same as that of 

 the regular deputies, the system and set of rules that govern their 

 activities are similar to those that apply to the regular deputies and 

 are as rigorously enforced. 



Under the system and set of rules governing the appointment and 

 supervising the activities of volunteer deputies of the Division of Fish 

 and Game as established by the Fish and Game Commissioners, a man 

 must be recommended and his appointment sponsored by a regular 

 organized and bona fide fish and game protective association or club. 



The recommendation must be signed by the president and secretary 

 of the association or club recommending and sponsoring the appoint- 

 ment, endorsed by the captain of the regular patrol of the county in 

 which the applicant resides, and be approved by the captain in charge 

 of the volunteer deputies. 



The activities of the volunteer deputies of the Division of Fish and 

 Game, except those who are in the employ of the federal government, 

 are under the system and rules established for their control, under the 

 direction and supervision of the captain of patrol in charge of volun- 

 teer deputies, and are required to render a report monthly, giving an 

 account of their activities in the field in the discharge of their duties 

 as game wardens ; such as the number of hunting and angling licenses 

 and deer tags checked ; the number of miles of field, streams, coast line 

 and bay shore patrolled; the number of arrests or assists in arrests 

 made for violations of the fish and game law; the amount of fines 



3 — 81166 



