THIRTY-FIRST BIENNIAL REPORT 97 



REPORT OF BUREAU OF GAME REFUGES 



By J S. Hunter, in charge 

 GAME REFUGES 



California has set aside by legislative act 39 game refuges. These 

 sanctuaries have an area of over two and one-half million acres. They 

 were created under the authority conferred upon the legislature by 

 article 4, section 25|, of tlie state constitution adopted by initiative in 

 1902. This amendment authorized the legislature to divide the state 

 into fish and game districts and to adopt such legislation as was deemed 

 appropriate. Under this authority the legislature has set aside from 

 time to time certain areas upon which it was deemed appropriate to 

 prohibit all game hunting. 



The first of these areas was set aside by the legislature of 1915. At 

 that time refuges were created in Trinity, Santa Cruz, San Benito, Los 

 Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange counties, and at every session 

 since 1915 additional areas have been created, located in 28 different 

 counties. At the last session of the state legislature there were set aside : 



Area in 

 Designation Coii,nty Acres 



IR Tuolumne 96,640 



IS Lassen 14,720 



IT Humboldt 1,920 



3H Santa Barbara 17,920 



General Grant Fresno 17,280 



Bolinas Quail Refuge . Marin 800 



The first four refuges were created at the request of sportsmen of the 

 various counties interested. 



General Grant Refuge surrounds the national park of the same name. 

 This park comprises an area of only 2536 acres. During the hunting 

 season, hunters in the area adjacent to the park endanger the lives of 

 anyone who may be in the park. It was deemed wise to keep hunters 

 at a considerable distance from the park boundary for the safety of 

 the thousands of park visitors. 



The Bolinas Quail Refuge was created at the request of owners of 

 the land within its boundary. 



In practically every instance before an area is set aside, local interests 

 have been given consideration and the need and advisability of a refuge 

 considered from every angle. The U. S. Forest Service is of great 

 assistance in this work. 



Every year there is more and more demand for additional closed 

 areas, so much so that we must consider the rights of the hunter. 

 Already there are many parts of the state where the unattached hunter 

 has difficulty in finding open country in w^hich to hunt. It must be 

 remembered that for every area that is removed from the liunting field, 

 the hunters that were accustomed to hunt that area are forced to find 

 new grounds and as a consequence congest conditions that much more 

 in areas still open. 



7—81166 



