100 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



parts of the state and will make numerous recommendations to the 

 Commission durinpf the coming 3''ear. 



PREDATORY ANIMAL CONTROL 



It has been said that our game refuges were becoming breeding places 

 for various species of predatory animals, particularly wildcats and 

 coyotes. It has been our practice during the trapping season to issue 

 permits to properly vouched-for trappers to trap in practically all the 

 refuges. Keports from such trappers in most instances, have not 

 shown an excessive abundance of predators. The heaviest catch of 

 coyotes was in a refuge in Lassen County, wliere one coyote per square 

 mile was taken. 



During the year 1928, at the suggestion of a sportsmen's organiza- 

 tion, arrangements were made with the predatory animal division of 

 the State Department of Agriculture, to place three of their most 

 experienced trappers in refuges that were said to be particularly 

 infested with coyotes and wildcats. Our division was to bear all 

 expenses of such work. These trappers were employed durinsr the late 

 spring and summer months — a total of 287-man days. The following 

 tabulation will show the result of their work : 



Location Area Coyotes Wildcats Days 



Refuge (county) sq. mi. killed killed trapped 



l-I Placer 140 10 38 



IJ Amador 88 21 38 



l-O El Dorado 118 6 45 



2A Lake 60 9 1' 42 



3E Santa Clara 6 7 6 74 



3F Contra Costa 16 13 



53 7 287 



It should be mentioned that the seven coyotes and six wildcats cred- 

 ited to the refuge in Santa Clara County were not actually taken on 

 the refuge but in the surrounding country as far as five miles from the 

 refuge. Trapping on the refuges produced no predators and very few 

 signs of predators were found. The total catch of 53 coyotes and 7 

 wildcats cost $1,565.21, or an average of $26.08 per animal. From the 

 information gathered in this work, it was not believed that there was 

 an excessive number of either species of predators on the refuges. The 

 results obtained were not considered commensurate with the cost. 



Predatory animal control is receiving a great deal of attention in 

 California. Information recently secured brings out the fact that 43 

 of the 58 counties either pay bounty or contribute to state and federal 

 agencies in charge of preclatoiy animal control. There was contributed 

 by counties $52,000 during the year and paid out in wildcat and coyote 

 bounty $45,104, and on mountain lions $6,320. In addition the Division 

 of Fish and Game paid approximately $15,000 in mountain lion bounty 

 and control. To this nearly $119,000 must be added, which is the 

 amount of state and federal funds used under the direction of the 

 Federal Bureau of Biological Survey. Then to this entire amount must 

 be added the hundreds of thousands of dollars received annually by 

 trappers for their catch of pelts taken from predatory animals. 



The U. S. Department of Agriculture Farm Bulletin No. 1618, a com- 

 pilation of the trapping and bounty laws of the states of the Union, 

 gives some very interesting information regarding payment of bounty 

 and protection of fur-bearers throughout the United States. There are 



