REPORT OF THE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 83 



RESEARCH. 

 Ducks versus Rice. 



There has been no luore inipoi'tant problem confronting tlie Com- 

 mission during tlie past biennium than that rehiting to ducks and the 

 rice grower. In the fall of J 018 misleading news items led farmers 

 to believe the rice indu.stry was threatened due to the depredations of 

 (lucks, and the sportsmen to believe that ducks were being slaughtered 

 ])y rice growers in the Sacramento Valley in order to save the crops. In 

 cooperation with the United States Biological Survey, an investigation 

 was made to determine the real damage caused by the ducks and to 

 determine also, some solution for the problem which had become an in- 

 tense one. Investigation showed : 



(1) The consensus of opinion of rice growers obtained through in- 

 terviews was that owners should legall}^ be allowed to protect crops but 

 the unrestricted hunting would cause more damage to the rice than the 

 ducks. IMuch of the agitation was started by townspeople who wanted 

 a chance to hunt before the season opened. 



(2) Damage to rice caused by ducks is limited in extent, hundreds of 

 growers never having sustained loss. The greatest damage in 1918 

 was found between ^Maxwell and Colusa, in Colusa County. 



(3) Thin rice or rice with open water is most often attacked by ducks. 



(4) The total acreage of growing rice destroyed in 1918 amounted 

 lo not more than 300 acres out of 145,000 planted in the Sacramento 

 Valley. 



(5) The pintail duck is the only duck causing appreciable damage. 



(6) Such suggested methods as an earlier open season and market 

 hunting must be branded as impractical methods of solving the problem. 



(7) Such control measures as herding and bombing have been proved 

 feasible and should be depended upon. Intelligent growers can outwit 

 the ducks if they make the attempt. 



The misuse of permits which were first granted led to a rescinding 

 of all permits and to concentration on the use of bombs and fireworks 

 for frightening birds from the fields. 



As a consequence of the attitude taken by the government, agitation 

 has practically ceased, for those largely responsible for the disturbance 

 have become discouraged because they are unable to shoot before the 

 season is open, while those few rice growers in need of protection have 

 iieen able to successfully frighten the ducks from the fields by use of 

 bombs and more recently by use of a carbide automatic gun. 



OTHER INVESTIGATIONS. 



In December, 1919, an investigation was made of the fisheries and bird 

 life of Salton Sea, in Imperial County. Some valuable data on the 

 history and status of the mullet fishery, which has recently become im- 

 portant, was obtained as well as data on wintering wild fowl and dam- 

 age to winter grain crops by ducks. 



