60 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



decided, with the consent of the Attorney General, to pay a bounty 

 of $20 for lion scalps. Since that date and up to January 1, 1932, 

 6396 claims have been paid. In 1917 the bounty was increased to $30 

 on females. For the last several years, in addition to the bounty, the 

 commission has employed expert lion hunters. Without doubt the 

 work of the commission in lion control is reflected strongly in the 

 present abundance of deer throughout the State. Deer hunters are 

 not the only ones who have benefited, as lions do not refuse to kill live 

 stock when available. There are many records of the killing of sheep 

 and goats and frequently cattle and horses. It has been estimated 

 by good authority that every adult lion will account for at least $1,000 

 worth of sheep and goats in a year. The average annual kill of lions 

 has been 256. From these figures it would seem that the work of the 

 commission is worth at least a quarter of a million dollars to the wool 

 growers each year. The county record of kill and reference to distribu- 

 tion map on pages 120 and 59 of this report will give information 

 as to the distribution of lions in California. There are few resident 

 lions east of the Sierras. It is likely that the few that have been 

 killed in Modoc, Lassen, Alpine and other adjoining counties during 

 the last 25 years were strays that have w^orked out of the more favor- 

 able country to the west. More than half of the total kill, 53 per cent, 

 has been made in the northwest part of the State. One third of the 

 kill has been in four counties — Humboldt, Trinity, Shasta and Men- 

 docino. 



DEER TAG LICENSE 



The deer tag license law has been in effect for five years. The 

 sale of licenses has increased from 110,760 in 1927 to 129,005 in 1931 

 or 16 per cent. The kill of deer during this same time has increased 

 32 per cent. Through information that we have been able to gather 

 from the working of this law, we now have a better understanding of 

 the deer situation in our State. We will be able to tell when addi- 

 tional restrictions are necessary in order that a future supply may be 

 assured. An analysis of the kill shows a reduction of the deer harvest 

 in Glenn, Colusa and Lake counties. This may have been caused by 

 the fact that hunters who in former years hunted in those counties 

 transferred their activity to other counties such as Butte, Modoc and 

 Plumas where the kill was practically doubled. 



It is particularly interesting to note that in southern California, 

 including Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, the deer harvest 

 increased 41 per cent. This is probably accounted for by the fact 

 that in the years 1929-30 and the first part of 1931, 215 mountain lions 

 were taken in the same counties. 



PREDATORY ANIMALS 



The commission has adopted a rather definite program in the 

 control of predators, particularly coyotes and wildcats, on refuge 

 areas. Expert trappers have been employed and a careful record is 

 being kept of the kill. The food habits are studied both in the field 

 and from stomach examinations. This work has not progressed far 

 enough to make a conclusive report and it is hoped it may be con- 

 tinued during the coming biennial period. It is particularly interest- 



