54 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



value for arid land game. The U. S. Soil Conservation Service is nego- 

 tiating a program for installing them in Southern California and the 

 other southwest states. 



Other methods of improving quail habitat include control of cover 

 by planting native and introduced shrubs ; by thinning extensive brush 

 areas; by proper management of food patches, and where the occasion 

 demands, proper predator control, including the control of ground squir- 

 rels. One new method of ground squirrel control developed recently by 

 the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service gives promise of controlling ground 

 squirrels without killing quail. It involves the use of the new poison 

 ' ' 1080 ' ' together with yellow dyed bait. This poison has been tested by 

 the Division of Fish and Game and is considered safe for use in quail 

 areas when handled according to regulations of the California State 

 Department of Agriculture. 



Sportsmen throughout the State have become conscious of the find- 

 ings of the quail study and are asking for aid in quail habitat manage- 

 ment. As a result, the division is instigating a program to aid ranchers 

 and sportsmen who are interested in developing quail populations on 

 local areas. A new Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Project, 26D, is 

 being written up to accomplish this purpose in the south coastal ranges 

 from San Francisco to Santa Barbara. If this program proves successful, 

 it will be followed by similar projects in other areas of the State. 



In order to determine similar management procedures for mountain 

 quail and ringnecked pheasants, two new Federal Aid research projects, 

 (19R and 22R) have been started. The pheasant study was preceded by 

 work done by the Bureau of Game Conservation in the Gridley area. 

 Some preliminary results of the pheasant study include the relation of 

 blackbird control methods to pheasant population. It is tentatively con- 

 cluded that if this control is done under methods presented by the Cali- 

 fornia Department of Agriculture, only negligible damage to pheasants 

 will result. 



It is too early to say at this time what definite conclusions will ensue 

 from the new pheasant and mountain quail studies, but it is hoped that 

 practical recommendations for management of these species will be forth- 

 coming. 



BEAVER RESTORATION PROGRAM 



In the course of this biennium the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restora- 

 tion Project California 18-D, "Beaver Live Trapping and Transplant- 

 ing" was approved and in operation seasonally for a period of eight 

 months. 



During this period 44 beaver transplantings were made to new loca- 

 tions not previously occupied by beaver in 17 counties of the State. The 

 animals consisted of 77 males, 80 females, and 13 sex unknown, a total 

 of 170 animals. The personnel of this project has been one experienced 

 beaver trapper and assistant. 



Some of the early experimental beaver plantings made by the Divi- 

 sion of Fish and Game and U. S. Forest Service are showing results 

 worthy of mention for the benefits gained in reference to future opera- 

 tions in game management work. 



The beaver planted late in 1934 at Rowland Creek, Plumas County, 

 have more than proved their worth in the following factors : Control of 



