GU CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 



The following is the study program that has been adopted : 



I. Areas. 



To be carefully solocted to present average conditions of different types of 

 country within mule deer range. Thus one area should present semidesert con- 

 flit inns. aiKiilier iiiin'-jnuiper associations, another mountain pine timber, etc. Eai-h 

 individual area should be selected to incorporate, as far as it is possible within its 

 bounds, all types of country (associations) occurring in the general vicinity. For 

 instance, a i)inc timlier area should include the average amount of brusli and open 

 meadow land and water that occurs in the general vicinity. '"Work areas" «n/»t 

 not be selected because they are known to harbor either greater or lesser than the 

 average number of deer in the vicinity. In other words, each AVork Area shoukl. 

 as far as it is possible, be selected to present average conditions of its general 

 vicinity. It is of course obvious that some of the areas should be located in known 

 "summer range" and others in "winter range." 



Following are some vicinities suggested for consideration to locate AVurk 

 Areas in. It is believed that most of the important different types of country 

 contained within Modoc County can be found in these localities : 



A. Red Tiock Valley. (Semidesert tyjie with juniper.) 



li. Crowder Flat vicinity. (Pine, juniper, mahogany association.) 



C. Warner Mountains. (Mountain, pine, brush associations.) 



D. Little Hot Spring Valley. (Lava bed type.) 



E. Adin Mountain. (Pine, quaking aspen association.) 



II. Censuses. 



Two types of censuses will be made by the workers. In each case, the counts 

 will 1)1" made as closely coincident as possible, preferably on succeeding days. As 

 far as it is possible, censuses by all Avorkers should be made on the same day. 



A. Ntimher and date of cenuse.t. Four deer counts will be made each year. 



1. Winter count designed to be made at end of fall migration, or 

 when all deer are on their winter range. Date nearest to January 10 

 when satisfactory weather conditions obtain. 



2. Late winter range census. To be taken at as late a date in 

 spring as seems positive to still find all deer on their winter range. 

 Probable date for this census, first half of April. (Note: By subtracting 

 this count from "1" we should be able to figure the "winter loss." This 

 count should provide about the minimum deer population for the year. ) 



3. Faicn census. To be made late enough to be certain to include 

 all fawns (after latest fawns are walking), yet as eai'ly as possible. 

 Suggested date, last half of July or August 1. [Note: This census 

 should provide the maximum deer population.) 



4. Prehidifiup season coisus. To secure numl)er of deer immedi- 

 ately before hunting season opens. Date September 10. {Note: l^y 

 .subtracting number of fawns counted in this census from number counted 

 in census "3," fawn loss may be estimated, except loss of very small 

 young impractical to count, lost prior to census "3," on Work Areas. 

 This will provide "hunting loss" by subtracting same from buck census 

 here o!)tained (census "4") potential breeding stock may be computed.) 



1*. Kinds of censuses. 



1. Strip count. Not to be made in Work Area but to l)e taken 

 over a definitely laid out course, preferably circular, either in the general 

 vicinity of the Work Areas or on sojne other desirable tract of land. 

 This count will be taken four times a year as above, each time over 

 exactly the same course, by the same observer or observers and at the 

 same time of day. In different y(>ars, each count should be made on 

 corresponding days. The length of the route in this count will neces- 

 sarily vary with the type of country in which it is to be taken according 

 to the ease or difficulty with which deer may be counted (open versus 

 brushy or timbered country) and with the number of animals to be 

 counted. The course should be as long as it is practical for a man to 

 cover carefully in a full half day, or 5 or 6 hours, perhaps 4 to G miles. 



