CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 185 



suffer real and concrete damage because of the presence of deer. Any 

 just solution of this very real problem must be made upon the basis 

 of known facts, and it is the writer's hope and belief that the data 

 and facts which this study has brought out will be of basic assistance 

 in working out an equitable solution of this problem. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 



The author of this study wishes to acknowledge the help of, and to 

 express his gratitude to, two friends, Annie M. Alexander and George 

 M. Wright, whose encouragement, interest and support have made this 

 field investigation and this report possible. 



Gus Nordquist, Oakland, California, has given much valuable aid 

 by generously allowing the writer to examine in the flesh hundreds of 

 deer heads that have been shipped in by deer hunters from all parts 

 of California to his taxidermy studio to be mounted. Nordquist has 

 also aided in the securing of many critical deer skulls which the writer 

 has used in this study and which are now deposited in the Museum of 

 Vertebrate Zoology of the University of California. 



Dr. A. W. Sampson of the Division of Forestry of the University 

 of California has kindly worked and conferred with the writer on 

 numerous occasions regarding the food and forage habits of deer, and 

 has also permitted use of some of his field observations. 



The writer is also indebted to J. Bruce, State Lion Hunter of Cali- 

 fornia, for the opportunity to accompany him on numerous lion hunting 

 trips at different seasons of the year. In this way much valuable infor- 

 mation was gained at first hand in the field regarding the toll taken 

 by cougars and other natural enemies of deer. 



The writer is under obligation to various officials of the Division 

 of Fish and Game for assistance rendered. He is also obliged to the 

 Director of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology for the use of material 

 in that institution. The writer is likewise indebted to the Director of 

 the National Park Service and to the superintendents and the park 

 naturalists in Lassen, Yosemite, and Sequoia national parks. These 

 gentlemen have furnished information and assistance while the writer 

 has been engaged in working upon the deer problem in the various 

 national parks. To the many forest rangers, fish and game deputies, 

 and other persons who have assisted in numerous ways, I wish to express 

 my gratitude. 



