CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 291 



EARLY BLACK-TAILED DEER BREEDING RECORD 



Game Warden R. L. Sinkey reported seeing twin fawns of the 

 Cohimbian black-tailed deer {Odocoileus columMamis columhianus) 

 on the Lovvery Range in Capay Valley, Yolo County, California, on 

 March 16, 1934. Sinkey wrote that these fawns were active and were 

 walking and nosing around when he first saw them. They quickly 

 sighted him when they immediately stepped out of sight. The Game 

 Warden, no doubt correctly, judged from these actions that the fawns 

 were at least ten days old. 



The gestation period of black-tailed deer is said to range from 206 

 to 212 days and is usually accepted as averaging 210 days. Figuring 

 that these fawns were born on March 6 and the gestation period at the 

 latter interval means that the mother bred on August 8, 1933. This is 

 an exceptionally early breeding record for deer in this vicinity, where 

 the rut does not normally commence until the latter half of September 

 or early in October. Nevertheless, the fact that some individuals breed 

 in August in this section is further substantiated by Sinkey 's statement 

 that he has often seen bucks and does together during the first half of 

 August and that week old fawns have been noted in other years around 

 April 1.— James Moffitt, May 3, 1934. 



ANTELOPE DOE COVERS FAWNS TO CONCEAL THEM 



A few antelope does from what is usually known as the Mt. Dome 

 antelope herd have, for the past seven or eight years, crossed the 

 Southern Pacific Railway tracks between Macdoel and Dorris and have 

 worked west to the fenced brush range of Charles Lough in the Indian 

 Head country. This is on the western flank of Butte Valley. 



Lough, an old-time cattleman, informed me that about June 15, 



1933, he was walking along the inside of one of his pasture fences when 

 he came upon a low pile of sage and bitterbrush that he could not 

 remember placing there, and which he could see no reason for anyone 

 else having done. As he stood over this little brush heap, he was sur- 

 prised to see that it raised and lowered slightly but rhythmically. After 

 ascertaining that this was no delusion on his part, he gently lifted the 

 brush and found two very young antelope fawns under it that had 

 presumably been cached there by the mother who had gone off to water. 



This is the only instance I have heard of where antelope have 

 covered up their very young fawns in an effort to conceal them. Per- 

 haps this action is to protect them from the sight of golden eagles, which 

 are fairly numerous in this vicinity and are said to prey on young 

 antelope fawns. — F. R. Starr, Game Warden, Macdoel, Calif., December 

 23, 1933. 



UNUSUAL AGE ATTAINED BY WILD GEESE 



Captain of Game Wardens John O'Connell reported on April 30, 



1934, that Louis Springer, P. 0. Box 35, Lodi, California, has in his pos- 

 session four captive live wild geese that were crippled and caught by W. 

 AV. Andrews, Springer's grandfather, eight miles west of Lodi in 1868. 

 Old time residents in this vicinity, when questioned by O'Connell, 

 stated that the Springer family has had these geese in their possession 



