CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 319 



In California there is no question but that at certain seasons of 

 the year fresh green grass is eaten extensively by deer. I have made 

 special efiPorts to ascertain the facts regarding this disputed point, and 

 have found that at certain seasons v^hen the ground is covered with 

 snow and also in the dry season of early fall, relatively little grass is 

 eaten because at such times green grass is not available. However, 

 a careful observer under such conditions will not jump to the con- 

 clusion that grass is "seldom touched," because adequate field investi- 

 gations have proven that such a statement is not in accord with 

 the real fact. My observations, which have been made in every month 

 of the year, indicate that some grass is eaten whenever it is available 

 and that at certain seasons, fresh green grass forms as high as 90 per 

 cent of the food eaten by mule deer. 



On the winter range of mule deer in the upper foothills of Cali- 

 fornia, the rainy season normally begins in October and continues 

 until April or May. This rainy season is accompanied by moderate 

 temperatures in the foothills during the winter, so that the annual 

 grasses germinate and start to grow as soon as the rains begin. Usually, 

 in the foothill region, the annual grasses have developed a new growth 

 of three or four inches in height by Christmas time. This succulent 

 green forage is an important source of food supply to the mule deer 

 on its winter range. 



In Yosemite Valley on October 31, 1929, I found a buck working 

 over a pile of fallen black oak leaves. In addition to acorns, which 

 were eagerly sought for, he made special effort to secure the fresh 

 green blades of grass that had grown and developed under the protec- 

 tive covering of leaves. 



During the first week of December in 1927 and in 1928, I found 

 all ages and both sexes of mule deer feeding extensively on the blades 

 of freshly-sprouted annual grasses. On February 8, 1930, in Yosemite, 

 I watched two old bucks that had recently shed their antlers and 

 found that they were eating a considerable amount of recently-sprouted 

 annual grasses which, at that time, had reached a height of about one 

 and one-half inches. On this date, I watched two does and five fawns for 

 three hours and found that practically all of their time was spent in 

 grazing on fresh green grass together with an occasional dry oak leaf. 

 Very little browse was taken. On March 28, 1930, at five o'clock in the 

 morning I found deer grazing in the open meadow. By 6.30 o'clock 

 there were 23 there, all feeding on fresh green grass. One buck, two 

 does, and three fawns were carefully observed with binoculars a few 

 feet distant and were found to spend all of their time feeding in warm 

 sunny spots where freshly-sprouted meadow fescue and wild oat grass 

 had reached a height of from two to two and one-half inches. During 

 the entire one and one-half hours that I watched them, these deer fed 

 exclusively on fresh green grass. 



On April 29, 1929, in Yosemite, I watched 12 deer for a period of 

 one and one-half hours, during which time they spent the total of 1080 

 "deer minutes" (one deer minute equals one minute's foraging), feed- 

 ing on fresh green grass. At this season it was found that the deer 

 spent more time eating grass than all other foods combined. 



