324 



CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 



On June 26, 1927, at seA^en o'clock in the morning;, just before the 

 sun struck the meadow, seven deer were feeding on a low lupine-like 

 plant known as Spanish clover or deervetch (Lotus americanus) (see 

 Fig. 119). This legume is, among all native herbs, the most important 

 and is more sought for by California mule deer than any other summer 

 forage plant, a fact that should not be lost sight of in deer management. 



On June 26, 1927, I watched and photographed a doe that found 

 a Pacific plum sapling that was out of her reach and "rode" it down, 

 holding the branch with her neck while she ate the green leaves. On 

 the same day at eleven o'clock, on a talus slope near ]\Iirror Lake, 

 I followed a fine sleek buck as he returned twice in 15 minutes and 

 browsed on the green pungent leaves of the California laurel oi- bay 



Fig. 120. These twin fawns hid in a patch of cow parsley and tried to eat grass 

 when four weel<s old. Sequoia National Park, August 9, 1933. Wildlife 

 Division No. 3100. 



tree (see Fig. 75). Many hunters have told me that this was one tree 

 that deer never eat ! 



On June 27, 1927, in Yosemite, I found a fine California mule 

 deer buck busily feeding on meadow fescue grass (see Fig. 82). At 

 this time mule deer seem to ])refer deervetch and yard weed to other 

 forage in the early morning. IMeadow fescue and other grasses were 

 eaten regularly in the evening ; thus five deer were each seen to eat 

 meadow fescue grass for as long as 10 minutes at a stretch. 



On July 9, 1928, at 5.30 in the morning at the foot of Royal 

 Arches, I found two does feeding on meadow fescue and velvet grass. 

 One of these deer was seen to browse on canyon live oak for two 

 minutes but she stopped twice and took a single bite out of a yerba 

 santa shrub. 



