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CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 



four or five inches of them. I could not tell the jrood acorns by looking? 

 at tliem or by Smelling them but had to test them by wei<Tht, but the 

 mule deer knoAV their acorns. Many of the does hunted for acorns at 

 the margins of melting snow banks (see Fig. 131). 



In eating acorns, the deer pick them up daintily taking care that 

 no gravel, sticks or stones are included. The acorn is then munched 

 carefully aiul in from 30 to 60 seconds tlie hull or outside covering is 

 droi)ped, sometimes in two or three large pieces, but usually in several 

 smaller ones. The meat of the acorn is then chewed into a fine pulp 

 and swallowed. Old bucks appear to be most appreciative of acorns 



Fig. 131. Man,\- deer hunt in late winter 

 meUing snow banlts, as here shown. 

 Dixon No. 1. 



for fallen acorns at the margins of 

 Yosemite, January 30, 1929. J. S. 



but does and fawns spend considerable time hunting for them under 

 snow and dead weed stalks (see Fig. 132). If they get their nose 

 within four inches of an acorn they usually locate it, but at times they 

 miss good acorns in plain sight within a foot of their nose. 



I found that buck brush (C. cuneatns) is utilized heavily by mule 

 deer in winter when heavy snows crowd them down into the lower 

 winter range. Yerba santa is likewise largely browsed at this season, 

 many of the bushes being stripped of all their leaves and even all of the 

 twigs and shoots to the size of a lead pencil are eaten. ]\Iost of the 

 yerba santa bushes are not browsed on to any extent until heavy snows 



