CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 



339 



On March 28, 1930, in Yosemite at 8.35 a.m., I watched an old 

 buck browse on the lower branches of a young white fir. This buck 

 reached up and at one time stood goat-fashion, with his front feet 

 placed on a horizontal limb, browsing to a measured height of 66 

 inches. This buck then stood up on his hind legs and getting his neck 

 over some of the lower, limber branches, held them down while he bit 

 off the tender tips. When these branches were finally released, they 

 sprang back to their natural position eight feet above the ground. 



On March 30, 1930, I found a young western yellow pine about 30 

 inches tall that had been repeatedly browsed by mule deer so that no 

 needles were left (see Fig. 116) and the tree had died. 



On March 26, 1929, deer in Yosemite were found to be feeding 

 largely on mistletoe that had been knocked or blown off the California 



Fig. 134. A California mule deer doe climbing up to browse on green leaves of 

 manzanita which is chiefly utilized in winter. Yosemite, March 29, 1930. 

 Wildlife Division No. 564. 



black oaks. On April 6, 1929, deer were seen .eating incense cedar 

 boughs and green manzanita. On March 27, 1930, in Yosemite, one 

 mule deer was seen browsing on Douglas fir for three minutes and 

 another one fed on white fir for a similar period. On this day, prac- 

 tically all of the doer in Yosemite were observed to be feeding largely 

 on grass just starting to grow. At 6.30 o'clock on the morning of 

 March 28, 1930, I counted 23 California mule deer out feeding along 

 the edge of the meadow. I watched one buck, 2 does and 3 fawns 

 closely and found that they spent all of their time feeding on warm, 

 sunny exposures under the oaks where wild oats and other annual 



