342 CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 



Dixon 

 U. S. Fort'sl Sorvicc yosoiiiite 

 Shrubs Cattle Sheep Deer 



A incUnichlfr. Serxico horry HO 70 7;) 



Cefl»o^/ii(s, Deer brush 80 85 1>(» 



Cornus, Dogwood 5 10 30 



Populus, Aspen ; 50 50 60 



Prunus, Choke cherry 30 30 75 



Ribes, Ciooscberry 10 20 30 



Salix, AVillow 30 70 40 



Mule deer in California utilize heavily both Ceanothus cuneaius 

 and Ceanothus cordulatiis. Dayton reports, p. Ill, that where cuneatus 

 has been "grazed extensively, it has a bad effect on the animal's kid- 

 neys, especially the male live stock." No such ill effect on mule deer, 

 which feed extensively^ on these species in fall and winter, has been 

 found by me. 



Since it has been definitely shown that deer and domestic stock, 

 particularly sheep and goats, do compete seriously for food or browse on 

 the range, this fact should be fully considered in any proposed plan 

 of range management of our National forests. National parks ami on 

 the public domain. 



CULTIVATED CROPS EATEN BY MULE DEER IN CALIFORNIA 



It has been my experience that most of the damage caused by deer 

 to cultivated crops in California is due to depredations of Columbian 

 and southern black-tailed deer rather than mule deer. This is due to 

 the fact that for the most part, mule deer live in rough mountainous 

 areas at higher altitudes where there is a, minimum of fanning opera- 

 tions. The mule deer is also wdlder by nature and has not liad such 

 close association M'ith man as has the coast black-tailed deer. 



However, damage to deciduous orchards, to vineyards, to truck 

 and to other field crops is sometimes caused by both California and 

 southern mule deer. Most of such damage known to me has been in 

 the foothill sections of the southern Sierra Nevada and in the mountain- 

 ous parts of San Diego County whei-e T sjx'nt several years on a 

 mountain fruit ranch. 



Items are here listed in order of freciuency of attacks: Among 

 orchard crops, prune, apple, pear, apricot, peach, cherry, ])lum and 

 almond trees were known to be eaten and damaged by mule deer. 

 Prune trees suffered most severely. 



Among: truck crops, watermelons, casabas, cantaloupes, squash, 

 corn, cabbage, carrots, potatoes and beans were the main items damaged 

 by deer. 



Among forage crops, alfalfa, clover, vetch, oats, barley and wheat. 



Among vineyard crops, mission and other wane grapes suffered 

 most followed by tokay, muscat and Thompson seedless. Eastern table 

 grapes such as Concord and Isabella, suffered least of all. 



For a full discussion of this subject of Damage hy Deer to Crops 

 in California see California Fish and Game, April, 1932, pp. 136-147. 



