32 



FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



by lottery for taldnfj 75 bulls and 50 cows. Records kept at hunters' 

 eiieekinii: stations slunved that 61 bulls and 46 cows were shot, for a total 

 of 107 auiiiials. 



TABLE 5. ESTIMATED ELK POPULATION AND RESULTS 

 OF HUNTS, 1943-1949 



CATALINA DEER HUNT 



For a iiiiiiihcr ol' ycai's the deer population on Santa Catalina Island 

 had been increasing' until the range suffered from extreme overbrowsing. 

 In 1!M8 an attempt was made to control this |)()pulation by trapping and 

 removing deer from the island. These operations accounted for 150 deer. 

 The deer population sill! remained high so in 1949 the Catalina Island 

 (V)m])any requested a coiit rolled Ininting season for taking deer of both 

 sexes. 



A 13-week hunting season was set for November 1, 1949, to January 

 31, 1950, with a total oj' 1.!I5() hunting permits issued by lottery. Since 

 pei'inits were only valid for a one-week period, they were issued at a 

 maximum rate of 150 per week. Checking station records showed that 

 7:24 hunters took pai-t in this hunt, and that they bagged 246 bucks and 

 231 does for a total of 477 deer. 



PREDATOR CONTROL 



The ])redatory animal catch, which had been previously recorded 

 tor each fi.scal year, has now been changed to a report for the calendar 

 year. Keported liei-e is the pre(latory aniinal catch for the 18-month 

 pei'JKii of. Inly 1. 194S. to December:')!, 1949. The report for the six-month 

 jiciiod .Ianiiar\' l-lnne ;)0, 194S, was |)resente(l in the last biennial report. 



During t his 1 S-nion1h period a grand total of 5,193 coyotes aiul 2,081 

 hohcats was taken hy oiir pi'edatory animal hunters and trappers. A total 

 of 5.2!H) other lesser pi'iMlators was taken (luriuL;- the same period. A 



suininai'\' ol' the |ir('(la1ory animal catch wil 



I'ouikI in Ap|)en(lix \>. 



MOUNTAIN LION CONTROL 



()u .\Ia\' Is. l!l}s. the ten tlionsaiidth mountain liou was brought in 

 for liountw This lion was taken hy ('hai'les \V. r.uci<uell of Uell Springs 

 iu .\Ii iidocino ('ounty. The lirst lion to he honntied was also taken in 

 Mendocino ( 'ounty on < tctoher 2. 1IH)7. by .lake Xewcomer. It was in 1907 

 that the first honiity on iiionnlain lions was |)roposed hy Commissioner 

 Fred \'an Sickleu. and a |tayinent of a $20 hoiinty was authorized. Com- 



