REPORT 0** THE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. Ol 



liiiuU'i'.s that go after tleer during tlu! opvn .season, but it is safe to say 

 there are not less than 50,000. That there are deer for these men to 

 hunt is due to the fact that California is a natural deer state. There is 

 an abundance of wild brush-covered lands and we also have had laws 

 that gave protection and were enforced. In 1905, the present law allow- 

 ing the killing of two bucks per season was pas.sed. Previous to that 

 time the limit had been three. Since 1905, the population of the state 

 luis increased by approximately one million. Naturally the hunters have 

 increased and the facilities for getting into the deer country have in- 

 creased more than 100 per cent, with the development of the automobile. 

 J)uring this time the deer cover has been greatly reduced and the deer 

 are having more and more difficulty in keeping out of the way of the 

 hunters. It is extremely probable that within a very short time a one- 

 burk law will have to be put in force. 



Tlicre is .still an impres.sion among sportsmen that it would be well 

 to allow the killing of deer of both sexes. The old story of too many 

 liarren does is the excuse. There are men who claim that they can tell a 

 barren dee by the color of the hair, and from other characteristics. We 

 have never met a man who on sight could tell a barren domestic animal, 

 animals with which we are most familiar. How anyone can claim ability 

 to tell from the tieeting glimpse that they may have of the deer that the 

 animal is barren, is beyond understanding. It is certain that any law 

 allowing the killing of does would be the one big step toward exter- 

 niinati<»ii. New York state recently had an experience from which every 

 state in the Union can take lesson. Under ex-treme pressure the legisla- 

 ture wa.s iiului'cd to change the law so as to allow' the killing of one 

 (leer of either sex. This law remained in effect for one .season and it has 

 been shown that out of an estimated number of 50,000 deer in that state, 

 more than 20,000 were killed, and 13,000 of these were does. Fully one- 

 half of the breeding stock wiped out in a single season. Think what 

 would happen in California during two seasons. It is certain that no 

 quicker way could be devised to exterminate the deer than by legalizing 

 the killing of doe-s. 



ANGLING CONDITIONS. 



The several dry seasons have raised havoc witli trout fishing through- 

 out the State. In the Coast region many streams that ordinarily carry 

 a heavy flow of water were reduced to a mere trickle. In others there 

 was no flow at all. The scant rainfall has also made it exceedingly 

 difficult to obtain the usual number of eggs. This has greatly reduced 

 the output of our hatcheries. With the return to normal rainfall it will 

 be necessary for the hatchery department to work overtime in order 



