REPORT OF THE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. D!) 



tlu' best ctiiiippi'd ami iiiaiiau'i'd I'rrc ramp in the state and many It'ttfi's 

 of oommciidation of tlic inaiiasenient have beon recoivcd. Tlio expenses 

 of operation ol' the ramp are maintained liv tlii' Imnting and an<,din<; 

 iieense fnnd. 



SUMMARY OF GAME CONDITIONS. 

 Game Fishes. 



Tlie drouulit lias had a most del fimrntal elTnt (ui ti'ame fishes, espe- 

 cially tKtnt. -Many of the mountain streams went entirely dry in early 

 .Inly and .Vuo'iist, stn^ams that in the histoi'y ol' tin' state were nevei- 

 known to he absolutely dry. We believe the open season is entii'ely too 

 long. If the present ileniand upon our streams continnes to e.xpand and 

 no pi-ovision is made to meet that demand either by redueiti.f; the length 

 of the oi)en season oi- the baii' linut, it will be but a few years until our 

 smaller streams are entirely depleted e-xeept by the small fry annually 

 l)lanted. A large amount of fish reclamation will he necessary this fall, 

 both ill the valley and mountains. 



The tishes introduced by our Comnnssion from other states, siieli as 

 striped and blacU bass, cr.ippie and suntishes, are now widely dis- 

 tributed and furnish an abundance of sport and food for the popula- 

 tion of the valleys and interior. The striped bass have penetrated into 

 the upper Sacramento and San Joaciuin rivers and their tributaries, 

 and in their seasonal runs furnish sport and food for many anglers on 

 week-end outings, who otherwise cannot take annual vacations else- 

 V. here. 



Deer. 



Every county in the district contains deer in some luunljers. i\lany 

 are killed within a few miles of the Capital City. There has been a most 

 jdienomenal increase in the last years of this spleiiditl game animal. 

 The Hayfork \'alley lookout from his ranger station counted 170 deer 

 on .lul\- ;)1. The Ually Mountain lookont reported having counted 1170 

 (U'i'y diiriuL;- the month of .Jidy. The relentless war waged by oui- Com- 

 mission on the mountain lion, and th(> increase in the warden service, 

 which has reduced the winter killing, is no doubt pai'tly responsible for 

 this wonderful increase. Especially is this true in connection with the 

 Lava P>ed cou7itry of ^Fcdoc County. wIkm-c mule deer abound. 



Mountain Quail. 



Mountain (|nail lia\(' al>o slmwu a wonderful increase since our last 

 repoi't. probably due to the vei'y liuuteil fall of snow in the last few 

 years in the areas in which these birds winter, and the vigilance of the 

 district wardens. In 1915 and 1916, this species was all but destroyed 

 bv freezing and starvation in the counties of Shasta. Tehama, La.s.sen, 



