TWENTY-EIGHTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 81 



each day. All of this has been stopped. The comparatively few birds 

 that are now sold are smuggled into San Francisco by automobile and 

 are peddled to those who are willing to take a chance. Restaurants 

 and hotels are searched repeatedly and seldom do the deputies find 

 in excess of the bag limit. The sale of ducks in the field is even more 

 difficult to control. Market hunters will continue to sell birds to 

 unlucky hunters. Such sales are between man and man and it is prac- 

 tically impossible to secure evidence that would warrant the taking 

 of anyone into court. 



Contrary to many reports, quail have not materially decreased 

 during the past two years. More or less quail shooting can l)e had in 

 every county of the state. Recently a well informed hunter from San 

 Benito County was in the San Francisco office discussing conditions in 

 that county. His estimate as to the number of quail in San Benito 

 County was not less than 100,000 and not more than 200,000 birds. 

 Fortunately, (luail are good breeders. The average clutch of eggs is 

 better than 15. With 100.000 birds or 50,000 pairs as breeding stock, 

 and 15 eggs per pair, in that county alone we have a potential flock 

 of 750,000 quail for the hunters to harvest. Even if only one-tenth of 

 this number of young birds reach maturity, it must be admitted that 

 San Benito County is well supplied with quail. Valley quail can 

 adapt themselves to civilization better than almost any other game 

 bird. You need not go farther than Golden Cate Park or any other 

 similar park in our state to have this fact proved. Quail, as years go 

 by, are becoming more and more educated as to the ways of the 

 hunter and it is largely for this reason that complaints are received 

 that (|uail are decreasing. In most sections of the state, as soon as a 

 shot is fired, the quail take to the high l)rus]i where it is practically 

 impossible for hunters to do any shooting. 



The annual kill of deer in California is between 15,000 and 20,000. 

 Deer hunting has increased largely on account of the ease with which 

 the deer country can be reached by automobile. One of the most 

 serious crimes that we have to contend with is the killing of deer at 

 night by spotlight. Night hunters do not care Avhether they kill buck, 

 doe or fawn, for they realize that it is extremely difficult to catch them. 

 A deputy must be at the right spot at the right time, otherwise it is 

 practically useless to go into court. We know of no law that can be 

 drafted that will make it easier to control this illegal work. The 

 present law is as strong as any law could be made. The only way 

 that the work can be stopped is to put more men into the field. 



The respect that people in general have for the laws on our statutes 

 is proportionate to the ability of the government of the state to enforce 

 these laws. Without proper enforcement any law will soon become 

 obsolete and will be broken by otherwise high class citizens. The 

 enforcement of the game laws is similar to the enforcement of all other 

 laws, easier than some, perhaps, for game law violations are com- 

 mitted for the most part by those who fish and hunt or whose business 

 brings them into direct contact with the law and not by citizens as a 

 whole. Our California laws, with very few exceptions, are as good or 

 better than the fish and game laws in other states. The laws are 

 reasonable and are not opposed by those who take conservation seri- 

 ously. There is, however, a considerable class who hunt and fish who 

 are meat hunters and not sportsmen. Such men care nothing for 



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