98 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



to the tag must be filled out with, certain information regarding the 

 location where the deer was killed, and other details and must be 

 mailed without delay to the Division of Fish and Game. Through this 

 system much valuable and interesting information has been secured. 

 The post card return shows that 19,507 deer were killed and reported. 

 The actual kill was probably in excess of this but just what error there 

 is can not be computed, but as years go by a better understanding of 

 the deer situation will be obtained. 



The records show that contrary to the general idea that prevails 

 in some sections that there is a scarcity of deer, a surprising per- 

 centage of well antlered deer are killed. A tabulation of the record 

 shows that 46 per cent of the deer killed were forked horns, 29 per 

 cent were three pointers and 24 per cent were four points or better. 



Deer were killed in every county of the state except San Francisco, 

 Sacramento and Sutter. In Los Angeles County 425 were taken. 

 Within 50 miles of San Francisco over 1000 were killed and within 

 100 miles over 3300. Fifteen per cent were killed in Siskiyou, 

 Modoc, Shasta and Lassen counties and 20 per cent in Marin, 

 Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino, Solano and Napa. When the area of these 

 counties is considered, it is clear that the upper coast has the heaviest 

 deer population in the state. The four northeastern counties have 

 an area of 18,468 square miles, while the six upper coast counties have 

 only 8493 square miles. 



We have every reason to believe that a conservative estimate of the 

 number of deer in the state is over 400,000. With this number there 

 can be a heavy natural drain and kill by hunters and still not endanger 

 the supply. There has been considerable apprehension that the deer 

 of Modoc and Lassen counties have been so greatly reduced that there 

 was danger of extermination. From recent information secured by 

 competent observers in both counties there is good reason to believe 

 that the deer population of these two comities exceeds 40.000, while 

 the reported kill in both counties was only 806. 



WATERFOWL 



Last year was a better duck year than the year before. Water con- 

 ditions were better than in many previous years, With the result that 

 more birds wintered in the state. 



At the beginning of the season a flock of over 2,000,000 birds rested 

 on the water of Suisun Bay. Shooting was not as good in the Sacra- 

 mento Valley, particularly on the west side. As usual, this was on 

 account of the fact that water conditions were better in the San Joaquin 

 Valley and the birds went there. 



The chief cause for the decrease of ducks in California is the 

 changed conditions that have been brought about hy the reclamation 

 of marsh lands and the consequent destruction of breeding, feeding 

 and loafing grounds. Dry ground will not hold or attract ducks. Prac- 

 tically the only duck ground that is in anywhere near the original con- 

 dition is that which is held by duck clubs. 



It has been said that the marsh lands that have been drained have 

 been compensated for by the additional water areas created by storage 

 for power and irrigation. Most of these, however, are not in sections 

 of the state frequented by ducks and consequently clo not offset the 

 loss of natural marsh. California is almost on the extreme southern 



