44 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



miles in the State of which 84,300 square miles or 54% can he classed 

 as deer range, where these animals may be found in varying numbers. 

 Of this about 46,000 square miles can be classed as good deer country 

 supporting a population of about 7 deer per square mile on the aver- 

 age. About 20,000 square miles may be classed as fair deer territory 

 with an average of about 3 deer per square mile, leaving about 18,000 

 square miles of poor deer range with an average of about 1 per square 

 mile. 



The approximate square miles of range for each of the six sub- 

 species of deer in California are as follows : 



Columbian black-tailed deer 44.5% or 43,500 



California mule deer i- 23.2% or 22,500 



Rocky Mountain mule deer 15.9% or 15,500 



Southern mule deer 6.3% or 6,100 



Inyo mule deer 5.4% or 5,250 



Burro deer 4.7% or 4,600 



97,450 



Of this total, there are about 13,150 square miles of overlapping ranges 

 between adjoining subspecies. Thus we find that the total deer range 

 is about 84,300 square miles. 



The average counts per square mile on ranges of the different 

 subspecies of deer have shown the following to be the approximate 

 density : 



Columbian black-tailed deer 4.3 per square mile 



California mule deer ' 4.5 per square mile 



Rocky Mountain mule deer 5.8 per square mile 



Southern mule deer 2.6 per .square mile 



Inyo mule deer (partially estimated) 2.2 per square mile 



Burro deer (estimated) .2 per square mile 



By multiplying the number of deer per square mile bj^ the num- 

 l)er of square miles in their range, we find the population of the various 

 subspeT-ies to be about as follows : 



Columbian black-tailed deer 186,900 



California mule deer 101.500 



Rocky Mountain mule deer 00,000 



Southern mule deer 16,000 



Inyo mule deer 11,500 



Burro deer 920 



Approximate deer population the entire State 406,820 



SAGE HENS 



During the last two years the sage hen condition in the north- 

 eastern sagebrush plateau area has improved greatlj-. The population 

 has doubled or possibly tripled due to good food and hatching condi- 

 tions. The situation in eastern Lassen County can be expected to 

 improve even more since a major part of the sheep range is now cattle 

 range. The cattle are not as destructive to sage hen food or nest sites 

 as are sheep ; nor are the cattle brought into the sage hen range at such 

 an early date in the spring as are the sheep. 



In Mono and Inyo counties, the sage hen have also increased quite 

 satisfactorily, due to better food and range conditions. 



