THIRTY-EIGHTH BIENNIAL REPORT 15 



REPORT OF BUREAU OF GAME CONSERVATION 



By J. S. lluATEK, Chief 



The need for a better understanding of the problems of conservation 

 by all interested has been \evy apparent during the past biennium. With 

 the need to produce more food it has been necessary to give consideration 

 to all those causes that result in less production, and with the higher 

 value of agricultural crops the loss of any portion of the crop has been 

 more apparent to the producer. Wildlife that reduces crop production 

 is regarded by the extremist the same as insect pests and should be 

 destroyed. Fortunately such people do not predominate and wildlife, 

 generally, is regarded both for its intrinsic and aesthetic value. It is, 

 however, necessary tor the conservationist to give consideration to the 

 damage that is or may be caused and to develop protective measures that 

 will keep the loss to an inconsequential minimum. Under normal condi- 

 tions this is a difficult problem but under conditions that have prevailed 

 during this biennium it has been stupendous. 



There are several areas in the State where deer have caused many 

 complaints. In the Stony ford area, in the Sacramento Valley, a study 

 was made of the situation and it was agreed by all interested parties that 

 if a brush area were burned in the area adjacent to the farming section, 

 it would relieve the situation but after consent had been secured from the 

 State Department of Forestry, the permit allowing burning was canceled 

 and we were unable to carr}^ out the experiment. 



In Modoc County there have been complaints from stock interests 

 that deer were destroying browse and feed and it was no longer possible 

 to carry the same number of cattle as had been grazed in previous years. 

 The deer that caused the damage moved into California during heavy 

 winters from Oregon and in order to relieve the situation the Oregon 

 commission has had an open season on does since 1941. During that time 

 some 4,574 antlerless deer have been taken. From recent studies we find 

 this has greatly relieved the situation. 



In the Doyle area of southern Lassen County a study was carried 

 on by the staff of the Bureau of Game Conservation to determine the 

 extent of damage to farmers by Rocky Mountain mule deer and the 

 approximate number of deer involved. This problem is still being 

 studied with a number of proposals being considered to alleviate the 

 damage. Land acquisition, herding and herd reduction have all been 

 proposed, and all of these may be used in part to remedy the situation. 



The increase of waterfowl during the past several years has brought 

 about many complaints from certain agricultural areas, particularly in 

 the rice fields of the Sacramento Vallej^ and the rice and other fields in 

 the Imperial A^alley. Progress has been made in reducing this problem 

 and we hope to be able to solve it. 



Botulinus has been prevalent at Tulare Lake since the area was 

 flooded in 1937. Mr. D. D. McLean has carried on investigations in that 

 region and reports as follows : Botulinus or duck disease was active at 



