FORTIETH BIENNIAL REPORT 67 



As the valley quail were released in the spring, the operators were 

 allowed to take more than they liberated. Hunting took up 1,021 nian- 

 days. The season was not particularly successful as all areas were com- 

 mercial and the operators found it difficult to control the public on their 

 land. 



The following year the State Legislature modified the law and 

 allowed noncommercial areas where the public was excluded. The num- 

 ber of commercial areas dropped to one and the noncommercial areas 

 increased to 24. As noncommercial areas w^ere limited to 2,500 acres 

 the total acreage was not as large in proportion to the number of areas 

 as in the previous year. 



During the 1947 season there were 25 operators who controlled 

 32,828 acres. These operators liberated 7,337 pheasants and killed 3,896 

 (1,960 males and 1,936 females). We were able to inspect, check and 

 control these areas much better in 1947 than in 1946 and found that 

 28 percent of the birds taken had game management area bands on their 

 legs. Hunting took up 1,919 man-days. 



The season was successful from the standpoint of the operators 

 and their guests. Quite a number of areas were operated by hunting 

 dog men for the purpose of training dogs and allowing dog owners to 

 limit and work their dogs. Of the 25 operators, only six shot over 90 

 percent of the allowable 70 percent of the birds liberated. 



PREDATOR CONTROL 



During the biennium a grand total of 8,574 coyotes and 2,653 bob- 

 cats were taken by our predatory animal hunters and trappers. 



A total of 4,943 other lesser predators were taken during the same 

 period. A summary of the predators taken during the biennium will be 

 found in the appendix, page 105. 



MOUNTAIN LION CONTROL 



A total of 219 mountain lions were taken during the calendar year 

 of 1946, and 195 in the calendar year of 1947 for a grand total of 414 

 mountain lions during this two-year period. 



Of the 414, 99 were taken by state lion hunters and 315 were taken 

 by private persons. It is pointed out that the state lion hunters operate 

 where there have been complaints by stock ranchers and that they get 

 into country that is generally inaccessible to the general public. A sum- 

 mary of the mountain lions taken from 1907 through 1947, inclusive, will 

 be found in the appendix, between pages 104-105. 



GAME MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS 



During the biennium this most important phase of habitat and 

 game population control has been set up on a district basis. These dis- 

 tricts and the corresponding game managers in charge are as follows: 

 South Coast Counties, Mr. D. M. Selleck; Southern California, Mr. 

 J. Laughlin; Northeastern California, Mr. J. D. Stokes; Central Valley, 



