FORTY-SECOND BIENNIAL REPORT 109 



card survey each hunter sampled was asked to indicate if he purchased 

 a deer tag. The actual sale of 1950-51 deer tags was 312,652 while the 

 survey indicated a sale of 308,500 deer tags for the same period — a close 

 correlation. Further checks with known data are being incorporated into 

 future surveys. 



LICENSED GAME BIRD CLUBS 



Up until this biennium licensed game bird clubs were known as game 

 management areas. This change in name, along with modifications in the 

 length of the hunting season, license fees, and size of the areas was 

 brought about by the State Legislature in 1951. 



Originally the plan for these areas was adopted by the 1939 State Leg- 

 islature to stimulate the landowners' interest in the game crop. Through 

 this plan it was intended to foster and increase the supply of upland 

 game through land management and stocking of game farm birds. Back- 

 ers of the plan believed that the income derived from the game crop 

 would provide an incentive to the landowner to manage his land for 

 game production. Since these areas were to be open to any licensed hunter, 

 the income from the game produced was to be obtained by charging 

 hunters up to a designated maximum fee for shooting privileges. Actu- 

 ally the income received from the game crop could not compete with the 

 high prices being paid for farm crops which these areas could produce. 

 The landowners also found it too difficult to control the public on these 

 areas. 



In 1947 the State Legislature modified the plan to allow for noncom- 

 mercial areas where the public was excluded. These private areas are now 

 supported by season memberships, or by a share-the-cost arrangement 

 with the operator. Most operators are now satisfied with the plan. There 

 are now 63 operators who control 53,403 acres of land. During 1951 they 

 liberated 32,127 pheasants and killed 19,855 in 9,069 man-days of hunting. 



GAME MANAGEMENT 



During the biennium the bureau's state-wide game management activ- 

 ities were conducted through the seven districts shown in the accom- 

 panying figure. It is the responsibility of the game manager in each 

 district to supervise habitat development, control game populations, ad- 

 minister bureau installations within the district, and investigate game 

 problems in general and apply corrective measures. A supervising game 

 manager coordinates the efforts of the district managers into a common 

 program. These districts will be merged under the new regional plan 

 of administration. 



California Fish and Game Lands Other Than Game Farms 



Tehama Winter Deer Range with 42,896.90 acres was purchased from 

 1943 to 1950, inclusive, to protect winter range from natural food deple- 

 tion by heavy stock grazing. 



Doyle Winter Deer Range with 13,503 acres was purchased from 1948 

 to 1951, inclusive, to protect winter range from natural food depletion. 



