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Numbers of /he imported chukar partridge increased so much that the first open season was authorized in 1954. Chu/cors are shown at the lip 



of a quoil guzzler. 



Best habitat for this steadily increasing game bird is 

 in the arid mountain country east of the Sierra crest, 

 the southeast desert ranges and the barren hills sur- 

 rounding the southern part of the San Joaquin Valley. 

 Although game farm birds were used to a certain ex- 

 tent in the southern part of the State for transplanting, 

 much of the success in spreading birds has been done 

 by trapping and transplanting wild chukars. 



GAME HABITAT DEVELOPMENT 



Under the Pittman-Robertso,n Project W26-D most 

 of the major habitat improvement work of the depart- 

 ment for species other than waterfowl was accom- 

 plished. The project is state-wide in scope with work 

 done in all of the five regions. 



During the preceding Biennium 1950-52 this proj- 

 ect was concerned primarily with restoration of quail 

 range. Activities included food and cover plantings, 

 erecting artificial roosts and construction of "gallina- 

 ceous guzzlers" or artificial watering devices. During 

 the past biennium emphasis was shifted to deer habitat 

 improvement although the quail work continues, but 

 on a reduced scale. The program receives help through 

 financial aid from county fine moneys and physical 

 labor from sportsmen and other interested groups. 



Listed below are the major activities of the project. 



1. Artificial Quail Watering Devices (Gallinaceous 

 Guzzlers): These rain catchment basins have proved 

 effective in furnishing water for quail. As a conse- 

 quence man>' areas formerly deficient in water are 

 now productive hunting grounds. During the biennium 

 239 guzzlers were installed bringing the total to 2,016. 

 Although primarily for quail these watering devices 

 have proved beneficial to chukars and doves. Most of 

 the guzzlers are located in the central and south coastal 

 counties and in the southeast desert areas where water 

 deficiencies are most prevalent. Plastic has been substi- 

 tuted for concrete as construction material in more in- 

 accessible areas. 



2. Spring Development: A continued program of 

 spring survey and development work has been carried 



on, mainly in the southeast desert mountains. Quail, 

 doves, chukars, and bighorn sheep are the principal 

 beneficiaries of this work. Activity consists primarily 

 of surveying water sources and developing by bo.xing, 

 piping, and cleaning those springs which show promise 

 of furnishing year-round water. More than 100 springs 

 were improved. 



3. Brush Removal on Deer Ranges: California has 

 vast acreages of mature, dense brush stands which are 

 low in game productivity. By clearing and opening up 

 these stands to permit deer access they can be made 

 into good habitat. In addition to providing access, the 

 new sprouting growth on the cleared areas provides 

 increased feed for deer and other game. 



Methods developed by the department's brush re- 

 moval P-R research studies are being employed in this 

 work. Mechanical removal and controlled burning of 

 brush are the two methods in most common use. Burn- 

 ing and mechanical removal are done in small patches 

 and strips so that the area benefited is actually many 

 times the acreage of the cleared land itself. 



During the biennium over 3,000 acres were cleared 

 mechanically and nearly 1,700 acres were control 

 burned. Nearly 800 acres have been chemically treated 

 to retard growth of undesirable species or fertilized 

 to promote growth of desirable species. Chemical 

 treatment of brush lands is in an experimental stage at 

 present, but gives promise of more use in the future. 



4. Reseeding of Deer Range Lands: During the bi- 

 ennium nearly 5,000 acres have been seeded, mainly to 

 grasses and other herbs such as filaree and clover. Some 

 experimental reseeding of desirable browse species has 

 been done also. Range reseeding is done on controlled 

 burns and on wild fire burns. In addition to the feed 

 provided it has been found that a good growth of 

 grasses and herbs on a new burn has a tendency to re- 

 duce the amount of reinvasion of brush on the area 

 by choking out the seedlings. 



5. Shrub Plantings: More than 50,000 shrubs were 

 planted in Siskiyou, Modoc, and Lassen Counties in 

 range improvement work. Bitterbrush, multiflora rose, 



