64 



DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME 



1382,090, mjiking a total of 11,528,361 for carrying 

 out the federal aid program in California. 



These funds are derived from excise taxes on sport- 

 ing arms and ammunition levied at the manufacturer's 

 level and apportioned to the states under the Pittman- 

 Robertson Act for wildlife restoration purposes. 



In California these funds were allotted to 14 proj- 

 ects set up for improvement and management of the 

 resource, either through research or development and 

 management of the game species and game habitat. 

 Five of these projects were in the field of research and 

 in\-olve gathering data necessary to solve the problems 

 arising in the management of the game species. One 

 coordination project provides general administration 

 of Pittman-Robertson activities. 



Seven of the projects are devoted exclusively to 

 development of waterfowl areas throughout the State 

 and one is concerned primarily with springs develop- 

 ment, quail, chukar and deer guzzler construction and 

 maintenance, and brush manipulation b\- means of 

 tractor operations, control burning, and chemical 

 plant control. It is the department's largest single 

 Pittman-Robertson project and is state-\\ ide in scope. 



DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS 



Of the total federal aid mone\s received during the 

 biennium, the largest share was spent on development 

 projects (approximately 60 percent). Development 

 projects on waterfowl management areas include land 

 leveling, levee and irrigation s\'stem construction, 

 building construction, production of w aterfo^\ 1 food 

 crops and general operation and maintenance of the 

 areas. 



The following is a list of waterfowl development 

 projects carried on during the biennium, showing area 

 size and food crop acreages: 



Gray Lodge Water^oii'l Management Area (6,735 

 acres). Waterfowl food crops include rice, barley, 

 milo, and millet under cultivation; approximately 5,000 

 acres in crop producing area. 



Imperial Waterfowl Management Area (Finne\'- 

 Ramer 2,064 acres; Hazard-Fleet, 535; Wister, 5,010 

 acres). Waterfowl food crops under cultivation in- 

 clude rice, millet, barley, and sesbania; approximately 

 1,000 acres. 



Honey Lake Waterfoivl Manageiiient Area (4,819 

 acres). Waterfowl food crops under cultivation are 

 barley, wheat, rye and clover; approximately 950 

 acres. 



Madeline Plains Waterfowl Management Area. 

 The development work accomplished v\ith Pittman- 

 Robertson funds here included construction of well 

 and pump installations. 



Los Bancs Waterfowl Management Area (3,000 

 acres). Waterfowl food crops under cultivation in- 

 clude millet and barley; cropland areas approximately 

 1,100 acres. 



Grizzly Island Waterfowl Management Area (8,600 

 acres). Waterfowl food crop under cultivation was 

 barley; approximately 3,500 acres in crop lands. 



Mendota Waterfowl Managejnent Area (8,536 

 acres). Waterfowl food crops under cultivation 

 include barley and millet; appro.ximately 1,800 acres 

 in cropland area. 



Largest P^R Project 



Under the game habitat development project, 

 most extensive in the program, a great many activities 

 were undertaken throughout the State. Some of the 

 more noteworthy accomplishments are listed below. 



1. Twenty-one new guzzlers were installed and 

 five were enlarged; over 2,600 maintenance checks 

 were made on existing installations, and needed re- 

 pairs made. 



2. A total of 210 springs and wells were located, 

 checked, or developed. 



3. Over 5,000 acres in small plots were cleared of 

 brush by burning, chemical spraying, or by mechani- 

 cal means. By clearing small plots in planned locations, 

 the area w hich benefits game is many times the area 

 actually cleared. 



4. A total of 2,470 acres of cleared or burned areas 

 were seeded. 



5. Browse plantings— 5,352 individual plants set out 

 for game cover and feeding cover; 3,600 plants re- 

 ceived for future plantings. 



6. Ten miles of trails and access roads were con- 

 structed. 



THE GAME HARVEST 



Game bags remained at a high level during the 

 biennium, with record bags being reported on some 

 species. 



Statistics on the game bag were compiled from 

 hunter questionnaire surveys, count of birds taken on 

 cooperative hunting and waterfowl management areas, 

 and from a tabulation of deer tag returns. 



This /,200-go//on capacity tank, twice the size of a normal quail guzzler, 

 is installed in Kern County in typical chukar country. 



(Fish and Game Photo by Harold Harper) 



