FORTY-FOURTH BIENNIAL REPORT 



69 



IPu^Uc S^'(K^tc*t^ 



Atreages Open 



in\estigation has been broadened to include other de- 

 sirable deer browses adapted for planting at various 

 elevational and precipitational levels. 



WATERFOWL 



Ducks have consistentl\- produced the greatest bag 

 of an\- of the game targets. During 1954 and 19.^5 the 

 population of waterfowl wintering in California re- 

 mained high and was reflected in a good harvest each 

 Near. 



The number of geese bagged remained high, but 

 hunting was best during 1954. During 1955 many 

 hunting areas were inundated, and were not accessible 

 to hunters. Both ducks and geese used these isolated 

 areas as natural refuges. This condition was especiall\- 

 prevalent in the Sacramento \'allev, and here hunter 

 success fell below the previous year. 



MANAGEMENT AREAS 



There are 19 waterfowl management areas totaling 

 202,017 acres, located throughout the State. Of these, 

 10 areas totaling 52,027 acres are state-owned or 

 leased and nine areas, totaling 149,130 acres, are na- 

 tional wildlife refuges. Of the nine federal areas, four 

 are managed for public hunting b\' the department 

 under commission regulations. 



All of these areas provide feed, resting and nesting 

 for upland game as well as for waterfowl. During the 

 period of this report waterfowl depredations have 

 been at an all-time low, evidence that these areas pla\' 

 a major part in the control of crop damage. 



During the biennium the Wildlife Conservation 

 Board purchased additional land (4,194 acres) for the 

 e.xpansion of Gray Lodge and also acquired the Men- 

 dota Waterfowl Management area of 8,536 acres. 

 .Another 5,523 acres in the Wister area was added to 

 state property in Imperial \'alle}'. 



Waterfowl public shooting was conducted on all 

 state areas and on those federal areas purchased with 

 Lea Act funds. A fee of |2 per da\' was charged to 

 all hunters using the area in order to defray the ex- 

 pense of operating public shooting. 



Pheasant hunting was also conducted on waterfowl 

 areas. During the 1955 season these areas issued per- 

 mits to 9,302 hunters who bagged 5,351 birds, for an 

 average of 0.57 birds per hunter. 



INVESTIGATIONS 



The v.aterfowl section gathers information used by 

 the Fish and Game Commission, the Pacific Flyway 

 Council and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 

 formulating policies and establishing regulations. 

 There are five main activities of the section which are 

 financed partially b\' Federal Pittman-Robertson 

 funds. The\- are listed below. 



Winter hivevtory. Inventories of waterfowl are 

 made annually to determine the numbers of water- 

 fowl w intering in California, the most important win- 

 tering area on the Pacific Fhway. Populations are de- 

 termined through aerial photographs of concentra- 

 tions and aerial estimates that are made of scattered 

 flocks. Five airplanes and a U. S. Coast Guard heli- 

 copter are used to conduct the inventory. Results are 

 indicative of the numbers of birds that will return to 



Harry Sfouffer (left) of Montrose and James Jones of La Canada smile 



over limits taken on the department's co-op pheasant bunting area near 



Lancaster, Los Angeles County. 



(Fish and Game Photo) 



