the breeding grounds. In January, 1956, over 5,000,000 

 ducks were tallied, the highest number recorded in 

 recent years. 



Brcedhig Gromids Survey. The major waterfowl 

 breeding grounds within the State are surveyed each 

 spring to determine the local production of ducks and 

 geese. Mallards and Canada geese are the important 

 species breeding in California. The U. S. Fish and 

 Wildlife Service uses this information, along with 

 that obtained from surveys made in other states, Can- 

 ada and Alaska, to determine the hunting regulations 

 each year. 



In 1954 the survey revealed a total of 339,750 young 

 and old ducks and 21,070 geese. These figures slipped 

 to 289,120 ducks and 14,810 geese in 1955. 



September hiventory . Each year during mid-Sep- 

 tember an aerial inventory is made of the central val- 

 ley. The number of birds and areas where they are 

 concentrated is determined during the time of crop 

 depredations. In 1954 the inventory showed 541,000 

 ducks and in 1955 it showed 724,000. 



Waterfowl Kill. Information is gathered annually 

 concerning the hunting season kill by mail question- 

 naire, by hunter checks on public shooting areas and 

 by kill records from representative duck clubs. Total 

 waterfowl kill, areas where the kill is made, and the 

 species predominating in the kill is then determined. 

 In 1954 hunters shot 3,461,600 ducks and in 1955 thev 

 bagged 3,312,700. 



Banding Operatiojis. The waterfowl banding pro- 

 gram is conducted on a state-wide basis from Tule- 

 lake to Imperial Valley. Information obtained from 

 this study is used to determine mortality rates, popu- 

 lation turnover, and the migration patterns of the 

 various species. During the past two years 67,496 

 ducks, 12,038 geese and 6,940 coots were banded. As 

 an aid to the migration studies some of the geese were 

 color-marked. 



UPLAND GAME 



Introduction of a game bird new to California 

 hunters, the chukar partridge, liberalization of pheasant 

 hunting regulations, a change in game bird club regu- 

 lations, and near-record bags of nearly all upland 

 game species resulted in two banner years for hunters. 



PHEASANTS 



During 1955, pheasant hunting regulations were 

 liberalized, extending the season from 10 to 16 days, 

 and allowing one hen in the seasonal bag limit. 



This liberalization in pheasant hunting regulations 

 resulted in increasing the total bag of pheasants by 

 20 to 25 percent. 



Indications during the spring of 1955 led to the 

 conclusion that the regulated take of hens left an ade- 

 quate breeding stock and predictions for another good 

 year in 1956 were in prospect. 



Alf 



Hunter Merv McClure brings down a pheasant in the Nafomas district 

 of Sacramento County. 



(Fish and Game Photo) 



During the biennium the department's game farms 

 released 92,584 ringnecked pheasants. These birds 

 were generally held to maturity and released just 

 prior to or during the pheasant season, in accordance 

 with policy. Working in cooperation with the depart- 

 ment's game farms were sportsmen's pens which 

 reared and released 62,303 ringnecked pheasants 

 throughout the State. In addition 4,948 chukar par- 

 tridges v\ere reared and liberated by the department. 



Results of studies of major pheasant management 

 problems led to legislative changes in the licensed 

 game bird club program in 1955. 



Changes Enacted 



Changes included zoning of the State into natural 

 pheasant habitat areas (Zone A) and nonhabitat areas 

 (Zone B). Clubs operating in Zone A were under 

 much the same restrictions as in effect formerly, 

 whereas clubs operating in Zone B had the benefit of 

 lesser restrictions. 



Fees for "commercial" clubs (open to the public 

 on a daily fee basis) were increased from |50 to |100 

 annually. Fees on "private" (open to members only) 

 clubs were hiked from |50 to $100 for those over 

 500 acres and from |25 to |75 for those under 500 

 acres. 



There was also an increase in the price of depart- 

 ment meat seals for each bird from 3 cents to 5 cents. 

 A department inspection fee of 5 cents a bird was 

 added during the biennium. 



The 75-day season in existence throughout the State 

 remained the same for Zone A, but a six-month season 

 (September 1st to February 28th) was set for Zone B. 



Percentage of liberated birds allowed for each club 

 in Zone A was reduced from 70 percent to 65 percent, 



