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DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME 



Pronghorn antelope in northeastern California. 



— Fish and Game Photo 



best. Fall burning is indicated as most beneficial in 

 establishing seedlings of nonsprouting species. Either 

 treatment greatly increases forage production from 

 the level existing in mature, unmanaged brush. 



Browse Restoration Studies 



The browse restoration study is a segment of the 

 big game investigations project, under contract with 

 the California Forest and Range Experiment Station. 

 Considerable progress in understanding the conditions 

 necessary for bitterbrush establishment and this knowl- 

 edge has been applied to several trial plantings dur- 

 ing the last two years. An 18-acre planting at Flukey 

 Well, Modoc County, is receiving intensive follow- 

 up study. 



Several other browse species of importance to deer 

 are being studied. Of these, four-wing saltbush shows 

 the greatest promise to date. It is palatable to deer and 

 is a fast-growing species. 



Busch Bill 



Legislation of major importance to deer manage- 

 ment, the "Busch Bill," became effective in 1957. Un- 

 der this law, deer are to be managed on a herd basis. 

 Accordingly, the department has divided the state into 

 114 deer herd subunits. The first annual report on 

 conditions in each subunit, and recommendations for 

 antlerless or either-sex hunts, was made to the com- 

 mission in May of 1958 in accordance with the pro- 

 visions of the legislation. 



ELK 



The annual midwinter aerial census of the Owens 

 Valley tulc elk herd resulted in a count of 174 elk 

 (33 bulls, 141 cows) in February, 1957, and 225 (63 

 bulls, 162 cows) in January, 1958. The plan of man- 

 agement states that \\ henever the census shows a popu- 

 lation in excess of 275, a hunt will be held to reduce the 

 population to about 125 head. It is believed that close 

 adherence to this plan will result in keeping agricul- 



tural conflicts at a tolerable level and maintaining a 

 healthy and productive elk herd in balance with its 

 range. 



It is estimated that there are about 1,000 Roosevelt 

 elk in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, about 80 

 transplanted tule elk in Lake and Colusa Counties, 

 and about 250 transplanted Rocky Mountain elk in 

 Shasta, Monterey and San Diego Counties. 



The statewide population is estimated to be about 

 1,500. 



ANTELOPE 



The annual midwinter aerial antelope censuses in 

 northeastern California tallied 2,080 in January, 1957, 

 and 2,165 in January, 1958. The 1958 figure is exactly 

 the same as the previous five-year average. This shows 

 that the population has been relatively stable at about 

 2,100 antelope for this period. Since some animals are 

 always missed, the actual population is somewhat 

 higher. An additional estimated 180 animals are present 

 in Mono County. 



The annual midsummer aerial band composition 

 counts in northeastern California showed ratios of 55 

 bucks to 100 does to 66 kids in July, 1957, and 58 

 bucks: 100 does: 70 kids in 1958. 



Range conditions are poor on much of the antelope 

 range. The band composition counts show a surplus of 

 bucks. Harvesting of the excess males would benefit 

 the remainder of the herd, as well as provide trophy 

 hunting. 



QUAIL 



Quail hunting was fair to good during the bien- 

 nium. The 1957 reported bag of 1,648,800 was above 

 average for recent years (Table 47). 



Water developments, guzzlers and springs, in the 

 desert areas were instrumental in keeping populations 

 going during the dry years prior to this spring. Excel- 

 lent rainfall last season created extremely favorable 

 upland game conditions on the desert in the spring 

 of 1958. As a result, local quail populations have in- 

 creased and spread throughout the southern part of 

 the state to where the 1958 fall hunting should have 

 been the best in recent years. 



Investigations 



Department personnel trapped and banded 1,231' 

 quail in the Panoche and Jacalitos areas west of the 

 San Joaquin Valley. Returns from these bands indi- 

 cated 23 percent of the population was harvested by 

 hunters in the Panoche area and 14 percent in the 

 Jacalitos area. These check areas are in some of the 

 most heavily hunted quail country. Since a safe har- 

 vest of quail is about 25 percent, it is readily seen that 

 more quail can safely be taken. 



Statewide, quail are capable of producing much 

 more hunting recreation than is taking place at the 

 present time. The sportsmen are not using this resource 

 to anywhere near its reproductive capabilities. 



