FORTY-FIFTH BIENNIAL REPORT 



33 



1951. The results of these surveys are indicative of the 

 number of birds that will return to the breeding 

 grounds. 



Breeding Grounds Surveys 



Along with similar surveys in other states, Canada 

 and Alaska, breeding grounds surveys are used in de- 

 termining annual hunting regulations. While most of 

 the waterfowl produced on the Pacific Flyway come 

 from Canada and Alaska, a sizable number are pro- 

 duced in California. Mallard ducks and Canada geese 

 are the principal California breeders. 



In the spring of 1957, 240,460 young and old ducks, 

 and 19,280 Canada geese were tallied on local breeding 

 areas. In 1958, 264,980 ducks and 25,190 Canada geese 

 were tallied. Conditions on the breeding grounds were 

 unusually favorable during the spring of 1958 due to 

 abundant water supplies. 



Marsh Management Studies 



A new phase of investigation, the marsh manage- 

 ment studies, got under way during the biennium. The 

 goal is to determine the most efficient methods of 

 developing waterfowl habitat, both government-owned 

 and private. 



The study includes devising techniques for plant- 

 ing various types of aquatic plants, effects of water 

 levels and soil conditions on habitat, and methods of 

 controlling marsh "weeds," such as cattails and tules. 

 Experimental plantings of watergrass, alkali bulrush 

 and spikerush have been made on waterfowl manage- 

 ment areas and co-operating private duck clubs. 



As a result of experimentation on various state 

 waterfowl management areas, there have been some 

 definite improvements in waterfowl habitat. The in- 

 creased use of watergrass (millet) as a food plant has 

 made possible production of abundant ^\ aterfowl food 

 more cheaply than was possible by using straight cereal 

 crops. Watergrass has the added advantage of pro- 

 ducing abundantly by volunteering. The Los Banos 

 area, especially, has been considerably improved by 

 watergrass. 



Massed flight at Gray Lodge. 



Fish and Game Photo by Wm. Anderson 





-i^ 





.j.tH? 



-r- j^ 





Hunters with limits on opening day at the Moreno Lakeside Pheasant 

 Co-op, Son Diego Counfy. 



— Fish and Game Photo 



Banding Program 



During the past two years, the waterfowl project 

 banded 56,940 ducks, 10,121 geese, and 6,287 coots. 

 Returns from these bands are used to determine mor- 

 tality rates, population turnover and migration pat- 

 terns. All are vital to intelligent management of the 

 resource. 



PHEASANTS 



The biennium produced better than average hunt- 

 ing for pheasants. Questionnaire data showed 613,800 

 cocks bagged in 1956 and 630,500 in 1957. The average 

 for the past four years was 587,300. The period saw 

 the second and third years of hen shooting. This pro- 

 duced more than 100,000 additional birds yearly to 

 the bag (Table 47). 



Investigations during the period were concerned 

 primarily with assessing the effects of hen shooting 

 in the better pheasant habitat areas of the Sacramento 

 Valley. There is no evidence to indicate that allowing 

 one hen in the seasonal bag was in any way harmful 

 to the pheasant populations. 



Pheasant numbers have fully recovered in the Yuba 

 City district which was flooded in December, 1955. 

 Here, hen shooting did not impair the recovery of 

 the birds. 



Game farms 



The biennium saw some definite improvement in 

 efficiency in game farm production. The Los Banos 

 and Porterville game farms were closed and their pro- 

 duction assumed by the Fresno farm. The Castaic in- 



V 



V« 



"M:- 



