38 



DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAAIE 



taken to determine the relation between deer and cat- 

 tle concerning this disease. 



Working together, personnel of the two agencies 

 completed the study and established the following 

 facts: (1) deer can have a clinical infection of anaplas- 

 mosis; (2) they may retain infective blood for a year; 

 (3) the standard test for bovine carriers (a comple- 

 ment fixation test), will not detect carrier deer three 

 or four months after the\' have contracted the or- 



ganism. 



Services 



Diagnostic services were performed for state game 

 farms and other projects of the Game Management 

 Branch, as well as for personnel on National Wildlife 

 Refuges. Corrective or therapeutic measures were rec- 

 ommended for the control of losses in wildlife. 



Blood tests and other standard laboratory proced- 

 ures have been set up and used to detect the presence 

 of disease in imported exotic game birds, both on the 

 department's game farms and on private game farms. 

 Quarantine procedures have been adopted to protect 

 the wildlife of the state from the introduction of 

 exotic disease. The full co-operation of the State De- 

 partment of Agriculture Pathology Laboratory has 

 been received in testing the blood specimens submitted 

 from the above sources. 



NUTRITION SECTION 



A detailed study of the microclimate (subclimates) 

 on the Do>le deer range has been carried out. Trap- 

 ping and belling of deer and observations of their 

 behavior and distribution \\ ith respect to weather con- 

 ditions has given valuable information which may lead 

 to a better understanding of the factors responsible 

 for the changes in welfare and numbers of the deer 

 herds. 



Information gained in the field on this climate study 

 is being evaluated in the light of certain laboratory 

 experiments on seasonal variations in feed intake, 

 measured in deer feeding trials and in field collections. 



Evidence at this point is indisputable that feed in- 

 take varies seasonally, independent of the quality or 

 quantity of feed present. A particularly low point in 

 food consumption occurs in late winter at a time that 

 the animals probably have very high growth and 

 energy requirements. 



Construction of a chamber providing a controlled 

 environment for deer is essentially completed. With 

 this device it is hoped that the factors contributing 

 to the decline of deer numbers or condition may be 

 objectiveh- evaluated, particularly with regard to the 

 influence of fluctuating daii\- temperatures, daily mean 

 temperatures, day length and internal rhythms as they 

 affect feed consumption. 



ECONOMIC POISONS SECTION 



Close liaison with agencies and individuals using 

 pesticides resulted in the accumulation of practical 

 data regarding pesticide uses and regulations in Cali- 

 fornia. This data was presented in lecture form to most 

 of the game management and wildlife protection per- 

 sonnel. 



Field investigations on incidence of wildlife losses 

 and requests by field personnel resulted in studies on 

 the effects and toxicity of certain rodenticides, insecti- 

 cides and fungicides on game species. These studies 

 provided basic information necessary in determining 

 causes of poisonings. They also provided background 

 data for making recommendations to agencies han- 

 dling and applying toxic chemicals that are intended 

 to minimize hazards to wildlife. 



The immediate effects of pesticides are usually ap- 

 parent, but a great deal of work is needed to deter- 

 mine the inevitable long range results of continued 

 pesticide applications. This can best be accomplished 

 by studies that actually determine the ultimate effects 

 on wildlife populations of continued applications of 

 toxic chemicals. Any adverse findings would require 

 convincing manufacturers and users of the need for 

 pesticides of more specific action and greater control, 

 and understanding of methods of application. 



FOOD HABITS SECTION 



During the biennium the food habits studies of 

 game and predator species was continued. A concen- 

 trated effort was made on waterfowl and mourning 

 doves. Knowledge of their food preferences becomes 

 a valuable tool for managing habitat in their favor. 



PUBLICATIONS 



Two publications on technical studies were released 

 during the biennium in the form of Game Bulletins 



Nos. 7 and 8. 



Game Bulletin No. 7, entitled "Pesticides: Their 

 Use and Toxicity in Relation to Wildlife," was written 

 by Robert L. Rudd and Richard E. Genelly. This bul- 

 letin reported on the results of the department's Fed- 

 eral Aid Project W-45-R "Effects of Economic 

 Poisons on Wildlife." It has received nationwide recog- 

 nition as the best publication available on the subject 

 of pesticides and their effects on wildlife. 



Game Bulletin No. 8, entitled "The Black-Tailed 

 Deer of the Chaparral," was written by Richard D. 

 Taber and Raymond F. Dasmann. It is a report on 

 north coast deer range deer and their management. 

 The work on which this bulletin was based was done 

 under contract with the University of California as 

 part of the department's federal aid study on brush 

 manipulation problems. 



