efficient for the purooi'e, as well as the most economical and 
lastiner method known of* 
In Septemher, 1917, the "^ish and 9ame Commission prepared and 
forwarded 600 circular letters to the Pacific Rice Orov/ers' 
Association for diotrihut-' on among the growers informing them of the 
experiments undertaken and citing instances showing how it was 
possible to obtain relief at a minimum of cost and effort. Those 
who took advantage of this method speak in high praise of the plan* 
Oingg and Cooper, who farm about 400 acres near Live Oak, lost 
nearly 90 acres O"^ their rice in 1916 by blackbirds, mudhens and 
ducks* They expended several hundred dollars for shotgun shells, 
obtaining very little relief by this method* They were the first to 
use the bombs which were manufactured for the purrose. 'ffhen the 
bombs were received there were many thousands of ducks and ether 
birds in their rice fields. After uSing less than four dozen 
of the bombs, at a cost of 06*00 per dozen, they report hot a bird 
to be seen and a full crop of rice , with no loss. This demonstrates 
the effectiveness of this method of protecting crops at any time, 
' * ’ ■ 
not only from ducks, but have proven effective in frightening away 
deer and other animals from orchards at night. The persons using 
this method complain of being unable to secure any ducks for 
their O'wn use* 
• f , 
Some persons, obviously for personal reasons, demanded that 
the season open for ducks September 1st or 16th. Even if this 
date was not contrary to the Federal Regulations and State laws 
* 
protecting water fowl, we failed to see how it would give relief* 
Should the season open on that date the ducks would be driven back 
I 
and forth from the shooting grounds to the rice fields, whereas 
