S K

y,9rNRLF

B 3 l^^ 7fl^

"

»AT. JAI. 21. \W9

.^'-'

IVOV 9 1915

Education

V:

To the Reader-

If this little booklet will but inspire
one citizen of our State to use his or
her efforts toward promoting the con-
servation of our wild life its purpose will
be accomplished.

California Fish and
Game Commission

Lest We Forget

That fifty years ago there were hundreds of thous-
ands of Bison roaming our hills and plains, while today
there are less than 500 in the entire country.

393225

PASSENGER PIGEON

Not many years ago the market hunters of the
Middle States killed millions of these beautiful birds
each year.

Today one may travel from the Gulf to the Great
Lakes without so much as seeing one.

The last known Passenger Pigeon died in the Cin-
cinnati Zoo on January twenty-first. Nineteen hundred
and fifteen.

SHALL OUR UPLAND BIRDS AND WATER-
FOWL SUFFER THE SAME
UNTIMELY FATE?

•t

Could there be a more pitiful sight than this helpless
little fawn which has been robbed of its only pro-
tection through the thoughtlessness or greed of some
hunter?

Let us take only what the law eJlows, that the next
generation may enjoy the same pleasures that the
fields emd streams of our glorious State now cifford us.

Why Save the Fish
and Game?

The courts have held that wild game is the property
of the p)eople, and can be hunted, killed, possessed and
disposed of only as the people direct. It is believed
that this State has some of the most effective and most
just laws for the purpose of protecting wild game ever
enacted by a commonwealth. These laws seem to
insure the p)erp)etuation of the supply. But these
laws would not serve their full purpose if they did not
guarantee our people and posterity the opportunity of
recreation, hunting and fishing.

The Fish and Game Commission and the Legislature
of the State, ever mindful of the fact that the boy and
the young man are full of the instinct for sport, have
wisely framed the laws in such manner as to save to
the people their inherent right to hunting. The boy
that lives a natural, outdoor life, hunting, fishing and
playing strenuous games is not the chap who loafs
around corners shooting craps and smoking cigarettes.
Furthermore, the boy who learns how to care for him-
self in the woods and to shoot straight makes the finest
soldier in the world in the time of national peril.

Is it not better to train our soldiers this way, than to
destroy the game and the incentive to hunting — and
then raise an army by conscription — and at that an
army that cannot shoot straight!

Game conservation is more than a masculine pro-
blem ; it is a national question, in which every girl and
every woman is vitally concerned.

.v»?s*

BIRDSEYE VIEW OF ONE SECTION OF HATCHERY AND
FINEST IN THE WORLD. MO

» » > > » :

OUNDS AT SISSON. CAL. ONE OF THE LARGEST AND
SHASTA IN BACKGROUND.

o

•c .2.

c

V

JX

"£ O

•"*

(0

^

""

e

CO

(0

OT

a

CO

a

CQ

c
•I

u
^

•1

2

O

c

4^
-1

&

H

i

(d

1

c

V4-I

^

g

0

O

Z

to

C

's

c

3

1

0

c

<8

<

s

cc:

0

g

-S

t

t

8.

CO

ti

^1^4

>

o

u

V

V

V

a

c

00
w

y:

00

c

u

-5

c

G

3

*^

o

w

_Q

V

(0

•B

"3

0

•c

0

-5

a

3

0)

(0

>

•c

(0

c

CO

*«

• PM

c

IM

^

(3

C
R3

2 c

i ««

00

V

V

z

c

o

00

p

c

J

bo

^

H

s

3
O

H

<0

■— s

O

us

0

"«
>>

<

Z

UJ

£

(0

(0
4)

O

>

0)

C

UJ

LU

CO

C

-1

-J

u

^

Q-

-0

S

to

■(3

c

3

a;

(0

Q

k.

3

>^

Q

0

c

Z

be

i

-J
CU
CO

c

(0

2

<

c

« 3
S, '^

bo oj
«0 t!

c

c

V

c
•« 5

(0 o

^ .S

-I"?

c
■£ c

si

5 X
en

•" c

CO (Q
4) rj

c -

c

00

tic

3

Fish Facts.

Do you know that California is one of the greatest
fishing regions of the world ?

When white men first came here they found fish only
in the oceans, bays and in streams up to the first water-
falls and of comparatively few species. Since then the
FedereJ and State authorities have introduced many
valuable and interesting varieties, have eirtificially prop>-
agated hundreds of millions at the hatcheries and have
"planted" and "transplanted" almost every sF>ecies, so
that today fishing is enjoyed in practically every bit of
living water in the State.

In 1914 the State Fish and Gcime 0>mmission prop-
agated at its seven hatcheries and distributed in public
waters 30,000,000 salmon and 18,000,000 trout. These
fish if placed end to end would reach from San Fran-
cisco to a point 1 50 miles east of Denver. They would
fill four standard freight trains of 43 cars each, weighing
over 4000 tons. The total would provide each man,
woman and child in the State with 1 6 fish.

There is no locality in the civilized world that offers
a greater variety of sport than the mountains, valleys
and waters of the State of California.

For instance, the business man of centKilly located Sem
Francisco can boeird an evening train emd at dawn of
the following morning cast his fly upwn the snow-fed
waters of a Sierra stream, returning in the evening with
a limit basket.

Intense propagation and conscientious protection is
the one thing that make such ideal conditions possible.

The entire cost of rearing, distributing and protecting
fish in this State is borne by the market and pleasure
fishermen. Not one cent is contributed by the teix-
piayer through legislative appropriation.

Four thousand people are engaged in catching fish
for the market. Their "catch" sells to the consumer
for around $10,000,000 each year.

Just A Few Facts and
Figures.

The "Closed Season" laws are the most important of
all. They protect birds, animals and fishes during and
after the breeding periods. The killing of the female
during such times means the loss of an entire family.
Besides, all breeding animals and certainly their young
are pra(5lically defenseless and need all the protection
man can give them.

The " Limit Laws" curb the thoughtless and selfish
and guarantee the decent hunter and fisherman his
share in the sport and its product. Certainly such laws
are most American in spirit.

America is one of the few populous countries in
which the "common people" enjoy the hunting privilege.
Furthermore this country has few big preserves and
consequently, little game is raised by wealthy people for
their own enjoyment. Here everyone hunts and fishes,
with few exceptions on an equal basis and a great deal
of fish and game is killed. The private preserve system
would give us more game, but the wealthy classes
would get all the benefits.

Probably 20,000 deer are killed in this state each year.
The annual kill of wild ducks is around 1 ,000,000
and of wild geese about 200,000. The stock need not
be exterminated however as the wild-fowl that winter
here have most of the northern regions for their nesting
grounds.

The California valley quail is said to be the finest
"upland" game bird in the world. This bird is found
everywhere in the state but has been over-hunted
badly. Unless the killing is greatly reduced this bird
will disappear.

The only geone bird ever successfully reared extens-
ively in captivity is the English, known also as the
Chinese and ring-necked pheasant. Thousands of these
birds have been raised at the State Game Farm and
liberated in the moist coast region.

The State Fish and Game Commis-
sion is entirely self-supporting, receiving
its annual revenue of about $300,000
from the sale of hunting and fishing
licenses and from fines collected from
violators of the laws. The Commission
has four business offices and about 1 20
employees. Realizing the necessity of
giving important duties into the care of
competent assistants, the Commission
employs only highly trained, energetic
and conscientious weirdens. Every de-'
partment of the Commission is under the
stricter of civil service control.

For further information relative to fish
and game in California or to the work
of the Fish and Game Commission in-
quire of any of its officers or at the offices
at San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacra-
mento or Fresno.

THIS BOOKLET IS ISSUED BY
THE

FISH AND GAME COMMISSION

OF THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA

COMMIMSIONKKH

F. M. NEWBERT, PRESIDENT

M. J. CONNELL

CARL WESTERFELD

ERNEST SCHAEFFLE
EXECUTIVE OFFICER

KXKCimVK OFKICKS

MILLS BUILDING. SAN FRANCISCO

THEUHIOM uTMO.ca&r.

393225

YB 15693

UNIVERSITY OF CALlFORNl^s