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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

ps of. D. FFR & I916

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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.

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

7 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?

Ma 33 4 3 4 R

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 allows, that the next generation may enjoy the same pleasures that the

fields and streams of our glorious State now afford us.

Why Save the Fish and Game?

The courts have held that wild game is the property of the people, 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 perpetuation 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.

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- 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 Federal and State authorities have introduced many valuable and interesting varieties, have artificially prop- agated hundreds of millions at the hatcheries and have “planted” and “transplanted” almost every species, so that today fishing is enjoyed in practically every bit of living water in the State.

In 1914 the State Fish and Game Commission 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 150 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 16 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 centrally located San Francisco can- board an evening train and at dawn of the following morning cast his fly upon 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 tax- payer 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.

Fast oA Hew Pacts 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 practically 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 game 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.

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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 120 employees. Realizing the necessity of giving important duties into the care of competent assistants, the Commission employs only highly trained, energetic and conscientious wardens. Every de- partment of the Commission is under the strictest 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.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

@ 001 885 281 @

THIS BOOKLET IS ISSUED BY THE

FISH AND GAME COMMISSION OF THE

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

COMMISSIONERS

F. M. NEWBERT, PRESIDENT M. J. CONNELL CARL WESTERFELD

ERNEST SCHAEFFLE EXECUTIVE OFFICER

EXECUTIVE OFFICES MILLS BUILDING, SAN FRANCISCO

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Gaylord Bros. Makers

Syracuse, N. Y. PAT, JAN, 21, 1908

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