California Condor Eben McMillan 8 august 1963 Road to Walker Basin thence thence down Caliente wash To the home of Burrell Reed who lives across Caliente from Sand Canyon Store. Burrell Reed is a Burrell Reed is a native of the Caliente area an shows a strong interest in the outdoors in general, it has never seen condor in the upper reaches of the C wash drainage. He did see one condor at menagerie Can that drains the east side of Caliente wash about 8 miles river from Caliente. Mr. Reed said he found the dead Cond he referred to in his letter of August July 31, 1963 to me, the Tejon Ranch property known as the Rock pile 'to i west of Caliente about 8 miles in May of 1952 or 1953. Could not remember if the dead Condor had a red head or not. He also thought this was about the time the squirrel Poisoning was usually done in that area. Burrell Reed thought Eighty Percent of all deer hunt could shoot at a condor should it either light or f by them within gunshot range. Mr. Reed would include ranchers and landowners within this group. Reed thinks that improved methods of Cattle and Sheep gr had led to less carrion for Condor and Buzzards. This, he thinks has led to a decline in the Condor population. Looking at the range country of the Caliente Wash di I find it hard to see any improvement in range usage. No forage remains on the hills that this afternoon was washed clean of any cover by the heavy showers. The cattle do not look too bad yet but this is only mid-sum six or seven months could pass before new grass comes. unless the cattle are moved out of these hills in the next two months many of them will perish. (food? yes) Overuse of the range triggers many factors that promote carrion as Condor food. Deer compete with Cattle and sh malnutrition makes possible the spread and