California Condor Eben Mcmillan 4 October 1963 Ranger Morse, in discussing the past deer hunting season with us, stated that the deer kill in the Las Padres National Forest, in 1963, was down, and the hunter use down. "Let's face it," he said, in referring to the shortage of deer, "even though disease has taken its toll of deer; even though Coyotes are killing many young deer; and even though mountain lions present a problem in deer numbers, nevertheless, we don't know just what is responsible for the present shortage of deer." Ranger Morse stated that only three deer had been observed using the Re-leg area on Santa Barbara Potrero, at the headwaters of Santa Barbara Canyon, and Salsbury Canyon, in the Cuyama River drainage, and Sesquoc River drainage. These were a three point buck and a doe and fawn. He also said the hunter usage of the Ranch Nuevo special deer hunting area, that was opened three years ago in the Rancho Nuevo Canyon, and Tinta Canyon areas of the west side drainage of Cuyama Valley, near the Ventura, Santa Barbara County line, has fallen from 2000 hunters in 1961 to only a fraction of that number now. In looking up deer kill records for this Special Ranchero Nuevo area, Mr. Morse was a bit chagrined to find circles representing spots where deer had been killed in this area in the year 1959, when it was not supposed to be open to hunting at any time. He left the matter of deer hunting at this point. In answer to Jan's inquiry regarding procedure in our getting into the Big Pine Mountain and Sesquoc drainage this fall, Mr. Morse stated that his orders were to give us all possible assistance in the pursuit of the Condor Study, and that he understood we were not to be treated in the normal way but be allowed special access to all areas.