Question: I’d like to try some cottontail rabbit hunting but hear they may carry some kind of disease. Is this true? If so, is this anything to be concerned about and what precautions should I take? (Jeff J., Stockton)

Answer: You may be referring to tularemia, a bacterial disease that wild rabbits occasionally carry. To be safe, hunters should take precautions by wearing latex gloves when field dressing their rabbits to minimize exposure to the disease. Be sure to properly cool the animal after field dressing it, and to always cook it thoroughly. Tularemia is named after the place where it was discovered – Tulare.

Carp rights

Question: I know that Department of Fish and Game (DFG) regulations make it illegal to waste game fish and other resources. Knowing that, since carp are considered in most waters to be an invasive species, does this regulation also pertain to the take of carp? Would it be illegal or against DFG regulations to simply dispose of a carp, say at a fish cleaning station? Ive heard debate on this one and I would like to clear it up. (Dale S.)

Answer: Yes, it would be illegal. There is a prohibition in the regulations against wasting fish, and this prohibition applies to all fish, including carp (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 1.87). The California Fish and Game Commission regulations do not have a designation for "game fish." "Fish" as used in the regulations means any/all finfish and shellfish.

Reasonable accommodations for hunter ed exam?

Question: I have a question about hunter education requirements for a learning disabled hunter. I know a child with severe dyslexia (a reading and writing disability) to the point where he is only able to read and write very basic sentences. He would easily pass the hunter education exam if he could read it. However, I don't think that will be possible for some time. Is there an exception for people in these circumstances? Can someone read the test questions to him? He really wants to hunt but this disability is standing in the way of him being able to successfully pass the hunter education test. (Steven C.)

Answer: In California we provide reasonable accommodations for all entitled students. Anyone with a disability can ask the DFG for reasonable accommodation and it will be provided on an individual basis taking into consideration that person's specific needs. DFG Hunter Education Instructor (HEI) leader Lt. James Kasper recommends that the parent, guardian or mentor contact DFG before the course about requesting accommodations.

The key to success for any student is to study for the hunter education exam by assembling all of the pertinent information beforehand and tailoring it to their own learning approach. Here are a few resources to do this:

1. Get the hunter education manual in advance and work with a partner to complete the chapter reviews at the end of the book.

2. In addition to the manual, get the hunter education workbook and answer the questions. Both the manual and the workbook can be obtained ahead of time by contacting the HEI who will be teaching the course, or from a local DFG office.

3. Go to any of the DFG-approved home study online courses and study the material on their Web sites. The Web sites are
www.hunter-ed.com/ca/ or www.huntercourse.com/usa/california/ or www.ihea.com/hunter-education/online-courses.php .

Lt. Kasper recommends these Web sites for a couple of reasons.

First, the Today's Hunter in California ( www.hunter-ed.com/ca/ ) Web site belongs to the same company that makes the hunter education manuals we use in California, so the material is very similar.

This site has California-specific information, good animations and they will be adding video in the near future. Second, HunterCourse.com ( www.huntercourse.com/usa/california/ ) is a great Web site, especially for students without strong reading skills, because it incorporates more visual learning tools. The Today's Hunter and Huntercourse.com Web sites both have additional audio narration functions.

On a side note, these Web sites do not charge for using them unless the person wants to print out a voucher. Therefore, don't get scared away when it looks like a pay Web site. Lt. Kasper recommends using these Web sites for studying. A voucher is not needed for a traditional hunter education course.

For additional questions on what reasonable accommodations may be available, please contact DFG Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator Tina Johnson at 916-651-1214.

Limit on number of crab traps?

Question: Is there a limit to the number of crab traps a person can fish from a private boat? Is it unlimited? (Craig B.)

Answer: When fishing from a private boat, there are no limits on the numbers of traps a person can fish. Keep in mind though that you will also have to be able to manage and service each trap you deploy. And if fishing for Dungeness crabs, each person may only keep 10 crabs. On a good day you might get that many crabs in one trap. You’d still need to check all of the other traps regularly.

Carrie Wilson is a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game. While she cannot personally answer everyones questions, she will select a few to answer each week. Please contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .