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NORTH COAST, Calif. – California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) officers contacted more than 650 abalone divers at a wildlife checkpoint operation north of Jenner on Sunday, May 18.
Checkpoints are an effective tool for wardens, who seek to promote safety, education and compliance with law and regulations through education, preventative patrol and enforcement.
All vehicles traveling south on Highway 1 in Sonoma County were screened at the checkpoint. Screening consisted of an introduction and brief questions.
Approximately 260 vehicles were directed into the inspection area.
Wildlife officers issued 31 citations and several dozen warnings.
Violations included overlimits of abalone, undersize abalone, report card violations and alterations, abalone not tagged, abalone meat out of the shell, short fish and several other Fish and Game Code violations.
One diver attempted to throw a tagged but undersized abalone into nearby bushes, but instead threw it into a warden’s truck bed. The loud clanking alerted officers to the attempt.
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The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is reminding hunters that the deadline to apply for the 2014 Big Game Drawing is just weeks away.
Sales transactions must be completed before midnight on June 2, 2014. Applications for elk, antelope, bighorn sheep, premium deer tags and fundraising drawing tags may be submitted at any CDFW license agent, CDFW license sales office, by telephone sales or online.
All hunt tags for premium deer, elk, antelope and bighorn sheep are awarded through CDFW’s Big Game Drawing.
Successful applicants will receive a receipt to show their hunt choices have been entered in the drawing. CDFW expects the drawing results to be available online in mid-June. Hunters may also contact a CDFW license sales office to check the results.
The following resources are available to assist hunters.
- Proposed seasons, tag drawing application instructions and drawing statistics can be found in the 2014 California Big Game Hunting Digest. The book is available at www.dfg.ca.gov/publications/digest/ .
- To find a license agent near you or to purchase items online, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/ols .
- To submit drawing applications by telephone, please contact the license sales line at (800) 565-1458.
Fund-raising drawing opportunities: CDFW’s random drawing fund-raising program includes tags for deer, elk and pronghorn antelope. This year the program will not include a bighorn sheep tag drawing.
The drawings for deer, elk and antelope are open to any resident or nonresident 12 years of age or older as of July 1, 2014. The cost to enter the drawings is $5.97 per entry, per hunt.
Applicants do not need a valid hunting license to apply, and may apply for the drawings as many times as they wish by June 2, 2014. Winners will be required to purchase an annual hunting license. However, the tag will be issued at no additional cost.
Open zone deer tag: An open zone deer tag allows the hunter to hunt during the authorized season dates of any hunt, using the specific method and meeting any special conditions of the tag for that hunt.
Multiple zone elk tag: The fundraising random drawing elk tag allows the hunter to hunt in any of the following zones – Northwestern, Northeastern, Marble Mountains, Siskiyou and La Panza. Hunters may use any legal method of take. All three subspecies of elk may be hunted, although only one elk may be harvested. The hunt dates open one week prior to the earliest season in that zone and run through the end of the regular season.
Northeastern California pronghorn antelope tag: The fundraising random drawing antelope tag allows the hunter to hunt in any of the Northeastern antelope zones (Mount Dome, Clear Lake, Likely Tables, Lassen, Big Valley and Surprise Valley) with any legal method. The hunt dates are from Aug. 2 to Sept. 21, 2014.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will hold a public workshop Tuesday, June 3, to discuss the implementation of the lead bullet ban.
The workshop will be held at the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center at 921 Waterfront Drive in Eureka from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
A CDFW representative will detail a proposed implementation plan, the PowerPoint is available on the CDFW Web site, https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=77723&;inline=1 .
Following the short presentation, interested parties can make comments and provide input that will help shape CDFW’s final recommendation to the Fish and Game Commission, which CDFW anticipates presenting at the commission’s meeting in Sacramento in September.
Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB 711 requiring that the commission adopt a regulation to ban lead ammunition in the state no later than July 1, 2015, with full implementation of the ban to occur no later than July 1, 2019.
Gov. Brown has directed CDFW and the commission to work with all interested parties in order to produce a regulation that is least disruptive to the hunting community.
In order to determine what is least disruptive to hunters, CDFW has been reaching out to interested parties this year in a number of ways, including question and answer sessions at sportsmen’s shows, meetings with hunting organizations and now a series of public workshops throughout the state. A public workshop was held in Ventura in April.
After Eureka, planning is under way for workshops later this year, potentially in Redding, Sacramento, Fresno and San Diego.
In addition, individuals and organizations may email comments to
CDFW, Wildlife Branch
Attn: Non lead implementation
1812 9th Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
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How much digging is too much?
Question: We are planning a clamming trip to Bodega Bay this weekend. To what extent can I help my 6-year-old son dig for his clam without it counting towards my individual bag limit?
Can I use the shovel and dig the hole for him while he uses his hands to dig around further and retrieve the clam? I am helping him access the clam but he will be retrieving it himself. (Tom H., Yerba Buena)
Answer: I would generally suggest that if you feel you are “doing it for him” that you are helping him too much. He must essentially dig for the clams himself. You can teach him how but cannot dig his limit of clams for him.
It would be up to any warden on the scene to determine whether, in his or her estimation, the clams count towards your bag limit. Part of taking the clam is digging for it, so your son would need to do the digging.
According to California Department Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Captain Steve Riske, people have been cited for taking an overlimit of clams by doing exactly what you describe above.
It may be that if he is too young to dig for clams himself, he will need to wait until he is old enough to do so. Otherwise, you two can dig for clams together but they will all become part of your limit.
Wildlife checkpoints – why advertise ahead of time?
Question: I noticed CDFW put a news release out earlier in the week announcing an upcoming wildlife checkpoint.
Why would you give poachers a heads-up so they can take another route?
I’ve always wondered the same thing about DUI checkpoints. What’s the reason? (Anonymous)
Answer: Law enforcement agencies advertise checkpoints as a way of giving fair notice to the general public.
This has been the case since a 1990 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a case out of Michigan, in which the court ruled that such checkpoints were constitutional.
In doing so, they implicitly acknowledged that certain guidelines (such as publicizing the checkpoints ahead of time) were necessary.
One thing to note is that while advertising these checkpoints may seem counter-productive to catching poachers, the goal of these checkpoints is actually not to trap violators but instead to educate people as they pass through.
Felt soled wading boots fishing regulation?
Question: I couldn't find any fishing regulations regarding the use of felt-sole wading boots. Someone said they are illegal to wear in certain places. I fish mainly in Mono County. Can you please let me know? (Chris)
Answer: According to Roger Bloom, CDFW Senior Environmental Specialist with the Heritage and Wild Trout Program, “There is currently no regulation in California I am aware of that would prohibit anglers from wearing felt soles. With that said, we do encourage anglers to disinfect and sanitize their waders and boots in between trips to other non-connected watersheds. Although techniques vary in efficacy, I often tell anglers that freezing, if possible, and complete desiccations are better than nothing (but close).”
If your interest extends beyond California borders, this site has some useful information: www.stopans.org/Felt_Bans.htm .
Can annoying squirrels be relocated?
Question: Is it permissible to relocate pesky squirrels that are destroying or damaging private property? (Fred, Redding)
Answer: No. Small nuisance mammals that are damaging property may be taken by the owner but may not be released alive except in the immediate area.
Relocating nuisance wildlife not only relocates the problem but also places the critter into an area where it has no established shelter or food and water source, and could potentially spread disease.
A depredation permit may be issued for tree (gray) squirrels, unless it is the gray squirrel season when hunters are allowed a four squirrel bag and possession limit.
Does a California hunting license cover crossbows too?
Question: I have a hunting license and was wondering if I can legally hunt with a bow under this license or does this license only cover firearm hunting?
The reason that I am asking is because I have had my hunting license for about three years now, and have recently purchased a compound bow. (Tomas C.)
Answer: Yes! Your California hunting license covers hunting with firearms, muzzleloaders, archery equipment and crossbows.
In some states, a crossbow is considered archery equipment, but in California it is not. A crossbow may only be used during general seasons.
Carrie Wilson is a marine environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week in this column. Please contact her at
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- Written by: Carrie Wilson