Recreation
Question: I have a question regarding a fish pond at the house we recently purchased in Tahoe.
We aren’t up there all the time so I was thinking about tossing in a time-release fish feeder but do not want to attract bears. It would basically be the flake stuff in a compressed block form.
The four goldfish occupying the pond seem to do fine for long periods without food and even survived for several months before we bought the house. They must have been eating bugs, algae or whatever.
I’d hate for them to have struggled to survive all that time, and then I come along and think I’m doing a good thing by feeding them, and end up attracting bears.
The house is definitely in bear territory and only a block away from forest area. The fish are located in a pond in the front yard. My question is whether or not a bear is able to smell a time-release Tetramin fish feeder. Is this something to worry about? Any information you can provide would be much appreciated! Thanks. (Liz C., Lake Tahoe)
Answer: Regarding bears’ ability to smell and potentially be attracted to your automatic feeder, according to California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Black Bear Program Coordinator Marc Kenyon, the answer is yes.
Bears can smell fish food and are attracted to it. What’s worse is if they are attracted to the pond by the smell of the feed, then they may decide to snack on your fish in addition to the fish food.
Kenyon recommends feeding your fish with time-release pellets (feeding blocks). He has done this with his aquarium fish while away on vacation or out in the field, and he claims it worked well for him.
These pellets are little disks that you toss into the pond, and over time water dissolves the material that holds it together.
This process works slowly, and depending on the size of the pellet, it could last for about a month or two.
The benefit to this approach is that because they are submerged, they do not put off any odor into the air, and thus bears won’t be attracted to your pond.
Boat limits with multiple trips
Question: An interesting question came up at the fish cleaning station concerning an actual trip. This was sport fishing, not commercial or commercial passenger.
The scenario is there is one boat that holds three people, including the captain.
The captain goes out ocean fishing with fisherpersons A and B, and returns with full limits of salmon (6). The captain drops off both people and picks up fisherperson C. Can the boat still fish with two rods under the boat limits rule, or are they limited to one rod as the captain has already caught his fish earlier in the day? The consensus at the table was he would be at risk of a violation. (David G.)
Answer: No. They can both fish until the last fisherman’s bag limit is filled (CCR Title 14, section 27.60(c)).
While the skipper can still only take one bag limit per day, under a boat limit, the skipper is not done until the fishing trip is completed when he returns for the day. Boat limits apply to all species except sturgeon.
How to follow the number of tags currently sold?
Question: Is there a way to follow how many bear and deer tags have currently been sold? Can you tell me how many have been sold far this year? Is there a public record or data somewhere? (Norm G.)
Answer: Yes, the deer tag seasons and tag quotas adopted by the Fish and Game Commission are posted online at: www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/deer/tags/index.html .
In addition, a daily list of the current available deer tags is posted at: www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/ .
There is no bear tag quota, but the season is monitored by the number of bears reported taken. Bear season runs through Dec. 29, or until 1,700 bears are reported taken. If 1,700 bears are harvested before Dec. 29, CDFW will immediately close the season early.
For daily updates on the number of reported bear harvested, please visit our website at: www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/bear/harvest.html .
Garden invaders
Question: I have cottontail rabbits, gophers and rats that are destroying my garden and property. Do I need a license to shoot them on my private property? (Rodger D.)
Answer: Landowners and their tenants are not required to have a license to take cottontail rabbits, gophers or rats that are damaging their crops, gardens or ornamental plants (Fish and Game Code, section 4186 and CCR Title 14, section 472(a)).
However, you should check with your local police department or sheriff to determine whether you may discharge a firearm where you live.
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
UKIAH, Calif. – Last Saturday night was another hot night at the Ukiah Speedway.
There were six divisions that competed in the inaugural TNT Towing Bomber Bash.
The bomber bash was put together in honor of Wayne Hunt at TNT Towing in appreciation of everything that he does for Ukiah Speedway.
Promoter David Furia and staff would like to send a big “thank you” to Hunt. The track would not be the same without him and his crew.
The Jammers started out the night with the Jr Jammer heat race won by David Rank and the Pro Jammer heat race won by Wayne Young.
In the main event rookie Kyle Moore took the honors of the pole with David Rank on the outside.
Moore took the early lead and led the field until Chance Smith passed him on lap number nine.
Young was working his way up through the pack to take the lead on lap number 14. He never looked back and took the win for the Pro Jammers followed by Smith, Blocher and Strugnell.
In the Extreme Outlaws Kyle Tellstrom took the fast time once again with a 13.580. Sierra Furia took home the win in the heat race.
In the main event Shelby Helm and Sean Sweeney were on the front row. Helm took the early lead over Sweeney. With Sweeney on the outside and not a lot of traction on the outside row he was unable to battle back.
Tellstrom took the lead from Helm on lap number seven. When everyone thought that the race was over, with Tellstrom in the lead, a red flag came out due to an oil leak on Tellstrom's car, causing his car to catch fire.
Once he slowed the fire extinguished itself, but since the red was brought out for Tellstrom he had to start in the back.
In the end it was not enough time for Tellstrom to regain the lead. Helm took the win with Tellstrom in second.
By the end of the race the fire on Tellstrom’s car flared up again, causing the officials to follow him into his pit to make sure it was totally out.
In the Legends the fast time went to Bill Kistenmacher with a 14.618. Kistenmacher also won the heat race.
In the main event Mark Miller and Bob Kistenmacher led the field to the green flag. Bob Kistenmacher took the early lead but it wasn’t long before Bill Kistenmacher was up to the front battling.
The one to watch was Jim Sturgess, as he was coming up to battle for the lead. In the end Sturgess took the win followed by Bill Kistenmacher, Bob Kistenmacher and Miller.
In the Bandolero division a new track record was set by Frankie Pickrell with a 14.095. Kolby Berry went on to win the heat race.
In the main event Berry and Dylan Washburn set the pace for the green flag. Berry took the early lead but it was not long before the new track record holder took the lead and didn't look back. In the end it was Pickrell taking the win followed by Berry and Washburn.
David Lyndall took the fast time in the Modified Division with a 13.323. The heat races were won by Charlie Collins and Richie Potts.
Potts and Mike Neilson set the pace for the field to the green flag in the main event. Potts took the early lead over Neilson, with Potts continuing to fight off the rest of the pack until lap number 13, when Andy Vanderveer took the lead away and went on to win, followed by Potts, Collins, and Lyndall.
Visiting driver Erick Ray from Roseville took fast time in the Bomber division with a 14.700. The heat race wins went to Terry Pittman and Charlie Collins.
With the heat races being a qualifier for where the bombers will be starting it put Collins on the inside and Pittman on the outside, both with very fast cars.
Collins took the early lead over Pittman. It took Ray, starting in the fourth row inside, a few laps to catch up to Collins.
Collins and Ray fought for a very long time but on lap number 17 Ray finally was able to take the lead position.
Forrest Kuecker started in the back of the 20-car field because he hadn't finished his heat race. By lap number 28 Kuecker had worked his way up to the position just behind Ray.
The two of them put on one heck of a show but in the end Ray took home the win and the $800 followed by Kuecker, Duke and Collins.
The Bomber Battle continues this weekend at the Lake County Fair on Friday at 7:30 p.m. This is the finale of the four race mini-series and a champion will be crowned after the race.
Don’t miss out on the exciting end of the series.
For more information visit us on the Web at www.ukiahspeedway.com or www.lakeportspeedway.com , or like the speedway on Facebook.
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