Recreation
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- Written by: Mendocino National Forest
The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is traditionally a popular time to visit the Mendocino National Forest.
National forests provide a great way to enjoy the outdoors, but it is important that everyone recreates safely.
Forest officials remind visitors to prepare for a trip to the forest by checking the weather forecast, having a full tank of gas and bringing extra food and water.
Visitors should carry emergency equipment and appropriate maps. Cellphone coverage is not reliable in many areas.
Weather and road conditions in the forest can change quickly. All visitors should be aware of the hazards of traveling through a burned area.
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- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Turkey hunting season
With fall turkey season coming up, we’ve had a few questions related to method of take.
We here at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or CDFW, think there is no better Thanksgiving dinner than a freshly harvested California organically grown wild turkey!
Fall turkey season opens the second Saturday in November and extends for 30 consecutive days. The bag limit is one either-sex turkey per day, two per season.
Methods of take
Q: I have a 10-gauge shotgun I like to use for goose hunting. Can I use it for turkey hunting too?
A: Yes, California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 14, section 311(a) authorizes use of a shotgun, 10-gauge or smaller, using shot shells only and incapable of holding more than three shells in the magazine and chamber combined.
If a plug is used to reduce the capacity of a magazine to fulfill the requirements of this section, the plug must be of one piece construction incapable of removal without disassembling the gun.
We don’t want to dissuade you from using your 10-gauge, but keep in mind, one of the most enjoyable elements of turkey hunting is coaxing the bird into your decoys, or your otherwise concealed position, to get a very close shot.
With some experience, practice and patience, you’ll manage to get the birds in where you can take it with something as simple as a .410.
Broadheads
Q: I’m going archery turkey hunting this fall. I’m interested in trying a guillotine-type broadhead for my arrows. Are they legal to use and is there a limit to how big a broadhead can be?
A: Yes, arrows with guillotine type broadheads, meaning broadheads with extended blades, are legal to use. When they work exactly as designed, by way of action like a guillotine, they are the quickest, most humane way of taking a wild turkey. The authorized size of a broadhead for take of resident small game is found in CCR, Title 14, section 311. It states: It shall be unlawful to take wild turkey by use of hunting arrows and crossbow bolts unless fitted with a broadhead-type blade which will not pass through a hole seven-eighths inch in diameter. Mechanical/retractable broadheads shall be measured in the open position.
Notice the regulation is designed to prohibit use of a broadhead that is too small, not too large. The requirement to use a broadhead with the designated minimum size is to be sure that hunters are using arrows with a broadhead lethal enough to affect a quick and humane kill on the turkey (or other game).
Be sure to practice extensively with arrows fitted with similarly weighted target tips because the guillotine broadheads are usually much heavier than traditional hunting broadheads. It’s important to know how they are going to fly once you release the arrow. Good luck on your turkey hunt!
Archery only season?
Q: Is there an archery only season for turkey during the fall?
A: No. Methods of take for fall turkey season includes all methods authorized by the CCR, Title 14, section 311, which include bows and arrows.
Occupied dwelling
Q: How far away from an occupied cabin do I have to be to legally hunt turkey with a bow?
A: If you have written permission from the cabin owner, you can hunt near the cabin, as long as you do so safely. However, hunting is prohibited within 150 yards of an occupied dwelling or outbuilding unless you have written permission, per California Fish and Game Code, section 3004 (a). The purpose of the statute is to create a safety zone around occupied dwellings such as cabins.
If the occupants of the cabin aren’t comfortable with hunting, or don’t know you’re hunting, the 150 yard zone helps ensure their safety. If you don’t have permission from the owner of the cabin, or any building where you’re hunting which you could reasonably expect to be occupied, you must be at least 150 yards away from the building to shoot your bow while hunting.
Additionally, if you do have written permission to hunt near a friend’s or neighbor’s dwelling, you should give them a heads up about what day and time you’ll be hunting as an added measure of safety.
- Details
- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
The recreational take of Dungeness crab using crab traps in Fishing Zones 3 and 4 (from the Sonoma/Mendocino county line to Lopez Point) will be temporarily restricted when the season opens on Nov. 6 due to presence of humpback whales and leatherback sea turtles and the potential for entanglement from trap gear.
The season had been scheduled to open statewide on Nov. 6, 2021. However, the deployment and use of crab traps in any recreational crab fishery (including rock crab) is temporarily restricted in those zones until lifted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife director.
The recreational take of Dungeness crab using crab traps is allowed starting Nov. 6, 2021, in Fishing Zones 1 and 2 (from the Oregon state line to the Sonoma/Mendocino county line) and in Fishing Zones 5 and 6 (the area south of Lopez Point).
The CDFW director is opening the fishery in these zones under a fleet advisory and reminds recreational crabbers to implement best practices, as described in the best practices guide.
Recreational take of Dungeness crab by other methods, including hoop nets and crab snares, is not affected by the temporary trap restriction and is allowed statewide beginning Nov. 6.
For more information, please see the FAQs for the new recreational crab trap regulations or CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries Webpage.
The commercial Dungeness crab fishery south of the Sonoma/Mendocino county line was scheduled to open on Nov. 15 in Fishing Zones 3, 4, 5 and 6. However, the season opener has been delayed in Fishing Zones 3 and 4 (Sonoma/Mendocino county line to Lopez Point) due to presence of humpback whales and leatherback sea turtles and the potential for entanglement.
Fishing Zones 5 and 6 are scheduled to open Nov. 15 under a Fleet Advisory, pending Domoic Acid testing results. CDFW reminds the commercial fleet in these fishing zones to implement best practices, as described in the Best Practices Guide.
CDFW also reminds all commercial fishery participants that, pursuant to Senate Bill 80 (McGuire, 2021), “fair start” now applies to delays implemented to reduce the risk of marine life entanglement and commercial traps may be baited 64 hours before the opening of the season statewide.
“This is the first time the recreational Dungeness crab fishery is subject to similar measures as commercial crabbers to help protect whales and sea turtles," said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. "We recognize that change takes time but thank all Californians who treasure these recreational fishing opportunities. We continue to value and appreciate the work put in by the fleet and the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group. This year, while the start of the recreational season may look different, the process allowed us to open some parts of the coast to recreational crab traps and all the coast to recreational crabbing with other fishing methods. This shows there is a way to partner more closely with the recreational fishery to protect California's whales and sea turtles while still providing meaningful recreational and commercial fishing opportunities."
Prior to this determination, CDFW worked with a broad range of scientific partners, researchers, agencies and the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group to collect and synthesize information regarding presence of humpback whales, blue whales and leatherback sea turtles across each fishing zone.
Aerial surveys, vessel-based surveys, and satellite telemetry data indicate aggregations of humpback whales and several leatherback sea turtles still present within Fishing Zones 3 and 4.
Under triggers established as part of the Risk Assessment and Mitigation Program regulations for the commercial fishery, as well as new regulations adopted by the Fish and Game Commission for the recreational Dungeness crab fishery, the CDFW Director is required to implement a management action for these fishing zones to reduce marine life entanglement risk.
For the commercial fishery, Fishing Zones 1 and 2 are not scheduled to open until Dec.1 and crab meat quality test results are not yet available. CDFW has not yet evaluated the need for any actions to reduce marine life entanglement risk in these zones.
CDFW anticipates the next risk assessment will take place on or before Nov. 22 at which time the director will reevaluate the temporary recreational crab trap restriction and commercial fishery delay in Fishing Zones 3 and 4, as well as the need for any management actions for the commercial fishery in Fishing Zones 1 and 2.
For more information related to the risk assessment process, please visit CDFW’s Whale Safe Fisheries page or more information on the Dungeness crab fishery, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/crab.
- Details
- Written by: Editor
Effective immediately all overnight camping will be closed for the season at BMDSF.
The closure is being implemented due to current and expected weather forecasts, saturated roads, and overall hazardous conditions.
BMDSF will remain open for day-use only during this period. Day-use activities include hiking,
mountain biking, and horseback riding and are restricted to the hours of sunrise to sunset.
Forest roads may be subject to temporary closure to vehicle traffic pending wet weather and saturated soil conditions.
For additional information on the Demonstration State Forest Program, visit
https://www.fire.ca.gov/programs/resource-management/resource-protection-improvement/demonstration-state-forests/ or call the forest office at 707- 928-4378.
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