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Recreation
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- Written by: Editor
The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) will offer several Monday pheasant hunting opportunities at northern California Type A wildlife areas in 2012.
The pheasant season opened on Nov. 10 and the length of the season will remain the same: 44 consecutive days for the general season and 60 consecutive days for the archery season.
For the 2012 hunting season, wildlife areas are open for pheasant hunting as follows:
Type A wildlife areas in the Sacramento Valley (Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, Delevan National Wildlife Refuge, Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area and Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area) will be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, and only the first Monday (Nov. 12) of the pheasant season.
Grizzly Island Wildlife Area will be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, and only the second Monday (Nov. 19) of the pheasant season.
Type A wildlife areas in the San Joaquin Valley (Los Banos Wildlife Area, Mendota Wildlife Area, North Grasslands Wildlife Area and San Luis National Wildlife Refuge) will be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays only during the pheasant season.
Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge will be open for pheasant hunting on the first Monday of the pheasant season (Nov. 12).
The Wister Unit of Imperial Wildlife Area in Imperial County and San Jacinto Wildlife Area in Riverside County will be closed to pheasant hunting this year.
Type C wildlife areas will remain open as normal.
DFG reduced the number of days that certain wildlife areas were open for pheasant hunting in recent years due to a decline the number of hunters targeting pheasant and the cost to operate check stations during the first week of the season.
Some of those reductions will remain in place for 2012, but pheasant hunting will be offered in some locations on the first or second Monday of the season.
The modifications of the shoot days on Type A wildlife areas are pursuant to subsections 550(b)(1) and 550(b)(2) of Title 14, California Code of Regulations.
Reports and publications on pheasant harvest can be found at www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/uplandgame .
A list of wildlife areas can be found in the current Waterfowl and Upland Game Hunting Regulations booklet ( www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations/ ).
For more information on specific hunting opportunities, hunters should contact their regional DFG office.
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- Written by: Editor
The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and International Sportsmen’s Expositions (ISE) have teamed up to offer a youth essay contest.
“Our hunter education program is dedicated to passing on this time-honored tradition for generations to come,” said Capt. Roy Griffith, DFG’s Hunter Education Program Administrator. “With 21,000 students passing through our program each year, we felt it was more important than ever to reward one individual with a lifetime California hunting license, valued at over $600.”
Holders of a junior hunting license and youth under 16 who have valid 2012 hunter education certificate are eligible. To enter, contestants need to submit an essay, 500 words or less, on what “Passing on the Tradition” means to them.
Participants are encouraged to write about conservation, sportsmanship and ethics.
APPLYING: Submissions must include name, date of birth, and a contact number. Entries must be received on or before Dec. 20, 2012 and sent to: Lt. John Nores, P.O. Box 1, San Martin, CA 95046.
JUDGING: Essays will be reviewed and scored by the stars of National Geographic’s Wild Justice TV show.
AWARD CEREMONY: The winner will be notified by phone and must be present with his or her parents/guardians for the grand prize at the ISE show – Hall A, Sacramento’s Adventure Theater stage on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013.
For additional information contact Lt. John Nores at 408-591-5174.
To find out more information on becoming a Hunter Education Instructor and help “Pass on the Tradition” visit: www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered .
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HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – The HVL Men’s Niners Golf Club held a Pinehurst (two-man teams) competition on Thursday, Nov. 8.
The results were:
- “A” Flight: Bill Brewster/Randy Brown finished first with net 29. Bob Chesnut/Fred Figg was second at 32. Paul Bertlin/Joe Vallee, Tim Greer/Bruce Hamilton, and Jim Wilson/Doug Healy tied for third with 33.
- “B” Flight: The father/son team of Jim Hodges/Jay Hodges took first with the low net of the day, 28. Doug Carter/Tommy Sowell and Hal Weber/Dennis Day tied for second at 29.
Closest to the par 3 pins were Stan Kalata and Jay Hodges.
The only chip-in was scored by Paul Bertlin.
Forty men participated in the day’s events.
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- Written by: Carrie Wilson
Question: There is a video floating around of a local captain offering advice on how to get rid of pesky gulls. He ties sardines (no hooks) to each end of some monofilament line and goes on to explain that one gull will grab the bait, and then all the others will follow.
Is that legal? Seems like birds could get tangled up and die. Introducing mono into the sea also seems to be dangerous to the creatures there. Is this practice acceptable? (Phil F.)
Answer: No, this practice is not legal. Intentionally putting monofilament line into the water is littering. It is also harassment of animals, which is prohibited by Title 14 section 251.1.
This provision defines harassment as an “intentional act which disrupts the animal’s normal behavioral patterns, which includes but is not limited to breeding, feeding or sheltering.” From what you describe, the whole point of this practice is to disrupt the gulls’ normal behavioral patterns.
Hunting upland birds and waterfowl at the same time
Question: If I’m in the field upland bird hunting and a flock of ducks/geese fly overhead, am I allowed to shoot those birds, too? (Robert G.)
Answer: Yes, but only if the season for waterfowl is open in the area, if you have the required state and federal waterfowl stamps affixed to your license, AND you only have steel or other non-toxic shot in your possession.
Effects of hunting bears and bobcats without dogs
Governor Brown signed SB 1221 on Sept. 26, 2012 to repeal authorization for the use of dogs to pursue bears and bobcats. The DFG has received a large number of questions from the public regarding what effects it may cause. Below are some of those frequently asked questions and answers:
Does SB 1221 affect the current bear hunting season? No. The new law will not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2013. The 2012 bear hunting season closes on Dec. 30, 2012, or when the DFG determines that 1,700 bears have been taken, whichever occurs first.
What will be the effect on the bear population?
The DFG does not believe this law will negatively affect the State’s black bear population. Any increase or decrease in the overall bear population will likely be reflective of bear habitat, since habitat quantity and quality have more impact on the bear population than current hunting effort.
Will I be able to surrender and get a refund on my bear or bobcat tag(s)?
No. Hunters are able to hunt bear and bobcat with dogs through the end of the current season, or until Jan. 1, 2013, whichever occurs first.
After that date, hunters retain the ability to take those species during open seasons without the use of dogs.
Will officers kill my livestock guard dog if it inadvertently chases a bobcat or bear?
This law applies specifically to the take of bear and bobcat as a method of take during regulated hunting seasons.
Current laws (Fish and Game Code, sections 3960-3961) allow for the protection of game mammals during the closed season on the animal. If a livestock dog were to attempt to take a bear or bobcat during the open season, it would be considered an unlawful method of take and appropriate enforcement action would be pursued.
While these laws allow for the capture or killing of dogs inflicting injury to certain mammals, DFG staff are careful in exercising its discretion and has rarely used this authority. The DFG does not expect this law to result in an increase in incidents involving the killing or capture of livestock guard dogs.
Will the DFG still meet its bear hunting season quota of 1,700?
The 1,700 bear harvest cap is not technically a quota. The DFG is not specifically targeting a specific number of bears to be killed each hunting season. This harvest cap exists because the Fish and Game Commission has determined that the bear population and the environment will not be negatively affected at this level of take.
In the past 10 years, this cap has been met only three times. The DFG will continue to collect data and information on the bear population.
From this data, we will continue to develop information for population trends and propose tag and take levels to the Fish and Game Commission consistent with the DFG’s Black Bear Management Plan.
Where can I find a copy of SB 1221?
Go to http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/ and in the top righthand corner under quick search, type SB 1221 next to Bill Number.
Carrie Wilson is a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week. Please contact her at