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Recreation
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- Written by: Editor
The Department of Fish and Game is offering a drawing for an apprentice deer hunt on the Chimineas Unit of the Carrizo Plain Ecological Reserve.
Three hunters between ages 12 and 15 will be chosen through a lottery and allowed to hunt on the weekend of Sept. 15-16.
In addition, the selected participants may also show up on Friday, Sept. 14, for a barbecue and hunter education refresher course that will cover gun safety, deer hunting and game care.
The drawing is being held in cooperation with the California Deer Association (CDA).
To apply, applicants must submit a postcard with the hunter’s name, address, telephone number and 2012-2013 Junior Hunting License number to:
Chimineas Apprentice Deer Hunt
Department of Fish and Game
3196 South Higuera Street, Suite A
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Applications must be received in the office by 5 p.m. on July 27. Late or incomplete applications will not be entered in the lottery.
Successful applicants will be notified by phone and will receive additional information, including maps and special regulations prior to the hunt.
Selected hunters must be accompanied by an adult and possess a valid Junior Hunting License and zone A tag.
Hunts will be led by CDA volunteers. Overnight lodging is available at the main ranch house on the ecological reserve.
CDA will provide breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday, as well as breakfast and lunch on Sunday.
The Chimineas Unit of the Carrizo Plain Ecological Reserve is located in southeastern San Luis Obispo County.
It is a 30,000-acre property owned by DFG that provides habitat for deer, tule elk, pronghorn antelope and a host of other species.
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- Written by: Editor
The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is announcing fishing regulations for the 2012 salmon season on the Sacramento, Feather, American and Mokelumne rivers.
The regulations are effective Monday, July 16.
The California Fish and Game Commission adopts yearly regulations to help ensure the health of fish populations and give anglers an opportunity to enjoy fishing.
The following is a summary of seasons, daily bag and possession limits on salmon.
Sacramento River
Daily bag and possession limit of two Chinook salmon for all open areas.
From Deschutes Road Bridge near Anderson to 500 feet upstream of the Red Bluff Diversion Dam, open Aug. 1 through Dec. 16.
From 150 feet below the Lower Red Bluff (Sycamore) boat ramp to the Carquinez Bridge (includes Suisun Bay, Grizzly Bay and all tributary sloughs west of Highway 160), open July 16 through Dec. 16.
All other areas and dates are closed to salmon fishing.
Feather River
Daily bag and possession limit of two Chinook salmon for all open areas.
From the unimproved boat launch ramp above the Thermalito Afterbay Outfall to 200 yards above the Live Oak boat ramp, open July 16 through Oct. 15.
The area within 250 feet of the Thermalito Afterbay Outfall has been closed under the authority of DFG for public safety and to prevent take of legally protected fish.
From 200 yards above the Live Oak boat ramp to the mouth of the river, open July 16 through Dec. 16.
All other areas and dates are closed to salmon fishing.
American River
Daily bag and possession limit of two Chinook salmon for all open areas.
From Nimbus Dam to Hazel Avenue Bridge, open July 16 through Dec. 31.
From Hazel Avenue Bridge to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauging station cable crossing near Nimbus Hatchery, open July 16 through Aug. 15.
From the USGS gauging station cable crossing near Nimbus Hatchery to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) power line crossing the southwest boundary of Ancil Hoffman Park, open July 16 through Oct. 31.
From the SMUD power line crossing at the southwest boundary of Ancil Hoffman Park to the Jibboom Street Bridge, open July 16 through Dec. 31.
From the Jibboom Street Bridge to the mouth, open July 16 through Dec. 16.
All other dates are closed to salmon fishing.
Mokelumne River
Daily bag and possession limit of two Chinook salmon for all open areas.
From Camanche Dam to the Highway 99 Bridge, open July 16 through Oct. 15.
From the Highway 99 Bridge to the Woodbridge Irrigation District Dam, including Lodi Lake, open July 16 through Dec. 31.
From the Lower Sacramento Road Bridge to the mouth, open July 16 through Dec. 16.
For purposes of this regulation, this river segment is defined as Mokelumne River and its tributary sloughs downstream of the Lower Sacramento Road Bridge, east of Highway 160 and north of Highway 12.
The San Joaquin, Calaveras, Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers and all other inland Central Valley areas will remain closed to salmon fishing for 2012.
All other regulations for bag and possession limits for trout, salmon and other species, as well as general information about restrictions on fishing methods and gear on the above rivers, are available on the DFG Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations .
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- Written by: Editor
The HVL Men’s Niners Golf Club held a two-man scramble competition Thursday, July 5.
The results were:
- “A” Flight: The team of Randy Brown/Bill Helt finished on top with a combined net of 27. The teams of Arch Madsen/Stan Kalata, Fred Figg/Jeff Markham and Bob Brossier/Dennis Bero tied for second at net 28.
- “B” Flight: Jim DeRosa/Pete Gumina was first with the lowest combined net of the day, 24. Ed Carver/Don Holland were second with 26. The teams of Mike Casolo/PhilTyler and Dave Perry/Bob Schossler tied for third with 27.
Closest to the par 3 pins were Arch Madsen and Mike Casolo.
The only chip-in was scored by Bob Costello.
Fifty-two men (26 teams) participated in this event.
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- Written by: Carrie Wilson
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