Recreation
What are the abalone regs for 2017?
Question: What’s happening with abalone for this year? Does the season close at the end of October or November? And what is the season limit? (Dahn N., Benicia)
Answer: Abalone populations in California have been in decline over the last few years due to unprecedented environmental and biological stressors, including warming ocean conditions and a dramatic reduction in kelp in many areas.
Abalone eat kelp and they are adversely affected – even starving – as a result.
The California Fish and Game Commission adopted emergency regulations to reduce the open season length by two months by closing April and November.
The annual limit was also reduced from 18 to 12 (except for Sonoma County, which remains at nine).
Based on California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or CDFW, creel surveys and biologists’ in-water reports and observations made in 2017, early indications suggest that conditions are still very poor and are not likely to quickly improve.
Of more than 3,800 samples of red abalone assessed from nine sites throughout the fishery in May and June 2017, 25 percent were shrunken and starving.
Gonad condition data also indicates minimal reproduction will occur this year, adding to the two previous years with similar conditions.
Kelp resources continue to be poor and the density of purple sea urchin, a competitor of abalone for food resources, remains high.
The commission’s emergency regulations remain in effect through the end of the 2017 season, meaning the season will close on Oct. 31, 2017.
In the meantime, CDFW prepared a standard rulemaking for the commission’s consideration to make the 2017 emergency regulations (or possibly even more restrictive regulations) effective for the 2018 season. As an overview, the regulations affected by the rulemaking are summarized as follows:
California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 29.15: Abalone may be taken only during the months of May, June, August, September and October. The bag limit and yearly trip limit is three red abalone, Haliotis rufescens, per day. No more than three abalone may be possessed at any time. No other species of abalone may be taken or possessed. Each person taking abalone shall stop detaching abalone when the limit of three is reached. No person shall take more than 12 abalone during a calendar year. In open areas defined in subsections 29.15(a) and 29.15(a)(1), not more than nine abalone of the yearly trip limit may be taken south of the boundary between Sonoma and Mendocino counties.
See the rest of CCR Title 14, sections 29.15 through 29.16, for more abalone regulations related to size, tagging, possession, gear requirements, etc.
Using radios to assist in finding deer
Question: I told my fellow hunter that you cannot use radios to guide another hunter to the exact location of a deer (laying down) to kill it.
You can say something like “it’s 200 yards below you,” but that’s it. He told me that he didn’t see it in the regulations.
Can you clarify this for us, please? (John)
Answer: While this is illegal in some states, it is legal California.
Currently, California has no such law to prevent a hunter or group of hunters from using radios or cell phones.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife thanks Dahn and John for their questions. If you have a question, emailThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . While they cannot answer every question, we will pick a few to answer each week in this column.
Question: What’s happening with abalone for this year? Does the season close at the end of October or November? And what is the season limit? (Dahn N., Benicia)
Answer: Abalone populations in California have been in decline over the last few years due to unprecedented environmental and biological stressors, including warming ocean conditions and a dramatic reduction in kelp in many areas.
Abalone eat kelp and they are adversely affected – even starving – as a result.
The California Fish and Game Commission adopted emergency regulations to reduce the open season length by two months by closing April and November.
The annual limit was also reduced from 18 to 12 (except for Sonoma County, which remains at nine).
Based on California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or CDFW, creel surveys and biologists’ in-water reports and observations made in 2017, early indications suggest that conditions are still very poor and are not likely to quickly improve.
Of more than 3,800 samples of red abalone assessed from nine sites throughout the fishery in May and June 2017, 25 percent were shrunken and starving.
Gonad condition data also indicates minimal reproduction will occur this year, adding to the two previous years with similar conditions.
Kelp resources continue to be poor and the density of purple sea urchin, a competitor of abalone for food resources, remains high.
The commission’s emergency regulations remain in effect through the end of the 2017 season, meaning the season will close on Oct. 31, 2017.
In the meantime, CDFW prepared a standard rulemaking for the commission’s consideration to make the 2017 emergency regulations (or possibly even more restrictive regulations) effective for the 2018 season. As an overview, the regulations affected by the rulemaking are summarized as follows:
California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 29.15: Abalone may be taken only during the months of May, June, August, September and October. The bag limit and yearly trip limit is three red abalone, Haliotis rufescens, per day. No more than three abalone may be possessed at any time. No other species of abalone may be taken or possessed. Each person taking abalone shall stop detaching abalone when the limit of three is reached. No person shall take more than 12 abalone during a calendar year. In open areas defined in subsections 29.15(a) and 29.15(a)(1), not more than nine abalone of the yearly trip limit may be taken south of the boundary between Sonoma and Mendocino counties.
See the rest of CCR Title 14, sections 29.15 through 29.16, for more abalone regulations related to size, tagging, possession, gear requirements, etc.
Using radios to assist in finding deer
Question: I told my fellow hunter that you cannot use radios to guide another hunter to the exact location of a deer (laying down) to kill it.
You can say something like “it’s 200 yards below you,” but that’s it. He told me that he didn’t see it in the regulations.
Can you clarify this for us, please? (John)
Answer: While this is illegal in some states, it is legal California.
Currently, California has no such law to prevent a hunter or group of hunters from using radios or cell phones.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife thanks Dahn and John for their questions. If you have a question, email
- Details
- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Hunters have a lot to look forward to this fall when the California waterfowl season opens.
The season opens Saturday, Oct. 7, in the Northeastern California Zone and on Saturday, Oct. 21, in most other zones.
“Habitat conditions look good in most areas and the majority of waterfowl populations continue to be at all-time highs,” said Melanie Weaver, waterfowl program leader with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
Opening and closing dates vary by zone. These dates, along with detailed information about daily bag and possession limits, can be found in the 2017-2018 Waterfowl Regulations booklet.
Most season dates and bag limits remain similar to last year with the exception of pintail, which has been reduced to one bird per day.
Quality public hunting access can be found on more than two dozen national wildlife refuges and wildlife areas and ecological reserves managed by CDFW.
Please note that nonlead ammunition is required when hunting on CDFW wildlife areas and ecological reserves. For more information please see the CDFW nonlead ammunition Web page.
It is common for waterfowl hunting areas to close periodically throughout the season due to safety concerns caused by flooding.
Areas that most commonly experience flood closures include Sutter National Wildlife Refuge, Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, Delevan National Wildlife Refuge, Little Dry Creek and Howard Slough.
Waterfowl hunters should keep informed about current reservation and quota numbers, which can fluctuate.
Reservations for state-operated wildlife areas that are closed due to flooding will not be accepted at other hunting areas, and refunds will not be issued for applications submitted to areas that are closed or if reservations are not available. Hunters can follow the Twitter tag #cawildlifeareaclosures for updates on state-operated wildlife area closures.
A valid California hunting license, HIP registration, appropriate validations and a signed federal waterfowl conservation stamp must be obtained before entering the field.
In addition, a wildlife area pass is required to hunt on many state-operated wildlife areas. Licenses, validations and passes are not sold at wildlife areas, so hunters must purchase these items in advance.
California hunters are required to complete a hunter education training course before purchasing a hunting license for the first time in California. Approximately 30,000 students complete this requirement annually.
The season opens Saturday, Oct. 7, in the Northeastern California Zone and on Saturday, Oct. 21, in most other zones.
“Habitat conditions look good in most areas and the majority of waterfowl populations continue to be at all-time highs,” said Melanie Weaver, waterfowl program leader with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
Opening and closing dates vary by zone. These dates, along with detailed information about daily bag and possession limits, can be found in the 2017-2018 Waterfowl Regulations booklet.
Most season dates and bag limits remain similar to last year with the exception of pintail, which has been reduced to one bird per day.
Quality public hunting access can be found on more than two dozen national wildlife refuges and wildlife areas and ecological reserves managed by CDFW.
Please note that nonlead ammunition is required when hunting on CDFW wildlife areas and ecological reserves. For more information please see the CDFW nonlead ammunition Web page.
It is common for waterfowl hunting areas to close periodically throughout the season due to safety concerns caused by flooding.
Areas that most commonly experience flood closures include Sutter National Wildlife Refuge, Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, Delevan National Wildlife Refuge, Little Dry Creek and Howard Slough.
Waterfowl hunters should keep informed about current reservation and quota numbers, which can fluctuate.
Reservations for state-operated wildlife areas that are closed due to flooding will not be accepted at other hunting areas, and refunds will not be issued for applications submitted to areas that are closed or if reservations are not available. Hunters can follow the Twitter tag #cawildlifeareaclosures for updates on state-operated wildlife area closures.
A valid California hunting license, HIP registration, appropriate validations and a signed federal waterfowl conservation stamp must be obtained before entering the field.
In addition, a wildlife area pass is required to hunt on many state-operated wildlife areas. Licenses, validations and passes are not sold at wildlife areas, so hunters must purchase these items in advance.
California hunters are required to complete a hunter education training course before purchasing a hunting license for the first time in California. Approximately 30,000 students complete this requirement annually.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
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