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Recreation
Why not wolves in California?
Question: Even though gray wolves are slowly expanding back out into their historical ranges, why have they not returned to California? Other western states have them.
What makes California different? What’s the status of the wolf planning effort? Is there funding for it? (Emma M.)
Answer: The biggest considerations on natural reestablishment of gray wolves into California are the smaller populations of prey species available (compared to other western states), the growing population of people and the decline in habitat to support them.
According to California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Wildlife Program Manager Karen Kovacs, while the gray wolf’s prey species is similar to other western states (deer and elk), California cannot compare with the other states on the numbers of prey animals.
In general, wolves in the western states prey on elk. And while some states have hundreds of thousands of elk, our state has less than 10,000 elk.
California has more deer than elk, but again, less than what other western states have.
Human population in California is also different. California has more than 38 million people and infrastructure to support that population including highways, development, reservoirs, intensive agriculture, etc., all of which contribute to a loss of deer and elk habitat, hence a loss of potential wolf habitat.
One other difference is that California has very limited information regarding the prior presence of wolves in the state. Very little verifiable information exists, including about two wolves collected in the 1920s. So just how widespread and what those historical numbers are is unknown.
The draft Wolf Plan will address these considerations and other consequences of wolves in California. The wolf planning process with the stakeholder working group is completed.
We are in the process of revising the draft based on peer review and the last round of comments from the working group. We anticipate having the revised draft available for public review along with holding two public meetings for additional input to the department.
We will then make any necessary changes and finalize the Wolf Plan. Timeframe is late spring or early summer. There is no specific funding identified at the present time.
California has no intention to reintroduce wolves into the state as other states have done.
For more information on gray wolves and the work being done in California, please go to www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/nongame/wolf/ .
Filleting fish onboard vessels?
Question: I want to make sure I have this filleting of fish onboard vessels correct. If I am fishing in San Francisco Bay and catch a 36-inch striped bass and a 48-inch leopard shark, I cannot remove the fillet from either fish until I am off my boat, correct?
If so, can I remove the tail, head and fins from the fish? If I move to the Delta District to fish, are the filleting restrictions different?
Thank you, as always, for helping to clarify these regulations. (Howard A.)
Answer: Both striped bass and leopard sharks have minimum length requirements and no established minimum fillet lengths, so neither can be filleted until you are back on shore.
Heads and tails must also stay attached so that the fish can be measured to confirm they are of legal size, unless the fish is still of legal size after removing the head and tail.
No person shall fillet, steak or cut into chunks on any boat or bring ashore as fillets, steaks or chunks any species with a size limit unless a fillet size is otherwise specified (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 27.65(c)).
In addition, no fish may be possessed on a boat or brought ashore in such condition that the size and/or species cannot be determined (Fish and Game Code, sections 5508 and 5509).
Can youth hunters earn preference points?
Question: If my 9-year-old daughter has her hunting license, can she apply for preference points for any big game species, even though we know she can’t hunt big game until she is 12? (Shelley D.)
Answer: No. Hunters can only apply in the big game drawing once they are eligible to hunt for big game.
Applicants for premium deer license tags, pronghorn antelope license tags, or elk license tags must be at least 12 years of age on or before July 1 of the license year for which they are applying. Youth hunters are not eligible to apply, even if it’s just to earn preference points. (CCR Title 14, section 708.11).
Number of rods while fishing with crab snares?
Question: While out crabbing from our boat, my friend and I like to cast crab snares while waiting to check our soaking crab pots.
I don't see any regulations related to the number of rods we can have out when using only snares from a boat. (Paul S.)
Answer: Regulations for crab snares (referred to as crab loop traps in our laws) and can be found in CCR, Title 14, section 29.80. Although there is no limit to the number of poles you use, each loop trap is restricted to no more than six loops (snares).
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
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is reminding hunters that the deadline to apply for the 2015 Big Game Drawing is June 2, 2015.
Applicants must complete the sales transaction before midnight on June 2, 2015.
Applications for elk, antelope, bighorn sheep, premium deer tags and fundraising drawing tags may be submitted at any CDFW license agent, CDFW license sales office, by telephone sales or online.
The following resources are available to assist hunters in applying for the big game drawing:
– Proposed seasons, tag drawing application instructions and drawing statistics can be found in the 2015 California Big Game Hunting Digest. The book is available at www.dfg.ca.gov/publications/digest/ .
– Final 2015 big-game tag quotas can be found on the respective species web page located under the “Hunting” tab at www.wildlife.ca.gov .
– To find a license agent near you or to purchase items online, visit www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales/ .
– To submit drawing applications by telephone, contact the telephone sales line at 800-565-1458.
Junior hunting license changes
Junior hunting license applicants must now be under 18 years of age as of July 1 of the license year.
Applicants with a junior hunting license will be eligible to apply for the apprentice hunt tags.
Harvest reporting now mandatory
Beginning with the 2015 deer season, all deer hunters will be required to report their deer tags to CDFW.
Any person who is issued a deer tag must submit a report for the tag after the hunt, even if they did not hunt, or if they did not harvest a deer.
Imposition of the $20 nonreporting fee has been delayed by the Fish and Game Commission until the 2016 season.
Failure to report 2016 results will require payment of the non-reporting fee prior to purchasing tags and tag applications in 2017.
Hunters have two methods to submit their harvest reports:
– Online: Submit an online report for each deer tag you are issued, at www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales/ . When you report online, you receive instant confirmation that your report has been received and accepted.
– By mail: Any person who does not report their deer tag online must return the report card portion of each deer tag they are issued to: CDFW – Wildlife Branch, PO Box 944209, Sacramento, CA 94299-0002.
D6 deer tag quota raised
The D6 zone deer tag is classified as a premium deer tag for the 2015 hunting season.
Hunters interested in the D6 zone deer tag will need to apply through the annual Big Game Drawing.
The D6 zone deer tag quota has been increased to 10,000 tags for the 2015 hunting season, an increase of 4,000 tags from 2014.
Fundraising random drawing opportunities
CDFW’s fundraising random drawing tags are open to any resident or nonresident 12 years of age or older as of July 1, 2015. The cost to enter the drawings is $5.97 per entry, per hunt.
Applicants may apply as many times as the wish. The sales transaction must also be completed before midnight on June 2, 2015.
Applicants do not need a valid hunting license to apply, but a license must be purchased prior to issuing the tag. The tag will be issued at no additional cost.
The fundraising random drawing tags consist of the open zone deer tag, the multiple zone elk tag and the northeastern California pronghorn antelope tag.
This year the program will not include a bighorn sheep tag drawing.
Open zone deer tag
An open zone deer tag allows the hunter to hunt during the authorized season dates of any hunt, using the specific method and meeting any special conditions of the tag for that hunt.
Multiple zone elk tag
The fundraising random drawing elk tag allows the hunter to hunt in any of the following zones: Northwestern, Northeastern, Marble Mountains, Siskiyou and La Panza.
Hunters may use any legal method of take. All three subspecies of elk may be hunted, although only one elk may be harvested.
The hunt dates open one week prior to the earliest season in that zone and run through the end of the regular season.
Northeastern California pronghorn antelope tag
The fundraising random drawing antelope tag allows the hunter to hunt in any of the northeastern antelope zones (Mount Dome, Clear Lake, Likely Tables, Lassen, Big Valley and Surprise Valley) with any legal method.
The hunt dates are from Aug. 1 to Sept. 20, 2015.
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Starting July 1, 2015, nonlead ammunition will be required when hunting on all California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) lands and for all Nelson bighorn sheep hunts anywhere in the state.
CDFW reminds hunters who plan to hunt bighorn sheep or at any CDFW wildlife areas or ecological reserves where hunting is allowed on or after July 1, 2015 to acquire nonlead ammunition well ahead of their hunt.
Hunters are also encouraged to practice shooting nonlead ammunition to make sure firearms are sighted-in properly and shoot accurately with nonlead ammunition.
Please note nonlead ammunition for some firearm calibers may be in short supply and hunters should plan accordingly.
CDFW held 14 public meetings in 12 cities from Eureka to San Diego to gain comments from hunters on how best to implement AB 711, the legislation that requires nonlead ammunition for all hunting statewide by July 1, 2019.
The department listened to feedback from hunters and proposed an implementation plan that would be least disruptive to the hunting community while adhering to the requirements of the law.
The California Fish and Game Commission recently adopted the implementation plan.
Further phase-out of lead ammunition for hunting in California will occur on July 1, 2016, when hunters must use nonlead ammunition when hunting with shotguns for upland game birds (except for dove, quail and snipe), small game mammals, fur-bearing mammals, and nongame birds except for when hunting at licensed game bird clubs.
Nonlead ammunition will also be required when taking wildlife for depredation purposes anywhere in the state.
Starting on July 1, 2019, hunters must use nonlead ammunition when taking any animal anywhere in the state for any purpose.
Lead ammunition may still be used for all non-hunting purposes including target shooting. The implementation of AB 711 does not affect the laws regarding the existing nonlead “Condor Zone” where it remains illegal to hunt using lead ammunition.
Hunting is not allowed at all CDFW wildlife areas and ecological reserves. For those areas where hunting is allowed, nonlead ammunition will be required starting July 1, 2015.
Hunters are reminded to be familiar with all hunting regulations before going into the field.
A list of CDFW wildlife areas and ecological reserves along with specific regulations for each can be found in the booklet, Hunting Regulations for Waterfowl, Upland Game and Department Lands Public Use at https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=88820&inline .
Information on certified nonlead ammunition can be found at www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/lead-free/certifiedammo.html .
More information on the phase-out of lead ammunition for hunting in California can be found at www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/lead-free/ .
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The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recently hosted a pheasant ecology workshop to examine possible causes of a decline of the state's pheasant population over the last 25 years.
Held in cooperation with Pheasants Forever, the workshop convened more than 45 state and federal scientists, public and private land managers, and representatives from Ducks Unlimited and the California Waterfowl Association.
Participants reviewed research from scientists at the US Geological Survey and heard from pheasant experts from across the nation.
Data collected showed that contributing factors to the decline include changes in agricultural practices, growth of forested habitats in historic wetland and grassland environments, climate change and predation from increasing raven populations.
“The combination of modern analysis tools and on-the-ground land management techniques helped us chart a map forward, which is especially important during the drought,” said CDFW Upland Game Program Scientist Matt Meshriy. “We look forward to collaborating with Pheasants Forever and other conservation partners interested in this species.”
The workshop, held on April 30 and May 1, included presentations by Dr. Les Flake of South Dakota State University and Senior Research Biologist Dave Musil of Idaho Fish and Game.
CDFW managers from six state wildlife areas and federal partners from the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complexes also presented reports on site-specific conditions that described the breadth of habitat challenges facing pheasants and other upland nesting bird species throughout the state.
Pheasants were introduced in California in the 1890s and adapted well in the agricultural regions of the state.
By the mid-1960s, about 250,000 hunters were spending about 800,000 days afield in pursuit of this game bird.
Since the mid-1990s, populations have been steadily declining. In 2010, only about 30,000 pheasant hunters spent about 100,000 days afield.
Pheasants Forever is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 140,000 members and 700 local chapters across the United States and Canada.
Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds are spent; the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure.
Since its creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent $577 million on 475,000 habitat projects benefiting 10 million acres nationwide.
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- Written by: Editor