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Recreation
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- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) would like to remind hunters that California’s fall general big game hunting seasons are right around the corner.
The upcoming California general deer and bear seasons are some of the most popular hunting opportunities in the state.
With weather cooling off and leaves starting to turn color, autumn in California is a great time to be in the wilderness.
General season opening and closing dates vary by zone and can be found at https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting .
Californians enjoy some of the widest ranges of habitat and hunting conditions in the nation. Hunters can pursue black bears in the redwood forests of Humboldt County, or mule deer in the high desert of San Bernardino County and everything in between.
While California has its fair share of privately-owned land, there are vast swaths of national forest, timber lands, state wildlife areas and other lands accessible to the public that provide excellent hunting opportunities.
CDFW also offers hunts on private lands through its SHARE Program and Private Lands Management Program.
In addition to big game, fall upland game seasons include quail, pheasant, wild turkey and grouse. The California Fish and Game Commission also recently adopted regulations opening a year-round hunting season with no bag limit for the invasive Eurasian collared dove.
California also offers coveted pronghorn antelope, elk and bighorn sheep hunts through a drawing system. Hunting for wild pigs is growing in popularity and can be done year-round.
A valid California hunting license and appropriate tags for each species pursued must be obtained before entering the field. Buy a hunting license and tags online at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/ols/ or find a CDFW license agent at https://www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales/OutletSearch/FindOutlet .
California hunters are required to complete a hunter education training course, pass a comprehensive equivalency test, or provide a valid hunter’s safety certificate before purchasing a hunting license for the first time in California. Each year approximately 30,000 students complete the state’s hunter education course.
Hunters always have the responsibility to be familiar with state game laws before entering the field. Regulations can be found at https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations .
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- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is announcing the public release of a proposal solicitation package (PSP) titled Research Regarding Predation on Threatened and/or Endangered Species in the Delta, Sacramento and San Joaquin Watersheds.
CDFW has approximately $1 million available to award to grantees to conduct research as outlined in the PSP.
As a condition of funding, grantees must issue a publication-worthy final report at the conclusion of the three-year grant term.
Eligible research projects must present an experimental design that:
– Tests explicit alternative hypotheses about the role(s) of predation as it may affect the demographic status and trends of one or more of the Bay-Delta listed species;
– Samples across salient spatial and temporal gradients in the Delta and/or the anadromous waters of the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River watersheds; and
– Does not direct funding to an activity or activities that CDFW or any consortium with which CDFW is affiliated is already undertaking or obligated to undertake.
The grant priorities, guidelines and application can be found in the PSP which posted on CDFW’s Grant Opportunities Web site at www.wildlife.ca.gov/Explore/Grant-Opportunities .
Eligible grant proposals must be postmarked no later than Nov. 10, 2014 and be sent to CDFW Water Branch, Attn: Predation Research PSP, 830 S St., Sacramento, CA 95811.
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- Written by: Carrie Wilson
Fish parasites – will cold smoking kill them?
Question: I recently caught a number of trout that had what I believe to be parasites called “Lernaea” attached to them in various places.
I know after reading another posting from this column titled “Parasites and Trout” that these “are killed during cooking, effectively eliminating any possibility of infecting humans eating the fish,” but I am considering smoking them.
Would these parasites pose any threat if the trout were cold smoked rather than cooked, or would the curing that takes place eliminate any threat as well? Presumably if they were hot smoked there would be no threat because the fish are then cooked.
I appreciate any info you can provide. Thanks. (Keith R.)
Answer: First off, Lernea and other external parasitic copepods of fish are not transmissible to humans.
As far as fish brining and smoking (even hot smoking), according to Dr. William Cox, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Program Manager of Fish Production and Distribution, there are other parasites that warrant more serious consideration, such as anasakine nematodes and human tapeworms. These parasites are not reliably killed by brining, smoking or even freezing.
The only way to ensure they are killed is to thoroughly cook your fish. Generally, we are not worried about those parasites in freshwater fish caught in California. But, nematodes are a concern and they are commonly found in saltwater fish of all species.
For any additional questions related to human health issues, please contact the California Department of Public Health at www.cdph.ca.gov .
How are deer hunting zones determined?
Question: What is the history of the deer hunting zones in California and how were they formed and decided upon?
I assume the decision on the zone boundaries, tag quotas, seasons, etc. involved the Fish and Game Commission, science gathered by wildlife biologists and land managers, the public, etc. When did the random drawing fund-raising tags for big game begin? (Travis B.)
Answer: California deer zones were originally developed in 1978 to reduce deer hunting pressure in certain areas of the state.
Here’s how they came about.
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, there was a tremendous demand for lumber to satisfy a growing demand for housing. Timber harvest created large areas of early successional habitat upon which mule and black-tailed deer thrived.
By the 1960s and 1970s, changing land use practices began to change the landscape. Fire suppression, grazing and commercial/residential development projects caused the loss or degradation of deer habitat. With the reduced areas of deer habitat (and land available for hunting), the result meant higher concentrations of hunters in certain areas.
As land use practices changed and deer habitat was lost, by the winter of 1966-67 significant decreases in deer numbers were also observed. These low deer numbers were likely due to a combination of factors including habitat loss and degradation, and severe winter conditions.
Harvest numbers continued to show a downward trend into the 1970s and it was during this time that CDFW began to implement more conservative deer hunting regulations.
Fewer deer and intense hunter pressure (particularly on mule deer) required new conservation measures to sustain deer populations. To relieve hunting pressure on mule deer, the decision was made to go to a zone system.
In 1978, CDFW used the best available information (along with the public’s input) to establish hunt zones that reflected the biological needs of the state’s 81 deer herds and their associated habitats.
Currently, California has 44 hunt zones with some designated as premium hunts available through a lottery system. The zone/tag quota system currently in place is the result of the changes that began in 1978.
Handing off abalone
Question: Can two people be in a boat (both with licenses) with one person diving and handing abalone to the other person on the boat? (Janet R.)
Answer: No. Abalone may not be passed to another person until they are tagged and recorded on the abalone report card. “Cardholders … shall not transfer any abalone from his or her immediate possession unless they are first tagged and recorded on the report card” (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 29.16(b)(1)).
After they are tagged and recorded, the diver can give his or her daily bag limit of abalone to the other person, but the diver cannot take any more abalone that day.
Can mice be used as bait?
Question: Is it legal to use mice as bait for stripers and bass? (Chris M.)
Answer: Despite the fact that there are many artificial lures on the market that look like mice, real mice may not be used in inland waters.
Only legally acquired and possessed invertebrates, mollusks, crustaceans, amphibians (except salamanders), fish eggs and treated and processed foods may be used for bait (CCR Title 14, section 4.00). In ocean waters, there are no restrictions on using mice as bait for stripers.
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: Editor
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is beginning the process of developing a red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) Fishery Management Plan (FMP).
The purpose of developing an FMP for the California red abalone fishery is to further refine and implement the long term management objectives outlined in the Abalone Recovery and Management Plan and meet the tenents of the Marine Life Management Act.
The initial phase of the FMP will be focused on the Northern California sport fishery and will begin with the four public workshops detailed below:
– Thursday, Sept. 18, 7 to 9 p.m., CDFW Fisheries Branch, 830 S St., Sacramento.
– Friday, Sept. 19, 7 to 9 p.m., Russian Gulch State Park Recreation Hall, 12301 North Highway 1, Mendocino.
– Wednesday, Oct. 1, 5 to 7 p.m., Central Santa Rosa Library, Central Forum Room, 211 E St., Santa Rosa.
– Thursday, Oct. 2, 7 to 9 p.m., Marin Rod and Gun Club, 2675 East Francisco Blvd., San Rafael.
The success of this FMP process largely depends on the continued involvement of the recreational abalone fishing community as well as the general public.
For more information on participation in this process and to view the workshop agenda, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/redabalonefmp/ .