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Recreation
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- Written by: Editor
At its Nov. 21 quarterly meeting, the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) approved approximately $14.4 million in grants to help restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout California.
Some of the 14 funded projects will provide benefits to fish and wildlife – including some endangered species – while others will provide the public with access to important natural resources.
Several projects will also demonstrate the importance of protecting working landscapes that integrate economic, social and environmental stewardship practices beneficial to the environment, land owners and the local community.
The funds for all these projects come from bond initiatives approved by voters to help preserve and protect California’s natural resources.
Some of the funded projects include:
- A $563,000 grant to Central Coast Salmon Enhancement for a cooperative project with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Fisheries Restoration Grant Program and the County of San Luis Obispo, to improve fish passage on Pismo Creek, six miles south of San Luis Obispo.
- A $681,000 grant to the Tahoe City Public Utilities District for a cooperative project with the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association to rehabilitate the boat ramp at the Lake Tahoe Public Access Facility on Lake Forest Road, two miles northeast of Tahoe City in Placer County.
- A $4.8 million grant to the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy (ECCCHC) and the acceptance of two U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Habitat Conservation Planning Acquisition grants. The intention is to sub-grant these federal funds to the ECCCHC for a cooperative project with the East Bay Regional Park District to acquire approximately 1,885 acres of land for the protection and preservation of existing regional wildlife linkages, including grassland and oak woodland savannah habitat areas within the East Contra Costa County Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan in the Diablo Mountain Range, above the City of Antioch.
- A $2.3 million grant to the California Waterfowl Association to acquire approximately 1,670 acres of land for the purpose of protecting wetlands and associated upland habitat areas in the Goose Lake watershed. This area in the Pacific Flyway migratory bird corridor in the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, south of the City of Wasco in Kern County, supports numerous migratory birds and threatened and endangered species.
- Two grants worth $607,250 to the City of Rancho Palos Verdes and the acceptance of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Habitat Conservation Planning Acquisition grant and the approval to sub-grant these federal funds to the City to acquire two separate properties, approximately 16 acres and 42 acres in size, for the protection and preservation of existing regional wildlife linkages and species located within the Ocean Trails Habitat Conservation Plan and the pending Natural Community Conservation Plan.
- A $1.2 million grant to the San Diego County Department of Parks and Recreation for a project to construct and rehabilitate trails, provide signs and trailhead facilities, and restore approximately 15 acres of coastal sage habitat on the south side of the Tijuana River Estuary, three air miles south of Imperial Beach in San Diego County.
For more information about the WCB, please visit www.wcb.ca.gov .
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- Written by: Editor
HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – The HVL Men’s Niners Golf Club held a medal play tournament on Nov. 14.
The results were:
- First flight: Stan Kalata and Rick Conrad tied for first at net 32. Tom Marshall was third at 33.
- Second flight: Mike Higman and Bruce Hamilton tied for first with 32. Bob Brossier, Al Burrows, and Randy Brown tied for third with 34.
- Third flight: Jay Hodges posted the lowest net of the day, 31. Brian Panizzera was second, 33. Hal Weber and Ron Hallman tied for third, 35.
Closest to the par 3 pins were Bob Brossier and Stan Kalata.
Chip-ins were scored by Hal Weber, Don Holland and Gary Foote.
Fifty-eight men participated in this event.
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- Written by: Carrie Wilson
Question: In the regulations it says it’s legal to use bow and arrow to take bullfrogs. Does this mean we are also allowed to take them using compound bows? (J. Riggs)
Answer: Yes, compound bows are a kind of bow, so you can use them to take bullfrogs. Bowfishing for bullfrogs will also require you to have a California sport fishing license.
Amphibians may be taken only by hand, hand-held dip net, or hook and line, except bullfrogs may also be taken by lights, spears, gigs, grabs, paddles, bow and arrow or fishing tackle (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 5.05(e)).
Since there are some protected species that may coexist with bullfrogs, please be sure you are correctly identifying your frog as a bullfrog, Rana (Lithobates) cataesbeiana, before releasing your arrow!
Taking a deer to a butcher across the state line?
Question: I live in Lake Tahoe on the California side, and hope to tag my first buck this fall.
If I have a successful hunt, is it legal to take the buck to our favorite butcher who happens to be just across state line in Incline, Nevada? Or, would I need to find a butcher in California to help process the animal? (Scott Y., Lake Tahoe)
Answer: You will need to check with Nevada Department of Wildlife regarding their importation laws.
Each state regulates importation of dead wildlife under its own regulations. California’s Fish and Game laws do not prohibit this, but when you bring the meat back into California, you will need to file a “Declaration for Entry” form. T
his form and all directions can be found at www.dfg.ca.gov/enforcement/entry-declaration.aspx .
No deer tag, so what can we hunt?
Question: Half of our group drew tags for our favorite hunting zone and half did not. The unlucky ones will be helping with chores, fishing and hunting coyotes.
Can we carry a rifle for coyotes while riding with the hunter with a tag? Many times we'll drop the deer hunter off and then come back to pick them up, meanwhile calling coyotes to kill the time.
Is it legal or would it be best to leave the guns at camp and separate the two activities? (Mark)
Answer: This would be legal as long as the coyote hunters are clearly not attempting to hunt, pursue, catch, capture or kill a deer.
If your friends are hunting deer and you are hunting coyotes, it’s best to keep the two practices separate. This is especially true during deer season so the coyote hunters will not be mistaken by others to be deer hunting without a tag.
In addition, as coyote hunters, you cannot engage in driving deer for your friends to shoot while in possession of a rifle because this is considered take of deer.
Take is defined as to “Hunt, pursue, catch, capture or kill, or the attempt to hunt pursue, catch, capture or kill.” If the coyote hunters are involved in any activity which results in the pursuit of deer, they would be in violation.
Keep in mind that coyote hunting methods are often not compatible with deer hunting, so wardens sometimes encounter hunters claiming to hunt coyotes when in fact they are deer hunting and trying to fill a friend’s tag. This is a significant problem in areas where drawing a tag is difficult, such as the X-1 zone, so the wardens are watching for this.
Fishing in isolated ponds
Question: As our creeks dry up, ponds are formed, with some of them at the road culverts. Is it legal to fish these ponds with a pole, by hand or a dip net? (Jeanne G., Portola)
Answer: No. In intermittent streams like you describe, what appear to be ponds are actually isolated pools.
Although not apparent during the dry season, water may still be flowing, out of sight, under the streambed surface. This is often called “intragravel flow.”
Because a creek is still a stream and not actually a pond or lake, the same regulations for the stream will still apply. Fish can only be taken from these waters under the regulations currently applicable for that stream, including seasons, limits, methods of take, etc.
To view the current sport fishing regulations for inland waters, please go to www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations/ or pick up a copy of the booklet wherever fishing licenses are sold.
Are artificial fish scent attractants considered bait?
Question: Are products like artificial, scented fish eggs considered "bait" when it comes to areas where the regulations call for artificials only? My guess is they would be considered bait, but what about just plastic salmon egg imitations with no scent? Or, does scent play into the regulations at all? (Mike S.)
Answer: An artificial lure “… does not include any scented or artificial baits” (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 1.11). This means attractants may not be applied to the lure while fishing in waters restricted for artificial lure use.
In addition, some people spray WD-40 on their lures. This substance contains petroleum and is specifically prohibited by law to be deposited or introduced into the waters of the state (Fish and Game Code, section 5650).
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) reminds veterans that service-related injuries need not keep them from enjoying wildlife and the great outdoors.
America’s disabled veterans get a break on the price of sport fishing and hunting licenses and are provided some special opportunities.
CDFW offers reduced-fee hunting and fishing licenses to both resident and nonresident disabled veterans.
Any honorably discharged, disabled veteran with a 50 percent or greater service-connected disability who wants to hunt birds or mammals, or fish in California is eligible.
The 2014 Sport Fishing License (Reduced – Disabled Veteran) and Disabled Veteran Hunting License cost only $6.95 when purchased at CDFW license counters.
Special hunting blinds have been constructed to be accessible to people with mobility impairments at some state wildlife areas and ecological reserves, and at some National Wildlife Refuges.
CDFW also works with military installations on wildlife management and provides tags for those installations to issue to military personnel for deer and Tule elk hunting opportunities.
Certification from the United States Department of Veterans’ Affairs and proof of completion of a hunter education course is required at the time of application.
The first license must be purchased from a CDFW License Sales Office. Subsequent licenses may be purchased from any license agent or online, and at that time, a copy of a previous year’s California Disabled Veteran’s Hunting License will serve as identification.
CDFW offices are located in Eureka, Fresno, Los Alamitos, Monterey, Napa, Rancho Cordova, Redding, Sacramento, San Diego and Stockton.
Hours, addresses and phone numbers can be found on the CDFW Web site, www.wildlife.ca.gov .
Subsequent licenses may be purchased from any license agent or online.
Fish and Game Code, section 7150, authorizes CDFW to issue Reduced-Fee Sport Fishing Licenses to anglers who meet specific criteria.
Additional validations or cards are required for certain species and areas and must be purchased at the regular fee.
All California sport fishing licenses are valid Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 each year, and make excellent holiday gifts for veterans.
The 2014 reduced-fee fishing license applications are on CDFW’s Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/fishing/sportfishingfreereduced.html .
Reduced-fee hunting license applications are at www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/hunting/reducedfee.html (hunting licenses are valid July 1 through June 30).
Fishing and hunting regulations and more information about licenses are available on the CDFW Web site at www.wildlife.ca.gov .