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Recreation
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- Written by: Carrie Wilson
Question: I was always taught as a kid fishing in the streams in the high Sierras and Mother Lode lakes that a child under 16 had to count their catches under their licensed parent’s or other adult’s license on site.
My question is, can a child capable of catching their own fish without assistance from an adult catch a limit of trout, for example, separate from a licensed adult? I see this come up with parents who want to take their kids fishing (and the kids really want to learn how to fish!), but the parents are not interested enough to buy a fishing license.
I’m interested in taking a group of kids fishing but can’t figure out how many licenses we’ll need and how many fish we can legally take. Some of these kids are too young for a license but really want to catch their own fish. Can you please clarify this for me? (Doug M.)
Answer: A child or young adult 15 years of age or younger does not need a fishing license to catch their own limit of fish. They also do not need to put their catches under an adult guardian’s license limit. All of the same regulations apply for them except the requirement to purchase a fishing license. However, if fishing for sturgeon, abalone, lobster or steelhead (which all need additional report cards), then they will have to purchase those.
Tips for pig hunting
Question: What are the rules for hunting wild pigs and where can I find maps or private farms were I can go to hunt them? (Isaac G.)
Answer: According to Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Wild Pig Program Manager Marc Kenyon, “I am asked this same question all the time!” Before going into the field, Kenyon suggests you first read the California Mammal Hunting Regulations, especially sections 352-355 and 368 ( www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/current/mammalregs.aspx ).
A good reference publication is DFG’s “Guide to Hunting Wild Pigs in California.” It details some of the finer points of hunting pigs and provides hunting information for public lands. To download, go to:
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=23231 . DFG also offers some special pig hunts, some of which are on private lands (see www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/pig/specialhunts.html ). In addition, commercial hunting club information can be found at: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=38624&;inline=true .
Lastly, you may benefit from attending an advanced pig hunting education clinic. These clinics take basic hunter education to the next level by having experienced hunters teach advanced techniques, pig behavior, hunter ethics and more. They also provide a discussion of places to go and a demonstration of cleaning and butchering a pig.
More information and a schedule of upcoming classes are available at:
www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/advanced/ .
Storing abalone in the freezer
Question: Regulations literally say abalone must remain in the shell until ready for immediate consumption. Does an abalone stored at home in the freezer really have to remain in the shell? If so, if intestines and guts are still attached, isn’t there a possibility of food poisoning occurring? (Anonymous)
Answer: The law does require that abalone remain attached to the shell until ready for immediate consumption. If you freeze the entire abalone whole and intact until ready for immediate consumption, the flesh and the guts are both preserved by freezing and should offer no health risks.
California or Arizona license required?
Question: I’m going camping in Buckskin Mountain State Parkin Arizona. Am I allowed to fish on the Colorado River there with a California fishing license since the river is split with California? Would I have to be on the other side of the river with my current license or would I need a fishing stamp (Colorado River Validation)? (Aye F.)
Answer: Your California fishing license is only valid when fishing from shore on the California side of the Colorado River. In order to fish from a boat in the Colorado River, you must have both a California sport fishing license and an Arizona special use stamp or validation.
The required Colorado river stamp must be purchased through a California DFG license agent in the area. Arizona licensees must buy their stamps through Arizona Game and Fish Department license agents.
For more information, please review the 2012-2013 Freshwater Sportfishing Regulation booklet (page 7) available wherever sportfishing licenses are sold or online at
www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations/FreshFish-Mar2012/ .
Carrie Wilson is a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week. Please contact her at
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- Written by: Editor
The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) will offer several Monday pheasant hunting opportunities at northern California Type A wildlife areas in 2012.
The pheasant season opened on Nov. 10 and the length of the season will remain the same: 44 consecutive days for the general season and 60 consecutive days for the archery season.
For the 2012 hunting season, wildlife areas are open for pheasant hunting as follows:
Type A wildlife areas in the Sacramento Valley (Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, Delevan National Wildlife Refuge, Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area and Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area) will be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, and only the first Monday (Nov. 12) of the pheasant season.
Grizzly Island Wildlife Area will be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, and only the second Monday (Nov. 19) of the pheasant season.
Type A wildlife areas in the San Joaquin Valley (Los Banos Wildlife Area, Mendota Wildlife Area, North Grasslands Wildlife Area and San Luis National Wildlife Refuge) will be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays only during the pheasant season.
Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge will be open for pheasant hunting on the first Monday of the pheasant season (Nov. 12).
The Wister Unit of Imperial Wildlife Area in Imperial County and San Jacinto Wildlife Area in Riverside County will be closed to pheasant hunting this year.
Type C wildlife areas will remain open as normal.
DFG reduced the number of days that certain wildlife areas were open for pheasant hunting in recent years due to a decline the number of hunters targeting pheasant and the cost to operate check stations during the first week of the season.
Some of those reductions will remain in place for 2012, but pheasant hunting will be offered in some locations on the first or second Monday of the season.
The modifications of the shoot days on Type A wildlife areas are pursuant to subsections 550(b)(1) and 550(b)(2) of Title 14, California Code of Regulations.
Reports and publications on pheasant harvest can be found at www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/uplandgame .
A list of wildlife areas can be found in the current Waterfowl and Upland Game Hunting Regulations booklet ( www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations/ ).
For more information on specific hunting opportunities, hunters should contact their regional DFG office.
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The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and International Sportsmen’s Expositions (ISE) have teamed up to offer a youth essay contest.
“Our hunter education program is dedicated to passing on this time-honored tradition for generations to come,” said Capt. Roy Griffith, DFG’s Hunter Education Program Administrator. “With 21,000 students passing through our program each year, we felt it was more important than ever to reward one individual with a lifetime California hunting license, valued at over $600.”
Holders of a junior hunting license and youth under 16 who have valid 2012 hunter education certificate are eligible. To enter, contestants need to submit an essay, 500 words or less, on what “Passing on the Tradition” means to them.
Participants are encouraged to write about conservation, sportsmanship and ethics.
APPLYING: Submissions must include name, date of birth, and a contact number. Entries must be received on or before Dec. 20, 2012 and sent to: Lt. John Nores, P.O. Box 1, San Martin, CA 95046.
JUDGING: Essays will be reviewed and scored by the stars of National Geographic’s Wild Justice TV show.
AWARD CEREMONY: The winner will be notified by phone and must be present with his or her parents/guardians for the grand prize at the ISE show – Hall A, Sacramento’s Adventure Theater stage on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013.
For additional information contact Lt. John Nores at 408-591-5174.
To find out more information on becoming a Hunter Education Instructor and help “Pass on the Tradition” visit: www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered .
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- Written by: Editor
HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – The HVL Men’s Niners Golf Club held a Pinehurst (two-man teams) competition on Thursday, Nov. 8.
The results were:
- “A” Flight: Bill Brewster/Randy Brown finished first with net 29. Bob Chesnut/Fred Figg was second at 32. Paul Bertlin/Joe Vallee, Tim Greer/Bruce Hamilton, and Jim Wilson/Doug Healy tied for third with 33.
- “B” Flight: The father/son team of Jim Hodges/Jay Hodges took first with the low net of the day, 28. Doug Carter/Tommy Sowell and Hal Weber/Dennis Day tied for second at 29.
Closest to the par 3 pins were Stan Kalata and Jay Hodges.
The only chip-in was scored by Paul Bertlin.
Forty men participated in the day’s events.