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Recreation
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- Written by: Carrie Wilson
Question: I recently shot a doe with my A31 tag in Los Angeles County (Archery Only-Either Sex). It appeared to be a lethal shot from 22 yards with decent shot placement.
I tracked the blood to a privately owned ranch 100 yards away. I stopped tracking it when it appeared she went onto the ranch property. I then approached the ranch manager to get permission to continue tracking my deer.
The owner initially agreed but after one of her coworkers talked to her, she retracted her permission (approximately 10 minutes from the time we spoke in her office). She requested that we leave her property at once as she didn’t want people to think they approved of hunting.
I didn’t have enough time to locate my deer and left brokenhearted.
I don’t like seeing animals die or suffer for no reason. I would never have shot if I would have known I couldn’t recover her. I believe I did everything legal and correct but it shouldn’t be right that a deer goes to waste because of the bias of a property manager.
Is there anything I could have done to recover my deer? Do I have any rights or is there anyone I could have contacted? I’m still sick over the situation. (Luke G., Loma Linda)
Answer: It’s unfortunate that this happened. Although the law prevents one from wasting the deer, the law does not permit the trespass to retrieve it. Perhaps, if you’d contacted the local game warden, they may have been able to contact the ranch manager or owner for some possible assistance to prevent the deer from going to waste.
According to Department of Fish and Game Lt. Todd Tognazzini, when archery hunting it is recommended to hunt farther from private property boundaries to avoid this type of problem as deer taken with archery usually travel farther after a lethal wound than those shot with a rifle.
Tognazzini says he has never been refused when a fresh and legitimate blood trail is found leaving public land onto private property.
Live mouth bass for sale?
Question: I recently noticed an advertisement in the seafood section of our local Los Angeles Hong Kong supermarket newspaper where they are selling “live mouth bass.”
Is there really such a fish? The picture looks like they are largemouth bass. I didn’t think our precious game fish could be sold for food. If these are largemouth bass, is it legal to sell them in the market? (Doc H., Walnut)
Answer: I am not aware of a species called “live mouth bass.” It is not legal to sell largemouth bass caught in the wild or under the authority of a sport fishing license.
Often times the Asian markets have aquariums where they display live fish for sale. Largemouth bass can be sold if acquired from a private aquaculture facility with appropriate sales receipts.
Remote controlled boat
Question: I have a remote controlled boat approximately 36 inches long with a remote GPS and fish-finder system located on the boat.
On the back of the boat there is a small box containing a baited hook. The hook is connected to a line with an attached weight. Once the boat is located in the area I’ve chosen, the line can be remotely deployed.
The line (which can be as much as 2,000 feet long) is also connected to the fishing pole I hold onshore. Once the line has been deployed, the boat is returned to shore.
With a California fishing license, can I use this at lakes or at the beach? (Ron C.)
Answer: Yes, as long as the rod is handheld or closely attended and the fish voluntarily takes the bait or lure.
For a description of “angling” and the legal methods authorized for taking fish, please review sections 1.05 and 2.00 in the Freshwater Fishing Regulations booklet available wherever fishing licenses are sold or online at http://dfg.ca.gov/regulations/ .
Angling under this definition is not required in ocean waters.
Hunting predators when a bear responds to the calls
Question: If I am out hunting predators using a call, and it is during bear season, and I have a bear tag … if a bear comes in on the call, can I kill the bear?
Answer: Yes, unless they are electronic calls. It is unlawful to use any recorded or electrically amplified bird or mammal calls or sounds, or recorded or electrically amplified imitations of bird or mammal calls or sounds … to take game birds/mammals (Fish and Game Code, section 3012).
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
THIS STORY CONTAINS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM ONE OF THE GROUPS NAMED IN THE STORY.
A Sacramento judge last week ruled in favor of the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), resolving a series of lawsuits brought by both industry and environmental groups attacking the state’s hatchery and fish stocking programs.
Taken together, the rulings mean that the DFG can continue its Fishing in the City program, its Classroom Aquarium Education Program, its own anadromous and trout stocking and the issuance of private fish-stocking permits.
“This decision reinforces what we have known here at Fish and Game for some time: that our fish-stocking program adopted in 2010 strikes the right balance by affording public fishing opportunities while maintaining our stewardship of California’s rivers and streams,” said DFG Director Charlton H. Bonham.
“I am particularly gratified that we were able to protect our Fishing in the City program which benefits thousands of urban anglers each year,” Bonham added.
In 2010, DFG certified its Hatchery and Stocking Program Environmental Impact Report, which described how DFG would operate its trout, salmon and steelhead hatcheries, its stocking programs, including stocking for Fishing in the City, and other program elements.
In August, DFG won lawsuits brought by two environmental groups alleging that DFG’s program violated the California Environmental Quality Act.
Those lawsuits were brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, Californians for Alternatives to Toxics. DFG had earlier settled a similar lawsuit brought by the Owens Valley Committee.
Last week, DFG won the final challenge to its fish stocking program.
That lawsuit, brought by the California Association for Recreational Fishing and joined by the Council for Endangered Species Act Reliability, challenged DFG’s ability to have certain restrictions in the contracts DFG enters into for its Fishing in the City Program.
The lawsuit could have shut down the Fishing in the City Program and possibly crippled DFG’s ability to issue private stocking permits.
Marko Mlikotin of the California Association for Recreational Fishing said this week that DFG’s statements about his group’s suit were not accurate, that the group sued because the agency’s proposed regulations would have limited fishing.
DFG’s Fishing in the City program started in 1993 to allow fishing opportunities for residents of Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco and Sacramento.
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HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Hidden Valley Lake Men’s Niners golf club held a medal play tournament on Thursday, Sept. 20, with 43 members participating.
The results were as follows:
- First flight winners were Bob Chesnut and Dave Mann, who tied for first with a net 34. Dennis Bero, Bill Brewster and Joe Vallee tied for second with a net 35.
- Second flight winners: first place went to Phil Tyler with a net 33, second place winner was Jim Derosa with a net 34.
- Third place winner was Bill Stricklan and Don Holland tied with a net 35.
Close to the pin winners were Dennis Bero and Joe Vallee.
Chip ins were made by Al Burrows and Tim Greer.
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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The second quarterly contra dances will be held Saturday, Sept. 22, at Armstrong Hall (home of Lake County Jazzercise) in Middletown.
This dance will be led by Erik Hoffman, a contra caller from Healdsburg.
The live, old-time fiddle music will be provided by the Cobb Stompers, the Skelton crew and friends.
Contra dancing is a great low pressure and fun way to socialize.
If you are unfamiliar with contra dancing, it is somewhat similar to square dancing, but less formal.
There is no fancy footwork that you have to learn or memorize; you are led through each dance by the caller.
Because it’s a social dance, you don’t need to arrive with a partner; in fact, most people don’t. When you dance, you dance with a partner, but you also have many neighbors that you dance with too. At the end of a dance, you say goodbye to your partner and get another one.
Armstrong Hall is located at 15642 Armstrong St. in Middletown, two blocks behind the post office.
The dance begins with easier dances at 6:30 p.m. and gently progresses to more challenging figures until 10 p.m.
Admission is $5 at the door.
Please wear shoes that won’t harm the hardwood floor.
Call 707-260-2900 for more information or email