Recreation

Details

Written by: Lake County News Reports

Published: 29 August 2020

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Knoxville and Cedar Roughs wildlife areas, both in Napa County, and Putah Creek Wildlife Area in Solano County, have been closed until further notice by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife due to the proximity of the Hennessy and LNU Lightning Complex fires.

The wildlife areas are closed for all public uses including hunting and hiking.

The A Zone deer hunt season, dove hunt season and fall wild turkey hunt season will be closed for the remainder of the year.

The closures will help ensure public safety and allow CDFW to fully evaluate the effects of the wildfire.

When the wildlife areas are considered safe for public use, CDFW will issue a press release announcing their re-opening.

Details

Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Published: 27 August 2020

The first of two opening days of California’s dove hunting season is fast approaching.

This year’s season for mourning dove, white-winged dove, spotted dove and ringed turtle dove will run from Tuesday, Sept. 1, through Tuesday, Sept. 15, statewide, followed by a second hunt period, Saturday, Nov. 14, through Monday, Dec. 28.

Mourning dove and white-winged dove have a daily bag limit of 15, up to 10 of which may be white-winged dove. The possession limit is triple the daily bag limit. There are no limits on spotted dove and ringed turtle dove.

Hunting for Eurasian collared-dove is open year-round and there is no limit. A dove identification guide can be found on the CDFW website.

Please note that nonlead ammunition is required when taking wildlife with a firearm anywhere in California. Please plan accordingly. For more information please see the California Department of Fish and Wildlife nonlead ammunition page.

Due to safeguards and limitations necessitated by COVID-19, CDFW asks all hunters to please respect physical distancing from other hunters and adhere to all site-specific rules and regulations. Before heading to a CDFW facility or public area, please check to see if any regulations or restrictions have been instituted to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

All of CDFW’s most popular and productive wildlife areas for dove hunting will be open to the public during the first half of the season. These areas include Upper Butte Basin, Gray Lodge, Yolo Bypass, North Grasslands, Los Banos and Imperial Valley wildlife areas, and Palo Verde Ecological Reserve.

All of these areas have been planted with food crops to attract and hold doves. Maps are available at some check station locations. Entry procedures vary from area to area, so hunters are advised to call ahead in preparing for their hunt. Portions of Los Banos and North Grasslands wildlife areas are restricted to special permit holders until noon on Sept. 1, after which they open to public hunting the remainder of the season.

Mourning doves are denizens of dry environments, and are capable of exploiting many food types and sources. There have been a few isolated cases of avian trichomonas in mourning dove this year, so hunters are encouraged to report any birds that appear to have the disease.

While the final results of the 2020 statewide dove banding effort are not yet available, initial numbers indicate no shortage of mourning doves for the opener. Hunters who encounter a banded bird are asked to report it to the U.S. Geological Survey Bird Banding Lab. Banded birds are part of important biological monitoring and reporting of bands completes the process.

Dove hunting is considered a great starting point for new hunters. There is very little equipment required and just about any place open for hunting will have mourning doves. Minimum requirements are a valid hunting license and upland game bird stamp (if the hunter is 18 or older), good footwear, a shotgun, shotgun shells and plenty of water. Hunters should be careful not to underestimate the amount of fluids needed, especially during the first half of the season.

Most successful dove hunters position themselves near a known flyway for doves. These sites can be near paths to and from roost sites, water, food sources or gravel. Doves are usually taken by pass shooting these flyways, but hunters may also be successful jump shooting.

Dove movement is most frequent in the early mornings and late evenings when they are flying from and to their roost sites (this is when the majority of hunters go into the field). Late morning to early afternoon can be better for jump shooting. Hunters should scout out dove activity in the area a few times just prior to hunting.

Important laws and regulations to consider include the following:

– Shoot time for doves is one half hour before sunrise to sunset.
– All hunters — including junior hunters — are required to carry their hunting license with them.
– Hunters must have written permission from the landowner prior to hunting on private land.
– Bag limits apply to each hunter and no one can take more than one legal limit.
– It is illegal to shoot within 150 yards of an occupied dwelling.
– It is illegal to shoot from or across a public roadway.
– It is illegal to hunt within 200 yards of an artificial water source for wildlife.
– It is the responsibility of every hunter to know and follow all laws.

Safety is the most important part of any hunting adventure. Safety glasses are a simple way to protect the eyes and are available in many shades for hunting in all types of lighting situations.

The weather throughout the state on Sept. 1 is expected to be hot and dry. CDFW urges hunters to drink plenty of fluids, wear sun protection and have a plan in case of an accident.

Details

Written by: Nadine Strauss

Published: 26 August 2020

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Scott Winters of Tracy, the 2019 North State Modified Series champion, braved the smoke-filled skies to venture to Lakeport Speedway Saturday night and set fast time over the nine-car modified field.

Winters then went on to lay claim to the 30 lap Snap-On Tools feature event, beating Mike Sullivan of Kelseyville to the checkered flag by 2.5 seconds.

But it was Sullivan who came out on top in the points standings, winning the NCRA Modified championship by 59 points over Richard Knight of Lakeport and Ian Elliott also from Lakeport.

In Taco Bell Bomber action it was Mike Collins of Lucerne again with a near clean sweep.

Collins broke his own track record of 14.020 set just last week, was the first bomber to break into the 13-second bracket, and now owns the bomber track record again with a blistering 13.734-second lap. He then went on to win both the heat race and the main event.

Jeremy Doss of Upper Lake jumped into the Dan Camacho Legends Car and won both the heat race and the feature Event. And Dane Nissen of Williams had a clean sweep in the Late Model class. It was the first appearance for the late models at Lakeport this season.

Front-row starters Richard Knight and Robert Schmidt ran side-by-side the first six laps of the modified feature with Schmidt finally pulling ahead on lap seven. Sullivan passed Dustin DeRosier for third, and when he pulled back in line, Winters stayed high, trapping Sullivan in the low groove. Winters continued his outside run and powered by Schmidt to take control of the race.

Both Sullivan and DeRosier passed Schmidt while Ian Elliot was gaining ground. Elliott drove around DeRosier for third on lap 16 as Winters was pulling away. The lone yellow fell on lap 24 when Kevin Coburn’s car slowed and stalled on the infield.

Winters continued to dominate, and at the checkered flag it was Winters, Sullivan, Elliott, DeRosier, Donovan Cox, Schmidt, Knight and Coburn. Sullivan won the heat race and DeRosier captured the trophy dash.

It only took Collins six laps to chase down bomber leader Jim Kollenborn, and when Kollenborn drifted high, Collins dove under him to take the lead. Trophy dash winner Eddie Klein, driving the Donovan Cox bomber, followed Collins to the front.

The race went non-stop with Collins beating Cox by over five car lengths. Kollenborn finished third followed by Klinton Waite, Trevor Abella, Amber Portlock and Thomas Esberg. Both Kasey Horat and Trevor Kollenborn suffered engine problems and were unable to start the race.

Donovan Cox continues to be the bomber points leader over Collins and Portlock.

When Dane Nissen’s car blew an engine in hot laps, the Legends Car field was reduced to nine cars. But the action was still intense with the addition of Doss to the group. Aidan Daniels set fast time of 13.805 seconds with Doss clocking in at 13.869. Points leader Kylie Daniels was next at 13.947.

Eleven-year-old Trey Daniels led the first lap in the 30 lap Legends Car feature but gave way to Tom Summers on lap two. Doss came from eighth starting to take over the lead in only three laps with both Aidan and Kylie Daniels tight on his bumper.

Ethen Imperatrice’s car lost power and limped to the pits on lap five, bringing out the first yellow flag. Doss pulled ahead on the restart, but Aidan Daniels spent the next 20 rounds looking for Doss to make a mistake. With only three laps to go, Trey Daniels spun to slow the action again.

Doss drove the last three circuits with precision to claim the win. Aidan Daniels finished a close second followed by Kylie Daniels, David Lee, Tom Summers, Nick Reading, Trey Daniels, Marc Burch and Imperatrice.

Kylie Daniels won the trophy dash to maintain her points lead. Summers won the first heat race.

Four late models were on hand for their first showing in 2020, but both Mike Bourbon’s car and Noel McCormack’s car were unable to start the main event. So it was just Dane Nissen and Cody Winchel competing. Nissen won it all and Winchel finished second.

The late models, Legends Cars, Pro-4 Modifieds and Taco Bell Bombers will join the North State Modified Series at Lakeport Speedway on September 12 for the final race of the shortened 2020 season.

NCRA races at Lakeport Speedway are presented by Anderson Logging, Sullivan Const Masonry, Napa Lake Parts, Taco Bell, D&P Pools, Hillside Powersports, Clearlake Redi-Mix, Snap-On Tools, S&K Paving & Striping, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Lucerne Roofing, S & K Automotive, Under the Sun Garden Supply, Perkins Septic Tanks, Lake County Tribal Health, Don Anderson Attorney At Law, Coleman’s Custom Vinyl, Lake County Welders, Kelseyville Lions, Mike Sullivan Consulting, Lake Co. Waste Solutions, Gifford Backhoe Service and Majestic Landscaping.