How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
Recreation
- Details
- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
September openers include quail (Zone Q1 opens for mountain quail on Sept. 8, and Zone Q2 will be open for all quail on Sept. 29) sooty and ruffed grouse (general season will open in various northern and eastern counties on Sept. 8); white-tailed ptarmigan (which will open Sept. 8); and band-tailed pigeon (the northern hunt zone will open Sept. 15).
Please note that nonlead ammunition is now required when hunting on California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Wildlife Areas and Ecological Reserves.
As of July 1, 2016, the nonlead shot requirement is extended to include the take of upland game birds with a shotgun statewide, with the exceptions of dove, quail and snipe, or any upland game bird taken on a licensed game bird club. Please plan accordingly.
For more information, please see the CDFW nonlead ammunition page.
Zone maps and information about daily bag limits and possession limits for each game bird species can be found on the CDFW Upland Game Bird Hunting Web page. Additional information about each species can be found below.
Quail
Quail are some of the state's most popular native game birds. There are three species of quail found in California: California quail, mountain quail and Gambel's quail.
California quail (the state bird) are common and widespread throughout the state in low to mid-elevation brushy habitats with good cover and abundant food.
Mountain quail are found in higher elevation habitats. Gambel's quail are California's most desert-adapted species and are found in the very arid lands of southeastern California.
The early mountain quail-only season starts on Sept. 8 in Zone Q1 and continues through Oct. 19, covering much of the mountainous region of northern and eastern California. On Sept. 29, the early general quail season opens in Zone Q2 for all quail species in several north coast counties.
The remainder of the state will open to quail hunting on Oct. 20 and extend through Jan. 27, 2019.
Finally, an additional two-day early hunt season will be open on Oct. 6-7 in Mojave National Preserve for hunters with junior hunting licenses.
For all quail species, the daily bag limit is 10 and the possession limit is triple the daily bag. Hunters can still use lead shot for quail until July 1, 2019, unless hunting on CDFW Wildlife Areas or Ecological Reserves.
All three native species of quail are characterized by high reproductive potential associated with adequate and well-timed winter and early spring precipitation. Northern California experienced increased precipitation this spring, benefitting quail habitat and productivity. Hunters should experience good populations of quail this fall.
All three species of quail are most active in the early morning and later afternoon and move in large coveys throughout the day. Quail have distinctive calls that can provide clues to the birds' location. Quail are more apt to run than flush, making them a more challenging game bird to hunt. Hunting dogs can be useful for locating, flushing and retrieving birds in the field.
Quail can be successfully hunted with legal gauge shotguns. A modified or improved cylinder choke is recommended to avoid damage to the bird. Because of the dense brush habitats where they are usually hunted, downed quail can be hard to find. Despite this challenge, CDFW reminds hunters that wasting game is both unethical and illegal.
CDFW estimates that in the 2016-2017 season, 51,281 hunters bagged 320,913 quail over the course of 184,541 hunter-days. Not surprisingly, California quail is the most frequently bagged of the three species.
Forest grouse
California has two species of native forest-dwelling grouse: the sooty grouse and the ruffed grouse. Sooty grouse occur in the Sierra Nevada, Cascade and northern coast ranges while the ruffed grouse is restricted to the northwestern part of the state.
The general hunting season for both species extends from Sept. 8 to Oct. 8 this year. For sooty and ruffed grouse, the daily bag limit is two (both of one species or mixed species) and possession limit is triple the daily bag.
Although they are fairly large birds, grouse camouflage themselves well and generally hold tight to their location even when hunters are nearby. They flush quickly and fly off in a zigzag pattern, requiring a quick and accurate response from a hunter. Dogs are useful companions to help hunters find, flush and retrieve bagged grouse. Nonlead shot is required for all grouse statewide.
Ptarmigan
The white-tailed ptarmigan is a non-native grouse that was introduced by CDFW to the Sierra Nevada in the early 1970s. This is the smallest species of ptarmigan and the only one found in California. They inhabit the high elevation alpine habitats at low densities from Sonora Pass in Tuolumne County to Kings Canyon National Park.
Hunting these birds can be challenging because of the high elevation and steep terrain. Hunting is permitted from Sept. 8-16. The daily bag limit is two per day and the possession limit is two per season. Hunters should prepare for difficult hiking conditions and be familiar with the area before heading out after this game bird. Nonlead shot is required for hunting ptarmigan.
Band-tailed pigeon
The band-tailed pigeon is California's only native pigeon and is a close relative of the extinct passenger pigeon. They look similar to the introduced domestic or rock pigeons that frequent urban areas.
Band-tailed pigeons are often found in mountainous terrain throughout the state, using coniferous forests as well as oak woodlands, but populations are migratory and movements can be unpredictable.
The federal Harvest Information Program (HIP) estimates that in 2017, 2,500 hunters spent 5,600 days afield in California and harvested 5,600 band-tailed pigeons.
The Northern California hunt zone season runs from Sept 15-23. The daily bag limit is two and the possession limit is triple the daily bag. The southern hunt zone does not open until December. Nonlead shot is required for band-tailed pigeons statewide.
CDFW reminds hunters that an upland game bird stamp is required for licensed adult hunters (18 years and older) but not for hunters with a valid junior hunting license. A HIP validation is also required to hunt band-tailed pigeons.
- Details
- Written by: BoatUS
ALEXANDRIA, Va – With their low battery draw, cooler operation and sturdy construction, LED lights have been popular with recreational boaters.
The lights may also be causing poor VHF radio and Automatic Identification System, or AIS, reception, according to a Marine Safety Alert issued by the U.S. Coast Guard on Aug. 15.
The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is urging boat owners to follow the Coast Guard’s simple test procedures for LED interference and report any instances to the Coast Guard Navigation Center.
The alert, issued for informational purposes, outlines reports received from mariners concerning radio frequency interference caused by LED lamps that “were found to create potential safety hazards.”
In some cases, the Coast Guard says, the interference may cause problems if mariners need to call for help.
The interference can affect VHF voice communications as well as Digital Selective Calling (DSC) messages, and it may also affect AIS because they also use VHF radio.
In particular, masthead LED navigation lights on sailboats may cause problems due to their close proximity to antennas.
The Coast Guard advises that it is possible to test for the presence of LED interference by using the following procedures:
– Turn off LED light(s).
– Tune the VHF radio to a quiet channel (for example, channel 13).
– Adjust the VHF radio's squelch control until the radio outputs audio noise.
– Re-adjust the VHF radio's squelch control until the audio noise is quiet, only slightly above the noise threshold.
– Turn on the LED light(s).
If the radio now outputs audio noise, then the LED lights are causing interference and it is likely that both shipboard VHF marine radio and AIS reception are being degraded by LED lighting.
Potential solutions include contacting an electronics repair facility to address the problem, changing the LED bulb to incandescent bulb or fixture, or increasing the separation between the LED light and antenna.
The Coast Guard also requests those experiencing this problem to report their experiences to the Coast Guard Navigation Center by selecting “Maritime Telecommunications” on the subject drop-down list, then briefly describing the make and model of LED lighting and radios affected, the distance from lighting to any antennas and radios affected, and any other information that may help them understand the scope of the problem.
If you’d like to learn more about VHF DSC radio or AIS operation, BoatUS Foundation has online courses and a free DSC VHF tutorial at www.BoatUS.org.
- Details
- Written by: Mendocino National Forest
The area is closed due to fire suppression and rehabilitation activities that create a hazard to the public, including the use of heavy equipment, the falling of hazard trees weakened by the fire and the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of fuels breaks.
Forest Supervisor Ann Carlson reminds the public, “The closure of the fire area is necessary to help ensure that no one is injured within or near the fire area. We appreciate your cooperation to keep the area clear so that our firefighters can perform their job safely.”
The closure will remain in place until hazards to the public are diminished. Forest Order No. 08-18-15 supersedes Order No. 08-18-14 dated Aug. 14.
The order and exhibits are posted here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd594338.pdf.
- Details
- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
There's a bat in my house!
Question: Late one night recently, a bat flew into my house through an open window! I was sitting at the table and it flew right at me with its huge webbed wings. I swear it looked like it was in full in attack mode. I hid in another room for a while, and then opened the door to find it hanging upside down from the smoke detector. Eventually we caught it with a dustpan and a broom and let it go. I like bats, but not in my house. Please tell me this aggressive behavior doesn't mean it was rabid! (Rebecca M., Davis)
Answer: You certainly had an interesting encounter! While it's possible the bat's apparently aggressive behavior could have been caused by rabies infection, it's far more likely the bat was simply disoriented from entering your home, encountering bright lights (and you!) and could not easily find an exit. The prevalence of rabies in bat populations is generally quite low (typically lower than in other wild animals that are carriers of the disease, such as gray foxes, striped skunks and raccoons).
When a bat enters a home or other building, it's best to stay calm, move deliberately, and open more windows and doors leading to the outside. The bat will eventually use its echolocation ability to find an exit.
If the bat is obviously sick and unable to fly, do not pick it up with your bare hands! It is best to use tongs or other means to place it in a container. Contact your local public health department and request they test it for rabies.
One other possible cause of sickness in bats is the fungal disease white nose syndrome, or WNS. WNS recently arrived on the West Coast in Washington state and has killed more than 6 million bats in the eastern U.S. and Canada.
The disease affects hibernating bats, causing them to wake up in the winter and burn energy reserves needed to sustain them through the cold season when their insect prey is unavailable.
So, if you see a sick or weak, emaciated bat in winter that is unable to fly, please notify the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at its "Report a Sick Bat" Web page for possible follow-up, in addition to your local public health department.
Such reports are an important part of our efforts to understand WNS and its impacts on bat populations.
Trading a sport-caught fish
Question: I know I can't sell a salmon if I catch it with my normal fishing license but is it technically illegal to trade something for it? (Rich, Oroville)
Answer: California Fish and Game Code (FGC), section 7121 states that it is unlawful to sell or purchase any fish or amphibia taken in, or brought into, the waters of the state, or brought ashore at any point in the state.
There are exceptions for those who fish under the authority of a commercial fishing license and those who purchase fish from the commercial fishing industry, commercial vendors, grocery stores, etc. If you caught your salmon with a recreational fishing license you are not in the commercial fishing category and you cannot sell your fish.
You also cannot trade something for your fish. The definition of "sell" per FGC, section 75, includes to offer or possess for sale, barter, exchange or trade. And to close the loop, it would be unlawful to "buy" recreationally caught fish. FGC, section 24, defines "buy" as an offer to buy, purchase, barter, exchange or trade.
Fishing license for a disabled veteran
Question: How much does it cost for a 100 percent disabled vet to fish? What documents are needed to obtain the license? (Stephanie)
Answer: CDFW sincerely appreciates the sacrifices our veterans have made in service to our country and we crafted a process to make it possible for disabled veterans to purchase a fishing license at a significantly reduced rate.
An annual Disabled Veteran Sport Fishing license costs $7.56 if you purchase from a license agent or online, or $7.21 if you purchase directly from a CDFW office. They are available to any honorably discharged veteran with a disability rating of 50 percent or greater.
To prequalify, you will need to submit a letter from the Veteran's Administration documenting your honorable discharge and service-connected disability rating.
You can submit a photocopy of this document by mail or in person to any CDFW license sales office, by fax at 916-419-7585, or by secure document upload.
To upload documentation, please send a request to
In addition to your eligibility documentation, you will need to provide your driver license, GO ID number (if you do not have one, you can create your customer record online first), telephone number and email address.
After your eligibility has been verified, your customer record will be updated and you can purchase a Disabled Veteran Sport Fishing License anywhere licenses are sold, but CDFW recommends buying online for convenience.
If you have a question for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, email