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Recreation
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- Written by: Editor
Each year, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife opens many of its wildlife areas for these youth hunt days, as allowed under federal regulations.
The majority of state areas will be open throughout all California Waterfowl Hunting Zones with the exception of the Northeastern Waterfowl Zone, which held a youth hunt days prior to the start of the regular waterfowl season.
In the Central Valley, Yolo, Little Dry Creek and Gray Lodge wildlife areas in addition to Delevan, Colusa and Sacramento national wildlife refuges are scheduled to be open for both hunt days while Sutter National Wildlife Refuge is open only on Sunday.
The Howard Slough and Llano Seco units of Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area and Joice Island will be closed.
While many areas will have openings for hunters to sign in and immediately go out and hunt, some areas are filled by reservation. Each of these hunt areas are part of the CDFW reservation system which takes applications 17 days in advance and issues reservations by random drawing.
Gray Lodge, Yolo, Grizzly Island and Mendota did not fill by reservation and spaces will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition, youth hunters can take advantage of spaces made available at other wildlife areas when reservation holders do not show up.
Federal regulations require that hunters must be 17 years of age or younger and accompanied by a non-hunting adult 18 years of age or older to participate.
All youth hunters must have a valid junior hunting license and Harvest Information Program Stamp. A Federal Duck Stamp is required for hunters 16 years of age and older.
The daily bag and possession limits apply along with all other waterfowl regulations for the 2017-18 waterfowl season.
The regulations can be found online at www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.
“This is a great opportunity for young hunters to have the fields and marshes to themselves, learn skills and techniques from their mentors and share a wonderful experience,” said Melanie Weaver, an environmental scientist with the CDFW Waterfowl Program.
The upcoming Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days will be the last youth opportunity for the 2017-18 season. The Northeastern California Zone Youth Waterfowl Hunt days were held Sept. 23 to 24, and Sacramento and Delevan national wildlife refuges have held special junior hunts throughout the season where all blinds were reserved for young hunters.
While the time period for making reservations is over for this season, CDFW encourages youth hunters to utilize the reservations system for the 2018-19 season. Reservations are available for many state-operated wildlife areas and are issued by random drawings.
You can apply for waterfowl reservation drawings through the Online License Service, at any CDFW License Agent or CDFW License Sales Office.
The fee is $1.34 per hunt choice. The deadline to apply is 17 days before each hunt.
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- Written by: Editor
The amendment administratively restricts use of approximately 0.18 miles (950 feet) of Trail 17N84 to vehicles 50” or less, (e.g., off-highway vehicles, recreational access vehicles and motorcycles).
Saba said the amendment was made to prevent further erosion near Mill Creek.
The Trail 17N84 Restoration Project consists of restoring and permanently closing a multi-use trail segment (1,000 to 1,500 feet) and treating nearby infestations of invasive plant species using a combination of manual and chemical methods.
Trail 17N84 is located approximately five miles southwest of Stonyford in Colusa County between Trails 32 and 40.
Project documents are available on the forest Web site at www.fs.usda.gov/projects/mendocino/landmanagement/projects.
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- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
When can I get the 2018 warden stamp?
Question: I enjoy collecting the warden stamps (or decals) that come out every year. Is there a new edition coming out for 2018 soon? When will it be available? (Bridget)
Answer: Yes! The 2018 Warden Stamp is now available for $5 online at www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales , at any license sales agent or California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) sales counter, or at any of the upcoming sportmen's shows (including the International Sportsmen's Exposition this weekend in Sacramento).
As you said, the "stamps" are actually decals that can be attached to vehicles, outdoor gear, etc. Initiated in 2010, the Warden Stamp program helps raise money to support the purchase of equipment and training for the state's wildlife officers.
It also provides funding for special law enforcement programs, including CDFW's K-9 program. In fact, this year's stamp pays homage to K-9 wildlife officers, with the image of a German shepherd dog at attention.
Selling fishing flies made with feathers or hair
Question: Can waterfowl feathers be used to tie flies that are then sold, as long as the birds were legally taken? How about deer hair or any other animal parts used in fly tying? (John G.)
Answer: It is generally unlawful to sell, trade or purchase any species of bird or mammal – or their parts – found in the wild in California (Fish and Game Code, section 3039(a)) even if legally taken with a hunting license. The intent is to prohibit the commercialization of wildlife, which belongs to the citizens of the state of California and not any individual person to profit from.
However, there are some limited exceptions that can apply to the making and selling of fishing flies.
California law does not specifically address waterfowl feathers, but federal law under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act does. It says any person may possess, purchase, sell, barter or transport for the making of fishing flies, bed pillows and mattresses, and for similar commercial uses the feathers of migratory waterfowl (ducks, geese, brant and swans) killed by hunting (Code of Federal Regulations Title 50, section 20.91).
California law also makes another exception that allows for the sale of deer skins or hides of any lawfully taken deer. Deer hides may be sold, purchased, tanned or manufactured into articles for sale (FGC, section 4303). That would cover fishing flies made and sold from lawfully taken deer.
And since we're on the subject of fly tying, elk hair is another popular material used in fishing flies. However, California law makes no exception for elk hides as it does for deer so it would be illegal to use the hair from an elk – even from one lawfully taken with a hunting license – to create fishing flies for commercial sale.
Turning turkey feathers into jewelry
Question: Can I use turkey feathers from domestically raised turkey farms to make jewelry? I know that Fish and Game Code, section 3039, limits the sale of wild animal parts, but section (d) appears to allow the sale of inedible parts of domestically raised game birds. (Nancy H.)
Answer: Yes, you may use turkey feathers from domestically raised turkey farms. Domestically raised turkeys are not wild birds, and therefore are not subject to the restrictions on the sale of wild bird parts found in FGC, section 3039.
Lead-free bullet casting alloy
Question: My question is regarding casting your own lead-free bullets. There is a company in California called ROTOMETALS that sells a lead-free bullet casting alloy that is 88 percent bismuth and 12 percent tin. Does this lead-free bullet alloy have to be certified by the state of California to be used for hunting? (Ron K.)
Answer: If you are making your own projectiles or ammunition and intend to hunt with those projectiles or that ammunition in a location where the hunting regulations require the use of nonlead projectiles or ammunition, you must follow the process set out in CCR Title 14, section 250.1(f), to get those projectiles or ammunition certified as nonlead by CDFW.
A projectile is "any bullet, ball, sabot, slug, buckshot, shot, pellet or other device that is expelled from a firearm through a barrel by force." (CCR Title 14, section 250.1(b)(1)).
CDFW has tried to make the nonlead certification process as easy as possible. More information on the certification process, including a list of ammunition already certified as nonlead, is available on CDFW's Web site at www.wildlife.ca.gov.
Also, we recommend that you carry proof of the CDFW's certification of your ammunition as nonlead with you in the field when you are hunting with ammunition that you made on lands where nonlead ammunition is required.
If you have a question for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, email
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- Written by: Editor
Wildlife officers, fisheries and wildlife scientists, hunter education instructors, license agents and many other CDFW staff will be available during the show to answer questions and provide information regarding fishing and hunting opportunities throughout the state.
CDFW's license sales booth will be located in the Pavilion Building (space 3700) and licenses, tags, report cards and warden stamps will be available for purchase. Customers may pay by credit card or check, but not cash.
For the fifth year, CDFW's top leadership – including Fisheries and Wildlife Division Deputy Director Stafford Lehr, Fisheries Branch Chief Kevin Shaffer, Wildlife Branch Chief Kari Lewis and Chief of Law Enforcement David Bess – will hold a panel discussion about topics of interest to California's hunters and anglers.
The open-forum panel will be held in the California Sportsmen's Theater in the Pavilion Building at noon on Saturday, Jan 20. Members of the audience are encouraged to ask questions of the panel.
"Every year, I look forward to this opportunity to interact with hunters and anglers face to face and talk to them about the topics of particular interest and concern to them," Lehr said. "We always welcome questions from those who share our passion for wildlife conservation."
Additional CDFW booths and highlights include:
– Online Harvest Reporting: Tag holders can log onto their online profile to view and complete all tags that require reporting. The tag holder will receive a report confirmation number that should be written in the space provided on the report card. The harvest report card will not have to be mailed in physically. CDFW encourages all tag holders to use this online service to meet their harvest reporting requirements.
– Wildlife Officer Recruitment: CDFW's Law Enforcement trailer will be on display outside of the Pavilion Building, featuring an impressive display of taxidermy and a free enclosed laser-shot hunting simulator game. Wildlife officers, including statewide recruiting Lieutenant Specialist Chris Stoots, will be on hand to answer questions about employment opportunities.
– Meet Your K-9 Team: CDFW K9 wardens and their handlers will be available for a meet-and-greet in the Sporting Dog Pavilion on Saturday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
– Youth Fishing: Bring your child to the Youth Fair Expo Center to fish for beautiful rainbow trout supplied by CDFW. Each child who participates will go home with a California Fishing Passport book, an official stamp and a fish identification book containing pictures and information about 150 different species of California fish!
– Learn How to be "Bear Aware": CDFW staff will demonstrate how to keep a campsite safe from unwanted ursine visitors.
– 2018 Warden Stamps: At the main booth, CDFW will be offering and promoting this year's stamp, which features the silhouette of a K-9 warden. Proceeds from the $5 stamp support wildlife officers and K-9 teams and help fund the purchase of necessary law enforcement equipment.
– Outdoor California: Free copies of CDFW's award-winning magazine will be available (as supplies last) at the main booth. Yearly subscriptions may also be purchased for $15.
– Youth Essay Contest: CDFW and the Wildlife Officer Foundation will be awarding this year's contest winner, 11-year-old Landon Sabol of Morgan Hill, a lifetime hunting license for his outstanding essay emphasizing the theme of "Passing on the Tradition." Sabol and the second- and third-place contest winners will be honored on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the west side of Building A's Adventure Theater. Stop by to congratulate them and get information on how to become the next youth contest winner.
The Cal Expo State Fairgrounds are located at 1600 Exposition Blvd. in Sacramento. ISE show hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $16 for adults (door sales are cash only, although tickets may be purchased in advance online). Youths age 15 and under are free. There is a $10 charge to park on the grounds.
For additional information, schedules and to purchase tickets, please visit the ISE webpage at www.sportsexpos.com/attend/sacramento/.