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Recreation
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To help keep the course free, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit is asking for tax-deductible donations to help educate the next generation of recreational boaters.
“We offer free online state boating courses to help reduce a barrier to boating and greatly increase your chance for a safe day on the water,” said assistant director of Boating Safety Ted Sensenbrenner. “More than 1.2 million boaters have taken our courses, but we don’t want to rest on our laurels. To educate the next generation, we need to look ahead and seek out more investments in technology. We hope boaters will help us.”
To make a donation to the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water, go to www.BoatUS.org/DonateNow.
A gift to the foundation may entitle a donor to a charitable contribution deduction against his or her income taxes. See your tax adviser for details.
The foundation offers a range of free and low-cost courses for boaters of all experience levels, from new to advanced, at www.BoatUS.org/courses.
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- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Question: I have a question about hunting on private land. This property can be found on a map but it has zero fencing or signage stating that it's private property and it has a forest service road cutting through it. It's readily used for parking etc. but on all my maps it is marked private.
Do I need to heed the map? It is possible the map is out of date. I was always under the impression that if there is no fencing or signage, then you are not out of bounds. (James V., San Diego)
Answer: Ethical hunters will always be careful to avoid unlawfully accessing private property – and your inquiry demonstrates the approach of an ethical hunter.
To make sure the land you intend to hunt is not private, you should look at an appropriate map. There are government and private Web sites with maps and map-based tools that show specific parcels and their ownership. These online maps frequently offer the most up-to-date records of land ownership.
California Fish and Game Code, section 2016 states: "It is unlawful to enter land for the purpose of discharging a firearm or taking or destroying a mammal or bird, including waterfowl, on that land, without having first obtained written permission from the owner, the owner's agent, or the person in lawful possession of that land, if either of the following is true: (a) The land belongs to or is occupied by another person and is either under cultivation or enclosed by a fence. (b) There are signs of any size and wording forbidding trespass or hunting or both displayed along all exterior boundaries of the land, at intervals not less than three to the mile, and at all roads and trails entering the land, including land temporarily inundated by water flowing outside of the established banks of a river, stream, slough, or other waterway, which fairly advise a person about to enter the land that the use of the land is so restricted."
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife Hunter Education Handbook states, "If the land you hunt on is not your own, it belongs to someone else. Make sure you have a legal right to be there. Contact the owner or person who administers the property, and secure written permission to hunt. A hunting license does not entitle you to enter private property."
If you have a question for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, email
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Specific plants of catchable trout are scheduled at 79 waters in 25 counties between now and Jan. 5.
CDFW trout hatcheries stock many inland waters throughout the year, in support of the angling public. As always, CDFW’s trout stocking schedule can be found online, as well as California’s map-based Fishing Guide.
See the list below for a county-by-county breakdown of stocking locations.
Alameda County
Horseshoe Lake
Lakeshore Park Pond
Shadow Cliff Lake
Temescal Lake
Contra Costa County
Lafayette Reservoir
Los Vaqueros Reservoir
Contra Loma Reservoir
Heather Farms Pond
El Dorado County
Folsom Lake
Fresno County
Fresno City Woodward Park Lake
Inyo County
Diaz Lake
Owens River, below Tinnemeha
Owens River, Section II
Pleasant Valley Reservoir
Kern County
Ming Lake
Hart Park
Riverwalk
Truxton Lake
Kern River below Lake Isabella
Lake County
Blue Lake Upper
Los Angeles County
Alondra Park Lake
Echo Park Lake
El Dorado Park Lakes
Legg Lakes
Lincoln Park Lake
MacArthur Park Lake
Santa Fe Reservoir
Belvedere Lake
Downey Wilderness Park Lake
Hollenbeck Park Lake
Hansen Dam Lake
Kenneth Hahn Lake
La Mirada Lake
Madera County
Bass Lake
Sycamore Island
Eastman Lake
Hensley Lake
Marin County
Bon Tempe Lake
Merced County
Yosemite Lake
Nevada County
Rollins Reservoir
Orange County
Carr Park Lake
Centennial Lake
Eisenhower Lake
Greer Park Lake
Huntington Park Lake
Mile Square Park Lake
Tri-City Lake
Yorba Linda Regional Park Lake
Placer County
Halsey Forebay
Folsom Lake
Rollins Reservoir
Riverside County
Little Lake
Perris Lake
Rancho Jurupa Park Pond
Sacramento County
Elk Grove Park Pond
Hagen Park Pond
Folsom Lake (Granite Bay boat ramp)
Howe Community Park Pond
North Natomas Park Pond
Granit Park Pond
Rancho Seco Lake
San Bernardino County
Cucamonga Guasti Park Lake
Glen Helen Park Lake
Seccombe Lake
Yucaipa Lake
Silverwood Lake
San Diego County
Cuyamaca Lake
Chollas Lake
Lindo Lake
Murray Lake
Shasta County
Baum Lake
Shasta Lake
Solano County
Lake Chabot
Sonoma County
Ralphine Lake
Stanislaus County
Woodward Reservoir
Modesto Reservoir
Tulare County
Success Reservoir
Lake Kaweah
Ventura County
Casitas Lake
Rancho Simi Park Lake
Reseda Lake
Yuba County
Collins Lake
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For anyone behind the helm on a congested waterway or dropping anchor in a popular anchorage, “too close” could mean a boat length or a football field away.
BoatUS Magazine writer Carol Newman Cronin looks at the issue in the story “How Close is Too Close?,” which ranked 10th of the Top 10 BoatUS Magazine most-read stories of 2017.
Just in time for winter reading, here’s Cronin’s story and nine other top-ranked features that can be found at BoatUS.com/top-ten-articles-2017.
9. “Favorite boating apps.” From celestial identification to tidal data, lots of handy information is available at your fingertips.
8. “Avoid that sinking feeling.” Eight ways to ensure that used boat you’re looking at isn’t a storm-damaged lemon.
7. “Leave the dock using spring lines.” With one easy-to-learn technique, leaving a tricky dock can be simple, whether you have bow and stern thrusters or not.
6. “Fuel-efficient towing.” When it comes to buying a tow vehicle, the gap has narrowed between tow capacity and fuel economy. Many new models offer both, but there are some trade-offs.
5. “Leaving a slip in the wind.” Learn five tactics to get away from the dock when the gusts are against you.
4. “Restore gelcoat shine: A to Z.” Gelcoat is often touted as a maintenance-free material, but that’s not quite the whole story. Here’s how to restore the shine.
3. “What to do if your outboard won’t start.” Step-by-step troubleshooting will help you pinpoint problems.
2. “Six easy hacks for tidier projects.” Some of the best ideas are cheap, but will save you loads in the long run.
1. “Why aren’t millennials buying boats?” Millennials participate in boating at similar rates to their parents, yet they’re far less likely to actually own a boat. Here’s why from a millennial’s perspective.
BoatUS membership costs just $24 and includes more than 25 benefits and services, including a BoatUS Magazine subscription, round-the-clock on-water or roadside dispatch with BoatUS paying the first $50 in towing services, exclusive fuel, transient slip and repair discounts; and rewards on boating gear at West Marine stores.
To join for just $24 annually, go to www.BoatUS.com/membership.