How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
Recreation
- Details
- Written by: Editor
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and partners from government, education and private industry are being recognized for outstanding efforts in wildlife conservation.
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) presented the SFI Conservation Leadership Award for conservation work to CDFW, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, North Carolina State University and Sierra Pacific Industries at its annual conference in Squaw Valley on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
The award is for the partnership's work related to the fisher, a large member of the weasel family that ranges from California to British Columbia, including the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Researchers are working to better understand fisher habitat and to restore the animals to some areas where they were historically found.
"It's wonderful to have CDFW scientists and staff recognized on a national level for their dedication and hard work protecting a precious state resource," said Neil Manji, manager of CDFW's Northern Region. "We thank SFI for the award and look forward to continuing to work with our partners in the coming years."
Because of declining habitat and population losses, fishers in Oregon, Washington and California are proposed for federal listing as a threatened species.
Recently the California Fish and Game Commission voted to list fishers in the southern Sierra Nevada as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act.
Beginning in 2009, 40 fishers were captured on public and private timberlands in northwestern California and released onto Sierra Pacific Industries' Stirling Management Area, east of Chico.
The released fishers and their offspring have been studied since that time and the results indicate that a small population was successfully established.
The restoration of fishers to this area has strengthened the population of fishers in northern California by expanding their range.
It has also created a unique opportunity to study fishers on a landscape managed for multiple objectives including wildlife habitat, ecosystem services and forest products.
This was the first time fishers have been restored to their original habitat in California. The project is a collaborative success story showing how wildlife agencies, universities and private timberland owners can collaborate to conserve wildlife.
- Details
- Written by: Editor
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is offering a number of special hunt opportunities for young hunters, women, families and mobility-impaired hunters this fall and winter.
All hunt opportunities are now listed on CDFW’s Web site.
Below are the hunts with application due dates in early and mid-November:
Tuesday, Nov. 3:
Siskiyou County: Two junior pen-raised pheasant hunts will be held Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Shasta Valley Wildlife Area. Each hunt (morning and afternoon) will accommodate 25 hunters.
Tehama County: Two junior pen-raised pheasant hunts will be held Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Sacramento River Bend. Each hunt (morning and afternoon) can accommodate 30 hunters.
Sonoma County: Two junior pen-raised pheasant hunts will be held Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area, Ringstrom Bay Unit and Valley of the Moon Trap Club. Each hunt (morning and afternoon) can accommodate 10 hunters. A practice shooting session will be held at the range prior to each hunt and lunch will be provided at noon for both groups (donated by volunteer members of the Valley of the Moon Trap Club).
Yolo County: Two junior pen-raised pheasant hunts will be held Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. Each hunt (morning and afternoon) can accommodate 10 hunters.
Solano County: Two junior pen-raised pheasant hunts will be held Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area. Each hunt (morning and afternoon) can accommodate 40 hunters.
San Joaquin County: Two junior pen-raised pheasant hunts will be held Saturday, Nov. 21 at the White Slough Wildlife Area. Each hunt (morning and afternoon) can accommodate 10 hunters.
Merced County: Four junior pen-raised pheasant hunts will be held Saturday, Nov. 21 and Sunday, Nov. 22 at the O’Neill Forebay Wildlife Area. Each hunt (two each day) will accommodate 25 hunters.
Los Angeles County: One junior pen-raised pheasant hunt will be held Sunday, Nov. 22 at Peace Valley. This hunt can accommodate 12 hunters. Hunters may bring their own dogs (please indicate your intention to do so on the application).
Wednesday, Nov. 4:
Madera County: An all-day mobility impaired pheasant hunt will be held on Saturday, Nov. 21, on private property near the town of Chowchilla. This hunt can accommodate 25 hunters with impairments that restrict their mobility to the use of a wheelchair. Successful adult applicants typically pay an $18 fee for hunts on private lands; however, the landowner will waive all fees for this hunt.
Wednesday, Nov. 11:
Madera County: Two family pheasant hunts will be held Sunday, Nov. 29 near the city of Raymond on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property adjacent to Hensley Lake. Each hunt (morning and afternoon) can accommodate 25 hunters.
Tulare County: Two family pheasant hunts are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 28. These hunts are sponsored by the White Ranch Land Company in Alpaugh. Each hunt (morning and afternoon) can accommodate 50 hunters.
Please note that many of these opportunities will be held on state wildlife areas or ecological reserves. As of July 1, 2015, nonlead ammunition is required when hunting upland game birds on these properties. For more information please see CDFW’s nonlead ammunition page.
CDFW’s Upland Game Bird Special Hunts are intended for beginning hunters or those with limited experience. Apprentice applicants must have successfully completed a hunter education course and possess a valid 2015-2016 California junior hunting license. Adult hunters (18 or older) must also have an upland game bird validation. A non-hunting adult 18 years of age or older is required to accompany all junior hunt participants. A non-hunting chaperone who is 18 years or older may supervise up to two apprentice hunters. Two hunters and a chaperone may submit a single application as one party.
Proper clothing and safety gear, including blaze orange, is required for department-sponsored hunts. All hunts include gun safety review, easy-to-hunt topography, a high ratio of volunteers to hunters, experienced dog handlers and clay shooting for practice.
Hunters can find more information and apply for any of these hunts online at www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting . There is no charge to apply. Please note that additional hunts in December and January are listed on the website and are also open for registration. Only the hunts with applications due in the first half of November are listed above.
New hunters can use their Hunter Education Certificate number for priority registration for apprentice hunts. Applicants with priority will be automatically placed in a hunt before the random drawing takes place.
The full upland game bird hunting regulations and a summary for 2015-2016 can be found on CDFW’s Web site.
- Details
- Written by: Editor
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Join the Redbud Audubon Society for its October field trip on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Camp Indian Meadows, 12995 Bottlerock Road in Kelseyville.
The trip will begin at 9 a.m.
The best place to meet for this event is at the cemetery on Bottlerock Road, 500 feet before you get to Camp Indian Meadows if you are coming on Bottlerock from Highway 29 out of Kelseyville.
This will be an enjoyable walk with possible viewing of migrating songbirds, raptors and woodpeckers. This area was not burned by the Valley fire and is safe to enter.
If you have any questions call Pat Harmon at 707-263-4977 or Roberta Lyons, 707-994-2024.
More information will be available at the Audubon meeting on Thursday, Oct. 15.
- Details
- Written by: Editor
HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – The 40-9ers Ladies Golf Club held an event on Oct. 8.
The results were as follows:
– Flight one: First place, Nancy Erickson, 32; second place, Joy Ryan, 33.
– Flight two: First place, Gwen De Rosa, 27; second place, Elaine Fauser, 32; third place, Liz Cummesky, 33.
– Flight three: First place, Toni Stratton, 29; second place, Floydean Greenlow, 34; third place, Connie Mohun, 36.
- California Outdoors: Shotgun for protection when fishing, photography in marine protected areas, one pig tag for each feral pig taken
- Waterfowl hunting seasons opening soon; drought conditions may limit opportunities
- Shasta County hatchery closed for environmental renovations, expected to reopen in late fall