Category Archives: Turkey

Raccoon House Pets?

Posted on April 12, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Raccoons are illegal to keep as house pets (USFWS photo)

Question: Is it legal to have a raccoon living in the house? I have seen a raccoon in my friend’s tree during the daytime (which is unusual) and they told me it belongs to their neighbor. My friend has a lot of grandchildren running around outside and so I worry this is a health issue. I am not sure if they have a special permit for this little creature. Should a game warden come out to check on the situation? (Debra M.)

Answer: It is not only illegal to keep raccoons (or any wildlife) as pets or in captivity, but it also may be dangerous. Wild animals such as raccoons can become very aggressive and dangerous to both humans and pets as they mature. In addition, they can carry diseases and parasites that can present health risks to humans. Wildlife need to be kept wild for their safety and well-being, as well as ours. Only people who are permitted by DFG (for example, licensed wildlife rehabilitators or exhibitors) may keep wildlife in captivity. To report this situation, please contact our CalTIP line at 1-888-334-2258.

Can full Alabama rigs be legally fished in ocean waters?
Question: Can full Alabama rigs be legally fished in ocean waters? (Zack P., Santa Barbara)

Answer: Alabama rigs have been all the rage, as well as very controversial, in the bass fishing circuits this year. While in freshwater lakes and Delta waters the Alabama rig must be modified (only three hooks total allowed rather than the standard five), in ocean waters no modifications are required. However, if fishing for salmon or rockfish or if salmon or rockfish are in possession, the angler would be limited to only two hooks.

Shooting from side-by-side carts on private property?
Question: What are the rules for shooting from or off side-by-side carts on private property? Legal or not legal? (Ric)

Answer: California Fish and Game laws prohibit shooting from a vehicle when you are shooting at wildlife and you cannot shoot from any vehicle that is on a way open to the public. In addition, there are restrictions in the Penal Code against discharging firearms in certain incorporated or unincorporated areas, even if you are on private property. Information regarding these Penal Code provisions are available online in the “Firearms Laws” (Booklet by California Department of Justice) (PDF) on the DFG Enforcement homepage (www.dfg.ca.gov/enforcement).

The one exception here would be for mobility impaired disabled hunters who qualify for a special hunting license allowing the person to use a motor vehicle to pursue game. The vehicle would still have to be stopped before the hunter could shoot from the vehicle. For more information on this special license, please visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/hunting/huntdescrip.html.

Selling bottle openers made from antlers
Question: I have a very small hobby/business of making (and at some point hopefully selling) bottle openers. I currently make them out of wood but I would like to make some of them out of deer or elk antlers or bone. There are companies on the Internet who sell antlers, but they say they cannot ship to California. What are the regulations concerning using antlers for hobby items such as this? What antlers are permissible for importing for use in a hobby/business of making bottle openers? Why are elk antlers not allowed to be imported into California? Can elk antlers be legally gathered or purchased from within California? (Jeff M., South Lake Tahoe)

Answer:  In general, it is not legal to buy or sell the parts of any game bird or mammal found in the wild in the state of California (Fish and Game Code, section 3039(a)). However, FGC section 3039(c) allows the purchase and sale of shed antlers or antlers taken from domestically reared animals that have been manufactured into products as long as the antlers are not complete, attached to a head, mounted for display, or in velvet. As far as your question, if the antlers are from sheds and are made into bottle openers, they would be allowed to be sold in California. Another option would be to purchase antlers from animals such as caribou or moose, since they are not found in the wild in California. (246 words)

Turkey call
Question: I want to make a turkey call from a box turtle shell. Would these be legal to possess in California? (Jeff H.)

Answer: Yes.

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Carrie Wilson is a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week. Please contact her at CalOutdoors@dfg.ca.gov.

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Posted in Buy/Trade/Sell/Gift, Decoys, Firearms/Ammunition, Pets, Regulations, Tackle, Turkey, Wildlife Encounters

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Fore!! Teed Off Golfers Say … “Scoot Coots!”

Posted on April 5, 2012 by | Leave a comment

American coots and other waterfowl can become nuisances when they take up residency on golf courses and public parks (Photo by Carrie Wilson)

Question: I am a golf course superintendent on a municipal course located within the city of Pacific Grove. The front nine of our course is located within the neighborhoods of the city, but the back nine is located within sand dunes along the Pacific Ocean and the Monterey Bay. On the back nine we have a fresh water pond, and this year we have been inundated by coots. We easily have between 300 and 400 birds this year, up from about 30 to 40 last year. These coots are a terrible nuisance and they make a mess of the greens and the fairways, making it difficult for golfers to play some of the holes on our course. How we can either remove the birds or reduce their population using deterrents or through other means? (Daniel G., Pacific Grove)

Answer: Many courses in this area seem to be having the same problem. Coots are considered migratory birds and as such are regulated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. A permit from the FWS may be required for removal of coots. Additional information can be found on their website.

According to DFG Environmental Scientist Jeff Cann who oversees Monterey County, many courses in this area use trained dogs to haze waterfowl off the greens. Hazing coots is a legal activity but it is recommended that folks contact the professionals at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for information. APHIS has extensive experience with hazing and removal of nuisance wildlife, such as coots.

Coot populations in our area fluctuate as new birds migrate through in fall and winter, and others leave the area. You can try applying mylar reflective tape streamers on poles in areas the coots use to scare them off, but the birds usually get used to this. In addition, these might be distracting to golfers.

Licensed hunters can harvest coots during the waterfowl hunting season, but discharging a firearm on the golf course is probably not legal in your area. Check with your local sheriff or police department to find out. Courses in more rural areas can employ this method of control and hazing.

Some airports use sonic devices with some success to repel a variety of types of birds. I am not aware of focused studies on using them to repel coots, however.

You can try contacting the USDA Wildlife Services offices for information on dealing with nuisance waterfowl or check with the FWS permitting office for additional assistance.

Bottom line, not much will help repel the coots as long as there is food (grass on the course) and water available for them to drink and relax on.

Shooting turkeys within city limits?
Question: We have about two dozen turkeys that are running around our local streets? If I use an air gun, can I legally kill (and eat) a turkey within the San Pablo/Richmond city limits? (Bob C.)

Answer: Turkeys can be taken under a hunting license with air rifles firing pellets and powered by compressed air or gas (0.177 caliber minimum for taking wild turkey), but I seriously doubt you can shoot anything within the city limits there! It depends on local city and county ordinances on discharging air rifles within the city limits. Fish and Game Section 3004(a) generally prohibits the discharge of any deadly weapon while hunting within 150 yards of a building without specific consent of the owner. Most city and county ordinances say, “No discharging of firearms or other dangerous weapons,” which would include air rifles. Check with the local Sheriff’s Department for the local policies to be sure.

Using trout for bait in ocean waters?
Question: Is it legal to use dead rainbow trout or wild non native brown trout as bait when fishing in the ocean? My buddies want to make sure they are not breaking any laws when shark fishing in Humboldt Bay starts to pick up next month. (Trevor L., Fortuna)

Answer: It is legal as long as each angler never possesses more than the legal limit possession limit for trout in that area (regardless of whether the fish are brought in from elsewhere). As long as the fish were taken legally, they can be used for bait in the ocean waters of the state.

Pig hunting with an AR-type 308 rifle with 10-round magazine?
Question: I have an AR-type 308 rifle with a 10-round detachable magazine. Can this type of rifle be used for wild pig hunting? (Julio R.)

Answer: Yes. Any rifle that is legal to possess in California and that uses centerfire ammunition may be used to take big game, including pigs. Just remember to use non-lead ammunition when in condor country.

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Carrie Wilson is a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week. Please contact her at CalOutdoors@dfg.ca.gov.

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Posted in Bag Limits/ Possession, Bait, Firearms/Ammunition, Nuisance Animals & Pests, Regulations, Saltwater Fishing, Turkey, Wild Pigs

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Planting Wild Turkeys on Private Land?

Posted on April 14, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Turkey strut ( Photo by Carrie Wilson)

Question: I have a few questions about putting Eastern wild turkey poults out on private land. I just love to hunt them. There are turkeys out there already but I would like for there to be a lot more. How or what can be done to get more turkeys planted on the property? (Joe D.)

Answer: Permission will not be granted to any person to release turkeys into the wild that have been domestically reared for propagation or hunting purposes. Only turkeys trapped from the wild by the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) may be released into the wild (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 671.6 (b)).

According to DFG Turkey Program Manager Scott Gardner, besides being illegal, releasing captive-reared turkey poults will not ultimately produce more turkeys in the wild, and could actually harm the wild population. Beginning in the 1920s, DFG raised turkeys and other game birds and released them into the wild. By 1951, DFG and other wildlife agencies stopped the practice because it wasn’t resulting in self-sustaining wild populations of turkeys. In 1959, DFG started importing and releasing the Rio Grande subspecies of wild turkeys that were trapped in the wild in Texas. Wild trapped birds were highly successful and virtually all of California’s current wild turkey population came from these releases.

Game birds imprint on their mothers immediately after hatching and they learn behaviors necessary to survive in the wild in the first few days of life. Captive-reared birds do not develop the survival skills that are learned from a hen in the wild, and most will not survive. Domestic turkeys have higher rates of disease which is a risk to the wild population, and breeding with them would decrease genetic fitness of the wild population. Wild turkeys thrive where habitat is good, and they need a mix of trees, grasslands and water.

Catching crabs on rod and reel?
Question: I will be getting a fishing license soon even though I don’t really need one since I do most of my fishing from public piers. I have a question about when a crab goes after a baited hook and is caught while fishing. Does it really have to be thrown back then? I think if someone is lucky enough to bring a six inch crab up to a pier, they should get to keep it. It’s not easy to do. I have had many large crabs let go as soon as they hit the surface. I have never caught a six-plus inch crab, but if I pulled one up, I sure would like to eat it. Can I keep it or do I have to let it go? (Ray A.)

Answer: Unfortunately, the law does not allow crabs to be caught with hook and line. Crabs may be taken only by hand, baited hoop nets, crab loop traps, and if north of Point Arguello, crab traps. The traps must meet the escape port requirements described in regulations (CCR Title 14, section 29.80(c)). If you find yourself one of the lucky fishermen to have a crab ride your fishing line all of the way up to the pier, take a picture to capture the memory, but then you’ll need to toss it back. Sorry.

Selling sturgeon eggs from a legally-taken sturgeon
Question: If I catch legal-sized sturgeons with eggs, can I sell the eggs because I don’t eat them? (Byron M.)

Answer: No. It is illegal to sell any portion of a sturgeon or any fish taken under the authority of a sport fishing license (Fish and Game Code, section 7121).

Where does the deer tag need to go?
Question: After harvesting a deer and filling the tag, does the tag stay with the meat in the freezer or stay with the head and antlers if it goes to a taxidermist? I always thought it stays with the meat. (Hans G.)

Answer: The tag must stay affixed to the antlers for 15 days following the closure of the deer season. If you send the head or antlers to a taxidermist, the tag must stay with the head and antlers while in their possession. The tag does not need to remain with the meat.

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Carrie Wilson is a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week. Please contact her at CalOutdoors@dfg.ca.gov.

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Posted in Big Game, Buy/Trade/Sell/Gift, Catch & Release, Deer Hunting, Fishing, Info, Methods Of Take, Private Land, Turkey

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