Tag Archives: upland game hunting

Hunting from a Boat along the San Joaquin Delta

Posted on October 18, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Pintail (Photo courtesy of USFWS)

Question: I was recently told that I can hunt anywhere along the San Joaquin Delta for waterfowl as long as the boat is not moving and I don’t use a motor to retrieve the ducks and geese. I am wondering if this is true or are there only specific areas where waterfowl hunting is allowed? (Ryan S.)

Answer: Many areas of the San Joaquin Delta are open to waterfowl hunting from a boat, but general laws do apply so you could not hunt or shoot a firearm within 150 yards of an occupied dwelling, cannot hunt on private property or within prohibited areas such as municipalities. It is important to research your specific hunting area and know legal access points. No person shall pursue, drive, herd or take any bird or mammal from any type of motor-driven air or land vehicles, motorboat, airboat, sailboat or snowmobile (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 251). Exceptions are also listed, including 1) When the motor of such motorboat, airboat, or sailboat has been shut off and/or the sails furled and its progress therefrom has ceased, and it is drifting, beached, moored, resting at anchor, or is being propelled by paddle, oar or pole. Although you cannot shoot a bird while your boat is under power, you can use your motor to retrieve dead waterfowl.

New Lobster Report Card For Every Trip?
Question: I have a question regarding lobster report cards. I was wondering if I have to buy a new one every time I go out. The lady at the sporting goods store said I had to. This doesn’t seem right because the limit is seven lobsters and there are about 100 spaces to fill out. Please let me know as I don’t want to keep buying these every time if I don’t really have to. (Ryan T.)

Answer: No, you do not need to buy a new report card each time you go on a lobster trip. Here are some basic tips for filling out your card properly:

Prior to beginning lobster fishing activity, you must record the month, day, location and gear code on the first available line on the report card. When you move to another location, switch gear or finish fishing for the day, you must immediately record on the card the number of lobster kept for that location using a particular gear type. New lines must be used when changing locations, days or gear types.

Enter only one gear type per line. Even if multiple gear types are deployed simultaneously, each gear type must be entered on its own line with the catch correctly split between the gear types. Only a handful of cards are returned to DFG each year with every single line filled in – using new lines for each instance of changing gear, location, etc. will NOT cause you to have to buy a new card!

Make sure to write the correct information in each field (for example, don’t enter the location code where the number of lobster is supposed to be). Use the location code number – do not write in the name of the location.

Fill in all of the fields. For example, if two locations are fished on the same day, fill in the date for both locations. If no lobsters are taken, fill in “0”.
An additional lobster report card may be purchased in the event an individual fills in all lines and returns the card.

All lobster report cards need to be returned, even if no lobster were taken. In the event a card was bought but not used, you should write, “did not lobster fish” across the card, and turn it in.

DFG will accept late cards but the data is important for monitoring the fishery, so returning it by the deadline helps greatly.

One last thing, don’t forget to use indelible ink.

Carrying a sidearm while upland and small game hunting?
Question: I am a person who does everything by the book and I have a question regarding sidearms while hunting. Is it legal to carry a sidearm for protection while upland game bird and/or small game hunting or is it considered a method of take and illegal? If it is legal, does the lead-free ammunition restriction apply when in the condor range? (Bao N.)

Answer: Yes, it is legal to carry a sidearm for protection while upland game bird and/or small game hunting as long as you don’t use it to take the game. If hunting in condor country, the ammunition for your sidearm must be lead-free.

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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 Abalone, Firearms/Ammunition, Licensing/Permits/Stamps/Report Cards, Upland Game, Waterfowl

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Dog Training with Farm-raised Game Birds?

Posted on April 19, 2012 by | Leave a comment

To train dogs with farm-raised pheasants and chukars, birds must be purchased from a licensed, domesticated game bird breeder and dogs are allowed to take birds only on the day released (Photo by John Pomerroy of Rick Copeland and Craig Hanson).

Question: I have a 16-month-old Brittany pup that I’m training for upland game. I would like to continue to train him until it starts to get too hot. I want to buy chukars and pheasants from a breeder, then release and take them on private property. What steps do I need to do to stay legal?  (Paul)

Answer: There is no longer a dog training permit requirement. Dog training is authorized so long as no wild birds are captured, injured or killed (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 677). Since you won’t be doing this as part of an organized field trial or hunt test, you are not required to notify Department of Fish and Game (DFG). However, you must mark your birds to distinguish them from other game birds and tag them with a DFG-issued game bird seal. Your dog will only be allowed to take birds on the day they are released and you are required to have a hunting license and buy the birds from a licensed, domesticated game breeder. In addition, the carcass of each pheasant and chukar must be tagged with the game bird seal prior to transport. To avoid any confusion, you should retain your receipts or other paperwork showing you purchased the birds from a domestic game breeder.

Crabbing in Humboldt Bay or the mouth of the Eel River
Question: Is it true that traps cannot be used in Humboldt Bay or the mouth of the Eel River? Both areas are popular for crabbing and I’ve never heard of anybody getting cited for using traps or rings. Thanks. (Bryan S.)

Answer: Crab traps are allowed in Humboldt Bay and in other areas of the Ocean and San Francisco Bay District, but not in inland waters. The definition of the Ocean and San Francisco Bay District includes “the waters of open or enclosed bays continuous to the ocean” (CCR Title 14, section 27.00). The mouth of the Eel River is another story though because it falls under inland waters regulations. The definition of inland waters includes “all the fresh, brackish and inland saline waters of the state, including lagoons and tidewaters upstream from the mouths of coastal rivers and streams” (CCR Title 14, section 1.53). While Dungeness crabs may not be taken by traps in inland waters, they can be taken by hand or by hoop nets in Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino and Sonoma counties (CCR Title 15, sections 7.50(a)(2) and 8.00)). Fishing is closed for crabs and other saltwater invertebrates during low-flow river and stream closures though.

Multiple limits on the same stringer
Question: My question is about the bag limit and possession limit of fish. Can one person carry more than just their own fish? Other friends say it is fine as long as the licensed people are accounted for, even if they are on the same line. If we have a bag limit of five fish and possession limit of 10, would sharing a stringer with a friend count toward my bag and/or possession limit? Would a stringer of fish in the water be different from having a bucket or cooler of fish instead? Other friends have said the fish must be in a cooler or the car for it to not count toward your bag limit but it will still count towards your possession limit. (Toua X.)

Answer: Every angler is responsible for their own fish. So long as all anglers remain together, there is no law that requires catch to be separated. However, if one of your friends leaves the area, make sure they take their catch with them. You should also know who caught which fish. If you are not able to remember, you should separate your catch. [Note: Starting this year, people who take abalone may not comingle their catch until their abalone have been tagged.]

How many shells for predator hunting?
Question: I have heard you can carry five shells in a shotgun when hunting for predators but I couldn’t find anything in the regulations to confirm this. Is it true? (Joe H.)

Answer: The maximum number of shells allowed in a shotgun under California Fish and Game Code laws is six (FGC, section 2010).

However, Fish and Game regulations limit the number of shells to a total of three (one in the chamber and two in the magazine) when hunting migratory game birds (waterfowl, pigeons, doves, etc.), resident small game (quail, rabbits, pheasants, chukar, grouse, tree squirrels) and big game (deer, bear and wild pigs only) (CCR Title 14, sections 311, 353 and 507).

The three-shell restriction does not apply when taking nongame mammals such as coyotes, bobcat, ground squirrels, skunks, gray fox, raccoon, etc. (CCR Title 14, sections 465 and 475 and the Mammal Hunting regulations.) To view the complete seasonal hunting regulations, please check out www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations/.

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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, crabs, Dog Training, Firearms/Ammunition, Hunting, Lines/Rods/Equipment, Saltwater Fishing

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Raw or Cooked … It Still Counts Towards Your Limit

Posted on March 29, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Red abalone from California's North Coast (Photo by DFG Marine Biologist Derek Stein)

Question: I often go to Fort Bragg with a group of friends to get abalone. On the first day we all make our dives, and then in the evening we have abalone and a fish fry. The abalone is all sliced, pounded and breaded. Some always remains uncooked or cooked and not eaten. We go diving again the next day and get our limits again, and then head home that day or the next. I know I may only possess three abalone in the shells. However, what about the abalone I have left over, including the abalone that has been sliced, pounded and breaded for food? Will I be in violation for being over my limit? Do I need to keep the old shells and tags? (Terry L., Nipomo)

Answer: The law states: No more than one daily bag limit of each kind of fish, amphibian, reptile, mollusk or crustacean named may be taken or possessed by any one person unless otherwise authorized; regardless of whether they are fresh, frozen, or otherwise preserved (California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 1.17). 

According to Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Lt. Dennis McKiver, even if you have leftover abalone that is pounded, breaded and cooked, it still remains part of your abalone limit until you either eat it or give it away. If you have a partial abalone left over after your first day’s dinner, you would only be allowed to get two abalone the next day. Otherwise you would be over your possession limit. If you have three tagged abalone in their shells and one partial abalone pounded and breaded and you are headed home, you would not only be in violation of being in possession of an over limit, but you would also be in violation of transporting an abalone that has been removed from the shell.

In the future, make sure you eat all of your prepared abalone or else give it away before you get another full limit or head home.

Can I keep a pet dwarf caiman?
Question: I want to keep a pet dwarf caiman and was wondering how I can get a permit to do so. I know a lot about them and how to handle them properly based on what I’ve learned from other gator experts and gator farm workers. I have done a lot of research myself and know to never release a caiman into the wild. (Ian L.)

Answer: Unfortunately, you cannot keep a pet dwarf caiman. California restricts the importation and possession of many species, including all species in the Order Crocodilia. No restricted species may be imported or possessed for pet purposes. For additional information and a list of restricted species, please go to www.dfg.ca.gov/about/wildlife.html and click on “Restricted Species Laws” (PDF).

Starting a business to trap/eradicate wild feral hogs
Question: I am interested in starting a company to focus on trapping / eradicating wild feral hogs. Does California have a permit program for this venture? If so, how can I get information and an application to allow me to do this? Are there any counties that need this service? (Joseph W., Murrietta)

Answer: According to DFG Statewide Wild Pig Program Coordinator Marc Kenyon, a property owner may apply to the DFG for a permit (depredation permit) to kill wild pigs causing damage to their property. This depredation permit contains a section wherein up to three individuals may be listed to act as an “agent” on behalf of the landowner. These agents may kill the pigs for the landowner in the manner specified on the permit. You, as a sole proprietor of a company, could be listed as an agent on this permit at the time it is issued by DFG, and then you would be able to take the pigs as specified in the permit.

Wild pig populations are mostly concentrated around the central coastal counties, ranging from Mendocino to Ventura counties.

Shooting clay pigeons when doves not in season.
Question: Is it legal to shoot clay pigeons in the same fields that I use for dove hunting when doves are not in season? (Richard X.)

Answer: Fish and Game laws do not generally cover target practice. However, Fish and Game law does prohibit target practice on most state wildlife areas, except in specifically designated areas that are identified as such.

Keep in mind that shooting clay targets produces a lot of litter. Please make sure you have the property owner’s permission before you do it and comply with their requirements regarding cleanup.

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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 Abalone, Depredation, Firearms/Ammunition, Saltwater Fishing

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