U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service national survey to begin

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will begin conducting its national survey of fishing, hunting and wildlife-associated recreation and are requesting that hunters, anglers and other wildlife enthusiasts participate if contacted for interviews scheduled to begin April 1.

The information, collected by the U.S. Census Bureau primarily through telephone interviews to be conducted April to June and September to October this year and January to March, 2012, provides the only comprehensive statistical database available on Americans' participation in and spending on hunting, fishing and wildlife-watching in the 50 states.

"We appreciate the anglers, hunters, birdwatchers and other citizens throughout the United States who voluntarily participate in the survey when contacted," said the wildlife service's acting director, Rowan Gould. "The survey results help wildlife and natural resource managers quantify how much Americans value wildlife resources in terms of both participation and expenditures."

The survey, conducted every five years since 1955, will involve 53,000 households from the Census Bureau's master address file. From this information, the bureau will select samples of 19,000 anglers and hunters and 10,000 wildlife watchers and follow up with further detailed questions.

"The last survey published in 2006 revealed 87.5 million Americans enjoyed some form of wildlife-related recreation and spent more than $122.3 billion pursuing their activities," said Hannibal Bolton, assistant director for the service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program. "The survey is a critical information resource for federal and state wildlife agencies, outdoor and tourist industries, local governments, planners, conservation groups, journalists and others interested in wildlife and outdoor recreation."

Participation is voluntary and all responses are confidential. Preliminary survey findings will be available in spring 2012 with final reports issued beginning in the fall, to be posted on the restoration program's Web page.

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: Laying the groundwork for a day of duck hunting, Jim Fisher tosses a decoy as his dog, Willow, looks on. Credit: Fred Greenslade / Reuters

 

Fly-fishing show Saturday and Sunday at Pasadena Convention Center

Fly-fishing enthusiasts of all skill levels will want to plan a trip to Pasadena this weekend, as the annual Fly Fishing Show returns to the city's Convention Center Saturday and Sunday.

Fly-casters, fly-tiers, tackle manufacturers, authors, artists and worldwide angling destination representatives will be on hand staffing about 80 exhibitor booths devoted to the sport.

There will also be presentations, demonstrations and other fly-fishing events each day. A schedule of "Destination Theater" shows and other seminars is available on the Fly Fishing Show website.

Hours are 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $15 for adults (or $25 for a two-day pass), $10 for active military, $2 for children younger than 12 and free for Scouts under age 16 in uniform and children younger than 5.

-- Kelly Burgess

twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: A fly-fisherman tries his luck amid the seasonal colors on the Merced River. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

 

Access is an issue that affects 1 in 5 anglers

Considered a challenge faced largely by hunters, access to areas to enjoy their sport is an obstacle anglers deal with as well, according to results of a recent survey.

When anglers were asked by AnglerSurvey.com if, in the past year, they had to cancel a trip or stop fishing a particular area because they could no longer access it, 19.5% of respondents said they had, largely consistent with results to the same question posed the previous year.

The 2010 survey, which measured angler experiences from 2009, found that 81.5% of concerns raised involved freshwater fishing locations where angler access was affected by low water levels due to drought or lake draw down, pollution generated from excess runoff as a result of storms, boat ramp closures, and limited public right of entry points. Only 19.7% of access concerns affected saltwater anglers that year, but in the January 2011 survey -- measuring angler experiences from 2010 -- that number jumped to 24.8%.

While the poll did not examine causes for limits on access, 2010 witnessed several issues affecting  saltwater fishing which may have led to the jump in access issues. Chief among these were the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which closed much of the area to fishing last summer; bottom fishing closures in the Southeast; and additional sportfishing closures along the California coast as part of the Marine Life Protection Act.

Fly-fishing clubs hosting 'FlyBuy 2011' fundraiser Saturday at Long Beach Casting Club

In the market for fly-fishing gear or instruction on casting or fly-tying? If so, you definitely want to check out FlyBuy 2011, being held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Long Beach Casting Club.

This second annual event, a fundraising project of the Southwest Council Federation of Fly Fishers, will offer an abundance of hand-tied flies, used tackle and clothing for sale as well as casting lessons, fly-tying demos and auctions. 

Members of the 24 fly-fishing clubs that comprise the Southwest Council have donated rods, reels, clothing and accessories to the veritable buyers’ carnival and demonstration of the art at the 86-year-old casting club, located at 4901 E. 7th St. in Long Beach.

Funds from the event are earmarked for Southwest Council FFF conservation-related projects, including the California Department of Fish and Game's "Trout in the Classroom" program, monofilament recovery tubes (placed throughout the Sierra for discarded fishing line), work with disabled veterans, and other educational activities. 

"About a dozen fly-tiers -- some of them international award winners -- will demonstrate their skills," said Council president Michael Schweit. "Fly-tiers include Maria Rivas, Peter Koga, Lee Baerman, Bill Blackstone, John Van Derhoof, Mark Kirchner, Dean Endress, Naomi Okamoto and Steven Fernandez."

Certified casting instructors also will be on hand giving lessons for fly-fishermen of all skill levels at the club’s casting pond. 

Silent and live auctions will be conducted throughout the day for books, artwork, fly plates, fly rods, reels, vests and other accessories. "This is a great opportunity to pick up lightly used tackle and tools at a great price while helping a great conservation cause," said Schweit.

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: Fly-tiers Maria Rivas, front left, and Mark Kirchner (in orange) demonstrate their skills at FlyBuy 2010. Credit: Michael Schweit

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman, California, releases its 2011 workshop schedule

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman, California, has posted its 2011 workshop schedule on its website.

The first clinic is a duck hunt on Jan. 15 in Williams. Limited to 10 participants, the California nonprofit's president, Susan Herrgesell, recommends that those interested in attending this workshop should register soon.

Other clinics include fly-fishing, pheasant hunting, whitewater rafting, shooting and ATV/dirt-bike riding. The organization's popular multi-course workshop will take place from Oct. 7 to 9 at Wonder Valley Ranch in Fresno County.

For both the novice and the expert, these one-, two- or three-day workshops feature hands-on training with top-of-the-line equipment as well as knowledgeable and encouraging instructors and include classroom time, equipment overviews, safety and field instruction.

Registration can be completed either online on the BOW-California website or by printing and mailing a registration form.

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: Fly-fishing workshop attendees practice casting before heading to the water. Credit: BOW, California

Fish and Game Q&A: Is a loaded firearm in a parked car legal?

In support of the California Department of Fish and Game and its effort to keep hunters and anglers informed, Outposts, on Thursday or Friday, posts marine biologist Carrie Wilson's weekly Q&A column:

Question: Is it legal to have a loaded firearm in a parked vehicle while hunting? (Scott D. Beyer)

Answer: No. Possessing a loaded rifle or shotgun (live round in the chamber) in a vehicle, even when parked and you are away from your vehicle for any purpose, is still prohibited (Fish and Game Code, section 2006). This law applies when you are on a public roadway or other way open to the public. This means any place the public can go, including roadless or "off road" areas.

Q: I just went through the validation part of the Department of Fish and Game site and can’t locate the following requirement. What happened was a friend stopped Saturday at a California Highway Patrol office to have his deer tag validated. The carcass was in the truck in a deer bag and the horns were cut off. The officer told him he was in violation of the law as the head must be attached to the deer until dropped off at a butcher shop or cut up at home. I’ve never heard of this before in California. Is this the case? If so, it’s a severe imposition on successful hunters. The book says the head must be retained in case a warden asks to see it after the fact, but what if you want it mounted and must skin it as soon as possible? I cannot locate anything referring to the horns-attached issue. Why not require proof of sex be left on the carcass instead? (Bill A.)

Constitutional right to hunt, fish on four state ballots

Those going to the polls in Arizona, Arkansas, South Carolina and Tennessee on Nov. 2 will be asked to decide  whether hunting and fishing deserve the added protection of being a state constitutional right.

"When you have something protected in your constitution, then it is very difficult to use the courts or other types of ballot activities to thwart, for example, hunting and fishing," state Sen. Steve Faris (D.-Ark.), the bill's lead sponsor there, told Reuters.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 10 states -- Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin -- guarantee the right to hunt and fish in their constitutions.  California and Rhode Island have language in their respective constitutions guaranteeing the right to fish but not to hunt.

"They start with cats and dogs, and the next thing you know, someone says it's inhumane to shoot a deer," added Faris.

The "they" Faris refers to are animal-rights organizations, which are decidedly anti-hunting.

Ashley Byrne, a New York-based campaigner for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, described the hunting and fishing ballot proposals as "a desperate attempt to prop up a dying pastime," adding that although PETA had not mounted any campaigns against the amendments, it would "continue to educate people about how hunting is cruel and unnecessary."

La Jolla man dies from rattlesnake bite during volunteer trout study

Avid fly-fisherman William "Skip" Price died after being bitten by a rattlesnake Wednesday while on a volunteer trout study project along Boulder Creek, west of Lake Cuyamaca near Julian, Calif.

The 67-year-old La Jolla resident was one of six volunteers on a trout project with his fly-fishing club, the Golden State Flycasters.

On-hand to conduct a study of native steelhead, the volunteers were to catch trout in isolated waterways, weigh and measure them, then take a genetic sample and release them, Gary Strawn, another project volunteer, told the San Diego Union Tribune. The purpose of the study, funded by a California Department of Fish and Game grant, was to identify native species and develop a breeding program.

Price, who was wearing water sandles, had just started hiking in the stream bed when he was struck above his right ankle by a large, venomous rattlesnake, Strawn said. Price lost consciousness shortly after being bitten, and his heart stopped. Club members and then paramedics performed CPR, but failed to revive him.

Strawn said he didn’t see the snake, "but it must have been a big one. The bite marks on top of his foot were an inch and a half across."

Scoring a fishing trophy? There's an app for that

Following up its popular Trophy Score iPhone and iPod Touch application for scoring hunting trophies, Anchorpoint Outdoors recently introduced their newest mobile app -- Trophy Score Fishing -- providing anglers a standard method of scoring their freshwater and saltwater catch.

Similar to the previously released hunting app, the user inputs measurements, and the score is then computed according to the species and method selected.

To help with inputting, Trophy Score Fishing includes a 1/8-inch key for handling fractions. There are also helpful diagrams available to assist anglers in how to properly measure their fish as well as the ability to add a photo.

Once inputted, the application syncs the trophy information to the website, where it is added to the worldwide trophy room and becomes part of a searchable online database.

"Trophy Score Fishing enables users to compare catches with friends by saving trophies right on their iPhone or iPod Touch, plus the ability to add it to TrophyScoreFishing.com for comparing around the world. The website is fully searchable and features Top Ten trophies and Recent Trophies. And at 99 cents, it’s a great addition to any angler’s tackle box," said developer Chip Hunnicutt.

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Trophy Score Fishing screen image courtesy of Doubletough Outdoors LLC

 

Fish and Game Q&A: Can I use global positioning system tracking collars on my dogs when pig hunting?

In support of the California Department of Fish and Game and its effort to keep hunters and anglers informed, Outposts, on Thursday or Friday, posts marine biologist Carrie Wilson's weekly Q&A column:

Question: I have some questions about pig hunting and I want to make sure I’m on the right track here. First of all, can I use global positioning system tracking collars on my dogs? And what is the law regarding owning a wild boar? Can you buy them when sold as livestock from somebody who is breeding Russian or European pigs? If you have a hog for more than six days, is it considered domestic? If you buy a hog that was bred (not wild), what paperwork are you supposed to have? (Vince S.)

Answer: To answer your first question, when taking mammals, the use of GPS on dog collars is prohibited (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 265(d)).

As far as owning wild boars, the law allows only for domestic swine, Sus scrofa domestica, to be possessed alive, but they are not regulated by California Department of Fish and Game laws. All other species of swine are restricted and may not be possessed alive without a permit. According to DFG retired Capt. Phil Nelms, permits are only available for public display such as by zoos or in movie and television production, and for scientific research by colleges and universities. Swine held under these permits may not be killed for gain, amusement or sport.

Q: I have been told several times by the same person that no fishing license is required if you are fishing and have the means to cook your catch within your reach. Is this true? (Forrest H.)

Evolution Valley backpack

Right hand jammed in my shorts pocket, collar of my Buzz Off shirt pulled up past my chin, and cuff tight over my left hand — which was gripping a fly rod, only fingertips exposed — I made my way down the John Muir Trail from McClure Meadow, above, back to our campsite in Evolution Meadow in Kings Canyon National Park. The tiny rainbow/golden trout hybrids, below left, were biting in Evolution Creek (hitting on every cast), and so were the mosquitoes.

Zzzzzt, zzzzt, ouch! The skeets paid no mind to my high-tech clothing, drilling right through it and into my shoulders — and they also found my left fingertips. Ahh, spring, er, August, in the Sierra. We'd long wanted to visit out-of-the-way Evolution Valley and finally decided to do it, avoiding big passes and opting for entry via Florence Lake, with a brief interlude at Muir Trail Ranch en route. We hiked about 30 miles in 5 days.

Trout plants for Southern California and Eastern Sierra during the week beginning Aug. 9

Barring adverse weather, water or road conditions, the following is a list of Southern California and Eastern Sierra waters, listed by county, that will be stocked with rainbow trout throughout the week of Aug. 9 by the Department of Fish and Game:

SAN DIEGO: Doane Pond.

SAN BERNARDINO: Big Bear Lake, Green Valley Lake, Jenks Lake and Lake Gregory.

INYO: Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek Dam Intake No. 2, Cottonwood Creek, George Creek, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lake Sabrina, lower Bishop Creek, lower Owens River from Stewart Lane to Laws, Middle Fork Bishop Creek, North Lake, Rock Creek Lake, Shepherd Creek, South Fork Bishop Creek, South Lake, Symms Creek, Taboose Creek, Tinemaha Creek and Tuttle Creek.

MONO: Buckeye Creek, Convict Creek, Convict Lake, Deadman Creek, Ellery Lake, Glass Creek, Grant Lake, Gull Lake, June Lake, Lake George, Lake Mamie, Lake Mary, Lee Vining Creek, lower Twin Lake near Bridgeport, lower Virginia Lake, Lundy Lake, Mammoth Creek, McGee Creek, Mill Creek, Robinson Creek, Rock Creek from French Camp to upper bridge at Rock Creek Lodge, Rock Creek from Paradise Lodge to Tuff Campground, Rush Creek, Saddlebag Creek, Saddlebag Lake, Sherwin Creek, Silver Lake, South Fork Lee Vining Creek, Tioga Lake, Trumbull Lake, Twin Lakes, upper Owens River from Benton Crossing to Crowley Lake, upper Twin Lake near Bridgeport, upper Virginia Lake, Virginia Creek, Walker River Little, West Walker River Section 2 and West Walker River Section 3.

Photo: Rainbow trout. Credit: Karen Laubenstein / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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