Pete Thomas Outdoors

California Fish & Game commissioner should not resign over legal cougar hunt

News item: Dan Richards, president of the California Fish and Game Commission, announces that he has no plans to step down amid harsh criticism that has not ebbed since a photo surfaced in January, showing Richards posing with a mountain lion he killed during a guided hunt in Idaho.

The calls have come from animal rights groups, not unexpectedly, but also 40 legislators who this week delivered Richards a signed letter admonishing the commissioner for failing to respect "the laws of the people in California," and questioning his ability "to adequately enforce those laws."

Reaction: Richards was participating in a legal hunt and should not be forced to resign under pressure that was inspired, originally, by animal rights groups. At worst, the commissioner exercised poor judgement by providing a photograph of him posing with the dead cougar to an outdoors publication. He should have known that would ultimately land him in the anti-hunters' cross-hairs (see photo above).

But while hunting mountain lions is not legal in California, it is allowed in Idaho and other states, mostly as a means of keeping mountain lion numbers in check. Whatever a person's viewpoint, big-game hunting for meat or trophies is legal, even in California (for species such as bear and deer).

Said Richards to the San Diego Union-Tribune: "I’m not apologizing about anything because I didn’t do anything illegal. I didn’t share [the photo] with the world. The Humane Society of the United States shared it with the world. There is zero resign in me."
 
What's unique about the mountain lion issue in California is that voters, not the Fish and Game Commission or the Department of Fish and Game, were behind the movement to protect the big cats, which have been off limits since the passing of Proposition 117 in 1990. (The ban was not based on scientific evidence that proved sport hunting was a threat to the state's cougar population.)

But Prop 117 mentioned nothing about a citizen's right to travel to other states and participate in legal mountain lion hunts, which are deemed important by those states as a means of managing animal populations.

So the notion that Richards failed to respect the laws of people in California seems ridiculous. If Californians voted to impose a ban on trout fishing, for whatever reason, should Richards be admonished for vacationing in Montana and casting a line for trophy rainbows?

Surely, the Legislature -- unless its hidden agenda is to remove one of only two pro-hunting members from what's supposed to be a balanced Fish & Game commission -- has more important issues to grapple with.

To be sure, Californians would be better off if these Assembly members would get to work on those issues sooner rather than later, because this insignificant issue has received far too much attention.

-- Pete Thomas

Editor's note: This report was not written by a Republican, a hunter or because of any pro-hunting agenda. It's just an opinion, written in the interest of fairness

'Dolphin stampede' video stirs up unfounded criticism

Dana Wharf Whale Watching has been making headlines recently because of a video the landing uploaded on Feb. 23, titled "Dana Point Dolphin Stampede." It shows perhaps 2,000 common dolphins swimming and porpoising with high energy alongside the Dana Pride as it plowed through the water off the Orange County coast (see video below.)

But some of the comments attached to the YouTube video or website reports  -- and, in at least one case, the report itself -- have unfairly implied that the Dana Pride captain was frightening or endangering the mammals.

Apparently, many people are not familiar with a phenomenon that is spectacular, but not uncommon. Common dolphins are famous for chasing after boats -- often from great distances -- to swim in their wakes and leap alongside them.

I've witnessed this behavior dozens of times. In fact, dolphin encounters of this nature are a staple of the Southern California whale-watching industry, although pods are often much smaller.

So I was surprised to see this passage in a Discovery News blog report posted Tuesday: "Contrary to the idea that the dolphins are having a grand ol' time, it's more likely that the noise, vibration and water turbulence caused by the boat may have frightened the dolphins, which all reacted at once."

The next sentence reads, "As one YouTube commenter asks: 'Do you really have to drive your boat through the middle of them?' "

The reality is, when large pods of common dolphins are close to a moving boat, it's virtually impossible to avoid these types of encounters. The mammals do seem to enjoy the interaction, and they're amazingly adept at avoiding moving vessels.

Southern California researcher Alisa Schulman-Janiger, who has spent years studying local marine mammals, said she has never witnessed common dolphins exhibiting what resembles a negative reaction to a boat.

"They either ignore the boat, usually if they're feeding, or they race over to the boat," the researcher said.

Donna Kalez, who manages Dana Wharf Whale Watching, said misleading comments have appeared elsewhere, too, such as beneath a video report posted recently on the Weather Channel website.

One of them reads, "I want to know why the boat didn't stop instead of plowing through those dolphins? I wonder how many of them got hit."

The answer, almost assuredly, is zero.

-- Pete Thomas

Man shot by own weapon, twice, while trying to kill raccoon

Here's a bizarre story that might amuse those who oppose hunting and trapping, and believe strongly in karma.

It involves a man in Redfield, Iowa, who is recovering from two gunshot wounds inflicted by the 22-caliber handgun he was using Saturday to try to shoot a raccoon that had wandered into one of his live traps.

When Larry Godwin, 68, tried shooting the animal the bullet ricocheted off the trap and struck him in the lower abdomen.

Godwin then dropped the handgun and it fired again, striking him in the same area.

The Associates Press reports that the wounds are not believed to be life-threatening, but it remains unclear what became of the raccoon.

-- Generic raccoon image is courtesy of Wikipedia

How to transport multiple waterfowl limits to meat processor?

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

Question: I had a good waterfowl season and gave many ducks to friends who wanted to try duck. I also shared some duck jerky with them and they loved it!  Now they all want some jerky or sausage, too! I called the butcher and found out they require 25 lbs. of meat to make a batch of sausage. I weighed my possession limit and it doesn’t come close enough to make the weight. How do I legally bring enough ducks to the processor without putting myself into an overlimit in possession situation? (Gino B.)

Answer: Most hunters are aware they cannot take or possess more than a daily bag of ducks in one calendar day, and they know they cannot possess more than a legal possession limit (double the daily bag limit) of ducks at any time… unless the birds are tagged.

In addition, all waterfowl must retain the head or one attached fully feathered wing between the place where taken and the hunter’s personal abode (where he/she lives when not hunting) or the personal abode of a person receiving the birds as a gift, or a Migratory Bird Preservation Facility.

According to Department of Fish and Game Northern Enforcement District Chief Mike Carion, any person is allowed to have a possession limit of birds as long as they were taken legally by a licensed hunter. In addition, if you live at home with a significant other and three children (for example), you can possess five possession limits of waterfowl in that home.

British Columbia cougars found to prey on seals, sea lions

Mountain lions in British Columbia's Pacific Rim National Park Reserve like to fatten up on black-tailed deer, but also on unlikely prey items such as harbor seals and sea lions.

Researchers made the surprising discovery -- believed to be the first showing that cougars prey on marine mammals -- after collecting scat samples for a recent diet analysis.

They also were surprised to learn that black-tailed deer comprise only a quarter of the predators' diet, and that raccoons are their top food source.

But seals and sea lions?

"This is really interesting; imagine a cougar stalking its way across a barnacle-infested reef," researcher Chris Darimont told the Leader-Post newspaper. "I know of no other account of cougars eating a marine mammal.

"But I'm not completely shocked. There is some pretty delicious seafood out there. Seals are loaded with calories, fat and protein. They're big prizes, and, compared with deer, a little safer to hunt."

The analysis involved 29 scat samples from a vast park area along Vancouver Island's west coast. It showed that raccoons comprised 28% of the cougars' diet; harbor seals 24%; black-tailed deer 24%; river otters 10%; sea lions 7%; mink 4%, and unknown species 3%.

Prey items were identified through scat examination but also carcass analysis in the field.

Angler battles killer whale on New Zealand fishing trip

A team fishing in a recent tuna and marlin tournament off New Zealand became the talk of the event because of what it hooked but had no chance of landing: a large killer whale.

In an extremely rare occurrence off Gisborne, the killer whale became hooked on a lure being trolled behind the boat.

Angler Charlie Destounis took the rod and fought the cetacean for about 45 minutes before the line broke. The killer whale made repeated runs of about 750 yards and the reel was literally smoking before the end of the struggle.

Robby Lewis, a renowned angler and captain of the boat, told the Waikato Times, "I thought I was hallucinating. I've never heard of it, and I've done a lot of fishing. To see what we saw was unbelievable."

The hookup occurred in an area where tuna were leaping. About five killer whales, or orcas, were apparently feeding in the vicinity.

One of the orcas began to porpoise in the wake of the 24-foot boat, C Crazy 2,  and "all of a sudden it dived out of the water and landed on the lure," Lewis said.

The orca nearly spooled the reel on its initial run. The group considered cutting the line long before the battle ended, but didn't want to leave so much line dangling from the mammal.

New Zealand orca expert Ingrid Visser told the Waikito Times that orcas "understand the concept of hooks to some degree" and are rarely snared. She guessed that the orca probably was curious about the lure and accidentally became foul-hooked.

The scientist advises against trolling while in the presence of orcas.

-- Image of hooked orca as it appears in the Waikato Times. No credit provided

Gray whale northbound migration begins, will peak in March

As the southbound gray whale migration past Southern California wanes to just a few mammals, the northbound migration is becoming increasingly apparent.

Mid-February is the turn-around period, according to researcher Alisa Schulman-Janiger, and the small number of northbound whales now being spotted probably were among the first to have reached Baja California lagoons earlier this year.

The lagoons serve as mating and nursing areas for about 20,000 Pacific gray whales.

The northbound migration toward Arctic home waters will peak off Southern California in mid- to late March.

For this reason, the Orange and Los Angeles County chapters of the American Cetacean Society have timed their annual all-day whale-watching adventures for March 18 (Sunday), and March 24 (Saturday), respectively.

The ASC-OC trip aboard the Catalina Flyer includes a voyage around Santa Catalina Island. It'll depart at 9 a.m. from 400 Main St., in Newport Beach, and return at 6 p.m. Cost is $60 for members and seniors, $75 for non-members, and $35 for children 10 and younger. Reservations can be made by calling (714) 375-1192.

The ACS-LA's 33rd annual "Ultimate Whale Watch" will be aboard the Monte Carlo out of 22nd Street Landing in San Pedro. The trip runs from 8 a.m. to about 5 p.m. and passengers will cross the channel and explore waters off the west end of Catalina.

Cost for the "Ultimate Whale Watch" is $61 for members and $71 for non-members, with a $5 discount for those who sign up before Friday. Additionally, passengers who present a ticket stub from the gray whale movie "Big Miracle," will receive a $5 rebate at the boat. Reservations can be made via the Internet or by calling (424) 266-0516.

Trained naturalists will be aboard both vessels.

While there are no guarantees, these fund-raising excursions are famous for producing memorable sightings of gray whales, dolphins, porpoises, sea lions and sea birds.

Pacific gray whales, whose 10,000-mile round-trip migration may be the longest of any mammal, will be journeying to feeding grounds in the Bering and Chukchi seas. Some will be calves, traveling with their mothers, making the northbound trip for the first time.

-- Pete Thomas

-- Image showing a a northbound gray whale off the backside of Catalina was captured  during a previous "Ultimate Whale Watch" expedition. Credit: ©Pete Thomas

BMX rider Mickael Dupont stars on a vintage ladies bike

Impressive BMX video edits abound, but the latest involving Mickael Dupont stands out because he has traded his high-tech ride for a vintage ladies bike that looks as though it's on the verge of collapse.

Yet the bike holds up, for the most part, as Dupont performs an array of freestyle tricks leading to a back-flip crescendo.

The video, accompanied by AC/DC's "Highway to Hell," through Monday had garnered nearly 900,000 views. Watch it and see why:

 

Is California's only wild wolf, OR7, on its way back to Oregon?

Is the famous gray wolf named OR7, which has been in California since Dec. 28, on its way back to Oregon?

Monday's update from the California Department of Fish and Game states that OR7, which is the first known wild wolf in the state in nearly 90 years, is in northeast Siskiyou County, which borders Oregon.

(OR7 entered California via Siskiyou County.)

"OR7 has traveled a great distance over the weekend," the DFG report states. "He traveled from the south end of Shasta County all the way to the northern boundary with Siskiyou. He then traveled approximately 42 more miles north/northwest and is now in northeast Siskiyou County."

(*Wednesday morning update: OR7 was still traveling to the north, according to the DFG, and reportedly was less than 10 miles from the Oregon border.)

OR7, who is narly 3 years old and presumably looking for a mate, gained fame months ago as he trekked in a southerly direction the length of Oregon, and especially when he crossed into California.

The wolf is wearing a GPS unit on its collar, and while its position can be tracked,  there is only one known image of the animal, captured last Nov. 1 via trail cam in southern Oregon (see image above).

OR7 is from the Imnaha wolf pack in northeastern Oregon. His brother was shot and killed on Feb. 2 in Idaho by a hunter with an invalid tag.

Some states allow the hunting of wolves as a means of wildlife management.

In California wolves are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

-- Image is believed to be that of OR7, photographed via trail-cam on Nov. 1 in southern Oregon.

Decorah bald eagles begin new family with season's first egg

Here we go again with the internationally-famous bald eagles of Decorah, Iowa.

The white-crowned parents, who successfully raised and fledged three offspring last spring and summer, have one new egg on their 80-foot-high nest, with another expected any day (view live feed below).

 

The first egg of the 2012 nesting season was laid on Friday night and the event can be viewed via YouTube, at about the 7:08 mark.

Last year more than 200 million people viewed the eagles via high-definition web-cam, set up and monitored by the Raptor Research Project.

Devoted "eagle-holic" Sherri Elliot chronicled the drama and intrigue — and there was plenty — in a 152-page book, featuring 586 color photographs. "The EEeee's & Me" is available for $33.95 through Blurb.com. Proceeds benefit the Raptor Resource Project.

Additionally, "The Decorah Eagles," a coffee table book, is available through Blurb for $73.65 (hardcover) or $57.30 (softcover).

Last year the eggs, which also were laid in February, hatched during the first week of April.