Pete Thomas Outdoors

Department of Fish and Game has new name for a new era

On Tuesday the California Department of Fish and Game officially becomes the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

This is thanks to Assembly Bill 2402, which was signed into law by Gov. Edmund G. Brown on Sept. 25, 2012.

DFG director Charlton H. Bonham (on Tuesday he'll become DFW Director Bonham) stated Monday afternoon in a news release:

"The name of the department was changed to better reflect our evolving responsibilities. As our role has grown to meet 21st century expectations, we remain committed to our traditional responsibilities and to honoring our deep roots in California’s natural resources legacy."

This seems to imply that people in the 21st Century would rather not see the term "Game" used in the agency title, because it refers to animals hunted for sport or food. The greener "Wildlife" term is more politically correct in an age where hunting is a reality best kept unpublicized.

But Bonham also implies, in the latter portion of his quote, that hunting and fishing will continue to be regarded as important wildlife management tools and sources of revenue, so in reality only the name has changed.

Whatever the case, people will get used to the change. But it may take time.

Game wardens henceforth will be referred to as wildlife officers. The DFG's website will change from www.dfg.ca.gov to www.wildlife.ca.gov (although the current URL will also work indefinitely).

As for the new shield logo, that was not included with Monday's news release.

But the DFG logo accompanying this post, as of 12:01 Tuesday morning, will become a mere collector's item.

Giant fin whale 'just chillin' off Dana Point in Orange County

 

A large fin whale has lingered off the Dana Point area in Orange County for at least the last three days and on Sunday a passenger aboard a Dana Wharf Whale Watch vessel described its behavior as "Just chillin'."

In the accompanying footage, captured from aboard the Dana Pride, the sleek leviathan does indeed seem laid-back as it stretches out alongside the 95-foot vessel. The crew estimated its length at 70 feet and nicknamed the whale Finnegan. It was sighted only 1.5 miles from Dana Point Harbor.

Fin whales are the planet's second-largest whales, behind blue whales.  In the northern hemisphere they grow to nearly 80 feet and can weigh up to about 70 tons.

They feed on shrimp-like krill and small fish, and are known to circle schooling fish at high speed, forcing the schools into tight balls. The whales then turn onto their right sides to engulf the fish. Fin whales have been referred to as the "greyhounds of the sea" and can swim in bursts of up to 23 mph.

As viewers can see, they're also capable of lounging around, relaxing, or in this case: just chillin'.

Ravenous bald eagles swoop into Washington State for annual salmon feast (video)

 

Bald eagles have arrived by the thousands in northwestern Washington State to feast on spawning salmon, and Meg McDonald has captured this annual spectacle beautifully in a compilation of photographs and video footage.

(McDonald's amazing footage of endangered Southern Resident orcas frolicking in Puget Sound was featured here last month.)

The eagle footage was captured on the Nooksack River, which is not as well-known as the nearby Skagit River in terms of bald eagle-related tourism.

That's largely because the Nooksack is not nearly as accessible as the Skagit, which flows adjacent to State Route 20. (There are roadside viewpoints on the Skagit and several outfitters offer boat trips for viewing and photography.)

But as viewers can see, the Nooksack is plenty popular among the majestic raptors, which, as shown by McDonald, skirmish quite a bit among themselves during these incredible feeding events.

December and January are peak months for viewing on the rivers and their tributaries, but some eagles stay into February before migrating back to Canada.

With woodpeckers around, it's never a dull day in the forest

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is overrun with acorn woodpeckers, and they're a beautiful sight ... colorful, sociable, raucous and simply entertaining as they zip from tree to tree, jamming holes with, or searching for stored acorns.

But capturing up-close woodpecker images can be tricky, especially for amateur photographers (like me) with limited lens-strength and patience.

(Typically, if I get close enough to photograph a woodpecker hammering away on the trunk of a tree, it will simply skitter to the opposite side of the trunk in what invariably becomes a frustrating game of cat-and-mouse.)

But on Friday, with little human traffic in the oak and pine forests of this spectacular East San Diego County wilderness park, at least one woodpecker didn't seem to mind the intrusion.

In fact, the bird shown in the accompanying images practically flew into my face before settling onto the tree trunk to single out one of hundreds of holes in its bark.

The woodpecker's purpose seemed so singular, at least for half a minute, that my presence was tolerated. 

But I did make note, while shooting through a 300-millimeter lens, that other woodpeckers were squawking in what seemed a protest. Or maybe they were just going about their noisy business. I'll never know.

However, when I got home, I consulted Cornell University's "All About Birds" website and enjoyed its description of the species:

"Reminiscent of a troupe of wide-eyed clowns, Acorn Woodpeckers live in large groups in western oak woodlands. Their social lives are endlessly fascinating: they store thousands of acorns each year by jamming them into specially made holes in trees. A group member is always on alert to guard the hoard from thieves, while others race through the trees giving parrot-like waka-waka calls."

So it seemed that despite the uncharacteristic absence of people on the trails, it was a typically busy day as far as the local wildlife was concerned, and that's what made the day so special.

--Pete Thomas

How does the Department of Fish and Game control feral pigs?

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: Our class is working on invasive species and would really appreciate it if you could help us with one question. How does the California Department of Fish and Game help with the control of feral pigs? If you could email us back the answer, we would greatly appreciate it (The Alien Hunters or Pam K.).

Answer: It is great to hear from young citizens who are interested in wildlife issues and are actively seeking to educate themselves about these topics! According to DFG Statewide Wild Pig Program Coordinator Marc Kenyon, the California Legislature in 1957 classified the wild pig as a game mammal which then allowed the Department to manage them as wildlife and regulate their harvest. The Department is the agency with responsibility over game animals in the state and because this classification is in statute, only legislative action could change it. However, the California Fish and Game Commission, a separate entity, has recognized that damage from wild pigs does occur and to that end, a policy has been put into effect that states:

"The wild pig population of the state must be controlled to minimize the threat of increasing damage to California’s native plant and animals, to agricultural operations and to park and recreational activities from the foraging habits of the animals. Consistent with State law and regulations, the Department will prepare and recommend to the Commission regulations which enhance recreational hunting and facilitate the issuing of depredation permits and/or other legally available means to alleviate this problem."

Please visit the Fish and Game Commission’s website to understand the difference between the Department of Fish and Game and the Fish and Game Commission.

Similar to the Commission, the Department works to minimize the impacts pigs cause. To achieve this, we work with private citizens, other government organizations and natural resources conservation partners to, among other things: 1) curtail the spread of wild pigs; 2) protect agricultural, archaeological and environmental resources and private property from damage caused by wild pigs; and 3) facilitate the removal of pigs causing damage.

Military plane crash reported at Owens Lake in Eastern Sierra

A military jet crashed Thursday afternoon onto Owens Dry Lake east of U.S. 395 in the Eastern Sierra, but the pilot ejected and was seen walking with his parachute, the Sierra Wave reports.

The Inyo Sheriff's Department, Lone Pine Fire and Ambulance were said to have sent units to the crash site, near the old PP&G plant south of the town of Lone Pine. The pilot reportedly was hospitalized briefly at Southern Inyo Hospital, suffering from back pain.

Details were vague at the time of this post but here's what Sierra Wave is reporting:

Officers said the pilot was seen walking with his parachute and appeared to be okay. Right after the crash there was a military aircraft circling over head. It was reported as a naval aircraft.

The Inyo Sheriff’s Dispatcher said he received numerous calls from people who saw the crash – from motorists and local residents. Early reports indicated explosive ordnance may have been aboard the crashed jet. Initially authorities thought the plane was from China Lake Naval Weapons Center. Later a call indicated it was an Air National Guard plane.

Inyo Sheriff Bill Lutze advised officers to let the Navy handle the wreck. There was reportedly some fire confined to the plane that went out. The aircraft itself was not accessible by vehicle, but the Sheriff’s Department stationed patrol cars nearby to the secure the area.

The pilot did go to Southern Inyo Hospital with some complaint of back pain. It was not immediately known why the plane went down. The Eastern Sierra is part of a larger military controlled air space in which jets regularly train. This is not the first crash in the dry lake- Owens Valley area.

--Image is courtesy of Sierra Wave

Search for missing plane in Yosemite area is suspended

The search for a plane that has been missing since Dec. 17 in the Yosemite National Park area has been suspended, park officials announced.

The plane was last detected, via radar, on Dec. 17 over the North Dome area. An exhaustive multi-agency search began Dec. 18, but the effort was hampered by severe winter weather.

More than five feet of snow has fallen in the iconic Sierra wilderness park during the past week.

The pilot was Nicol Wilson of the Santa Barbara area.

His family had reported him missing on Dec. 17, after failing to arrive in the Eastern Sierra town of Mammoth Lakes, as planned.

Yosemite stated in a news release that the search for the missing plane will resume in the spring, when conditions allow.

Legal to drift or anchor boat in river to hunt for waterfowl?

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: Is it legal to drift down or anchor a boat in a river to hunt for waterfowl? The river is in the "Balance of the State" zone and is surrounded by unincorporated privately owned farmland, with the occasional house or barn visible from the water. I know you cannot discharge a firearm within 150 yards of a dwelling or near a public road, and I know that all motors must be out of the water. Would drifting be considered forward motion? (Anonymous)

Answer: Drifting is not considered "under power." What you describe would be legal as long as you access the river from a legal access point, and once you’re hunting, your motion is not due to momentum provided by the motor before it was turned off. You must also take into account the retrieval of the birds you take. Should you take a bird that lands on private property that you do not have the authority to access, you run the risk of a hunting trespass for retrieval, or waste of game if you do not retrieve it. Also, you need to remember not to discharge a firearm within 150 yards of an occupied dwelling, and these may be difficult to see from the river. Finally, there may be other state or local ordinances and regulations (such as no shooting zones) or other restrictions that may prevent you from hunting the section of water you want to hunt.

Q: I was surprised to discover the current regulations do not say female Dungeness crabs must be thrown back. Has there been a change in the long standing regulation that required this? Is it now legal to keep the female Dungeness crab, providing all other stipulations are met (size, season, limit, zone)? (Kurt H.)

A: Yes! Sport fisherman may keep the female Dungeness crab – commercial fishermen must throw them back. Since the females are often much smaller and less meaty than the males and lack the large claws, many fishermen toss them back so they can reproduce more young for future generations. The larger females that meet the minimum size requirements also carry the most eggs and produce the most offspring, so it’s beneficial for the population to let the females go. However, there is no law that compels you to do so.

Q: I read where Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed into law a bill allowing the mounting and display of these animals in California. Does that mean that mountain lions taken in other states can be brought into California for mounting and display? (Peter B., Los Angeles)

Shark caught from blimp might have been catch of the century

Here's something you don't see every day, and probably never will see again: an angler reeling in a large shark from a blimp!

The accompanying footage was captured in 1934 at Fisher Island in Florida, and the fishing vessel was the Goodyear Tires Blimp.

 

The clip warrants posting now because Smithsonian featured this bizarre blimp-fishing expedition earlier this year, and this week placed it atop its list of "10 Most Popular Videos of 2012."

Also, the footage did not receive widespread mainstream exposure, so we thought anglers and non-anglers would enjoy watching the feat.

Check out the thickness of line as the shark is being reeled toward the blimp, and be sure to note the rod and gigantic reel, when the angler is being congratulated after the blimp has touched down.

Smithsonian states in its description:"Plucked from the archives at Critical past, this video revealed anglers hooking sharks from the cabin of a Goodyear Tires blimp at Fisher Island, Florida, in 1934."

This would never be allowed today, as shark fishing is taboo in the minds of many. But this is now, and that was then.

Video shows large eagle snatching child, but is it fake?

 

UPDATE: This videe has in fact been exposed as a fake.

A video showing what appears to be a large golden eagle swooping down and briefly lifting a child from the ground has gone viral since it was uploaded Tuesday. 

The video also has widely been criticized as being fake in the comments section, and a second video focusing on the slow-motion portion appears to support that contention. In the second video, posted below, note that the child rises in the air momentarily after being dropped by the bird.

We've reached out to MrNuclearCat, who uploaded the initial video, asking for more details and if the footage is genuine, but have yet to hear back.

If the footage is real, then the child and his family are extremely fortunate.