Apprentice Waterfowl Hunts Open at California’s Grizzly Island Wildlife Area

Permits will be issued for two California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) special apprentice waterfowl hunts at Grizzly Island Wildlife Area in Solano County.

On Saturday, Dec. 10 and Wednesday, Dec. 28, spaced blinds on Pond 11 and the Crescent Unit of the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area will be available only for apprentice hunt participants. The area will be closed to the general public on those days.

An adult chaperone (18 years or older) must accompany and supervise each apprentice hunter. The adult may hunt with the apprentice and must possess the required 2011-2012 California hunting license and state and federal waterfowl stamps and the free Harvest Information Program (HIP) validation.

Junior hunting license holders must have a federal waterfowl stamp and the free HIP validation to hunt waterfowl. All available blinds can accommodate two persons: the apprentice hunter and the adult chaperone. Nontoxic ammunition approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is required for waterfowl hunting. A minimum of one dozen duck decoys are required at all blind sites and chest waders are recommended.

To apply, please mail a standard-sized post card to Grizzly Island Wildlife Area, 2548 Grizzly Island Road, Suisun, CA 94585. On the back of the card, please include the following information:

• Apprentice hunter’s name
• Junior hunting license number
• Mailing address and phone number
• Name of chaperone
• Hunt date desired

Each hunter may apply only once and for one date. Application cards must be received by close of business on Nov. 23. Apprentice hunt reservations will be filled by a random drawing conducted on Nov. 28. There will be 24 reservations issued for each date, and all successful applicants will be notified by mail.

The Grizzly Island Wildlife Area will also accept apprentice hunters on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the hunt to use the free roam areas and to fill any no-shows from the reservations. As a reminder, all chaperones who wish to hunt must have either a Type A One Day, Two Day or Season Pass, which must be purchased prior to arriving at the check station. These can be obtained through either a License Agent or online at www.dfg.ca.gov (allow two weeks mailing time if ordering online).

DFG would also like to encourage use of the West Family Unit, which is available only to apprentice hunters. Hunt days are Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the open season. Gates will be opened approximately two hours before shoot time. An adult chaperone is required and five double blinds, including one mobility-impaired blind and one three-person blind are available.

The unit is north of Benicia on Goodyear Road; from Highway 680 take the Marshview Road exit and turn right onto Goodyear Road from the off-ramp and the hunt area will be on the left.

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California Department of Fish and Game Honors Disabled Veterans

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) reminds veterans that service-related injuries need not keep them from enjoying wildlife and the great outdoors. America’s disabled veterans get a break on the price of sport fishing and hunting licenses and are provided some special opportunities.

DFG offers reduced-fee hunting and fishing licenses to both resident and nonresident disabled veterans. Any honorably discharged, disabled veteran with a 50 percent or greater service-connected disability who wants to hunt birds or mammals, or fish in California is eligible. The

2011 Sport Fishing License (Reduced – Disabled Veteran) and Disabled Veteran Hunting License cost only $6.44 when purchased at DFG license counters.

Special hunting blinds have been constructed to be accessible to people with mobility impairments at some state wildlife areas and ecological reserves, and at some National Wildlife Refuges.

DFG also works with military installations on wildlife management and provides tags for those installations to issue to military personnel for deer and Tule elk hunting opportunities.

“We recognize the service, commitment and sacrifice of our veterans, military members and their families by offering special hunting opportunities when and where we can,” said Charlton H. Bonham, Director of DFG. “Veterans, and especially disabled American veterans, are all heroes who have accomplished the remarkable, often during the worst of times. For that, we are truly grateful.”

The first disabled hunting license must be purchased from a DFG License Sales Office. Proof of having taken a hunter safety course and certification from the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs or a copy of a previous year’s California Disabled Veteran Hunting License is required at the time of application.

These offices are located in Eureka, Fresno, Los Alamitos, Monterey, Napa, Rancho Cordova, Redding, Sacramento, San Diego and Stockton.

Hours, addresses and phone numbers can be found on the DFG website at www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/officelocation.html. Subsequent licenses may be purchased from any license agent or online.

Fish and Game Code, section 7150, authorizes DFG to issue Reduced-Fee Sport Fishing Licenses to anglers who meet specific criteria. Additional validations or cards are required for certain species and areas and must be purchased at the regular fee.

All California sport fishing licenses are valid Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 each year, and make excellent holiday gifts for veterans. The 2012 reduced-fee fishing license applications are on our website at www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/fishing/sportfishingfreereduced.html.

Reduced-fee hunting license applications are at www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/hunting/reducedfee.html (hunting licenses are valid July 1 through June 30).

Fishing and hunting regulations and more information about licenses are available on the DFG website at www.dfg.ca.gov.

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California Pheasant Hunting Opportunities Restored for 2011 Season

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is restoring several pheasant hunting opportunities in northern California Type A wildlife areas for 2011.

In response to continued declining pheasant harvest and hunter use, along with DFG’s costs to operate hunter check stations during the first week of pheasant season, DFG reduced the number of pheasant hunting opportunities available to upland game hunters last year. Some of those reductions remain in place for 2011, but pheasant hunting will once again be offered in some locations on the first Monday of the season.

The pheasant season opens on the second Saturday of November (Nov. 12 this year) and the length of the season will remain the same (44 consecutive days long for the general season and 60 consecutive days for the archery season). The following changes are in effect for the 2011 hunting season:

• Type A wildlife areas in the Sacramento Valley and the San Francisco Bay Delta (Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, Delevan National Wildlife Refuge, Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area, Yolo Wildlife Area and Grizzly Island Wildlife Area) will be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, and only the first Monday (Nov. 14) during the pheasant season.
• Type A wildlife areas in theSan JoaquinValley(Los Banos Wildlife Area, Mendota Wildlife Area, North Grasslands Wildlife Area and San Luis National Wildlife Refuge) will be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays only during the pheasant season.
• The Wister Unit of the Imperial Wildlife Area inImperialCountyand San Jacinto Wildlife Area inRiversideCountywill be closed to pheasant hunting this year.
• Type C wildlife areas will remain open as normal.

The modifications of the shoot days on Type A wildlife areas are pursuant to subsections 550(b)(1) and 550(b)(2) of the California Code of Regulations Title 14.

Reports and publications on pheasant harvest can be found at www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/uplandgame. A list of wildlife areas can be found on DFG’s website (www.dfg.ca.gov) or in the current Waterfowl and Upland Game Hunting Regulations booklet (www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations/).

For more information on specific hunting opportunities, hunters should contact their regional DFGoffice.

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Waterfowl Hunting Opportunities Available at Eden Landing, California

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is offering waterfowl hunting opportunities at Eden Landing Ecological Reserve (ELER) in Hayward. The reserve is composed of former industrial salt ponds now managed by DFG as low-salinity waterbird habitat.

Access to ELER for waterfowl hunting will be granted only on the following dates:

2011 hunts (all check-ins at 5 a.m.):

Sunday, Nov. 20

Saturday, Dec. 3

Thursday, Dec. 8

Tuesday, Dec. 13

Saturday, Dec. 17

2012 hunts (all check-ins at 5:30 a.m.):

Saturday, Jan. 7

Thursday, Jan. 12

Tuesday, Jan. 17

Saturday, Jan.28

Access for 100 hunters will be permitted on a first-come, first-served basis for each one-day hunt. There is no fee for these hunts. Apprentice hunters may participate, but must hold a Junior Hunting License and be accompanied by an adult (hunter or non-hunter).

Upon arrival at the reserve, hunters must provide valid California hunting licenses with federal and state duck stamps to check in with DFGstaff. Hunters must also complete the Harvest Information Program Survey upon checkout and must allow inspection of gear and game for use in evaluating hunter success and harvest data.

Hunters are responsible for avoiding closed areas and there is a 25-shell limit in the field. Vehicles may be driven on designated levees to reach various locations or to launch boats for waterfowl hunting and are only allowed on the hunt dates. A small boat, canoe or other floatation device is highly recommended to access ponds, blinds and navigable sloughs, as well as for retrieval. A hunting dog is also recommended to assist with the retrieval of birds.

Hunters will receive additional information, including area rules and regulations and maps, at the time of check-in.

Hunters will find that many changes have been made for the 2011-12 season, including the addition of tidal areas, improved graveled roads, better pond access and refurbished blinds. Formal plans for additional public access opportunities at the reserve are being developed as part of the South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Project (www.southbayrestoration.org ).

To access ELER from I-880, exit at Alvarado Boulevardand go west. Turn right onto Union City Boulevard and then left onto Bettencourt Road(at the sign for Union Sanitary District). Turn left on Whipple Road, right on Horner Street, then right on Veasy Street and enter at the yellow gate to check in.

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