ONS Home Newsletters Outdoor News

September 04, 2008

Commentary
Dove season a
mixed bag for
SoCal hunters


By JIM MATTHEWS
Outdoor News Service

 

NUEVO -- The San Jacinto Wildlife Area attracted at least 275 hunters opening day of dove season on Monday, almost exactly double the number here for last year’s opening day, according to Scott Sewell with the Department of Fish and Game.
“This is the highest number of people we’ve ever had out here for the dove opener,” said Sewell of the western Riverside County public hunting area near Lake Perris.
Sewell said of the 275 permit cards returned for the Sept. 1 opener, the average was about a half-bird per hunter, but he did have one hunter report a 10-bird limit on opening day.
The San Jacinto Wildlife Area is probably the closest public hunting area for most bird hunters who live in the Los Angeles, Orange County, and Inland Empire regions, and the Monday opener and gas prices probably stopped a lot of sportsman from making the longer drive into the Imperial Valley or Colorado River regions.
Those who did make the drive to these more distant areas found much better hunting than San Jacinto provided.
In the Blythe-Palo Verde region along the Colorado River, the hunting was excellent on the north end of the valley, especially on the Department of Fish and Game’s Palo Verde Ecological Reserve (off Second Street), according to Wayne Pinkerton at B&B Bait in Blythe.
“With all the storms around there was plenty of talk about the birds leaving, already left, or that couldn't wait to leave -- or all the other negatives you hear every year,” said Pinkerton. “But we had our biggest weekend ever and the hunting was just fine.”
Pinkerton said limits were the rule opening day, and that while birds were thinned by Tuesday morning, a lot of hunters were still getting limits on the second day, too. He said the bag was pretty evenly split between mourning doves, whitewing doves, and the new Eurasian collared doves.
Across the river on the Arizona side, the hunting on the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) Reservation was excellent according to Duke Shea of Santa Fe Spring, with limits the rule on harvested grain fields. To the south, it was the same story on the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge’s new wheat fields, where birds were thick and limits were a 30-minute affair.
Jesse James of Redlands hunted the Cibola Sportsman’s Club property on the Arizona side adjacent to the refuge, and reported that all 60 hunters at the club had limits by 10 or 11 a.m. opening day, “even the bad shots like me.”
In the Imperial Valley, Bill Hinz of Brea said it was the mildest opener he’d ever experience in this region with the heat not being as oppressive as most years -- but he said the hunting was just as good as ever.
“We hunted the No. 4 Department (of Fish and Game) field near Brawley, and it was very productive. We limited out by about 8 a.m.,” said Hinz. “One of the few good things I see the Cal Fish and Game doing [with our license money] are these fields down in the Imperial Valley.”
Joe Branna, a DFG warden captain in the Imperial Valley, said the north end of the Imperial Valley, where the public fields are located, probably didn’t shoot as well as the south end. Branna thought the thunderstorms on Saturday, which drenched the whole region, scattered the birds off of the 26 fields planted and groomed by Desert Wildlife Unlimited, a volunteer group headed up by Leon Lesicka. Many of those birds ended up further south.
“We had a pretty good opener,” said Branna. “We didn’t have as many people as we normally do, so I think most guys had a good hunt. It’s really a shame that storm hit on Saturday. There were some corn fields in the [lower] valley that were really loaded with whitewings before that.”
Branna said his warden force checked over 2,800 hunters from Blythe to El Centro to Winterhaven and wrote 57 tickets -- only 13 of those for overlimits. Most were written for hunters not having an upland bird stamp or having an unplugged shotgun (pump and semi-automatic shotguns are restricted to three shots for bird hunting, even if the magazine will hold more.)
Branna said hunters in the south end of the Imperial Valley mostly had limits with at least an eight or nine birds-per-hunter average, while the north end was more like a six- or seven-bird-average.
“We also checked hunters with a lot of Eurasians, especially around the feed lots,” said Branna. “Some of these guys had 30 or more Eurasians. I watched on guy shoot 17 birds and I was thinking I had a ticket, so I ran up there just before he drove off, and 16 of his birds were Eurasians.”
Eurasian collared doves are a relatively new and unwanted non-native species from Europe, and there is no limit on these doves this year. The limit is still 10 total for whitewing and mourning doves.
Leon Lesicka said they counted just over 3,000 hunters, many on the 26 public fields, during an airplane flight Monday in just the north end of the Imperial Valley. The count was slightly higher than last year in this same area, but counts have been as high as 4,000, according to Lesicka.
Lt. Mike Stefanak, a DFG warden in charge of western Riverside and San Bernardino counties, said the hunting in the Coachella and Yucca Valley regions was fair to good with the average in the Indio area probably three to five birds per hunter, with the best hunting closer to the Salton Sea. In Yucca Valley, he said the hunting was better in the afternoon than in the morning. In the Barstow to Victorville region, he said the average was less than a bird per hunter.
Matt and Debbie Gangola of Glendora hunted near a gamebird drinker on Juniper Flats out of Hesperia and managed to get six birds each, according to their hunting partner Rick Bean of Hesperia, “but I botched two shots I had at birds.”
Stefanak said that the warden team in his region contacted about 900 hunters and 40 of those hunters had limits. Only 17 citations were written. He also said they issued 80 warnings, most for hunters not leaving a feathered wing attached to the dove carcass so it can be identified.
The first half of dove season continues through September 15. Hunters should consult hunting regulations for shooting times, bag limits, and other restrictions.

OUTDOOR CALENDAR


SEPTEMBER 6 RANCHO CUCAMONGA HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Bass Pro Shop, Rancho Cucamonga. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. These free classes are held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. the first Saturday of each month at Bass Pro and limited to 40 people. Reservations by calling Bass Pro at 909-922-5500.
SEPTEMBER 6-7 CONCEALED CARRY WEAPON COURSE: A 16-hour California Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) course is being offered by Firearms Training Associates at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises this Saturday and Sunday. Cost is $180 per person. This course meets the state requirement for 16 hours of training to qualify for a CCW (not valid in San Bernardino County). Other dates for 2008 classes are Oct. 4-5, Nov. 1-2, and Dec. 6-7. Contact FTA at 714-701-9918 or 877-544-4867. The web site is www.ftatv.com.
SEPTEMBER 13 NORCO HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises, Norco. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. Cost is $35 per person. The remaining 2008 class dates are Oct. 11, Nov. 1, Dec. 6. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
OCTOBER 4 RANCHO CUCAMONGA HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Bass Pro Shop, Rancho Cucamonga. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. These free classes are held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. the first Saturday of each month at Bass Pro and limited to 40 people. Reservations by calling Bass Pro at 909-922-5500.
OCTOBER 4-5 CONCEALED CARRY WEAPON COURSE: A 16-hour California Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) course is being offered by Firearms Training Associates at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises this Saturday and Sunday. Cost is $180 per person. This course meets the state requirement for 16 hours of training to qualify for a CCW (not valid in San Bernardino County). Other dates for 2008 classes are Nov. 1-2 and Dec. 6-7. Contact FTA at 714-701-9918 or 877-544-4867. The web site is www.ftatv.com.
OCTOBER 11 NORCO HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises, Norco. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. Cost is $35 per person. The remaining 2008 class dates are Nov. 1 and Dec. 6. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
NOVEMBER 22-23 BAKERSFIELD GUN SHOW: The Central Coast Gun Shows Bakersfield event will be held Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 22-23 at the Kern County Fairgrounds, Bakersfield. For next year’s schedule of events in Bakersfield visit the web site. Information at www.centralcoastgunshows.com.
DECEMBER 20 CALIFORNIA WATERFOWL IMPERIAL VALLEY FUND-RAISER: The Imperial Valley Chapter of the California Waterfowl Association will have its mid-season fund-raising dinner banquet beginning 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. at the St. Patricks’s Community Center, 133 E. Church, Calipatria. Dinner tickets are $55 per person, $80 a couple. Contacts: Frank Bailey at 760-359-0200 or Keith Cowell at 760-455-8990. Web site: www.calwaterfowl.org.

CALENDAR RESOURCES


For a complete list of HUNTER SAFETY CLASSES held throughout the state, including times, dates, and locations, go to the Department of Fish and Game’s web site at this address: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/classes.aspx.
For the rules and regulations on GRUNION RUNS, along with a complete schedule and the expected times of the runs, go to this web site address: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/gruschd.asp

CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS


The following is a list of hunting, shooting, and fishing clubs and organizations in Southern California with contact information and regular meeting dates:


976-TUNA ROD AND REEL CLUB: The 976-Tuna Rod and Reel Club meets 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at Bass Pro Shops, Rancho Cucamonga. At the December meeting a free trip to Palmas de Cortez in Baja will be given away. Contact Phil Friedman at 310-328-8426.
CALIFORNIA STATE VARMINT CALLERS ASSOCIATION: The California State Varmint Callers Association meets 7 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at the Denny's just north of the 210 freeway at Irwindale Ave., Irwindale. Contact Steven Childs at 626-407-8826 or steve@sdchilds.com. Web site: www.csvca.com.
CANYON OAKS SPORTSMAN’S CLUB: The Canyon Oaks Sportsman’s Club meets the first Tuesday of every month at it’s clubhouse in Lakeview Terrace-Sylmar. The club has regular trap, skeet, smallbore, big bore, handgun, and Cowboy Action shooting events. Contact Gary White at 818-998-7240, Mike Totta at 818-362-2181 or Mike Nickoloff via e-mail at idpamike@yahoo.com.
CERRITOS ROD & GUN CLUB: The Cerritos Rod & Gun Club meets the second Wednesday of each month at Heritage Park in Cerritos. Contact Charles Sharp at 714-317-8290 or fish_90605@yahoo.com.
CLUB FISH: Club Fish, a 20-year-old fishing club, meets 7:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the Izaak Walton League Clubhouse, Santa Ana. The clubhouse is located at the entrance to Riverview Gold Course. Contact Mike Cross at 949-854-5258 or m_r_cross@yahoo.com.
    DEEP CREEK FLY-FISHERS: Deep Creek Fly-Fishers meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Izaak Walton League clubhouse in Fairmont Park, in Riverside. Go to www.deepcreekflyfishers.org to download a map to the club house. Contact Brett Browning at 909-793-8912.
HIGH DESERT FLY-FISHERS: The High Desert Fly-Fishers holds its monthly meetings on the second Thursday of each month at The Apple Valley Fire Conference Center, 19235 Yucca Loma, Apple Valley. Contact John Rose at 760-247-5966.
HIGHLAND PARK SPORTSMEN'S CLUB: The Highland Park Sportsmen's Club meets at 8 p.m. the first and third Wednesday of each month at 2035 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles. Contact Mauro Garcia at 323-254-0763 or incareal@juno.com.
NATIONAL VARMINT HUNTERS: The National Varmint Hunters meets 7:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the Veterans of Foreign Wars club located on Grand Avenue, just west of 17th Street, Santa Ana. Contact Mark Harris at 714-655-6954 or mhitis1@yahoo.com or Terry Mathers at 714-299-9938 or coyote@jps.net.
NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION (HIGH DESERT CHAPTER): The High Desert Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation meets 6:30 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at the Apple Valley Gun Club, 16699 Stoddard Wells Rd., Victorville. Contact Dave Recce at 760-956-7092 or Dave Halbrook at 760-553-2794.
NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION (ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER): The Orange County Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation meets 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at The Firing Line, 17921 Jamestown Lane, Huntington Beach. Contact Pat Ryan at 714-373-3688 or Casey Rasmussen at 714-377-5859.
ORANCO BOWMEN: The ORANCO Bowmen meet the second Tuesday of each month at the club range, 17504 Pomona Rincon Rd., Chino (Euclid Avenue one block north of the 71 freeway). The range is open to the public on Sundays 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 909-597-7582. Web site: www.oranco.org.
ORANGE COUNTY BASS CLUB: The Orange County Bass Club meets 7 p.m. the third Monday of each month at the Garden Grove Elk's Lodge. Contact Steve Pendergast at 949-651-8172 or prendergasts@netzero.com.
PLUNGE CREEK COWBOYS: The Plunge Creek Cowboys, a new Cowboy Action Shooting club in the Inland Empire, has shoots the third Saturday of each month at the Inland Fish and Game range on Orange Street in East Highlands. Authentic or replica firearms and garb required. Information: www.plungecreekcowboys.com.
PREDATOR CALLERS OF ORANGE COUNTY: The Predator Callers of Orange County meet 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month at the Denny's restaurant, 7490 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach. Contact Rickey Macy via e-mail at rickmacey@juno.com.
QUAIL UNLIMITED (HIGH DESERT CHAPTER): The High Desert Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at the Apple Valley Gun Club. Contact Cruz Garcia at 760-949-6334 or fathercruz@verizon.net.
QUAIL UNLIMITED (ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER): The Orange County Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at the Izaak Walton League Clubhouse (located at the entrance to Riverview Golf Course) in Santa Ana. Contact Craig Riedel at 714-282-1194 or criedel@mflex.com.
QUAIL UNLIMITED (RIVERSIDE CHAPTER): The Riverside Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 7 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at Prado Olympic Shooting Park, 17501 Pomona Rincon Road, Chino (one block west of Euclid, just off the 71 freeway). Contact Ron Gibbons at 909-902-9814 or gibbent@gte.net. Web site: www.quriverside.com.
QUAIL UNLIMITED (SAN DIEGO CHAPTER): The San Diego Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 6:30 p.m. the third Thursday of each month at DFG Headquarters at 4949 Viewridge Rd., San Diego. Contact David Preddy at davidpreddy@cox.net or visit www.sdqu.org.
QUAIL UNLIMITED (SAN GABRIEL VALLEY CHAPTER): The San Gabriel Valley Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 6 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at Triple B Clays in El Monte. Contact Tim Bovard at 866-206-9070, ext. 6715 or sgvqu@onebox.com.
REDONDO ROD & GUN CLUB: The Redondo Rod & Gun Club meets 8 p.m. every Thursday of every month at its own clubhouse. The club has promoted hunting, fishing, sport shooting and the outdoors since 1948. The clubhouse is located at 2023 Vanderbilt Lane, Redondo Beach. Contact 310-379-7772.
RIVERSIDE VARMINT CALLERS: The Riverside Varmint Callers meet 7 p.m. the last Saturday of each month at Flo's Country Kitchen, Riverside. Contact Lance Cochrane at 909-919-4309 or Ray Gauthier at 951-785-4986. Web site:www.californiavarmintcallers.com/chapters.html/.
SAN DIEGO SPORTING DOG CLUB: The San Diego Sporting Dog Club meets 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the Animal Medical Center, 600 Broadway, El Cajon. Contact Steve Sarmiento at 619-659-9393 or sssarmi@sbcglobal.net.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VARMINT CALLERS ASSOCIATION: The Southern California Varmint Callers Association meets 8 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at the Denny's Restaurant at Pioneer Blvd and Imperial Highway in Norwalk. Contact Granville Crow at 310-548-6221 or crowshot1@cox.net or Skip Gildner at 562-900-9020 or mtnhigh5@excite.com.
TEMPLE CITY SPORTSMEN: The Temple City Sportsmen meet the first Thursday of each month at the Temple City Civic Center in Temple City. Contact Jim White at 626-201-7782 or TCSPresident2006@yahoo.com.
TURNER'S OUTDOORSMAN ROD AND REEL CLUB: The Turner's Outdoorsman Rod and Reel Club meets 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at Marie Calendar’s Restaurant, 2300 Foothill, Pasadena. Contact Richard Crowe at 626-960-9610.

[Want your event or club listed here? Send the information to Jim Matthews, Outdoor News Service, P.O. Box 9007, San Bernardino, CA 92427-0007 or e-mail it to odwriter@charter.net. Following the style used above for events and clubs makes our life easier and increases the likelihood of it being included here.]

The news package is copyrighted and any use or reposting of the report, or portions of the report, is prohibited without written permission. Posting of links to the fish report on the Outdoor News Service web site is allowed.