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September 11, 2008

Commentary
Knowledge about non-lead
ammunition requirements high,
but compliance is a mixed bag


By JIM MATTHEWS
Outdoor News Service

 

While knowledge about the lead ammunition ban within condor range is extremely high among hunters, the number of sportsmen participating in the A zone deer season is off this year, according to Department of Fish and Game wardens patrolling the hunt zone.
Roland Takayama, DFG warden captain for the Ventura and Santa Barbara county area, said that while virtually all hunters contacted during the A zone opener in late August knew about the non-lead ammunition requirement, there was still confusion about what ammunition was legal. He said some hunters purchased polymer-tipped bullets thinking they were legal because they could not see a lead tip. They also continue to see hunters using steel-jacketed military surplus ammunition, which has always been illegal for big game hunting.
Of the nearly 100 people contacted the opening weekend, he said only about 60 percent were in full compliance with the requirement, but that everyone knew about the new law. Many hunters were carrying both lead and non-lead ammunition, which is not legal.
“As one hunter who packed in with horses told me, ‘If it didn’t perform, I going to shoot with my old ammunition,’” said Takayama.
“Knowledge of this was better than I thought it was going to be. Virtually everyone has heard about it, and compliance has been pretty fair,” said Takayama.
The most disconcerting thing he found?
“Not a person I spoke with had zeroed in their rifle with the new ammunition. Not one. They didn’t want to shoot up this expensive ammunition -- and these are long-time hunters,” said Takayama. “We’re going to lose a lot of animals to wounding because guys will just be winging shots downrange and never know where they’re hitting.”
And of course, they’ll blame the ammunition.
Wounded and lost deer will be chalked up to inadequate performance from solid copper bullets and not to poor shooting or guns that weren’t sighted in correctly. There have been rants in some local outdoor publications about how the all copper Barnes X-Bullet line and new Nosler E-Tip bullets don’t expand properly, but that simply doesn’t jive with extensive laboratory work and field testing done with this ammunition.
Traditional lead bullets are more likely to fail than the copper bullets, which are touted by hunters around the world as among the most-reliable and best-performing bullets available. Yet, some hunters still insist these new bullets don’t perform. Takayama’s discovery that many hunters aren’t sighting in guns with the new ammunition gives us a clue where that ignorance originates.
In my own firearms, the solid copper bullets from both Barnes and Nosler shoot to different points of impact than lead ammunition, sometimes dramatically so. Using the same sight setting, the difference in group locations has been up to 14 inches in my guns. It’s a well-known rule that you always resight your hunting guns whenever you change ammunition, and you should always check before each hunt to make sure the ammunition is shooting to the same point of impact as the last time you shot the gun.
Takayama was amazed that otherwise veteran hunters he spoke with had not even sighted in their guns with the new ammunition. Appalling is more like it.
Takayama said that the cost of the non-lead ammunition and its general lack of availability may have been a factor for this huge lapse. He told of going into one hunting camp where the hunters, who all shot the same caliber rifles, had went in together and bought one $60 box of ammunition and split the ammunition between them before hunting.
He also said that a lot of hunters -- because of the cost of the new ammunition and gasoline -- simply didn’t show up to hunt this year. The wardens’ anecdotal car counts and hunter contacts show that participation was down by 50 to 70 percent, depending on area.
Takayama said he spoke with hunters in one camp who said some of their relatives just decided not to do it anymore because it was getting too expensive. For hunters who would purchase $8 boxes of .30-30 ammo, the idea of now paying $50 or $60 for that ammo, combined with $4-plus per gallon gasoline, kept many of them home.
“We’re going to lose participation. That’s the sad part of all this,” said Takayama. “A lot of hunters have always done this ‘on the cheap,’ and we’re running these guys away from the sport.”
The expensive non-lead ammunition is still not available in good supplies at many guns and ammunition dealers, and a number of D-zone deer seasons, also in the range of the California condor where non-lead is required, will begin opening starting Sept. 20. Zones affected include D7, D8, D9, D10, D11, and D13, or about 28,000 deer hunters who will have tags for these zones.

OUTDOOR CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER 13 LINCOLN PARK YOUTH FISHING DERBY: A free fishing event for kids five to 15 will be held Saturday, Sept. 13, at Lincoln Park Lake in East Los Angeles. Sponsored by The City of Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Department and Daniel Hernandez Youth Foundation. The free event is designed to give inner city kids an opportunity to experience fishing close to their own neighborhood. The event kicks off 7 a.m. with awards and a free drawing at noon. Contact: Lincoln Park at 213-847-1726.
SEPTEMBER 13 NORTH ORANGE COUNTY FRIENDS OF NRA FUNDRAISER: The North Orange County Friends of National Rifle Association fundraiser will be held beginning 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 13. Tickets are $50 each with a pre-event drawing for a .460 Smith & Wesson an additional $10. Speaker will be Jason Davis with the law firm Trutanich-Michel on California’s diminishing firearm rights and new legislation. For an event flyer, go to http://friendsofnra.org/eventdocs/California/NorthOCWeb.jpg. Contact: Carl Overmyer at 714-991-5999 or via e-mail at carlovermyer@earthlink.net.
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.
SEPTEMBER 20 SAN JACINTO WILDLIFE AREA WORK DAY: The staff of the San Jacinto Wildlife Area in western Riverside County near Lake Perris will be hosting a volunteer work day at the wildlife area to prep its waterfowl hunting areas for the coming season. Volunteers will be rebuilding blinds, adding vegetation to the site, and removing trash. Volunteers should bring waders or mud boots, gloves, and hand tools (saws, shovels, rakes). Also bring a side dish and drinking water. There will be a barbecue-pot luck lunch following the morning’s work party. Contacts: Scott Sewell at 951-634-4652 or Tom Trakes at 951-236-3040.
OCTOBER 4 SAN FERNANDO FRIENDS OF NRA FUNDRAISER: The San Fernando Valley Friends of the National Rifle Association will have its fundraiser beginning 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 4 at the Elks Lodge, 20925 Osborne St., Canoga Park. This is a new FNRA banquet. Cost is $50 per person with $20 tickets for a special Kimber NRA Freedom Warrior .45 drawing. For an event flyer, go to http://friendsofnra.org/eventdocs/California/SFV08.pdf. Contact: Lissa Lee via e-mail at llee@nrahq.org.
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.
OCTOBER 16 KERN COUNTY CALIFORNIA WATERFOWL ASSOCIATION FUNDRAISER: The Kern County Chapter of the California Waterfowl Association will have its annual fundraiser banquet beginning 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16 at the Elks Lodge, 1616 30th Street, Bakersfield. Cost is $75 per person, $125 per couple. Contact: Jim Delmarter at 661-327-1486 or go to the CWA web site at www.calwaterfowl.org.
NOVEMBER 1 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 date is Dec. 6. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
NOVEMBER 1 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.
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 6 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 2009 class date schedule has not be set yet. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
DECEMBER 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). This is the final date for 2008 classes. Contact FTA at 714-701-9918 or 877-544-4867 for information about this class of the 2009 schedule. The web site is www.ftatv.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.]

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