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Sportsman
California Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource
Volume 7 • Issue 2 PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Dick Openshaw EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Brittany Boddington LEAD WRITER Tim E. Hovey CONTRIBUTORS Bill Adelman, Brittany Boddington, Steve Carson, Jeremiah Doughty, Don Giottonini, Simon Guild, Jason Haley, Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Bill Schaefer, Mike Stevens SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Steve Joseph, Garn Kennedy, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold PRODUCTION MANAGER Sonjia Kells DESIGNERS Ciara Pickering, Sam Rockwell, Liz Weickum, Kaitlyn Chapman, Jackson Conard PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Kelly Baker INBOUND MARKETING Jon Hines OFFICE MANAGER/ACCOUNTING Audra Higgins ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Sauro INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn CIRCULATION MANAGER Heidi Belew ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@calsportsmanmag.com CORRESPONDENCE Email ccocoles@media-inc.com Twitter @CalSportsMan Facebook.com/californiasportsmanmagazine ON THE COVER November is traditionally a great time to hunt birds in California. Besides ongoing waterfowl season, fall wild turkey, dove and pheasant seasons begin on Nov. 14. (TOBIN RIPPO)
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CONTENTS
VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 2
65
GO COLD TURKEY
Another Thanksgiving is upon us and so many of us will head to our local grocery store and pick out a fat bird from the meat department. But hearty souls can layer up in chilly weather – like our Bill Adelman does in the foothills of Yuba County – and get their own wild turkey as the fall season opens on Nov. 14. (BILL ADELMAN)
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 15 21 33 47 53 59 71 75 77 83 105 109 110
Northern Californian takes on Hawaii kayak fishing Controlling invasive fish and frogs Are we sending the wrong message on conservation? New feature: The Wild Chef’s orange chicken pheasant From Field to Fire: Picking, training your new hunting dog Waterfowl hunting checklist A generational tradition of deer hunting Pay fees first and hunt big game in Arizona later Urban Huntress: Roe deer adventure in the Baltics New Zealand hunting, part III: Seven mistakes to avoid Entice Pyramid Lake’s gorging bass Throw spoons for big largemouths Pacific still churning out yellowtail, dorado and more
DEPARTMENTS 13 27 29 31
The Editor’s Note California drought update: Muir Woods’ salmon runs in Redwood Creek decreasing Daiwa Browning Photo Contest winners Outdoor Calendar
FEATURES 37
AND NOW, THE MOTOR CITY MADMAN Even at 66, Ted Nugent is still buzzing along, whether that’s his music, politics, gun rights or his beloved passion for hunting and getting the younger generation out into the field. We got in a few questions for the Motor City Madman, and we weren’t disappointed with Ted being Ted: outspoken, unfiltered and unapologetic.
39
EARN YOUR WINGS These are the autumn days bird hunters in the Golden State look forward to. In addition to wild turkey’s
fall season, waterfowl and pheasant seasons are in full swing this month, and we have all those birds covered in this issue. Tim Hovey kicks things off with his report on a California Department of Fish and Wildlifesponsored youth pheasant hunt.
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SHOUT OUT TO THE LITTLE GUYS In this era of Walmart and other big box stores popping up on every corner, trout writer Mike Stevens reminds us that smaller, independent “companies” make quality lures just like the national brands. Many are handmade, some not available at your local tackle shop or one
of the chain stores. But many will catch a fat mountain trout or lake bass.
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ORANGE COUNTY’S RAINBOW WARRIORS Irvine Lake’s early November opener is among the most anticipated weekends for SoCal troutheads hoping to get the first crack at that popular fishery’s trophy rainbows. Watercraft are – at least for now – prohibited at Irvine, but with consistent stocking in play, shore anglers should have plenty of opportunities to score one of its massive fish this season. Get all the tips here.
California Sportsman goes digital! Read California Sportsman on your desktop or mobile device. Only $1.89 an issue. Go to www.calsportsmanmag.com/digital California Sportsman is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Avenue South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Send address changes to California Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues), 2-year subscription are $39.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 3829220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues are available at Media Index Publishing Group offices at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2015 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. 10 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com
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THEEDITOR’SNOTE
Salmon enthusiasts gather each fall at Coleman National Fish Hatchery in Anderson to honor the migration of fall-run Chinook that spawn in the Sacramento and other Northern California rivers. (JON MYATT/USFWS)
O
ne of the great events on what should be all of our California bucket lists takes place in Anderson, just south of Redding, in mid-October. Since 1991, the Coleman National Fish Hatchery has hosted its Return Of The Salmon Festival to celebrate fall-run Chinook on their spawning migration from the Pacific back up the Sacramento River. This year’s event on Oct. 17 drew about 4,000 visitors who endured a morning downpour – actually grounds for a party in rain-starved California. Booths featuring everything from smoked salmon, demonstrations of fly fishing to conservation information made for a festive atmosphere. “It has become an annual event for many people interested in salmon, and our hatchery supports the Sacramento River fishery, the only place in the world with four distinct runs of Chinook salmon,” Coleman’s acting hatchery manager Brett Galyean said in a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service release. The heavy rain that swept through on that Saturday morning was ironic given how low water levels in Northern California rivers have made the spawning journey that much more difficult. But USFWS projected 10,000 adult kings would reach Coleman on Battle Creek, a tributary of the Sac River. “Each year, we raise 12 million fall-run Chinook salmon, one million late-fall Chinook and roughly 600,000 steelhead,” Galyean said. “Educating the public about salmon allows them to understand the importance of conserving aquatic resources in California.” To me, there are few more fascinating and inspiring stories from the animal kingdom than the journey salmon take to and from their spawning grounds. These remarkable fish are such a big part of our state’s outdoor culture, so why not make plans next October to honor their return from the saltwater to freshwater? With less than ideal flows and higher water temperatures, fall-run kings were trucked downstream in the last two years from Coleman and state of California-run hatcheries along the Sacramento, Feather, American and Mokelumne Rivers. “Next year will answer the question of whether salmon trucking operations are successful,” Galyean said. Fingers are crossed for another happy celebration next October.
–Chris Cocoles Editor’s note: You can follow California Sportsman’s new Twitter account (@CalSportsMan) and like us on Facebook.
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PADDLING WARRIORS IN PARADISE
Fiery Andy Cho is the “Godfather” of professional kayak fishermen on Hawaii’s Big Island. “I’m not doing this for fun; I’m trying to make money,” he says. (DISCOVERY CHANNEL)
DISCOVERY CHANNEL’S PACIFIC WARRIORS TAKES ON COMMERCIAL KAYAK FISHING IN HAWAII By Chris Cocoles
I
magine pushing a kayak into a pristine mountain lake. You paddle into a secluded cove and leisurely cast flies in calm waters waiting for a fat trout to bite the nymph on the other end. It’s the kind of Norman Rockwell moment anglers everywhere dream of. In Hawaii, commercial fishing out of a kayak is a whole different world. As Discovery Channel’s new series, Pacific Warriors, explains, this is serious business – fresh tuna, mahi-mahi and marlin are worth big bucks to restaurants – and a dangerous occupation. Sharks, strong currents and weather are all hazards that make this quite a challenge for only the most fearless and hearty combatants. Pacific Warriors chronicles Hawaii kayak anglers all over the
Jason Schmidt lived along the Northern California coast in Trinidad before making a go of it in Hawaii, where he hopes to become a successful commercial kayak fisherman on Kauai and is one of the stars of a new Discovery Channel series, Pacific Warriors. (DISCOVERY CHANNEL)
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state, including the Big Island’s Andy Cho and Rob Wong Yuen, Maui’s Jon Jon, Oahu’s Boogie-D and his protégé Jason Valle, plus free-diving savant Kimi Werner, the show’s only woman but as tough and defiant as anyone else. “Kayak fishing is the most extreme kind of fishing,” Cho, known among the Big Island’s fishing poobahs as “The God-
fishing in the Pacific is such a big part of the communities?
Jason Schmidt I moved to Humboldt County in my early 20s. I lived in Trinidad, which is a tight-knit fishing town. Commercial and recreational fishing definitely shapes the communities up there. Generations of fishermen really helped refine it.
CC Did you do a lot of salmon and steelhead fishing in the great rivers like the Klamath, Trinity, Eel, etc.? JS Yeah, I spent countless days pitching flies for steelhead all through the Six Rivers Wilderness Area.
CC Can you share a memory or two from fishing in California? JS I have lots of great memories from up there. I once spent
Kimi Werner, a legend in Hawaii, spear fishes and free dives from her kayak and can more than hold her own with the guys. (DISCOVERY CHANNEL)
a whole summer living on my friend’s ranch in Maple Creek. I would walk down to the upper Mad River and rock hop for miles and find dozens of little honey holes catching beautiful little steelies. I would never see another person out there for days on end. Lots of peaceful moments on that river.
CC What prompted you to move
Some of the monster fish the Pacific Warriors land out of their kayaks are almost as big as the anglers. It’s anything but easy, given the variables like the unforgiving currents and dangerous predators like sharks lurking below and fishing for their own dinner. (DISCOVERY CHANNEL/SHARI CEDAR)
to Hawaii? JS I moved to Kauai in 2000 pretty much chasing the dream. As an avid waterman, living in Hawaii is the ultimate proving grounds. Pursuing big-wave surfing and warm water is what drove me there.
CC What was your career experi-
father,” said on the show’s premiere episode in late October. “You’re the captain, crew, angler and the motor – all in one. I’m not doing this for fun; I’m trying to make money.” On Kauai, California native Jason Schmidt and his fishing partner, Adam King, are less experienced than many of the grizzled local professionals. But they’ll take on the rugged Nāpali Coast in search of prized catches that can deliver big bucks. Schmidt, who grew up fishing the chilly waters of the Northern California coast around Eureka, chatted with us about the warmer yet treacherous waters he takes on in Hawaii.
Chris Cocoles What was it like living in Humboldt County, where 16 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com
ence fishing in a kayak? Was that developed in California? JS I have been fishing since I was a kid. I grew up with all sorts of small boats. At an early age, my brother got a used touring kayak, which I would use to go dig clams with. Eventually I strapped a piece of PVC to make a rod holder and the rest began to fall in place. Northern California is really where I decided to dedicate my lifestyle to being a waterman. Fishing and surfing on that wild coastline really humbles you quickly. It helped me understand what power is in the North Pacific.
CC You started as a kayak tour guide, but meeting Adam King convinced you guys to get into the fishing business. How did that come about? JS Soon after moving to Kauai, I started guiding the Nāpali Coast on kayaks, which was how I met Adam. We became good friends right off and began our journey into kayak fishing. In the early years we targeted more near-shore fish,
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which eventually evolved into hunting for pelagic fish. We found a niche market for our sustainably caught fish in local restaurants.
CC Clearly, there are advantages to fishing out of a kayak, such as being able to get the boat into places where bigger boats might not be able to get to. What are some of the others, and are there some disadvantages as well? JS Because of the small footprint and low overhead costs to fish off the kayak, we are able to keep the prices of our catches affordable for the local community. It’s a very sustainable way to fish and advocates stewardship for this valued resource. Be“Fighting a trophy fish from the kayak is an incredible feeling. It really helps give respect to the beasts we are hunting,” Schmidt says. “The one-on-one battle is very humbling to feel the strength of the animal and power of the ocean it swims in.” (DISCOVERY CHANNEL)
CC Without giving much away, what can we expect from Pacific Warriors? JS Pacific Warriors is a collection of extreme kayak anglers with diverse backgrounds and lifestyles, but all share the passion for hunting big fish from their kayaks. I think it will paint a colorful picture of our lifestyles in this beautiful place.
CC I have some friends who lived on the Big Island and they tell me about how competitive the fishermen are there. Do you have to have an edge to make it there in the industry? JS Yes, fishermen tend to be very protective of their honey holes, but again, the ocean is vast and offers opportunity to those who put the time in. The kayak really hones your fishing skills – the simplicity and quietness of the craft is the edge. It really keeps you connected; things out there really begin to become instinctual. People’s desire to eat sustainable-caught fish has opened up a unique niche market for us here. CC It seems absurd to think otherwise living in beautiful Hawaii, but do you miss the Northern California coast? JS Northern California will always be deeply rooted for me. I grew up a lot there and it is where I found my place as an extreme waterman. It has so much to offer between the great fisheries, abundant natural areas and open space. The rugged empty coastline is very close to my heart. CC If I’m traveling to Hawaii, what kind of fishing plan should I have?
JS I recommend folks visiting Hawaii and want to fish should
cause the kayak is easy to transport, it gives us more options to quickly access prime fishing grounds.
CC Fighting a trophy fish from a kayak in the Pacific Ocean current sounds like part thrilling rush and part terrifying insanity. What is that experience like? JS Fighting a trophy fish from the kayak is an incredible feeling. It really helps give respect to the beasts we are hunting. The one-on-one battle is very humbling to feel the strength of the animal and power of the ocean it swims in. It’s a very primal feeling.
look to find a local angler to help direct them. There are great shoreline fishing places, but conditions can be quite dangerous if you’re not familiar with the spots. There are also many charter boats that offer opportunities to hunt for the trophy fish. Kayak fishing here can be very dangerous for even an experienced angler and I would highly recommend going with an experienced guide. It would also be the best way with the help of local knowledge.
CC How many shark encounters have you faced from your kayak? JS I pretty much deal with shark encounters every time I’m fishing on my kayak. Sharks like to take advantage of hooked fish; it’s an easy meal. It’s usually a race to get the fish boated before it gets taxed. There’s a mutual respect, though we are very similar as apex predators. CS
CC Is there a sense of freedom when it’s just you, the kayak and this big open water you’re fishing from?
JS Yes, it’s that feeling of freedom that drives me the most. I think that’s my biggest draw to kayak fishing. That separation and self-reliance on the ocean wilderness. I find a lot of time to clear my head out there and focus on a task. I now relay it to keep balance in my life.
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Editor’s note: New Discovery Channel episodes of Pacific Warriors (discovery.com/tv-shows/pacific-warriors) can be watched on Friday nights (check your local listing). For more information on Jason Schmidt and kayak fishing on Kauai, check out facebook.com/Sea-Soljahs-Kauai-Kayak-Fishing-Alliance-214099145346832.
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TALES OF A BIOLOGIST
STATE’S FISHERIES BIOLOGISTS SCRAMBLE TO REMOVE INVASIVE SPECIES
Fisheries biologists use backpack electrofishers (inset) to try and capture invasive fish in a Southern California stream. Many native species can be threatened by non-native fish illegally dumped into the state’s waters. (TIM E. HOVEY)
By Tim E. Hovey
I
followed Manna Warburton down the game trail that paralleled the creek. Manna is a fellow field biologist who worked for a consulting firm and we’ve worked on several different projects over the years. I had been on the creek dozens of times, but Manna was convinced I had missed something living in the shallow waters of the native drainage. We pushed through the thick brush and found a larger pool tucked into the shadows of the bank. Manna stopped and pointed to the far end of the pool. The area was dark and made it tough to see anything. A few moments passed and I was wondering what I was looking for. Then a flash of orange blinked in the dark pool under the shadow of a willow. The water on the surface moved and then another flash of bright white. Manna was right – I had missed this pool and this creature. The large koi fish, a decorative relative of the carp, had taken up residence in the dark pool and was undoubtedly a released pet. Normally, this wouldn’t have been a big deal. However, this fish just happened to be residing in a creek that is home to one of the most endangered fish species in California: the unarmored three-spine stickleback. The koi had to go.
California is full of exotic or non-native fish and amphibian species that aren’t supposed to be here. Released intentionally – or, in some cases, unintentionally – the larger and more aggressive non-natives quickly take over, outcompeting and often preying on the diminutive native fish species. Part of managing the endangered fish and amphibian species of Southern California involves restoring their habitat whenever possible. A big part of this task is removing exotic species that may negatively impact native fish and frogs whenever we encounter them. In short, when I come across these non-native intruders in a native drainage, their days are numbered.
CATCHING AN UNWELCOME GUEST We watched the orange and white koi swim at the back of the pond in a tangle of submerged logs and branches. If you had to swing a net in there or pull a seine to capture the fish, it would be almost impossible. Thankfully, we have specialized tools to deal with situations just like these. I slid the 40-pound backpack electrofisher off my back to prepare for use. The unit is specifically designed for fisheries surveys in small bodies of water. A 12-volt battery supplies power to the device and a transformer steps up the voltage to electrify the water within an 8-foot radius of the shocker. Wearing waders, a biologist can move through the shallow calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2015 California Sportsman
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800-776-2873 www.pro-cure.com dence in the warmer discharge water. Native to Central America, this species is very popular in the aquarium trade. A species used to warmer water, the released convicts found a perfect home in the elevated water temperature of the treatment discharge. With no other local fish species able to survive the warmer water, the cichlids reproduced into the thousands. A common avenue of introduction to the streams and creeks of California is clearly through the aquarium trade. Often while removing non-natives from a native creek, I’ll encounter the colorful gravel that once decorated the bottom of someone’s personal fish tank. No longer willing or able to care for their fish, some of the public may feel that releasing them into a creek is appropriate. This is disruptive to the native ecosystem and also illegal.
creek, shocking the water and stunning the fish within that circle. The backpack e-fisher is one of the best tools biologists possess to remove non-native species from a shallow body of water. Most exotic species we encounter in the creeks are relatively common. Bass, green sunfish, carp and goldfish are common targets for removal. These species frequently consume and outcompete native species and usually have no natural enemies. Once they become established in a creek or stream, they will take over if not removed. It should be noted that many of the exotic species I deal with are usually found in lakes and reservoirs in California and support a thriving recreational fishery. FROM A CONTINENT FAR, However, when these FAR AWAY species make it into At times, it can be preta creek or stream systy clear from a species tem, they can disrupt name that they don’t the delicate ecosysbelong here. The Aftem and adversely african clawed frog has fect the native species. taken up residence in At times, species that many of the local creeks once swam innocently and is almost impossienough in a fish bowl ble to completely eradiin someone’s house can cate. A completely aquatfind their new creek ic species, the clawed is not a private pond nor a Japanese garden but actually goldfish-filled Jackson Lake near the frog will aestivate or bury conditions so favor- This Antelope Valley. Goldfish released in the lake reproduced and grew large, making them enemies able that they not only to the native fauna of the lake. (TIM E. HOVEY) itself in the mud when thrive but also grow conditions are poor and substantially larger. Released from the restrictive confines of wait out the dry spell until water returns. It’s a common survival their gallon-sized bowl, the common goldfish can grow extactic they’ve developed in their native continent of Africa. ceptionally large. And in certain conditions where any potenWe also encounter species that are not legal to possess tial predators may be absent, they will continue to reproduce. in California. Some commercial aquarists will look to make a quick buck and somehow acquire species that are not legal to possess in the state. Deemed a detriment to the ecosystem, NOT GOLDFISH-FRIENDLY native species or public safety, these species are prohibited by Years ago, someone released his or her swimming pets into law to own or sell in California. Jackson Lake, which is a high-elevation body of water near Usually priced to move and in an unmarked tank, these ilthe Antelope Valley northeast of Los Angeles that is little more legal species are quickly sold to customers looking for somethan a mountain depression that routinely collects runoff from thing different. Unfamiliar with the care and growth rate of melted snow. In the absence of predators – and with plenty of these illegal species, they opt for a native release. room to grow – the released goldfish quickly took over. Free to For many of these illegal species, the stream conditions in feed constantly, they also grew much larger. Southern California are not amenable for survival. However, While most of these exotic fish are commonly encountered, sometimes they do indeed survive and quickly dominate their occasionally we see species that are a long way from home. A creek environment. few years ago I received a call from a concerned citizen that In recent years, reports of gar, an aggressive species native wanted to report some strange fish in the treated discharge of to the American South, have been made in several creeks in the a local treatment plant. The tertiary-treated water was being southern portion of the state. As soon as this species hits the wapumped into a local river inhabited by several species of nater, it becomes the top predator and will wipe out any other fish tive fish. Unfortunately, the unusual fish we encountered were species it comes in contact with. not native to California, nor this country. Another popular illegal species is the red-bellied piranha. A huge population of convict cichlids had taken up resi22 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com
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Despite its illegal status, enforcement frequently discovers this species in home aquariums or tucked away in hidden tanks in the aquarium stores ready for a quick transaction. An aggressive species native to South America, this species would be a nightmare in a native drainage. Thankfully, I haven’t encountered red-bellied piranha in the wild. Yet.
A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN Truthfully, a huge part of my job is dealing with these exotic, and in some cases, illegal species. The severe reduction in native fish habitat makes every effort to restore existing habitat a top priority. The presence of non-native species in these bodies of water spells disaster for native species. Utilizing the specialized tools and some manpower, fisheries biologists can control and at times eliminate detrimental species that will negatively impact native species. Besides the tools of the trade, the most important tool we possess is education. It’s important for the public to understand that releasing their unwanted pets into creeks and streams of California is illegal and detrimental to all the native aquatic species. That decision carries major consequences.
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Many people mistakenly feel like they are doing the right thing when they no longer can care for a pet and deposit it into a lake or river. Some of the species include (clockwise from left) convict cichlid, redbellied piranha, African clawed frogs and spotted gar. (TIM E. HOVEY)
If we could instantly stop all aquarium pet releases, fisheries biologists donning their fancy backpack electro shockers could finally get the upper hand on the non-native problem in the local streams. With just a little help, the resources should eventually rebound and take care of the rest. CS
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COHO’S SLOW DEATH
IN MUIR WOODS
By Chris Cocoles
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aturalist John Muir loved California, and though he was born in Dunbar, Scotland, he died in 1914 as a son of the Golden State. To Bay Area natives, trips across the Golden Gate Bridge towards Marin County represent a chance to witness the stunning and towering redwoods that define Muir Woods National Monument. It had been decades since I’d visited the park, but my sisters and I decided to hike there on Labor Day weekend. We arrived early to get one of the few parking spots – the National Park Service advises late arrivals to take shuttle buses from nearby Sausalito and Marin City – and hiked early enough to not only beat what turned out to be a hot day, but also the late-morning crowds. The trees were spectacular, as usual, but what caught my attention were the rock formations that frequently protrude out of what is known as Redwood Creek, which meanders through the park from the nearby Marin coast. On our way back to the car, I ran into park ranger Juan Quezada and asked if the drought had taken its toll on the stream. Quezada said the water was lower than usual and added the creek hadn’t attracted many – if any – spawning salmon in about four or five years. He referred me to the National Park Service’s biologists for more information, and I found out it hasn’t been a good time to be a migrating fish in Redwood Creek. In 2014, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that less than 10 coho salmon – Redwood Creek is thought to be the southernmost range for silvers on the West Coast – had returned to spawn in five of the previous seven years. Another year of drought only worsened the population. “We have two salmon species present in Redwood Creek: coho and steelhead. Redwood Creek is not a very large coastal stream and the persistent drought has made it difficult to maintain good summer habitat for both these species,” Golden Gate National Recreation Area aquatic ecologist Darren Fong said in an email. “This September we had to rescue some coho and steelhead in these drying pools and move them upstream where streamflow conditions were a bit better. The coho population has not been faring well, and we have had a dramatic decline in two-year classes following winter 2007-08.” Fong added that there is a joint project involving multiple
agencies – California Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as nongovernment organizations such as the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and Friends of Lake Sonoma – “to establish a captive rearing program to try to save the Redwood Creek coho population from blinking out,” he said. John Muir would be sad upon hearing this news. CS
The majestic redwood trees of Muir Woods National Monument tower over Redwood Creek, a short Marin County stream draining into the Pacific. Fewer coho salmon have been spotted spawning in the creek over the last halfdecade as drought conditions take their toll. (CHRIS COCOLES; CHARLENE KING) calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2015 California Sportsman
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28 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com
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Tracy Kim is this issue’s monthly Daiwa Photo Contest winner, thanks to this shot of a real nice Northwest walleye he landed. It wins Kim a Daiwa hat, T-shirt and scissors for cutting braided line, and puts him in the running for the grand prize of a Daiwa rod-and-reel combo!
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Austin Moser and his pic of a spike shot last season is our monthly Browning hunting photo contest winner! It scores him a Browning hat.
For your shot at winning Daiwa and Browning products, send your photos and pertinent (who, what, when, where) details to ccocoles@ media-inc.com, or to California Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124-0365. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for our print or Internet publications. calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2015 California Sportsman
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30 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com
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OUTDOOR CALENDAR
MIXED BAG General pheasant season in California opens on Nov. 14. (CDFW)
NOVEMBER 1-15 Ambush at the Lake, Convict Lake (monocounty.org/ fishing) 7 Opening of Lone Pine Period 4 bull elk season 7 Scaup opener in Balance of State Zone 7 White geese opener in Northeastern Zone 14 Fall wild turkey opener 14 Late-season dove opener 14 General pheasant season opener 14 Opening of La Panza Period 2 bull elk season 14-15 NorCal Trout Anglers Tournament of Champions, Collins Lake (anglerspress.com) 15 Final day of general Eastern Sierra fishing season DECEMBER 5 Opening of bighorn sheep season in several zones 19 Opening of bighorn sheep season in Zone 5 (San Gorgonio Wilderness) 19 Opening of band-tailed pigeon late season in South Zone 27 General bear season closes 28 Opening of archery pheasant late season 31 Last day for 2015 fishing licenses to be valid
calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2015 California Sportsman
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S A C R A M E N T O S A FA R I C LU B • W W W. S A C R A M E N T O S A FA R I C LU B . O R G 32 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com
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MIXED BAG
MISSING THE MARK ON HUNTING By Don Giottonini
L
ike all responsible hunters, I deplore the illegal taking of game. All legal and ethical hunters agree that those who intentionally take wildlife illegally should face the maximum penalty allowable under the law. Unfortunately, animal rights extremists are exploiting the shooting of a lion in Zimbabwe for their own purposes by intentionally blurring the well-defined line between legal hunting and poaching. The latter is abhorrent, while the former is a vital part of science-based conservation. Groups like the Humane Society of the United States are merely looking to fundraise and advance their political agenda from the overblown emotional reaction to the Zimbabwean lion’s death. They have chosen to pay greater attention to people’s emotions and ignore scientific facts. These groups further refuse to acknowledge the contributions Safari Club International and its members have made to the conservation of numerous species, including lions. At a 2012 banquet, SCI raised over $1.2 million in less than 45 minutes in support of lion conservation. SCI supports projects throughout the globe, ranging from helping to better identify the age of lions, to funding anti-poaching patrols throughout the lions’ range. HSUS, on the other hand, contributes nothing but pious outrage.
MISSING THE POINT With respect to the lion in Zimbabwe, what HSUS and the other groups don’t talk about are the facts. They ignore the reality that the lions are seen as predators by both game and humans in Africa. They gloss over truly devastating events like the death of Quinn Swales, the Zimbabwean tour guide mauled to death by a lion in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park in August. Swales died protecting six tourists he was leading
Sacramento Safari Club president Don Giottonini thinks the worldwide outrage after the shooting of a lion in Zimbabwe is misdirected and is missing the point on other conservation issues. (SACRAMENTO SAFARI CLUB)
– a selfless act in a world increasingly short of them. Yet there was barely a mention of Swales’ death or the loved ones he left behind. Had Swales been another lion, there is little doubt there would have been an outpouring of emotion over the cubs he left behind. But stories like the death of Swales or the poisoning of water holes in Hwange by poachers, which killed 300 elephants in 2013, are inconvenient facts that get in the way of the anti-hunting movement. We can all agree that poachers need to be stopped, but banning hunting won’t accomplish that. It will remove any value that villagers see in these animals and remove any incentive to coexist with them. That threat extends not only to lions, but also elephants – which cut a path of destruction in their wake that most Americans can hardly comprehend. This also pertains to hippos, which kill more humans annually than any other animal in Africa, and any number of other species that we in the U.S. view as cuddly creatures because a stuffed version of the animal rests comfortably next to our children. As uncomfortable as the truth might be for animal rights extremist groups, legal hunting places a value on the animals
to the local community. It gives incentive for villagers to tolerate animals they would normally kill to protect themselves and their crops – an act that animal rights extremists would call poaching. Vernon Booth – an ecologist with 30 years’ experience from Zimbabwe – recently told the New York Times that without hunting, the lion would not be protected.
A QUESTIONABLE DECISION Look at Botswana and see the impacts of shutting down hunting. While the elephant population has increased since the ban’s imposition, the increase is not a beneficial one. In 2014, Botswana banned hunting, resulting in disastrous consequences to communities and the wildlife they depended upon for their livelihoods. Valuable and rare jobs were lost and an ever-growing elephant population is causing increased levels of human-elephant conflict, which both destroys people’s livelihoods and sours their attitudes toward wildlife. The country’s elephant population is estimated to number between 160,000 and 200,000, yet estimates indicate that Botswana’s habitat can only support an elephant population of approximately 40,000. SCI invests millions of dollars into
calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2015 California Sportsman
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Africa every year. We fund wildlife rangers, aircraft, trail cameras and telemetry equipment to combat poaching and aid conservancies. These fund and also protect local communities from wildlife attacks; it generates income and saves habitat. According to National Geographic, investments from hunting in Africa have led to the recovery of several wildlife species: the southern white rhino, Cape mountain zebra and the black wildebeest, to name but a few. In the United States, hunters have paid for the recovery of wild turkey and black bears from almost extinction to flourishing. Whitetail deer, elk, antelope and waterfowl populations have all increased from regulated sport hunting. And hunter money also pays for the conservation of nongame species.
tremists distracts attention from their failure to fund meaningful conservation projects. Animal rights extremists are outstanding at raising money, but where does it go? Their contribution to conservation is minimal, and that is being polite. Where is their willingness to help fund and work with our members to fight poaching? HSUS is a prime example. HSUS routinely solicits funds to support animal shelters, yet spends only 1 percent of those funds in support of local shelters. The majority of this money raised by HSUS is actually used in anti-hunting advocacy campaigns across the United States. HSUS also paid a $15 million settlement in a RICO case last year and has parked around $50 million in offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands. These revelations may help explain why Charity Navigator issued a “donor advisory” against HSUS in 2014. I hope that people will stop believ-
DON’T BUY THE HYPE Grandstanding by the animal rights ex-
34 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com
ing the hyperbole and begin listening to the experts. From world-renowned biologists to people on the ground in Africa, there is plenty of evidence showing the positive contributions hunters make towards the conservation of species through the globe. Let’s stop these misguided attacks on people who are pursuing a legal right that some don’t agree with and focus our energies on those who are actually breaking the law. If we don’t, no one will be able to enjoy some of this planet’s most majestic creatures in the future. CS Editor’s note: Don Giottonini is the president of the Sacramento Safari Club – a chapter of Safari Club International – which, per its website, “actively promotes conservation of our wildlife resources by funding conservation/education projects, supporting legislative action and offering manpower for special wildlife projects.” For more information, go to sacramentosafariclub.org.
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MIXED BAG
HOW MOTOR CITY MADMAN ROLLS TED NUGENT ON GUNS AND HUNTING By Chris Cocoles
T
he Motor City Madman shows no signs of running out of fuel. Ted Nugent, 66, musician, hunter, gun advocate and activist, is as passionate, defiant and outspoken as he was in the 1970s and 1980s when he was one of the alpha dogs of rock and roll. He’s arguably more well known now for his views on politics – his website has a Ted Nugent for President link – than his iconic singer-songwriter career that has sold 30 million records. His love for the outdoors has spawned several charitable ventures, including his own charity, Kamp For Kids, which allows youngsters who might not have the means or opportunity to experience hunting and archery. Nugent, who supports the Gun Owners of California’s 52 Guns in 52 Weeks raffle program, calls like it he sees it as you’ll read here in our interview with him.
Chris Cocoles How did you get involved with Gun Owners of California and the 52 Guns in 52 Weeks program? Ted Nugent I have always admired the great freedom activists in California, like H.L. Richardson, Sam Paredes, Tim May, and all the Gun Owners of California families who stand up against the criminal infringement of the Second Amendment by the out-of control government punks who so flagrantly violate their sworn oath to the U.S. and California Constitutions. I have always been and always will be ready to stand with such freedom fighters.
CC What’s your take on California’s gun laws? TN There are so many bizarre and counterproductive gun laws and various laws overall in California that the rest of the country can barely hold back the laughter, except for the fact that they are so dangerous and wrong. Not a day goes by that I don’t speak out, write, conduct media interviews and communicate in every way I can to push back the draconian laws that plague California and the nation. By being an active member of the NRA and many other civil rights organizations, I inform my elected employees constantly exactly what I expect from them to clean up this embarrassing mess.
CC You’re also “director of spirit” in the organization Hunt of a Lifetime. Tell us about that group and what it means to you.
TN The great, loving, caring families of Hunt of a Lifetime did what needed to be done in this vile world of political correctness, where the otherwise good charity Make A Wish Foundation actually refused terminally ill children their last dream in life to go hunting. Some soulless individual at Make A Wish arbitrarily decided such legal, proper and wonderful requests to go hunting were unacceptable – shame on them. When a dying or sick child wants to go hunting, we take them hunting. Period.
CC Is there a “hunt of a lifetime” Ted Nugent has yet to embark on yet, but will someday? TN Quite honestly, I experience my ultimate hunts of my lifetime each and every day throughout the year. I live Ted Nugent sold 30 million records in his music a hunting, fishing career and continues to perform, but his real and trapping life- passion may be hunting and getting others involved in the sport. (TEDNUGENT.COM) style and engage my deepest dreams nonstop with my family, friends and two precious Labrador retrievers. It matters not the game, as each and every day afield cleanses my soul and inspires my spirit no end.
CC As iconic of a music career as you’ve had, you’re probably just as known for your passionate stances for gun rights and politics. Does that make you feel like that you’ve made a difference? TN There is simply no question whatsoever that I’ve made a difference and do so pretty much every day of my life. Our incredible 24-years’ running Ted Nugent Kamp for Kids has graduated more than 15,000 families into the glorious “Spirit of the Wild” outdoor lifestyle. We have upwards of 10 to 33 million Facebookers and many millions of followers on various social media, and our award-winning No. 1 (show) Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild on Outdoor Channel. My writings in dozens of publications, the resulting communication I get on a daily basis how people have awakened from the antihunting and antigun lies to become honest conservationists and NRA members confirms the matter unambiguously. I have literally heard from thousands and thousands of people how my clean and sober lifestyle prodded them to clean up and live life to the fullest. I raise truth, logic and common-sense hell with absolutely zero denial or politically correct compromise, and such fact-and-evidence-filled believability is wildly contagious. Americans are supposed to raise hell. To fail to do so is embarrassingly French-like.
CC What’s coming up next for you? TN The never-ending effervescent tsunami of sacred backstraps and mystical flights of many arrows, eternal killer R&B and R&R music outrage, another ferocious tour, uncharted electric guitar brutality, bigger and better TV, media, writings and an unstoppable orgy of full on gonzo American Dream quality of life. And, of course, there is that nightly animal dance with Mrs. Nugent that would be more than enough unto itself. CS Editor’s note: For more on The Nuge, check out tednugent.com and follow him on Twitter (@TedNugent) and Instagram (tednugentofficial), and like him on Facebook.com/tednugent. calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2015 California Sportsman
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HUNTING
TEACHING HUNTING
IS KID STUFF CDFW PROGRAM, VOLS PUTS YOUTHS BEHIND BIRD DOGS IN SEARCH OF PHEASANTS
By Tim E. Hovey
A
frican proverbs have it that it takes a village to raise a child. While this statement may be somewhat antiquated in today’s “all about me” society, I still see great value in this adage when it comes to teaching kids to hunt. Nowhere in the outdoor world is this more evident than in a youth pheasant hunt put on by our state’s resource agency.
I frequently attend these free youth and family pheasant hunts put on by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife during the fall. I go purely as an observer and really look forward to watching the joy and excitement of the participating kids as the day unfolds.
THESE HUNTS ARE geared towards introducing kids to the exciting world of upland game hunting. To dramatically increase the potential for suc-
cess and to introduce first-time junior hunters to the thrill of flushing game, pheasants are planted for each hunt in nearby fields. During hunter orientation, volunteers head out to the assigned fields and carefully release the birds for the young hunters. While the ringnecks are being stocked, the new hunters attend an orientation given by the event’s coordinator, Nicholas Betchel. Nick goes over what he expects during the coordinated hunt and strongly suggests
Event coordinator Nick Betchel addresses a group of rookies during a California Department of Fish and Wildlife youth pheasant hunt. (TIM E. HOVEY)
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HUNTING as the bird dogs. If things are not perfect, the instructor will reposition the hunters for safety. As soon as the specific safety instructions are summarized, the hunting group will carefully head out into the field. This is a great opportunity for first-time hunters to witness the dedicated coordination between an experienced trainer and his welltrained bird dog. Whistles and one-word commands guide the bird dog through the field with zigzag precision. The dog’s movements and behaviors will signal to his owner when game birds are close. And when the dog goes on point, beginners and veteran hunters alike will get chills. During the target session, an instructor gives some tips to a new hunter. Author Tim Hovey says one of the most challenging aspects of shooting is hitting a flying target above. (TIM E. HOVEY)
that kids and parents alike follow the safety rules and the code of conduct. Already dressed in blaze orange, the young hunters pay close attention to the instruction. Nick is stern and to the point when it comes to the behavior he will allow at his hunting event. To be honest, in a setting where new hunters and anxious parents are present, there really is no other way to run a hunt like this. Nick also inspects the shotguns that hunters bring to the event. He makes sure they are fully operational and that they properly fit the young hunter. He inspects the ammunition as well, making absolutely sure it’s appropriate for the specific firearm. Safety is the number one priority for Nick, and he wants to make absolutely sure that all hunters are well versed in proper firearm handling. After the firearm inspection, event volunteers take the kids to an area where they can quickly test their wingshooting. A portable target thrower is set up nearby, so each junior hunter can get a feel for tracking, following and shooting a flying
THERE IS PROBABLY nothing harder in hunting than hitting a flying target with a shotgun. Many of the junior hunters participating in these fall hunts have never even seen a pheasant before, let alone taken a shot at one. The chicken-sized birds often flush mere feet from the hunter and there is nothing delicate about their departure. They are startling, explosive and extremely loud when they take flight. Depending on a hunter’s position, they
target. This exercise also allows event personnel the opportunity to observe how the young hunters handle, mount and fire their shotguns. Volunteers provide helpful hints as the kids get an opportunity to put to the test what they’ve learned. Once the birds are in place, kids are paired with passionate birddog owners and their dogs to run the field. These individuals volunteer their time and their well-trained dogs for the hunting weekend. The hunting group is then assigned a specific field to hunt. The volunteers will instruct the young hunters on when to shoot and when not to shoot for the safety of all Gun safety is one of the most critical elements stressed involved, as well to the next generation of upland bird hunters. (TIM E. HOVEY)
40 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com
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HUNTING will only have a few seconds to locate, track, lead and fire at the flushing bird. It’s no wonder that for many first-time hunters, a pheasant hunt can result in sensory overload. I’ve watched dozens of these
hunts from the safety of a distant hillside and I’ve been able to predict which kids will drop their birds and who may require a bit more practice. However, the ones that fail to drop a bird at least get to experience an amazing hunt behind a trained
With mentors in the rear, a pair of young hunters and a trained bird dog head afield to test their skills on stocked ringneck pheasant. (TIM E. HOVEY)
42 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com
dog and experienced volunteers. And those volunteers are quick to inform each hunter, successful or not, that hunting is not about the game killed, but about the overall experience, a very important lesson for young kids wishing to continue. Back at the check-in area, volunteers instruct all the hunters on proper bird transport and cleaning for those lucky enough to have dropped a pheasant during the morning hunt. Special hunt event birds used for these hunts must be tagged prior to transport. After tagging, event volunteers show the group how to clean their birds, illustrating the connection between a hunted animal and the meat they’ll eventually consume. I especially like to observe this part of the event, since it’s where I often see kids watch in amazement as a feathered game bird is transformed into meat in a bag. The once-quiet and nervous kids that entered the event that morning are transformed into excited and talkative individuals who’ve all shared the same amazing experience. They walk around with pheasant feathers in their hunting hats, and a few carry around bags filled with pheasant meat. The change in their attitude and behavior is great to see. Nick and his dedicated group of volunteers are involved in every step of this hunting process, and each contributes valuable knowledge and experience to the event. They are patient, motivated and direct in an activity that requires all of these attributes in equal amounts. They understand that safety is the top priority and it is not to be compromised in any way. However, they also realize that well-instructed kids need to experience the fun as well, if they are going to continue on as hunters. It’s clear to me that these hunts probably wouldn’t exist without this group of experienced and dedicated volunteers who help run them. They obviously have a real passion for passing on their knowledge and experience to the next generation.
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nn Ru
in’ Retriever s
LAST YEAR, DURING a lull in the activity I had a chance to talk with one of the volunteers who ran his bird dog for the junior hunters. After some brief pleasantries, he said something that I
spec al z ng in specializing n making your best friend your best hunting partner! After learning how to hunt safely and working with their bird dogs, celebrating a first pheasant harvest is what this day was all about. (TIM E. HOVEY)
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44 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com
don’t think I’ll soon forget. We were watching the next group of excited young hunters line up at their assigned fields. He lifted himself from his lawn chair and said, “I don’t care if I ever shoot another pheasant myself. I get more pleasure watching these kids on their first hunts!” That passion and desire for involvement is as important as the flushing birds, in my opinion. If you or your family is interested in putting in for these fall hunts, visit CDFW’s website (wildlife.ca.gov) and search for the Special Hunts section. These hunts are free to the public and are a great way to get youth and family members involved in the wholesome outdoor activity. It’ll also give you an opportunity to meet some of the nicest and most knowledgeable individuals willing to answer any question you may have regarding upland game hunting. And when you shake their hand, remember that during a weekend when they could be doing absolutely anything else, they’ve chosen to spend it with you and your family for free. Personally, I’m proud to know them. CS
calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2015 California Sportsman
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HUNTING
ADD ORANGE CRUSH
TO YOUR BIRD By Jeremiah Doughty
I
was helping out with a youth pheasant hunt this past season and was paired with a father and two sons. Both sons had just finished their hunter safety course, so this was their first hunt. As we hunted, both boys filled their game bags and became excited to eat their pheasant. The dad killed their excitement with a simple phrase. “We don’t eat pheasant; it’s gross,” he said. Both boys hung their heads as we walked back to the car. Being a wild game chef I asked the boys what their favorite chicken dish was; they both replied it was orange chicken. I told their dad that I would create a simple orange chicken recipe that he could recreate with the boys’ birds. I went home and worked for three days until I came up with this dish, a recipe that changed Dad’s mind.
ORANGE CHICKEN, PHEASANT STYLE 2 pounds pheasant (can also use turkey, chicken or chukar) 1 cup flour ¼ cup corn starch 1 egg 1 teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon ginger powder 1 teaspoon cracked pepper ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon onion powder ½ cup cooking oil (I love avocado oil; it has the highest flash point and doesn’t burn or smoke until 500 degrees)
DIRECTIONS Chop pheasant into 1-inch cubes – nice bite-sized pieces. In a plastic bag, mix all dry ingredients, close bag and shake to mix. Add egg to medium bowl and beat until yolk is mixed with whites. Add pheasant and coat with egg wash. Add pheasant to bag in batches and shake to fully coat; remove and set aside until all pheasant pieces have been coated. Let rest for five to 10 minutes. While chicken is resting, add oil to wok or skillet and heat on medium. Once the oil is hot add the pheasant in batches, cooking fully and crispy, about four to six minutes per batch. Once all the pheasant has cooked, set aside and start on your orange glaze.
ORANGE GLAZE RECIPE 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced 2 teaspoons garlic, minced ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar ¼ cup water ½ teaspoon sesame oil 1½ tablespoons soy sauce 5 tablespoons sugar 5 tablespoons white vinegar ¼ cup fresh orange juice 1 tablespoon orange zest
DIRECTIONS In a small bowl, mix together the orange juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, white vinegar and zest until sugar is dissolved. Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch and mix smooth, then set aside. Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok or skillet. Next, add ginger and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Stir in crushed red pepper and rice wine; stir for 15 seconds to mix. Add orange juice mixture to wok or skillet and bring to a boil, stirring often so as to not burn sauce. Once sauce comes to a boil, add cooked pheasant and stir until evenly coated. Remove from heat and place on a bed of brown rice and then garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. CS Editor’s note: For more on the Wild Chef, Jeremiah Doughty, check out his website (fromfieldtoplate.com), like him on Facebook (facebook.com/Fromfieldtoplate), follow him on Instagram (fromfieldtoplate) and Twitter (fromfield2plate). calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2015 California Sportsman
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GEAR UP W
elcome to fall in California. We’ve worked our way through the hot summer, navigated the crowds flocking to mountain lakes and pulled in enough trout for a fish fry. Now it’s time take advantage of cooler weather. Thanksgiving is upon us, so as the Nov. 14 wild turkey season opens, how about heading out to the forest and track a fat tom to have an organic holiday gobbler on the dinner table? Upland birds and ducks are now in season as well. Waterfowl can be hunted throughout the state and the pheasant opener is in the middle of the month, so the bird is the word as we give thanks with our loved ones. And don’t store away your fishing gear just yet. There is still time to catch a late fall-run king salmon in
Northern California’s rivers. Down south, the ocean bite remains plentiful for bluefin tuna, yellowtail and dorado. Fall is a wonderful time in the state. Get out and enjoy what this diverse state has to offer, whether you’re a hunter or fishing buff. We want you to have the best gear possible for your trip, so take a look at the following pages for some of the best products in the business. What’s unique about being an outdoors lover in California compared with other parts of the country is even November provides the potential to have mild enough weather – though a little rain would be nice – to take advantage of the opportunities to have fun.
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The patented BGS and Mako are the ultimate field-dressing knives. The 100-percent machined aluminum housing is lightweight and retains superior strength and durability. Its innovative design offers a faster and cleaner way to process game, becoming a multifunctional knife. The hook design cuts from the inside out, splitting the hair while making a precision cut. It also has the ability to spin 360 degrees around the leg to open the hide and pop the joint. The bottom of the blade becomes your guided skinner. With the blade sandwiched between the housing, it lifts the blade off the meat and hide, making for a faster and cleaner job. The T-grip handle offers complete control and eliminates hand fatigue. www.raptorazor.com
New for 2015 is a complete line of RUKX Gear gun cases and backpacks. This one-day Back Pack includes heavy-duty padded shoulder straps, as well as many compartments to organize everything you need to bring along with you. RUKX Gear gun cases and backpacks come in black or tan 40D polyester models with reinforced seems and zippers. Gun cases range from 36- to 46-inch lengths, while the backpacks come in one-day, three-day, and five-day configurations. Prices range from $49.95 to $99.95. Visit www.americantactical.us to see the full line of RUKX Gear and other American Tactical products. See ad on page 57
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52 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com
HUNTING Before investing in a hunting dog, ask yourself how much time you’ll be able to dedicate to it over the next decade or more. Pups are cute but grow up fast and need continual training and attention, especially during the first six to eight months of life. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
FROM FIELD ...
THE SMART CANINE SHOPPER
WANT TO GET A HUNTING DOG? PICK THE RIGHT BREED, NOT THE CUTEST PUPPY By Scott Haugen
I
never had a hunting dog while growing up. I wanted one, but with my dedication to athletics, trapping, fishing and forms of hunting that didn’t require a dog, I didn’t think I could take on another responsibility. What bird and bear hunting I did
with friends quenched my thirst to own a hunting dog – at least until I got older. When our sons were born, I was anxious to see if they took an interest in hunting, the type of hunting that would require a dog. For the first 12 years of their lives, I was on the road a lot as I pursued a full-time outdoor
career hosting TV shows, writing and speaking. When he turned 11, our oldest son went on a pheasant hunt and loved the dogs. A couple weeks later, our 9-year-old son expressed the same interest after an upland bird hunt. For the first time in my life, the search for a hunting dog began. Over the course of the next two
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HUNTING years, I talked with lots of hunters, dog trainers and anyone else I could find who had experience with bird dogs. The family also went on multiple bird hunts behind a variety of dog breeds. Everyone had good advice that helped our family decide on what kind of dog to get. We’ve had our pudelpointer, Echo, for nearly two years now and our decision couldn’t have been better for our family.
BE SURE IT’S FOR YOU If looking for your first hunting dog, the initial question you’ll want to ask is, “Do I have the time to dedicate to raising a dog?” Owning a dog is likely going to be a 12-year commitment, hopefully longer. Weigh your lifestyle, career and recreational time and ask yourself if you’re ready to take on the proper responsibilities associated with raising a hunting dog. You’ll want to settle on a breed that fits your interests and those of your family. For me, I wanted a dog that hunted upland birds, waterfowl, crows, squirrels, trailed blood and found antler sheds. We also wanted a loving dog that would sleep with the boys at night and offer protection. You may not want an inside dog. You might only be interested in waterfowl hunting or shed hunting. You may want an upland bird dog. The point is that you’ll want to determine your personal interest and find a dog that matches.
TRAINING DAYS Next, ask yourself how the dog is going to be trained. Are you going to devote the time to training it yourself or hire a professional? The number one concern I hear from professional trainers is about owners who drop off a dog for training, then do nothing with the dog to keep its skills honed. By the time the next hunting season rolls around, the dog has lost many of the disciplines it was taught. When deciding on a breed, hunt with the breed or breeds you’re considering, if logistically possible.
The author’s son, Kazden Haugen, with a pair of pheasants taken over Lon, a pudelpointer from Tall Timber Pudelpointers. After this hunt, the Haugens decided on this breed of dog for their family, but only after two years of researching breeds. (SCOTT HAUGEN)
If a friend doesn’t have a dog you can hunt with, consider booking a hunt with a guide who handles the breed you’re considering. You can also call a breeder and ask to spend time with them and their dogs to get an idea of how they work together. As the time approaches to get a dog, don’t get bit by the puppy bug. All pups of any breed are cute and cuddly, but stick to the breed you want. Like many other potential purchases, don’t buy on impulse; make your decision only after thoroughly studying what breed and gender of dog you want. Remember too that males and females behave differently. Once you bring your pup home at eight weeks of age, immediately start the discipline process. An undisciplined dog is a training nightmare and the process of communicating and setting expectations for your dog
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should start the moment you get it. Prior to the dog’s arrival, be certain you’ll have proper time set aside to start establishing guidelines, introducing it to water and getting it into new environments; six months of dedicated time is a starting point. Do not get the dog days before an extended vacation and leave it with someone else. The dog needs to be with its new family after leaving the litter and getting used to home. Choosing a hunting dog is a decision that requires time and forethought. Don’t get caught up in buying a dog based on emotion rather than common sense. Determine your interests of what you want in a dog and then make the smart choice. From that point on, your life will forever be changed for the better. CS Editor’s note: For more on author Scott Haugen, go to scotthaugen.com.
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HUNTING
SMOKE BIRDS IF YOU GOT ‘EM
... TO FIRE
Tiffany Haugen says pheasant jerky can be infused with an Asian flavor via soy sauce or kicked up with some heat. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)
By Tiffany Haugen
T
he family had just come off a great pheasant hunt and we had lots of birds. Our boys loved their smoked meats and wanted some pheasant jerky. With my Camp Chef Smoke Vault at the ready, I thought, “why not?” But instead of cutting up the birds and making jerky, I smoked them whole. Whole pheasants are easy to deal with in the smoker and there’s virtually no waste. Once the bird is smoked, the meat can be cleanly picked off the bones. The remaining bones make an amazing smoky-pheasant broth boiled up with onions, carrots and celery. Take special care to keep the temperature consistent since these delicate birds can quickly dry out. Adding a layer of cheesecloth helps keep moisture in, as would wrapping the birds in bacon before smoking. This basic recipe can be added to, depending on flavor preference. For an Asian flair, add 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 inches of freshly grated ginger and 1 teaspoon of Chinese five-
spice. For a hotter bird, add an additional 1 teaspoon of black pepper and a half-teaspoon of cayenne pepper or chili powder. Have fun with it and take notes so you can recreate your recipe again next season. 1 quart water 3 tablespoons salt 2 teaspoons granulated onion 2 teaspoons granulated garlic 1 teaspoon white pepper Two to three whole pheasants In a large bowl, whisk brine ingredients until salt is dissolved. Wrap birds tightly in cheesecloth if desired. Submerge birds in brine so they are completely covered. Birds and brine can also be placed in a large sealable baggie. Refrigerate eight to 12 hours, turning birds at least once during this process. Remove birds and empty all cavities of brine. Do not rinse birds but discard brine. Place birds on a rack to air-dry for 15 to 30 minutes (placing wet birds in the smoker can make a mess). Place birds in a preheated smoker
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(180 to 210 degrees). Smoke four-anda-half to six hours, depending on bird size. Birds can be eaten directly from the smoker. To retain more moisture in the birds, place them directly from the smoker into a sealed container or baggie and refrigerate until cool. Smoked pheasant can be eaten as is or added to a variety of dishes. The tender white meat can also be vacuum-sealed and frozen for up to three months. Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany Haugen’s popular cookbook, Cooking Game Birds, send a check for $20 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489 or order online at scotthaugen.com. Looking for more pheasant recipes? Follow this link to watch Tiffany cooking pheasants multiple ways: youtube. com/watch?v=M8MdLhMgTbA&feature=youtu.be.
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58 5 8 Cal California Ca ifornia a Spor Sportsman S po t por tsm ts sm s man NOVE NOVEMBER NO N NOV OV OVE O VEMBE EMBER 2015 201 015 | calsportsman 01 calsportsmanmag.com nmag.com mag.co co
HUNTING
CHECKING OFF THE LIST
GETTING EVERYTHING IN ORDER FOR YOUR WATERFOWL HUNT
Author Bill Adelman has all his I’s dotted and T’s crossed as California’s 2015-16 waterfowl season is now in full swing this month throughout the state. (BILL ADELMAN)
By Bill Adelman
T
hey’re heeeere. Flying targets, that is. As I beat this keyboard into submission, it’s but a week until opening day and the season will be in full swing by the time you read this (keep reading for our opener experience). Is there any opening day or first trip of a season that doesn’t increase the heartbeat and send everyone’s minds
wandering? No matter the target, it’s always the same: Get out the duck bags, check for everything you need. Rats. Where’s my facemask? After a few minutes of mental gymnastics, it comes to mind that it’s probably in the dove bag. Every hunter should have a separate bag for each quarry. Steel shot is a must, so have enough of each size for every condition. Then there’s the six goose loads in my pocket, as a goose opportunity is very possible the first few weeks of the sea-
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HUNTING son. Did I tune the calls yet? Last year this was accomplished in the car, where my son and driver, finally said enough was enough. Are my sunglasses nonreflective? Next weekend will be clear and warm. My neoprenes will be worn against bare skin, as it will be too hot to wear pants too. Let’s see what we need: lip ice, sunscreen and mosquito repellent are must haves. For duck hunting, my preference is the stick since it’s much easier to use in a blind. Why didn’t we make a prehunt list many years ago? It never fails that something is forgotten. How are you with duck identification at first light, or when look- Even in a year where drought conditions have made hunting Sometimes, an ATV makes for an easier way of ing into the sun? Thankfully, my a little more challenging, there’s something about sunrise transporting to and from the blind in the marshes where waterfowl lurk. (CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH son is great. The guys have access on a Northern California duck blind that makes all the preparation worthwhile. (STEVE ADELMAN) AND WILDLIFE) to their blind three weeks prior to opening day. This means they can load a plastic boat with dekes and pull them into the for mentioning. But hey, you don’t have to read it or do field prior to flooding. A new ATV for this season should it. My son and his hunting partners buy bales of hay and make a nonstarting problem a thing of the past. This tip completely cover the levee from the walk-in point to the is top secret and my son will more than likely chastise me blind, about 300 yards total. After the first rain, it mats down and makes the walk much, much easier. We call it the golden highway. Then along the ditch, they’ll grab a bunch of foliage and tie the top and bottom with plastic ties, cut it and carry the clumps out to the blind. These are placed horizontally across the blind; thus, after you get in without falling, they’re placed close enough together to cover your outline but still see through. When you stand to shoot, they just slide to the side. Actual dead branches are cut to about 3 to 4 feet in length and stuck in the water’s edge within 40 yards of the blind on either side. This way the hump of cover at the pit isn’t quite so obvious. For us, the 2015 opener was a dud. Our club was almost waterless, while somehow the clubs to the east and south were full. Upon checking with those hunters, duck limits were the rule and a fair amount of geese were harvested. Flights of high-flying specks were spectacular. In two days, we got two ducks and a single goose. Historically, this club is a winner, but the water availability was almost nonexistent. After the morning hunt the white dekes were painted and that really lit them up. A dozen oversize speck dekes were added to the spread on Friday night, and calling until my eyes crossed brought in nary a single bird. These geese flew by when dekes were being set up and deployed just The one Steve shot was a flyby. All we can do is wait and outside of Princeton in Colusa County as the 2015-16 season began. (STEVE pray for rain as the season progresses. CS ADELMAN)
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HUNTING
DON’T QUIT COLD TURKEY FALL’S CHILL SHOULDN’T SWAY YOU FROM HUNTING FOR NORTH-CENTRAL TURKEYS By Bill Adelman
A
nother opening day is coming up: fall turkey. All of the excitement surrounding such an event is upon us. Gear is gathered; lists are checked; all pertaining licenses are accounted for; and I’ve cleaned my weapon after last season. Ammo is packed and we’re ready to start collecting the inevitable pile of stuff in the garage. By the time we pick up the house trailer and all the prep work is completed, we’ll hook up that baby and we’re off to the tiny Yuba County
Setting up on the birds’ route from roost to water source is a good play for fall turkey. (BILL ADELMAN)
community of Challenge, which is just north of Brownsville and about 30 miles from Yuba City. The elevation here is 2,595 feet, worth mentioning because in the darkness of opening morning we’ll dress as if we’re chasing deer in Modoc County. It’s high enough that the snow crunches underfoot as we warm up the rig in 18-degree temps. Season runs Nov. 14 to Dec. 13, with a daily limit of one bird of either sex and a season limit of two. This region of California – north-central – produced 2014’s best fall turkey harvest, estimated at just over 3,800 of the 9,842 taken statewide. Almost 300 of those were killed in Yuba County, while Butte acFrom a blind, looking into heavy cover makes spotting counted for 398; toms a little more of a challenge. (BILL ADELMAN)
Calaveras for 471; El Dorado for 597; and Placer for 634. Elsewhere, productive counties include Monterey: 314; Shasta: 533; and Sonoma: 360.
BUNDLE UP If you hunt where we’ll be, you sure will be glad to have packed winter clothing and gloves. Foot warmers are in our boots and hand warmers in our pockets, just in case the gloves don’t ease the pain of tingling fingers. After all, we just might have to shoot our weapon. The new packets are extremely easy to use; however, the old aluminum warmers that work with lighter fluid are still the hot tickets. We’ll carry all of the stuff that we use in the spring, but we won’t utilize it the same way. Turkeys exhibit whitetail traits in that they are very predictable when not bothered. Their roosting areas and paths to food are easy to spot, if you put in the time.
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HUNTING
Some places like Challenge, a Yuba County area at an elevation of about 2,500 feet, can be susceptible to snow, so layer up accordingly. (BILL ADELMAN)
There are also far more set-ups and changing locations in the fall, as the birds don’t react to calling. But they will react to locator calls just prior to first light. Generally, the return gobble or putt occurs just once. Stay alert, and if there are two hunters, concentrate your listening in opposite directions.
HOW TO DO IT Popular techniques are spot and stalk, poop and snoop, run and gun, hide and seek, and the bible system, which essentially is “seek and ye shall find” … at least sometimes. Your vehicle will be a positive force in locating flocks, and once you’re in the field, binoculars are a must. Where we sometimes travel the roads in the late afternoon in the spring – locating birds with calls – doesn’t work now. We’ll drive to possible locations, get out, split up and sneak around with the binocs, looking for birds. As we can hunt all day, when birds are spotted late in the afternoon, we can formulate a plan that should end in success, even though it hardly ever does. Once we find an area that birds
are using, we’ll pick a likely spot and set up, hoping that they’ll just wander by as they venture forth on their daily chores. Sitting on a piece of Visqueen or padded seat will help keep you dry. It’s fine to use dekes; however, a tom isn’t the hot ticket, as the big guys will be pretty much bachelored up and not headed in to beat up on a solo bird. Two hens and one jake, separated further apart than normal, just might turn birds. If you spot a flock out of range, don’t use the normal calling patterns. A hen hail call done maybe
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twice is all you really need. The idea that if you build it – a blind, not a baseball field – they will come, is almost always a fallacy. When you spot birds, try to determine which direction they’re headed and flank them, then set up and allow them to come to you. Don’t call too soon either. Dekes aren’t necessary now and could spook the birds should they spot your movement while setting them. Speaking of spotting, we once spotted two toms at about 300 yards. As I moved to the edge of a group of The tools of the trade for a fall turkey hunt are largely different from spring’s, except for locator calls which can be used at first light. (BILL ADELMAN)
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HUNTING
Gerry Adelman scored this fall trophy. Patient hunters can be rewarded with a Thanksgiving wild turkey prize. (BILL ADELMAN)
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trees they spotted me and took off for Oregon. Setting up in heavy timber is a plan. Your shot may be no more than 20 yards; however, this is the environment that fall birds will be using. Of course, if you’re familiar with the property, all the better. By now the terrain will be wet, so hearing the approaching bird is not very likely. When you spot movement, don’t just immediately raise your weapon; instead, wait for just the right moment to prepare for the shot. If you locate really heavy timber with a small clearing to a more sparse area, set up in the heavy cover and watch for crossing birds. When fortunate enough to know of a roosting location, get in very early and set at least 50 yards away near the anticipated travel direction. The hens might call the flock together right after fly-down, but they may call just one or two times and then shut up. Turkeys can identify specific locations from a half-mile away. Take the time to enjoy a fall hunt, be satisfied with any successes, enjoy the surroundings and don’t rue a skunk. You just might see that dominant buck nobody saw during deer season. Our last sightings were a huge 3-by-3 that fed into shotgun range and a monster 4-by-4 running with a doe as they trotted through a meadow after watering. Finally, don’t forget to keep your cheek low on the stock and use both front and rear sights. Good luck and happy gobbler hunting. CS
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HUNTING
TRADITION OF BOWHUNTING FOR DEER SPANS GENERATIONS Wayne Haley (far left) and the late Arnie Crawford with their 1970s-era California bucks. Arnie’s son Mike has carried on the family tradition of archery deer hunts with this Siskiyou County buck taken in 2015. (WAYNE HALEY; MIKE CRAWFORD)
By Jason Haley
I
t was the late summer of 1977. Reggie Jackson had yet to belt three home runs to help the Yankees beat the Dodgers in the World Series and Walter Payton was destined to rush for 275 yards, the new NFL record, both sports milestones shaking up the landscape that fall. Hair and sideburns were big, as were the bottoms of some people’s pants. The sport of archery had grown past the fledgling stage and compound wheel bows and aluminum
arrows were becoming the norm for many. The state of California had begun letting hunters into the field earlier with archery equipment, and some archers were all too happy to take advantage. My dad, Wayne Haley, and Arnold “Arnie” Crawford of Burney were two of those willing participants. The two were friends and hunted together, but also separately. They were somewhat competitive when it came to the sport, as was the case with many of their Intermountain-area hunting buddies.
Author Jason Haley’s dad Wayne was a longtime friend of Arnie, but they competed with each other during their hunts before Arnie was tragically killed in a 1979 logging accident. (WAYNE HALEY)
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HUNTING Both men took their personal-best archery bucks that year. As the story goes, Arnie took his monster buck at close range in the Macintosh Plantation in Siskiyou County after setting up a drive that worked to perfection. He couldn’t wait to go show Wayne and establish bragging rights. When the two friends got together, Wayne’s California buck, taken just a day apart, was actually a half-inch wider. Arnie couldn’t believe it. “Not by much,” Haley said when the Crawford version of the story – told to me by his son Michael – was relayed back to him. “They were both big. He was a good bowhunter and always figured stuff out like that. He was clever.” The bucks are special for more than just the obvious reasons. Both were the biggest ever taken with archery equipment by either hunter. Arnold Crawford died in a tragic logging accident in 1979, not too long after these bucks were taken. His son
The mounts of Wayne Haley (bottom) and Arnie Crawford live on, as their sons Jason and Mike, respectively, have become accomplished archery deer hunters also. (JASON HALEY; MIKE CRAWFORD)
Mike, an archery-only hunter who has become more proficient than any of us, was 2 years old at the time. I remember the talk and the impact on our little town well; I was 8. After talking about hunting for years, Mike and I finally bowhunted for the first time together – two seasons ago – near my home in Southern Oregon. We got one elk and nearly two, and no bucks. It was a great time. I doubt either of us will ever take a buck as nice as the two great trophies we both have in storage, although I wouldn’t put it past Mike. He’s an amazing California bowhunter. The beautiful, 25-inch, 3-point he took during the 2015 bow season is one of many for him and has become the norm. My dad bought a gun safe recently and found that old photo of he and Arnie while sorting out his things. The photo now belongs to Mike Crawford. CS
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PAY NOW, HUNT LATER
Hunting big game out of a state can be expensive, especially going guided. But a unique system of paying up front and having your guided hunt later fully covered when you draw a tag is the brainchild of Zero Guide Fees owners Travis McClendon and David Rhodes. (ZERO GUIDE FEES)
I
n case you haven’t heard, hunting can be expensive. Very expensive. Besides the logistics of getting to a hunt out of state, hunting with a guide can become pricey for nonresidents going after big game in places like Arizona. Travis McClendon, a longtime hunter and Grand Canyon State native, came up with the concept of helping hunters pay a flat fee up front. If they’re then drawn for an elk tag or another big game species, McClendon’s Zero Guide Fees (zeroguidefees.com) will cover whatever the price for that particular hunt will run you. In the first of a two-part interview, McClendon and his partner at Zero Guide Fees, David Rhodes, provide some insights into how this works.
California Sportsman How did you come up with this idea? Travis McClendon There are many hunters over the years who have wanted to hunt with us but have never been able to afford it. So several years ago
I started to think of a concept that would include everyone who wanted a guided hunt in Arizona, not just the small percentage of those who could afford it. That’s when Zero Guide Fees was born. Now everybody and anybody who wants to come to Arizona and hunt some of the best big game in the world with an outfitter can do it. David Rhodes This is particularly beneficial for a younger generation of hunters, wounded warriors and others who may not have the resources that it traditionally requires. We just really wanted to level the playing field.
CS Tell us how this works. TM Basically our Zero Guide Fee option is very simple: You will pay $350 per year, and when you draw your coveted elk tag, your guided one-toone (guide-to-hunter ratio) is completely free. The longer it takes to draw, the better it is for the member since the member benefits increase over time. For example: If you draw in your
HUNTING first three seasons of being a member, you will receive a five-day oneto-one fully guided hunt. From season four to six, you will receive a seven-day one-to-one fully outfitted hunt. From seasons seven to nine, your guided days increase again to 10 days fully outfitted. That’s basically it in a nutshell. We have many people who desire to go on a guided hunt in Arizona but don’t have the budget to do so. Guide fees are only going up over time and most hunters are left out in the cold. But that’s what makes Zero Guide Fees so needed; now anybody who has the desire to come to Arizona not only to hunt but to also go with a reputable guide service can afford it. This option puts everybody in the game, (and) it’s less than 93 cents a day, so everybody can participate and make the most of the Arizona hunting experience. DR This option gives peace of mind, knowing that when you draw your tag all of the logistics have been taken care of already; you just show up and hunt!
CS Who will be guiding me when I draw my tag? TM The best guides we have on our team will be guiding our ZGF members. We hunt all over the state of Arizona and we are proficient in all of the units our clients want to hunt in. DR You will be hunting with the guides of Arizona Elk Outfitters and Arizona Strip Guides. These two companies are owned and operated by me. Our guides have consistently produced world-class animals on all hunts in Arizona. They live and work in the areas that we hunt and are always knowledgeable about where to go. Although the two companies are named after deer and elk, we also pursue bighorn sheep and antelope. CS Editor’s note: Look for part two of this interview in the December issue of California Sportsman.
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Located a 90-minute ferry ride from Helsinki, Finland, the woods and fields of tiny Estonia have a diverse variety of mammals to hunt, including moose, roe deer and fox. The former was Brittany’s primary goal. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)
BAGGING A BALTIC BUCK WHEN AN ESTONIAN MOOSE WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND, ATTENTION TURNED TO A EUROPEAN DEER
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No, not an infiltrating Russian special forces soldier captured by Brittany, rather her photographer Kelly Bertelotti, who had to cover her face because of all the “moose flies.” “They crawl into your hair and get against the skin, then drop their wings and lay eggs in the skin that later hatch into maggots,” Brittany says. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)
By Brittany Boddington
F
or those who are geographically challenged, Estonia is a little country just a ferry ride away from Finland with borders touching Latvia and Russia. I admittedly had to pull out a map as well! It is a gorgeous country with a small population and wide-open spaces. Estonia is home to bear, moose, roe deer and lots of other smaller animals, like the raccoon dog and badger. I was invited by Hunt Europe (hunt-europe .com) to experience Estonia and pursue moose. I had never hunted moose, so I jumped at the opportunity. The journey there was pretty easy, except for a bizarre incident on the plane when a Labrador “service” dog panicked and went number 2 all down the aisle of the plane – in liquid form, to boot. The stench was insane and the food service was cancelled because of it. Besides that smelly inconvenience, the flight was easy and the gun paperwork was simple. We got to our accommodations very late at night but really wanted to hunt in the morning, so after only a couple hours of sleep we were up and hunting!
woods, we found a nice spot and checked the gun with a couple shots. I had my Legendary Arms Works .300 Win Mag with me, and fortunately it was dead on as our hunting adventure began. We drove from spot to spot, often parking in the trees and walking quietly to where the trees gave way to an open field. Then we would glass the field and our local guide, Igor, would let out some incredibly loud moose calls in the hopes of getting an answer. By around 10:30 a.m. we would head back to camp – the moose only move very early and very late – so it was going to be tricky to get them on camera for the show we were trying to film. That first afternoon we went back out and once again struck out with the moose, but saw some roe deer. Toni pointed them out to me as we passed an open field and I got all excited. He looked almost confused. “Haven’t you shot a roe deer?” he asked, as if everyone’s shot one. “No, but I want to,” I replied. So the hunt shifted gears a bit. We still tried for moose during morning and evening outings, but we stayed out longer in the mornings to look for roe deer. I missed several opportunities at the deer because I couldn’t get out of the vehicle and get set up in the field before the deer ran. We were covering long distances by car and would randomly spot deer in the most unlikely places. Our guide let us know which areas were legal to hunt and which were not, but quite often we would see the deer only after they saw us and have to try to make a quick exit from the vehicle in order to load up and get a shot. Keep in mind that both myself and Kelly, my camerawoman, had to climb out of the backseat on the opposite side from the animal and scurry around the vehicle into the field and both get onto the correct animal and steady before I could pull the trigger. This was proving to be a lot more difficult than we expected.
THE DEER HUNTERS One morning we were looking for moose and snuck
HUNTING THE WOODS OF THE BALTIC Anton “Toni” Tonchev set up the hunt and acted as both guide and translator, since I don’t speak Estonian or Russian (about a million ethnic Russians live in the now-independent Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). When the first rays of light peaked over the 78 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com
No moose on this trip, but the Urban Huntress did manage to successfully take two smaller but feisty critters, a “raccoon dog” (above), which looks far more raccoon than dog but actually is a member of the canine family, and a European badger. (BRITTANY BODDINGTON)
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Brittany and her Estonian guide Anton “Toni” Tonchev pose with her roe buck, which don’t grow particularly large. The deer have been living on the territory where Estonia sits (on the Baltic Sea and bordered by Russia and Latvia) since the European ice sheet melted after the last Ice Age.(BRITTANY BODDINGTON)
through a tree line into an open field just as the sun was coming up. Magically there was a roe buck standing perfectly visible in the middle of the grass. The conditions were perfect; Kelly got set up and confirmed that the camera could see the deer and then I got set up. I shot from one knee, sort of kneeling with my elbow securely resting on my other knee. I took my shot and the
80 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com
roe deer dropped out of sight in the uncut yellow grass. We rushed over to make sure it was down and it was exactly where it had been standing. It never knew what hit it! The roe deer is a very typical European trophy, but also a truly beautiful creature. I have a bit of a soft spot for redheads, and the local guide said we – the deer and I – had matching hair colors. We continued to hunt for moose every morning and evening, but the weather was getting hotter and hotter and we were not hearing them anymore. Estonia has a lot of little huntable creatures that we came across while looking for moose. I was able to get a European badger, a raccoon dog and a fox, but we never could find a moose. A raccoon dog is a strange creature originally from Asia; it looks a bit like a raccoon, but as the name implies it is actually part of the canine family. The skull is similar to that of a European fox. I was not disappointed with the unsuccessful hunt for moose; we saw plenty of sign to indicate that there is a healthy population, but I guess I now have a perfect excuse to go back to this Baltic nation and try again! CS Editor’s note: Brittany Boddington is a Los Angeles-based hunter, journalist and adventurer. For more, go to brittanyboddington.com or facebook.com/brittany.boddington.
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HUNTING
AVOID THE
KIWI CURSE SEVEN COSTLY MISTAKES THAT COULD RUIN YOUR DREAM NEW ZEALAND HUNT
1. NOT DOING YOUR RESEARCH We have a saying in New Zealand: “You can shear a sheep a dozen times but you can only skin it once.” It never fails to surprise us how many otherwise astute people get drawn into booking a hunt on something as basic as a cheap price or offer that’s too good to be true, only to end up “skinned.” We can make the claim that we are the greatest outfitters to grace the earth; after all, words are free. Yet real reputations are earned the right way by those putting their customers ahead of profit. Doing your research means asking the basic questions. We’ll go into more detail next month; but in essence, it’s all about mulling over your prospective options. Does the outfitter have a good reputation? And by whose measure is said reputation born? Talk to a number of people who have hunted there and make sure they are the sort of people whose opinion you’ll trust.
2. SELECTING AN UNAFFILIATED OUTFITTER Ideally, this is the perfect end game to that dream hunt in New Zealand you planned for. But you can be tripped up along the way if you’re not careful, so do your due diligence before deciding on the details. (HIGH PEAK HUNTING)
Editor’s note: This is the third of a four-part series on New Zealand hunting. The last issue detailed what type of hunt to plan for. By Simon Guild
W
elcome to part three of our guide to turning your dream New Zealand hunt into a reality. At the start of the last issue, we outlined a nightmare scenario where the old adage of, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” was the lesson of the day for the unfortunate victim. This issue is all about avoiding such scenarios. Let’s get one thing straight: New Zealand – generally – is a very safe, rewarding and popular international destination to hunt big game. In most situations, hunters come away with a result as good as, or better than, their expectations. But – and here’s the kicker – the point is that the New Zealand hunting industry is unregulated. This means that there is very little in the way of statutory control. So pretty much anyone with a firearms license, four-wheel-drive and a website can set up an operation. I’m an outfitter, and like all unregulated industries, we have our fair share of parasites seeking to capitalize on the good work and reputations of their countrymen. So how do you ensure you hunt with a reputable operator? Well, it’s mostly common sense, but at High Peak (hunting lodge) we have tried to distill the lessons we have picked up over the past 30-something years into seven costly mistakes to be mindful of. Unsurprisingly, these pointers can probably be applied to any number of overseas and local hunting destinations, so think of them as five minutes well spent.
Hunting in New Zealand may be unregulated, but nonetheless, guides who take their business seriously should be members of the New Zealand Professional Hunting Guides Association (nzphga.com). This self-regulating organization sets policies on hunting standards, safety, etiquette, client management, ethical hunting, animal welfare and firearms practices. It also administers New Zealand’s only hunting guide qualification via the Professional Hunter Academy (PHA). The NZPHGA also has the power of censure to hold its members to account in the event of an issue. Anyone can pick up a rifle and call themselves a guide, but only those who have met the association’s standards in terms of both skill and integrity will be accepted by the NZPHGA. If you’re considering hunting with a nonmember, you’d be advised to ask why it’s not.
3. HUNTING ON AN UNACCREDITED PROPERTY Fact: 90 percent of trophies exported from New Zealand come from fenced hunting properties. Fact: It’s not illegal to shoot a game animal on a farm in New Zealand. Given this scenario, the New Zealand Association of Game Estates (NZAGE) is an organization that was set up – in the absence of government regulation – to create and enforce standards around hunting properties. The NZAGE mandate is to develop standards relating to minimum size, cover, terrain, fencing, disease surveillance, animal welfare, game management and sound guiding practice. The NZAGE was the world’s first grouping of hunting landowners to set industry-agreed standards. Properties are independently audited on a regular basis and the NZAGE can also hold its members to account through censure. Unaccredited nonmember properties have no criteria whatsoever to measure against and you could well calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2015 California Sportsman
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HUNTING end up hunting in a 100-acre paddock.
4. NOT GETTING WHAT YOU PAID FOR The old adage “you get what you pay for” holds true when hunting in New Zealand. There are some excellent freerange guides over here that offer an affordable, genuine
back-to-basics adventure hunt for those with the ability to undertake it. However, if you’re looking for an estate hunt with full lodging, make sure you compare apples with apples. You’d surely be happy eating, sleeping and sharing your hunting space alongside a number of others, hunting a limited selection of trophies on a small acreage and generally tak-
If you’re promised a free-range hunt, what if the red stag you wanted was a released farm deer as part of a hunt on a game estate? It’s one detail you need to be sure of before agreeing to an outfitter if you prefer one to the other. (HIGH PEAK HUNTING)
the
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HUNTING ing your chances on all aspects of the hunt from safety to quality. If so, then there are a number of operations that will get you your trophy at a “good” price. This good price will probably come at the expense of personal service, exclusivity, trophy selection and the overall hunting experience. This may be acceptable to some, but if you value these aspects in your hunting trip, be prepared to pay a bit more.
5. BUYING A LIE We’ll revisit the idea of, is it too good to be true? Knowing a bit about what you’re buying is critical to avoiding this trap. For example, those in the know will be aware that for a genuine free-range red stag to score over 300 inches, such a feat is very rare indeed. That doesn’t stop some from releasing farmed deer and passing them off as free-range animals. Those that shoot these animals as free-range trophies are buying the lie, perpetuating the deception and placing genuine free-range and fair-chase estate outfitters in a compromised situation. If you’re unsure of the claims made by an operation, then put the onus back on them by asking for some testimonials and references. Then ask them to back up their claims by signing a declaration – any hesitation to do so would suggest something suspicious.
JAMES CAGNEY’S
NEW ZEALAND HUNTING ADVENTURES James & Debra Cagney Darfield, South Island, NZ
So what is it that you really value on a hunt in New Zealand? Some hunters are fascinated by the size of the trophy; others just want a memorable hunting experience. Sadly, trophies have been offered and taken with little regard for the sport of hunting. Choosing a great hunt over a canned one should be considered, if not concerned about record books. (HIGH PEAK HUNTING)
6. PUTTING SIZE AHEAD OF EVERYTHING ELSE This mistake is made by the price-driven hunter who prioritizes the size of the trophy over the quality of the hunting experience. A great trophy is a superb thing, but hunters are entitled to know what they will get for their money. If your goal is solely driven by the record book,
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HUNTING then you are likely to get a hunt that is highly sanitized. As mentioned earlier, it is not illegal to shoot a stag in a paddock in New Zealand. Sadly, trophies have been offered and taken with little regard for the sport of hunting. Unlike a trophy, a great stalk is an experience that no one can beat; this is where great hunting stories are crafted. You can have the best of both worlds by ensuring you hunt with someone who will deliver the trophy hunting experience you seek on your terms, not theirs.
Surely you’re not going to New Zealand without the wife or husband for your hunting odyssey in a country with a lot to do. If your better half doesn’t hunt but will be with you, make sure your itinerary and lodging works for both of you. (HIGH PEAK HUNTING)
7. NOT THINKING ABOUT YOUR SPOUSE Given our growing reputation as a tourist destination, many hunters visit New Zealand with their spouses. When husbands bring their wives along for a hunt (or vice versa), both share in what is a unique experience that invariably brings them closer together – if only for the photo together with a trophy! But your traveling companion is not always your hunting partner, and nonhunters need to be looked after too. Many an experience has been ruined by the wrong lodging environment, the boorish hunter at dinner or a lack of activities; it’s something that’s entirely avoidable. If taking a trip as a couple, don’t book with an outfitter focusing solely on the hunt and has no systems to ensure the enjoyment of your companion. A happy spouse
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means you can relax and really get into your sport, which is a better outcome for all involved. That’s it for this issue. The next issue will wrap up this series by giving you the 10 key questions to ask your New Zealand outfitter. CS Editor’s note: Simon Guild is a director of High Peak, one of the oldest hunting estates in New Zealand. He and his brother Hamish co-authored The Hunters’ Guidebook to New Zealand, with the aim of providing quality decision-making guidelines to visiting international hunters. Find out more at huntingredstag.com.
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FISHING
THE GARAGE GANG AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO LARGER LURE COMPANIES, MANY INDIE-MADE PRODUCTS WILL CATCH FISH ALSO
John Petroski is a finesse-plastic specialist who has been fishing Castaic, Pyramid and Piru Lakes for over three decades and started making baits for his own personal use. Once they started producing, his friends started asking for them and C3 Baits company was born. (C3 BAITS)
By Mike Stevens
W
hile there is nothing new about the idea of homemade lures, the skyrocketing quality, the precise detail put into them and their proven effectiveness these days are getting to the point where if some of these products aren’t making their way into your tackle box, you’re missing the boat. Most of these baits are made in small batches by passionate anglers who are more interested in making lures that catch fish than they are about making a ton of money by getting them into Walmart. In most cases, they are made by hand in garages, workshops or at coffee tables with the TV on and a baby crying in the background; they are typically composed solely of premium parts. Sometimes,
the idea and specs are given to someone frustrated with the ability to resupply who is in a better position to produce the his store and the color selection he had lures. So while the baits themselves are from existing trout jig suppliers, so he manufactured offsite, there is something took matters into his own hands and special about them that sets them apart created Sierra Slammers. While the jig from the competition – be it homemade bodies are poured by another outfit, or off the shelf – and they should very what sets them apart is the color semuch still be included in this category. lection that, while handpicked for the These baits are also typically targeted Eastern Sierra trout fishery, has been to specific local bodies of water. Sure, proven in Southland lakes as well. they will work anywhere, but someCustom colors like SLK (South Lake) thing they all have in common is they Special are the brainchild of Smith, are all tested in waters close to where who is a hardcore jig angler in his own they were made, which is a bit of a right, and you will not find many of no-brainer. But it also means that havthe patterns anywhere else. Finding ing these baits is instant local knowlthe perfect jighead and hook combinaedge at the end of your line. tion was another long process, but they Some find their way into nearby are confident that they landed on the brick-and-mortar shops that know there right one. Sierra Slammers also makes is a local demand for them, but most of trout worms and swimbaits, and those the time they are found on a website, are poured in-house. A partner in the Facebook or Instagram. Many have prooperation is tournament basser Mike staff members who hit the water with Rigney, who, along with Smith, fishes their baits and share the photos from the company’s tube lures and swimeach outing on social media. Some arbaits for big smallies in Lake Almanor en’t even on an e-commerce site where and other trophy bass fisheries in the you can buy them with a couple clicks northern half of the state. of a mouse. It’s more of an order-via-email situation, if not a clandestine meeting where cash is exchanged for the goods in an agreed-upon parking lot. The sheer number of these “artisan” garage-lure builders is This Eastern Sierra brook trout was done in by a Sierra Slammers jig. Owner pretty overwhelming, Jared Smith also designs trout swimbaits and trout worms. (SIERRA SLAMMERS) but being in a position to notice when the same ones continue Sierra Slammers can be purchased to pop up in weekly fishing reports, it’s on SierraSlammers.com, at the Coneasy to pick a few standouts. vict Lake Store, Reagan’s Sporting Goods in Bishop and a variety of stores all along Highway 395. They are also SIERRA SLAMMERS available in SoCal shops, including Jared Smith, general manager of ParchFisherman’s Access in Brea, Bob Sands ers Resort in Bishop Creek Canyon was calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2015 California Sportsman
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FISHING in Van Nuys, The Longfin in Orange, East County Bait and Tackle in Lakeside, Angler’s Tackle in Oceanside and Johnny’s Sport Shop in Pasadena.
SLAB JIGGIES Born on the shores of Lake Elsinore in the home of founder Chris Salmon, Slab Jiggies look like the classic crappie jig to the casual observer. But upon closer observation, the primo craftsmanship is revealed along with very unique color combinations and patterns. The original Slab Jiggies come in 1/32-, 1/16- and 1/8-ounce models. They are the classic fuzzy-body-with-feather-tail crappie jigs come in both natu-
Skinner, Diamond Valley Lake and all of the San Bernardino Regional Park lakes during trout season. While most anglers will immediately associate these lures with panfish, Slab Jiggies pro staffers and users have proven that they are also effective on trout, bass and even stripers. Basically, anything that ever keys in on small baitfish will drill them. Slab Jiggies are available at SlabJiggies.com or at William’s Bait, Tackle and Boat Rental on the shore of Lake Elsinore.
C3 BAITS
“Capt.” John Petroski is a finesse-plastic specialist who has been fishing Castaic, Pyramid and Piru for over three decades and started making baits for his own personal use. Once they started producing on those highly pressured waters, his friends started asking for them and C3 Baits was born. “The cool thing about guys like me – independents – is that you can request any color you Prankster Lures topwater bass baits were first designed to fish at Lake Perris want in any bait and Diamond Valley Reservoir. These wooden lures are not only beautiful but that I make, and I will catch plenty of fish. (PRANKSTER LURES) can usually satisfy the demand,” said Petroski. “You won’t ral to loud colors. Buggie Jiggies bump get that from major worm makers unthe classic jigs up a notch with rubber less you order 200 bags at a time.” legs built in. Spinner Jiggies are built There are a lot of C3 baits to choose with a leadhead with a spinner blade from with names like Piglet, Thumper, and 3-D eyes. Brush Pig, Fingrub, Reaper and ShimSalmon is proud of the fact that my. But the one that has picked up a only high-quality, made-in-the-U.S.A. lot of steam in recent months is the Ice components are used across his prodPick, which imitates fingerling bait or uct line, and most of the lures are tied fry and has been incredibly successful, by himself at home or on the road in a especially when fished on a drop-shot tractor trailer that he drives cross counor even a Carolina rig. try. His full-time gig has also made it C3 Baits has a big social media possible to share his lures with anglers presence and can be found at faceacross the country, and photos of their book.com/cccbaits and C_3baits on success can be found on the Slab Jiggies Instagram. They can be found on the page on Instagram. They have been exshelves at Cope’s Tackle and Rod in Batensively field-tested on Elsinore, Lake 94 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com
kersfield, and you can email Petroski at CCCBaits@gmail.com.
PRANKSTER LURES The power of social media has raised awareness for many of these baits, and that was very much the case with Prankster Lures. While these wooden topwaters are very simple in design and look just like vintage baits that you might put on a shelf, they are the result of a lot of trial and error – mainly on Lake Perris and Diamond Valley Lake – and their effectiveness has been proven time and time again, even when no one else is catching bass on topwater. “I started to collect wood lures a long time ago and started to see them custom-made online,” said Michael Craig, the man behind Prankster. “I met Kermett Adams and bought his e-book, How to Make Wooden Lures, and the rest is history. I started making them for myself, and when I started to catch fish on them at DVL, I was hooked. It took a lot of mistakes before I got it right.” Like many of these “artisan” baits, they are made with only quality components. In this case, Craig uses Alaskan yellow cedar and Gamakatsu roundbend hooks. Fellow DVL and Perris expert Jesse Mena is one of his regular customers and fishes with Craig often. Also, saying Prankster Lures are made in small batches is the understatement of the year. As a new source of fishing updates for Perris, Craig actually wasn’t crazy about the idea of his lures getting a lot of press because he only makes a handful at a time and wants to keep up with demand without cutting into his time on the water. He also has a line-thru bait that performed very well during a recent field test on Perris, and they should be available for purchase soon. And most, if not all of his lures can be picked up for under $20. How do you get your hands on Prankster Lures? Find Michael Craig (in Redlands) on Facebook, check out all the photos of his baits in action and send him a message, or run into him at Lake Perris (his words!). CS
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FISHING
NEW REGULATIONS
AT IRVINE LAKE
WATERCRAFT NO LONGER ALLOWED ON PRODUCTIVE FISHERY, BUT BANK ANGLERS WILL CATCH PLENTY – HERE’S HOW By Steve Carson
W
hat passes for winter in Southern California generally begins sometime in November. Accordingly, Irvine Lake (714-649-9111; irvinelake.net) began stocking trout for the winter season just before its October 30 opener. And thousands of pounds of colorful Nebraska tailwalker trout will be stocked all winter long. This year will be somewhat different than others, as new insurance regulations prohibit watercraft of any kind on the lake. Shore casting will be the name of the game, and this approach has traditionally been one of the better ways to catch trout at the Orange County reservoir. The key to catching all species of trout at Irvine is ultralight line. For bait anglers, it is important to never use anything heavier than clear 4-pound-test monofilament. If the fish are acting finicky or are under heavy pressure during weekend or holiday periods, use 2-pound test. Using ultralight line means a few big ones may get away, so set your drag loose and keep your rod tip high to protect your line. The dramatically increased number of bites you will get will make up for any losses. Casting with small metal lures such as 1/6-ounce Krocodiles can be done with 4-pound clear mono or fluorocarbon line, but tossing small plastics should be done with 2-pound line. Bait fishing at Irvine Lake traditionally means PowerBait. Exactly what makes fish prefer one color
over another is hard to say. Many Irvine regulars have a virtual supermarket selection of bait colors in their tackle box. Top ones include the always-reliable chartreuse, along with yellow, rainbow and white. Whenever visibility is lessened due to rainy conditions, the “white lightning” color alone or mixed with a
LEADERS AND HOOKS As previously mentioned, bait leaders should be very light. Using the invisible Berkley 100-Percent Fluorocarbon material can give you an additional edge. Under clear-water conditions, bait leaders can be in the 12- to 18-inch range. If muddy conditions limit underwa-
Popular Orange County fishery Irvine Lake opens its season this month with new regulations prohibiting watercraft of any kind. But that doesn’t mean big trout won’t be caught, as usual. (IRVINE LAKE)
contrasting color is deadly. A favorite trick of lake regulars is to roll the dough bait into an elongated worm or grub shape instead of a simple ball. There are times when the fish simply want plain, unadorned nightcrawlers. If the ’crawlers are very big, cut them in half. Inflating nightcrawlers with air so that they float up off the bottom catches a lot more fish.
ter visibility, shorten them to no more than 6 or 8 inches in length. By far the most popular bait rig is a 1/8-ounce sliding sinker on the main line, with either a small snap swivel or Carolina keeper to keep the sinker above the hook. Sometimes the ultraslow sinking speed of a water-filled “floating sinker,” or casting bubble, will tempt finicky trout. Under normal conditions, a No. 16
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Doughy concoctions like PowerBait are among the go-to staples for Irvine Lake’s population of rainbows. Stocking went on before the Oct. 30 opener and will continue throughout the winter. (IRVINE LAKE)
or 18 Owner treble works well with doughy bait, or when combining different baits together on one hook. With live nightcrawlers, a No. 8 or 10 Owner Mosquito single hook works best.
MINI PLASTICS AND MORE The past few seasons have seen many anglers forego natural bait completely. One of the most effective faux baits is Berkley’s Mice Tails, which replicate the “power mouse” rig that previously had to be put together by the angler. Best all-around color last season was white head/ pink tail, while fluorescent red head/ chartreuse tail was best in stained water, and natural head/fluorescent red tail got the nod in clear water. The Berkley Gulp! Pinched Crawlers in both floating and sinking versions are also extremely good; no doubt the heavy garlic scent is the key. Best choice for clear or all-around conditions is the natural color, and the chartreuse for stained conditions. Some savvy experts add a salmon egg for contrasting color. Easiest of the rigging methods with the above baits is split-shot style. Tie on a No. 10 to 14 fine-wire hook, then squeeze on a small split-shot sinker about 18 inches above the line. The sliding-sinker rig, as used with scented dough bait, also works well. The secret is again using the lightest pos100 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com
sible mono or fluoro. Four-pound test will work, but the real trick is dropping down to 2-pound line. Another hot rigging method is well known in the bass fishing world, and is called as “drop-shotting.” With the sinker on the bottom, a hook is tied between 6 and 36 inches up the line, which allows a floating plastic trout worm to appear “suspended” above the bottom. The 3-inch trout worms have been phenomenal trout producers for the past several seasons, and can also be fished using the rigs listed above, or just like a real worm under a bobber. Use a regular bobber, and let the bait hang anywhere from 3 to 4 feet under it if the fish are near the surface. A rarely practiced secret trick is to use a “slip bobber” that allows artificial worms to be suspended at any depth, even in deep water. Top colors are orange peel or chartreuse. The Berkley Atomic Tubes or Berkley Atomic Teasers can be fished alone or under a bobber. One of the hottest tips is to take a 2-inch piece of plastic worm in a contrasting color, and use it as a “trailer” on the hook. The tiny tubes should also be fished on the lightest possible line. Last year’s hot colors are white/orange and chartreuse/orange, but the best choice changes from day to day.
SCENTS AND FLAVORINGS Many anglers swear by certain scents or flavorings to attract more strikes.
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FISHING
OFFSHORE 2015 – THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME? It’s been said ad infinitum this year: “These are the good old days!” Forget those old WW1-era stories penned by Zane Grey; forget the turn-of-the-century stories of George Farnsworth and Charles Holder literally rowing out into the Catalina Channel from Avalon. Like everything else, the marlin bite has been raging since July, and in the second week of October it hit a sizzling new level. PENN Fishing Tackle’s Bob Hoose, a member of The Tuna Club, and Los Pescadores angling club, has spent a lot of time chasing marlin on the West Coast. “It’s been surreal,” Hoose says. “The first weekend of October, our boat released 17 striped marlin for three days’ fishing in the area of the Santa Rosa Flats.” “The second weekend of October was even better. The first day was a rainout and we got only one fish, but the next day we released seven and then finally we released 11 by 2:30 p.m. the day after that – a total of 19 releases over the long weekend. We never went more than 12 minutes without hooking a marlin. During an earlier one-day Los Pescadores tournament, 34 boats had 69 striped marlin releases, plus two blue marlin and three shortbill spearfish were hooked, along with several bite-offs by wahoo.” Everything seemed to be working to catch fish in bunches. “We put trolling jigs out, and when the marlin came up behind the boat chasing them, we dropped live mackerel back for an instant hookup,” he says. “The rigging was a PENN Fathom FTH30LD reel filled with 30-pound-test monofilament. Terminal tackle was 10 feet of 100-pound-test Berkley Pro-Spec fluorocarbon, then a barrel swivel and 5 feet of 80-pound fluorocarbon with a circle hook”. Indeed, this has been an epic time to be fishing the Pacific. “It has been going on like this for over a month,” Hoose says. “All of the Southern California marlin clubs are going to exceed the marlin totals of any previous year in history.” Other anglers have found equally amazing action, and in addition to the abundant striped marlin, there have also been more blue marlin spotted in California waters than ever before. A monster 662-pound blue was caught off San Diego, the second-largest fish not a shark ever caught off the Golden State, the largest in over 80 years. Several other large blues in the 400-plus-pound category were also weighed and/or released off the boat, including a 350-pounder landed by an angler fishing out of his Ranger bass boat. Other El Niño miracles included a Sierra mackerel caught by a surfcaster off Will Rogers State Beach near Santa Monica, and steady action on wahoo as far north as Long Beach. There have been so many wahoo that a handful of guides have actually started running trips that specifically target them. –SC
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Some homemade formulas like licorice and vanilla are good for masking “human scent” that can turn fish off. First and foremost, all anglers should be sure that their hands are completely free of repulsive scents like gasoline, sunscreen and perfumes. The Gulp Alive! Spray was shown to be a phenomenal producer last season. Best scents were the garlic or crawdad flavors, applied to literally everything from trolling lures to live nightcrawlers.
LOCATION, LOCATION ... Shore anglers can do well off the point at Trout Island, all along the west shoreline and near the docks. Above all, be flexible: The fish can really move around a lot. If you don’t get any bites within about 45 minutes, and nobody around you is catching anything, find another spot. CS Editor’s note: You can contact author Steve Carson at scarson@sunset.net.
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FISHING
THE PYRAMID OF SUCCESS GORGING BASS ABUNDANT IN I-5 GRAPEVINE FISHERY
By Chris Cocoles
W
ith several Southern California lakes struggling to maintain reasonable water levels and thus making fishing tricky, let bass guide Rusty Brown introduce you to Pyramid Lake. Visible off Interstate 5 between Castaic and Gorman along the Grapevine, Pyramid is just about at capacity. Castaic Lake, just southeast of Pyramid and another popular bass fishery, is down about 140 feet and has been plagued by soot issues. “You have a lake up the hill 20 minutes away that’s full because it gets water from a power plant. So it’s a no-brainer where to go,” says Brown, a tournament bass angler who also runs Rusty Bass Hook Guide Service out of Orange County (rustybasshook.com). “The lake’s had a lot of grass this year – I would say an above-normal year in grass lines. For the most part, November and into December at Pyramid are pretty good to experience those 2- to 4-pound largemouth and smallmouth. This is the time of year where the fish are starting to fatten up for the winter, eating shad and baitfish and sucking on the crawdads.” The go-to topwater lures include Rapala Skitter Pops and one of Brown’s personal favorites, the Storm Arashi Top Walker No. 11 in a ghost pearl shad color. “It’s a really good bait for not only Pyramid but for all the (Southern California) lakes because of the abundance of shad, which are a little bit bigger this year. For whatever reason, the shad are just a little bit bigger and fatter,” Brown says of the Storm. “It’s a real streamlined topwater bait and it’s got a really good profile. It glides through the water well and it doesn’t have a lot of malfunctions, and it has a lifelike eye and face design.” Dropshotting Roboworms in standard colors like Oxblood, Green Weenie and Margarita Mutilator has worked very well lately. “Dropshotting anywhere from 5 to 15 feet along the grass lines has been good,” he says.
“The jig bite should really start picking up in the next month, which puts us into December. I like throwing (Phenix) ProLine Football jigs in the Rusty Brown color,” says Brown. “You can tip those jigs with either brown or black No. 11 Uncle Josh (pork bait).” A sleeper bait at Pyramid to consider in November is a 5-inch Kalin’s lunker grub in two specific colors: the Watermelon Purple Flake and the Smoke Black Flake (salt
Guide Rusty Brown shows off a Pyramid Lake bass caught on one of the hot topwater lures for this fall: a Storm Arashi Top Walker. With the lake level healthy and bass fattening up for winter, Pyramid is one of the Southland’s best bets for the fall. (RUSTY BROWN) calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2015 California Sportsman
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FISHING and pepper). Some of the top areas to fish Pyramid include near Bear Trap and Yellowbar picnic areas and Brazos Arm. “Water temps are right now between 72 and 75. But
every night they’re cooling (down),” Brown says. “If we get a little bit of cold weather in the next couple of weeks and some even colder nights, we’ll be in the mid-60s before we know it.” CS
TOUGH TIMES FOR LAKE ISABELLA Bass guide Rusty Brown has always offered his customers trips to Lake Isabella in the Kern River Valley northeast of Bakersfield. But the drought continues to take a toll. “It’s full-on shrinking. We all need rain and we need water. But Isabella has just been on (almost) life support,” says Brown of Rusty Bass Hook Guide Service. “The last three or four years we’ve been flirting with a little bit of rain. (Lake Isabella) has been down and dropping and dropping, and it’s finally bit the bullet.” The Lake Isabella Trout Derby has managed to survive the lower water levels and staged another successful event last spring, but local businesses have felt the impact of lower water levels. “It’s been gradually getting a little worse each year; this is probably the lightest that I’ve seen for business,” Bob Jamison, a co-owner of the Lakeside Motel, told Bakersfield TV station KERO. Another factor to keep an eye on is the Isabella Dam Safety Modification Project that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hopes to begin work on in 2017, with the hopes that reinforcing Isabella’s two dams will not only add new facilities but also restore the lake level to capacity. But more drought conditions won’t help the lake’s overall health. In the last year, Brown has been forced to bass fish other lakes around his Southern California home base, despite past successful outings to Lake Isabella. The low water and structure sticking out could be hazardous to bass boats. Brown does think bass can be caught there, but it’s still a lake that desperately needs this drought to go away. “We need to have a wet winter, which I know we’re anticipating with (El Niño likely emerging). If we don’t have a wet winter then that lake is going to be in bad shape,” Brown says. “The fishing’s been kind of spotty. But the guys I know up there are catching three to six fish a day but working their tails off to do it. I think this spring and maybe about June into July we’re going to have a pretty good idea on how high that lake is going to come up. It’s not going to come up that much.” –CC
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FISHING
DON’T FORGET THE
SILVERWARE Bass love spoons, and they can be used everywhere from on the surface to the deepest depths in Southern California lakes, including now as winter begins. (BILL SCHAEFER)
WINTER BASS LOVE THE MOVEMENT OF SPOONS By Capt. Bill Schaefer
I
t was a warm Southland summer and fall seems to be headed in the same direction. Bass have been chasing shad and the topwater action at most Southern California lakes has been the ticket to success. As long as the temperatures stay up, the topwater fishing will continue. But even as the baitfish sink out and are not relating to the surface as much, you can still chase the bass; they are just a little deeper. As we know, the bass start to chase shad in the late summer and fall, and it is these balls of bait that keep them healthy, happy and full
through the winter. As on any lake, if you can find the baitfish, you can usually find bass close by. Spooning can be effective through the end of summer until early spring, but will work almost year-round. It’s a trick you need to keep in your arsenal. I want to tell you that you shouldn’t be afraid of the technique of spooning. Don’t be discouraged that this type of fishing can be too hard or complicated to learn or use. It does take some practice, but no more than any other technique. Also, it is not always a deep-water technique. It can be just as effective in more shallow waters as well. Practice and patience will make you
a better spoon fisherman. Your first bass with a spoon will – and apologies for the pun – have you hooked. Where should you use them, you may be asking? Well, spoons can be used everywhere from on the surface to the deepest depths. There are few lures that can rival a spoon in deep water, especially when the bass are starting to get finicky. They are great all-around lures for when bass are suspended in sunken treetops, around deep rock piles or schooledup and chasing bait. Brush piles in deep water, old river channels and stumps can also hold fish; the spooning method can be deadly in taking bass from around them. Choosing the correct spoons can be important as well. You want to come close to the size of the shad you are trying to emulate. Too large a spoon or too small of one can keep you from getting a reaction bite. Too much flash or not enough can matter as well. The action of the spoon or the flutter on the fall can make a bass eat or not bother with the lure. Matching the hatch, as they say, can make all the difference in the world. Technique is important and there are many different ways to work a spoon. It all depends on where you are fishing with the bait. You drop the spoon down until you think you are in the same zone the fish are feeding in. Put the reel in gear, pointing the rod tip at the water, and snap the rod tip up almost as if you were setting the hook. Next, drop the rod tip back towards the water. This lets the spoon flutter down. If you detect a bite, set the hook; if you miss the feel of the bite, the next snap of the rod sets the hook. Just about every lake in California has a shad population the bass are keying on and spooning is the technique to use this time of year. As I mentioned, you can almost spoon year-round, but as we head towards winter, it is a preferred method by many professional bass anglers. CS
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FISHING
EL NIÑO’S OFFSHORE ACTION
KEEPS ON ROLLING WAHOO, YELLOWTAIL, DORADO STILL BITING IN WARM WATERS By Capt. Bill Schaefer
H
ere we are in November and we’re still catching everything in the Pacific under the sun – from yellowtail to wahoo. We’re even seeing giant blue marlin being caught, as well as striped marlin. How long is this bounty going to last? Who knows? As long as waters stay warm, the action will continue. Southern California has had a few small storms pass by, but the weather continues to bounce right back to sunny and hot. This year is definitely one for the record books, as anglers are catching fish they haven’t seen for a long time, if ever. The larger fish are further outside, but floating kelp has held small yellowfin, yellowtail and dorado, with an occasional big bull dodo. Larger yellowtail have been mostly taken right off the kelp line, or by the Southern California and Mexican islands. Marlin have been swimming up and down the coast, from Catalina Island to the Mexican border and south. Wahoo showed up in force a month ago, and as long as the temperature stays warm, anglers should continue to get a shot at these California rarities. Even shark fishing has been great for those who like to target the toothy ones. Everyone from private boaters to multiday trippers have been scoring. I’ve been hearing over and over about anglers who’ve lost giant fish.
Jeff King caught this giant dorado in the kelp paddies. The Pacific bite off Southern California remains strong. (BILL SCHAEFER)
That’s because, when this type of rare fishing action occurs, tackle that’s been sitting around for who knows how long gets the call of duty. Take the time to oil, grease and lube your reel, as well as change or resurface the drags. I don’t want to hear about you losing the fish of a lifetime because you didn’t spend $5 or less on some drag washers. And please don’t use that fishing line from the last El Niño! This may be close to the last hurrah for you to score on some species, but I have a feeling the yellows will
110 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2015 | calsportsmanmag.com
stay right on through winter, as they often do. The only thing that may keep you off the water are fall’s and winter’s storms. Keep a close eye on the daily fish counts. The dedicated fishermen who go, no matter the conditions, will let you know when to fish. Reading fishing forums like sdfish.com or bloodydecks.com for the latest information from inshore to offshore will help you greatly if running your own boat. If there is a lull in the action, my prediction is that it won’t last long. CS
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