Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/40457
4B Daily News – Saturday, August 27, 2011 Validating Game Taken Over a Weekend New media Question The California Hunting Digest states that, "Only Department of Fish and Game (DFG) employees may validate bear tags. Bear tags must be validated before the bear can be transported, except for the purpose of tak- ing it directly to the nearest person authorized to validate the tag." Why? This require- ment caused me to lose the edible portion of my bear last year. For the last few years I have tagged my bear very early on the morning of the start of archery season via pre- season game cameras. Last year, knowing that I would fill my tag early, I arranged to have a few game wardens' cell phone numbers ready, but because of the hectic nature of the archery opener, no war- dens could tag my bear until the next day. While it waited on ice for someone to validate it before my game processor would take it, the carcass rot- ted and the game processor destroyed it. When I called to complain, a game warden from Sacramento called me back and told me that I should have had any peace officer val- idate it, according to Fish and Game Code, Section 4755. This section says, "Any person legally killing a bear in this state shall have the tag countersigned by a fish and game commissioner, a person employed in the department, a person designated for this pur- pose by the commission, or by a notary public, postmaster, postmistress, peace officer or by an officer authorized to administer oaths, before trans- porting that bear except for the purpose of taking it to the nearest officer authorized to countersign the tag, on the route being followed from the point where the bear is taken." I am not asking about the odd-numbered tags that must also provide the head for a tooth extraction. Why does the department publish informa- tion that conflicts with state law? Thank you for your response in advance. (Jon Reid) Answer Bears are a strictly regulated big game species. An extensive environmental assessment process is required to plan a hunting season. Sea- sonal harvest data is critical to this process. For this reason, a DFG employee is required to validate a bear tag once the bear is killed. DFG has required hunters to present bears to a DFG employee for many years. The employee pulls a tooth for analysis and collects the report portion of the bear tag. In recent years, the tooth extraction require- ment has been reduced to half of the statewide bear harvest, but validation of the tag is still required to maintain harvest data integrity. For the 2011 season, biologists need the sample tooth from all bears instead of every other bear as in recent years. According to Game War- den Patrick Foy, if a hunter kills a bear over a weekend when DFG offices are not open and a warden is not available, they have until the first business day to get the bear validated. There is noth- ing that prevents you from car- ing for your meat. It is reason- able for the hunter to process the bear by skinning it and processing the meat. This often occurs in the field prior to transporting the bear. You may then bring the skull and hide in for tooth extraction and validation. This extraction may occur on a fresh bear, a refrigerated or iced bear, or a frozen bear. Please keep in mind if you decide to freeze the bear skull, freeze it with the mouth open so the tooth can be pulled. Hunters must ensure they can appropriately care for their meat once they've reduced game to their posses- sion. Persons who possess game mammals may not allow it to go needlessly to waste (Fish and Game Code, section 4304). The Fish and Game Com- mission established section 708(e)(5) of the California Code of Regulations Title 14, which requires bear hunters to have DFG employees validate their bears. This law super- sedes section 4755 of the Fish and Game Code. This type of system allows critical data needed for bear management which includes necessary sta- tistics that provide for the cur- rent quota system that closes bear season once the quota has been reached instead of a set season with specific dates. Compressed air bait launchers and/or pneumatic fishing line casters? Question I would like to know if compressed air bait launchers and/or pneumatic fishing line casters are legal to use and operate in California while fishing in saltwater, as well as in freshwater. (Ken) Answer According to retired DFG Capt. Phil Nelms, generally, these devices would be legal in California in both marine and freshwater areas that are open to taking fish with bait. In addition, when fishing with these devices, the fish must be taken by a close- ly attended line held in the hand. Carrie Wilson is a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game. While she cannot personally answer everyone's questions, she will select a few to answer each week. Please contact her at CalOutdoors@dfg.ca.gov. writing workshop Doni Chamberlain Greenberg is an independent online journalist and owner and publisher of anews- cafe.com, which utilizes more than 50 community writers. They cover such topics as news, opin- ion, features, weather, music, art, outdoors, food and even cartoons. Because the medium is elec- tronic, the site surpasses newspa- per models to utilize audio, video, slide shows and various social mediums, such as Facebook. Greenberg will help writers understand the advantages of using social media, including blogs, to promote their work. She shows how it is possible to not just report and disseminate information, but encourage con- versations between the website's content-providers and the the thousands who visit the site each month. Before going online, Chamber- lain-Greenberg was an award-win- ning newspaper opinion columnist and feature and food writer recog- nized by the Associated Press, the California Newspaper Publishers Association and E.W. Scripps. Writer's Forum will be 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10 in the Memorial Hall of All Saints Episcopal Church, 2150 Benton Drive, Redding. The public is welcome to attend. Admission is free. Dona- tions are requested only at the refreshment table. 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