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2B Daily News – Saturday, February 18, 2012 Outdoor & living KANSAS CITY, Mo. (MCT) — By now, archers on the target-shooting circuit know what Matt Stutzman and Chuck Lear can accom- plish. They don't stare when Stutzman, who was born without arms, sits on the fir- ing line and uses his leg to steady his bow and aim at a target. Nor do they marvel when Lear, who lost an arm and a leg in combat in the Vietnam War, sits in a wheelchair and uses his mouth to pull back on his bow. Maybe Stutzman and Lear are overcoming far more than the able-bodied archers they compete against, but they don't ask for pity. In their eyes — and the eyes of many others — they are simply tournament archers who are forces to be reckoned with at every meet. "These guys are amaz- ing," said Henry Houk, pres- ident of the Independence Bow Hunters, which put on the Kansas City Shootout in which Stutzman and Lear competed last month at the Parkville Athletic Complex. "They have disabilities, but they don't let that hold them back. "A lot of people who feel sorry for them end up get- ting beat." The archers were shoot- ing at paper targets at a dis- tance of 20 yards. They got 60 arrows in the first round, 30 in the second. In the sec- ond round, they were aiming at the X ring, which is about the size of a dime. Sound impossible? Not really. At each meet, there are pros who near perfection. Stutzman hasn't gotten to that point yet, but he regular- ly beats many of the able- bodied pros in the field. "My message is, 'No arms, no limits,' " said Stutz- man, 29, of Fairfield, Iowa. "I never did go through that period where I felt sorry for myself. "This is how I was born, and I had to make the best of it. A lot of people are amazed that a guy without arms could shoot a bow, but it's something that's just a part of my life now. "I love competing against able-bodied archers; it inspires me." Stutzman got his first bow when he was 16, moti- vated by his desire to go deer hunting with his dad. He started practicing and came up with a unique style of using his right foot to steady the bow and a notch on a shoulder sling to nock the arrow and release it. His passion for the sport a year later diminished when someone stole his bow. But he got back into it three years ago when a friend Coastal areas selected for grants The Department of Fish and Game's (DFG) Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) awarded $280,000 in grants for environmental enhancement pro- jects. Recipients for 2012 are the City of Arcata's McDaniel Slough Tidal Restora- tion project for $187,706 and the Central coast's Elkhorn Slough for $95,480. "We received numerous project propos- als to restore habitat and benefit multiple special status species," said Scott Schaefer, OSPR Administrator (Acting) and Environ- mental Enhancement Committee chair. "We selected two outstanding projects and look forward to awarding more restoration grants in the future." OSPR administers the Environmental Enhancement Fund (EEF) and participates in the selection committee with the Califor- nia Coastal Conservancy and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The purpose of the fund is to enhance marine habitats and life Disabled archers stayed focused on their objectives California Outdoors Q&A What's New for Abalone This Year? Question: What are the new abalone regulations that will go into effect this year? Answer: When the abalone har- vest season opens on April 1, the fol- lowing two new abalone regulations are going into effect: 1) The Fort Ross area will be closed for the first two month so abalone in this area may be taken only during the months of June, August, September, October and November (CCR Title 14, section 29.15(b)(1)). A map showing the abalone closure area around Fort Ross can be found at http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?Documen- tID=42101&inline=true 2) Individuals taking abalone shall maintain separate pos- session of their abalone. Abalone may not be commingled in a float tube, dive board, dive bag, or any other container or device, until properly tagged. Only after abalones are prop- erly tagged (as described in CCR Title 14, section 29.16 (b)), may they be commingled with other abalone taken by anoth- er person (CCR Title 14, section 29.15(g)(1)). The Fish and Game Commission (FGC) lifted the emer- Carrie Wilson gency closure off the Sonoma County coast so abalone sea- son will open there on April 1 just like everywhere else, except for the Fort Ross area. Becoming a federal trapper? Question: I have a friend who lost some livestock to MCT photo Matt Stutzman (2nd from left) aims his bow with his leg. asked him to go bow hunt- ing for deer. Stutzman took a doe that first year, and he was hooked. He soon entered a local tournament and became a big media and spectator draw. He was even offered a sponsorship by an archery company. But Stutzman didn't want the attention simply because of his disability. "I didn't want to be a nov- elty," he said. "I wanted to be sponsored because I was good." That's when he dedicated his life to archery, going to camps and practicing every day. It paid off. He made the United States Para — Archery team and shot the highest score in his group at 70 meters in a national tour- nament. Today, Stutzman is a full — time pro, with sponsors and followers everywhere he shoots. When he isn't slinging arrows, he travels to give motivational speeches. "I tell people that they can accomplish a lot more than they would think if they push themselves," he said. "I preach a positive attitude." Lear does much the same thing. He was critically injured in October 1966 when he was serving with the Marines in Vietnam. Lying on the battlefield, he stared death in the face. "They said, 'No way will he make it,' " said Lear, 65, of Lee's Summit. "But a lot of people risked their lives to keep me alive. Even the heli- copter pilot that came down to get me was taking on fire. "They said it was a mira- cle that I made it." After being discharged, he went through a period of depression. "I spent two years as a fairly accom- plished drunk," he said. But then he decided that he owed it to all those who had worked to rescue him to live a good life. He went to college and got a degree in accounting, which led to a 30-year career with the IRS. Then in 2001, he took up archery. "I went to one meet just to watch and a lady said to me, 'Why aren't you out here?' " Lear said. "I didn't have a good reason. There was one shooter who was a double amputee who was out there. environment along California's coastal areas. In addition to Schaefer, the committee includes Coastal Conservancy Executive Officer Sam Schuchat and public member Stephanie Tom Coupe. The committee selected the McDaniel Slough project for its salt marsh restoration, benefits to federal and state endangered species and more than 250 acres of coastal landscape restoration on Humboldt Bay. The Elkhorn Slough was selected for its pioneering and innovative approach in restoring native oyster habitat. Overall, the committee received 36 grant applications for restoration projects. The grant is offered annually to nonprof- it organizations, cities, counties, districts, state agencies and federal agencies. Each application is required to be an enhancement project that acquires habitat for preservation, or improves habitat quality and ecosystem function above baseline conditions. Projects are also required to be located within or immediately adjacent to California marine waters, have measurable outcomes within a predetermined timeframe and designed to "I just dedicated myself to becoming good at this." By 2003, Lear had made the U.S. National Disabled Team. Then he went to the U.S. Paralympic Trials in 2004 and finished second in his class. He finished 10th in the Paralympic Games that year and took 12th in the 2008 games. "Archery has taken me places that I never thought I would see," he said. "I've been to London, Italy, Spain, South Korea, Greece, Bei- jing, you name it. "It's been a great ride." Competing in the Kansas City Shootout, which attracted some of the best archers in the nation, Lear shot his personal best in one of the amateur divisions and won the Male Freestyle Limited competition. Stutz- man, shooting in the pro division, finished out of the running after an erratic first day. "Today was a rough day," he said. "But that's going to happen. "I'm a very competitive person. I shoot every day. That's the way you get bet- ter." either coyotes or a mountain lion. He wants to protect the rest of his animals and was advised to contact the local govern- ment trapper. How can a person become a licensed trapper authorized to track down and remove these problem preda- tory animals? Answer: Contact the United States Department of Agri- culture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The mission of this agency is to provide federal leadership and expertise to resolve wildlife conflicts to allow people and wildlife to coexist. For more information, please go to www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/ Why are there restrictions on black powder revolvers? Question: Why is a black powder revolver, which devel- ops more energy than some centerfire pistols, not legal for hunting? (Keith P.) Answer: There is ever-increasing technology that pro- vides for methods of take not currently authorized by the FGC. As new methods of take are developed, proposals to the FGC can be made for possible additions to the current legal methods authorized by the regulations. Until then, they may not be used. Disposing of fish guts? Question: What is the law on how to properly dispose of fish guts? If fishing from the shore in San Diego County, may I clean my catch and toss the remaining fish parts back into the ocean? Will the game warden be able to take a cor- rect measurement with the head of the fish removed? (Larry W.) Answer: Fish and Game laws do not prohibit you from returning the fish waste back to the ocean, although local ordinances may. Check with local police or harbor patrol officers for certainty. Once ashore, there is no requirement to keep fish in a whole condition. However, you must retain enough of the fish in order to accurately measure it. Gener- ally, removing the guts is not an issue in determining size. How to replace a lost license? Question: With the old hunting and fishing licenses, I received a copy to be sent in for a replacement if I lost my license. With the new license, what do I do if it gets lost or damaged? (Brian) Answer: DFG's new automated licensing system stores all sales transactions in a database. Simply visit a license agent or DFG office, provide your identification and indicate that you need to replace a lost or destroyed license. The sys- tem will verify your initial purchase and issue you a dupli- cate license. The new system will also be able to replace any additional validations you had to purchase. A duplicate license and replacement fee will be charged. 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. OUTDOOR BRIEFS acquire, restore or improve habitat or restore ecosystem function, or both, to benefit fish and wildlife. BLM plans burns The Bureau of Land Management's Red- ding Field Office has planned several pre- scribed burning projects this spring to remove brush piles remaining from vegeta- tion improvement projects and improve landscape health. The projects are scheduled to begin in mid-February and continue through the spring. Burns will be conducted only if weather conditions allow for safe and suc- cessful burning and smoke dispersion. A pile burning project in the Weaverville Community Forest in Trinity County will be conducted by BLM crews starting Feb. 21. The 20-acre project area is south of Weaverville near the Timber Ridge subdivi- sion, east of Democrat Ridge Road and west of West Weaver Road. Crews will burn piles to clear out slash from timber thinning projects over the last five years. Removing the brush and limbs will reduce wildfire danger and improve the health of the forest. The 900-acre community forest is man- aged under a stewardship partnership involv- ing the BLM and the Trinity County Resource Conservation District. Young farmers set fundraising shoot The Butte County Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers will conduct their 2nd annual fundraising sporting-clays shoot March 4 at Clear Creek Sports Club at Rolling Hills Casino in Corning. The event consists of 100 targets – each shooter will need a gun and four boxes of shells. The fee is $60 for an individual shoot- er or $300 for a team of five. The event, which gets under way with registration at 8 a.m. and will be held rain or shine, includes raffle prizes, team and indi- vidual awards, and lunch and snacks. The sign-up deadline is Feb. 24. For more information, call Brad Henman at 520-9464.