Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/58765
2B Daily News – Saturday, March 17, 2012 Outdoor & living GRASSLANDS ECOLOGI- CAL AREA (MCT) — Sunrise is but a rumor when Darrel Rerucha and his brother Rob finally finish loading their pickup and trailer with several oversized plastic tubs filled with decoys, shotguns, camouflage and other hunting gear. With lights from Los Banos and Interstate 5 gleaming in the distance, Darrel Rerucha exits the compound of his private duck club and drives about a half-mile to another dirt road protected by a locked gate. Once through, it's a short haul till the road dead- ends at what the moonlight's reflection reveals as a large pond. Now the work begins. Time to unload the tubs and drag them by rope loops across the thigh-deep pond to a small, inconspicuous island some 300 yards away. Sounds easy enough in waders, except the soft muddy bottom makes every step feel like you're wearing leg shackles. "All this for six birds . . .," Rob Rerucha mutters with the weariness of someone who got four hours of sleep. But for devoted waterfowl hunters like the Reruchas, today is an extra treat. Waterfowl season ended in late January, but this year, the Cali- fornia Department of Fish and Game declared an extra five-day window for white geese and white-fronted geese, designed to reduce crop depredation on pri- vate lands. The duck club Darrel Rerucha manages lies in the middle of a 160,000-acre mosaic of marshes, grasslands and riparian thickets called the Grasslands Ecological Area. Together, they make up California's largest remaining wetlands and serve as a winter home to 1 million migrating ducks and geese. Before humans started manip- ulating the San Joaquin River, its regular floods created a network of ponds and swamps that made crossing the Valley difficult for 19th-century settlers. Today, the national wildlife refuges, state wildlife areas and nearly 200 pri- vate duck clubs that occupy the area get their water delivered from a series of canals linked to the California Aqueduct. By the time the Reruchas reach the island where the blind is located, the darkness is giving way to dawn. The 6:19 a.m. legal shoot time is fast approaching. "It's just spectacular to see all of this," says Darrel Rerucha, who does home inspections on weekdays and manages the club on weekends. Brother Rob is a teacher and athletic director at life California's largest remaining wetlands a hunter's hope California Outdoors Q&A Ensuring Your Fowl Don't Become Foul Courtesy photo Buddy, a 2-year-old yellow Labrador owned by Darrel Rerucha, has his mouth full after retrieving white geese during a recent hunt at a private duck club outside Dos Palos. Caruthers High. "I-5 is right over there, but so few of those people have any idea there are flocks of 10,000 geese moving up and down the Grass- lands." Now it's time to arrange the decoys into what is commonly called a spread. Doing so proper- ly, taking into account the condi- tions and the type of bird being hunted, can make the difference between getting your limits and spending the entire day watching birds circle overhead out of range. Being an expert birdcaller helps, too. The Reruchas are dressed head to toe in camouflage, covering their faces with a camouflage net. Buddy, Darrel's 2-year-old yel- low Labrador, has his own camo vest and net. Even the manhole- sized openings of the cylindrical blind are concealed with reeds attached by zip ties to a wire frame. "(White geese) are wary and cautious, but they're also very social," Darrel Rerucha says. "If you don't have a good-looking spread, they aren't coming in. And you have to hide. They have incredible eyes. If they see any movement on the island, they're gone." The crack of a distant shotgun, another party from the club, sig- nals that 6:19 has arrived, so it's time to get out of sight. It isn't long before two white-fronted geese (hunters call them "specs" because of the oily looking stains on their feathers) come soaring overhead, and the Reruchas take them down with two blasts. The fallen birds are then eagerly fetched by a tail-wagging Buddy. The action isn't all fast and furious. There are extended peri- ods where nothing flies by at all, save for a couple of out-of-sea- son ducks and the occasional seagull. But every hour or so, a loud squawking sound emanates from the southern sky in the form of huge flock of geese. The giant mass is headed straight toward us, but more often than not, shotgun blasts from neighboring hunters cause it to flare off before reaching our location. When birds flee a predator, their wings emit a unique whistling sound that researchers have found alerts other members of the flock to the danger. "It's frustrating, but it happens every day," Darrel Rerucha says of other hunters driving birds away. "You get used to it." It takes the Reruchas most of the day to bag seven geese apiece, one shy of the limit. Dar- rel, who hunts 40-something days per year, took more than 300 birds this season. But none of it goes to waste, even though white geese have such a gamey taste that hunters call them "sky carp." Birds that don't get barbecued, stewed or slow-cooked for hours in a crock- pot are taken to a meat process- ing plant, where they get ground up into pepper sticks. "We're hunters, but we're not jerks," Darrel Rerucha says. "Sure, there are few jerks that poach or shoot early, but most of us are great conservationists." Question: I hope you can answer my question about cleaning birds. My friends and I went quail hunting a few weeks ago, and it took us 45 minutes to hike into the area where we hunt. We flushed a large covey of birds, shot two and then continued to hunt singles for several hours. We picked up a few more birds for the day and hiked back out. By the time I was able to clean my birds, several hours had passed. The birds had been in my vest. Are they still safe to eat after being shot several hours before and then not cleaned right away? If not, how do you clean a bird and continue to hunt when you are so far from the truck and any ice chests? My friend says you can also freeze the birds before cleaning them, then thaw and clean them all at once. Is this safe? Can I do this with all birds such as pheasants, too? (Jim L., Santa Maria) Answer: As I'm sure you are aware, the most important thing to do with game is to keep it clean and dry, and to cool it down ASAP. DFG Upland Game Bird Stamp Program Coordinator Karen R. Fothergill says she can't promise the birds are still safe to eat. She points out that most of us spend several hours in a day out hunting and by the time we get our birds home, many hours have passed. If you refrigerate them as soon as you return from the field, and it's the same day you are hunting, it is likely they will be fine and ok to con- sume. However, if they are left in the back of a truck in the heat, then you may be taking a chance. Small birds like quail will cool on their own (somewhat) much faster than a large goose will. Carrie Wilson Since ideal handling is not always an option, preparing for the worst situation is always the best plan. Hunters should keep an ice chest with cold packs or sealed bags of ice handy to quickly cool down their game birds without adding mois- ture. Moisture and warm temperatures create the perfect environment for bacteria to grow. If you are concerned about the birds spoiling, you can always gut the birds immediately upon taking possession of them. This will allow them to cool quickly. Remember that you are responsible for proper game care, and letting the birds go to waste is a violation. DFG advises that you do everything you can to cool your game quickly so you can enjoy your harvest. When fishing gear becomes dangerous Question: Does DFG have any regulations restricting anglers from placing their fishing gear in an unsafe manner? For example, a person throws their line out into the water and then places their fishing rod back in a position to where the line stretching to the water runs across an area where runners and walkers using the same beach could become entangled. Does DFG have jurisdiction over this? If not, can the prac- tice of having active rods placed far back from the waterline be banned via a city ordinance, or is the region below the high tide line only covered by state regulations? If someone is seriously hurt by such a fishing practice, does the person fishing have any civil or criminal liability? (Len N.) Answer: DFG regulations do not address these issues. Dead farm-raised trout for bait in lakes and streams? Question: Is it legal to use dead farm-raised trout for bait in inland waters? When I read the regulations it seems like only "live trout" is called out. Costco has farm-raised rain- bow trout for sale at a great price and I was thinking it might make great catfish bait for my kids. (Marcus) Answer: No. Trout may not be used for bait (California Code of Regulations Title 14, sections 4.00-4.30). California state duck stamps for collectors Question: I inherited two sets of California state duck stamps. This year, the DFG converted to plastic paper stamps and I purchased one for my hunting license. If a duck stamp for the state is still recognized, how does a stamp collector obtain one? Answer: Any person who purchases a California Duck business one of THE BEST? Is YOUR If so, you likely know by now! But if you have not yet placed an ad to say THANK YOU to your customers who voted you #1 in your business category, better call your Daily News advertising representative right away! D NEWSAILY (530) 527-2151 RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY Validation and/or Upland Game Bird Validation is entitled to receive a collectible California Duck Stamp and/or Upland Game Bird Stamp upon request. To have your collectible stamps mailed to you, please log into DFG's Automated License Data System and submit a request. Step-by-step instructions and information are available at www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/collectorstamps/. Collectible stamps will be at the bottom of the screen on the 2011 hunt- ing license selection page. 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. She may be contacted at CalOutdoors@dfg.ca.gov. Public input requested for a non-native plant eradication The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking public comment on a proposal to eradicate arundo (Arundo donax), saltcedar (Tamarix sp.), tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), pampas grass (Cor- taderia sellanoa), and scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) from South Fork Cottonwood Creek. The treatment area will be from water's edge out into the riparian vegetation a maximum of 200 feet from approxi- mately Pettijohn crossing to the confluence with mainstem Cottonwood Creek. Treatment will only occur on those lands where landown- ers have given permission. Due to the persistence of these species, there remains a small window of opportunity to con- trol incipient occurrences before they become unmanage- able. For the environmental analysis we are seeking public input to assist us m identifying issues regarding the proposed project. Submit written comments by April 6 to Brenda Olson, USFWS, 10950 Tyler Road, Red Bluff, 96080. for space reservations in the official "Best of Tehama" edition is DEADLINE Thursday, March 22 at 5 PM.