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Saturday, March 31, 2012 – Daily News Outdoor & living life Wildlife watching via digital device or in person becoming a popular trend California Outdoors Q&A Raw or Cooked … It Still Counts Towards Your Limit Question: I often go to Fort Bragg with a group of friends to get abalone. On the first day we all make our dives, and then in the evening we have abalone and a fish fry. The abalone is all sliced, pounded and breaded. Some always remains uncooked or cooked and not eaten. We go diving again the next day and get our lim- its again, and then head home that day or the next. I know I may only possess three abalone in the shells. However, what about the abalone I have left over, including the Carrie Wilson MCT file photo When setting a wildlife camera along an animal trail you never know what will pass by. MILWAUKEE (MCT) — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service surveys Americans every five years to assess trends in outdoor activities. According to a 2009 analysis of the results, one of the most popu- lar "outdoor recreation activities" was wildlife watching. The Service estimates one-third of U.S. residents engage in wildlife watching. For purposes of the survey, that's defined as closely observ- ing, photographing or feeding species of wildlife in backyards, wetlands, woodlands, rivers and lakes. It can be done at home or away from it. However, the report doesn't include information on what seems to be a growing trend: peo- ple who watch wildlife via a digi- tal device. Last year a video camera placed near a bald eagle nest in Iowa drew large online audiences to view the adult birds' efforts to hatch and raise eaglets. In January, a "den cam" broad- cast the birth of black bear cubs in Minnesota. And in Wisconsin, cameras provided live images of spawning sturgeon on the Wolf River and nesting ospreys on Big Muskego Lake. I'm a proponent of getting into the field and seeing the action live and in person. But there are some things even the best eyes and optics won't reveal. And some wildlife, like nesting birds or birthing mam- mals, are best left undisturbed. As technology has advanced and America's digital obsession has increased, it's no wonder wildlife cams have been a hit. Now anyone — dedicated wildlife traveler or couch-loving web surfer can watch remote yet intimate views of animal behavior provided by a live web cam and the Internet. How many more millions of Americans watch wildlife through a live camera feed to their televi- sion, computer or smart phone? Certainly it's a big number. There's no substitute for getting outdoors. But if live web cams can increase America's appreciation of wildlife and support for sci- ence-based wildlife management, let the electrons flow. Just don't use it as another excuse for not making a real con- nection to nature. And wouldn't it be great if dig- ital wildlife viewing would emu- late hunting and angling and con- tribute a portion of its proceeds to conservation programs? As spring has sprung across Wisconsin and much of the nation, many wildlife cams are offering views of spawning or nesting sites. Here are several: Not Hawkeyes, but eagles: Per- haps the biggest wildlife cam sen- sation in 2011 was the feed from a bald eagle nest in Decorah, Iowa. According to sponsors of the cam- era, 222 million viewers have accessed the U-stream site in the last year. The adults hatched and suc- cessfully reared three eaglets in 2011. This year the female has laid three eggs, too. Its nest is placed in a cottonwood tree. During the last year, the eagles repelled an attempted nest inva- sion by a raccoon. The birds have also been seen hunting, flying and feeding at night. To view the nest, visit http://www.ustream.tv/decorahea- gles. Ivy League pride: Cornell Uni- versity recently added a feed from a web cam placed near a red-tailed hawk nest on campus. The female hawk has been named "Big Red" after the school's athletic teams. The hawks have raised young at the site for at least the last four years. At least two eggs are in the nest. Visit www.allaboutbirds.org/cor- nellhawks. Brewtown falcons: The recov- ery of peregrine falcons has been well-documented in Wisconsin, the result of successful nesting at man-made structures in mostly urban environments. The once-endangered raptors are now frequently seen soaring through the airspace of downtown Milwaukee. WE Energies has placed a cam- era at a nest box at its Valley Power Plant in Milwaukee. The camera recorded a peregrine lay- ing an egg March 16. Hawking the fish hawk: For several years, the City of Muskego has run an "Osprey Cam" from a platform on Big Muskego Lake. The big, fish-eating birds have yet to set up shop but are expected to arrive soon. To view, visit Muskego's web- site at www.ci.muskego.wi.us and search for Osprey Cam. Wisconsin eagles: Shadows on the Wolf, a non-profit conserva- tion group, offers live shots of a bald eagle nest on the Wolf River. Visit http://www.livewildlife- cams.com/Wolf percent20River percent20Eagles.html. A fish's eye view: Wisconsin's biggest and oldest fish take center stage each spring as thousands of lake sturgeon migrate up the Wolf River to spawn. A series of underwater cameras provides views of the fish as they swim and jostle in their mating ritual. Due to warm weather in March, the sturgeon spawn is weeks ahead of normal. Fish have been observed spawning this week, according to DNR sturgeon biolo- gist Ron Bruch. The concentration of fish is largest at the Shawano Dam. To view the underwater cam- era, visit http://wolfrivercam.com/Shawano percent20Dam.html. Walleyes, too: Sturgeon aren't the only fish to migrate out of Lake Winnebago and into the Wolf River to spawn. The walleye spawning cycle peaked this week in the Wolf. Underwater cams at several spots show walleyes moving up and downriver. Here's a link to the camera at Shioc- ton: http://wolfrivercam.com/Shiocton percent20Cam percent201.html. abalone that has been sliced, pounded and breaded for food? Will I be in violation for being over my limit? Do I need to keep the old shells and tags? (Terri L., Nipomo) Answer: The law states: No more than one daily bag limit of each kind of fish, amphibian, reptile, mollusk or crustacean named may be taken or possessed by any one person unless otherwise authorized; regardless of whether they are fresh, frozen, or otherwise preserved (California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 1.17). According to Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Lt. Dennis McKiver, even if you have leftover abalone that is pounded, breaded and cooked, it still remains part of your abalone limit until you either eat it or give it away. If you have a partial abalone left over after your first day's dinner, you would only be allowed to get two abalone the next day. Otherwise you would be over your possession limit. If you have three tagged abalone in their shells and one partial abalone pounded and breaded and you are headed home, you would not only be in vio- lation of being in possession of an over limit, but you would also be in violation of transporting an abalone that has been removed from the shell. In the future, make sure you eat all of your prepared abalone or else give it away before you get another full limit or head home. Can I keep a pet dwarf caiman? Question: I want to keep a pet dwarf caiman and was wondering how I can get a permit to do so. I know a lot about them and how to handle them properly based on what I've learned from other gator experts and gator farm workers. I have done a lot of research myself and know to never release a caiman into the wild. (Ian L.) Answer: Unfortunately, you cannot keep a pet dwarf caiman. California restricts the importation and posses- sion of many species, including all species in the Order Crocodilia. No restricted species may be imported or possessed for pet purposes. For additional information and a list of restricted species, please go to www.dfg.ca.gov/about/wildlife.html and click on "Restricted Species Laws" (PDF). Starting a business to trap/eradicate wild feral hogs Question: I am interested in starting a company to focus on trapping / eradicating wild feral hogs. Does Cal- ifornia have a permit program for this venture? If so, how can I get information and an application to allow me to do this? Are there any counties that need this service? (Joseph W., Murrietta) Answer: According to DFG Statewide Wild Pig Pro- gram Coordinator Marc Kenyon, a property owner may apply to the DFG for a permit (depredation permit) to kill wild pigs causing damage to their property. This depredation permit contains a section wherein up to three individuals may be listed to act as an "agent" on behalf of the landowner. These agents may kill the pigs for the landowner in the manner specified on the permit. You, as a sole proprietor of a company, could be listed as an agent on this permit at the time it is issued by DFG, and then you would be able to take the pigs as specified in the permit. Wild pig populations are mostly concentrated around the central coastal counties, ranging from Mendocino to Ventura counties. Shooting clay pigeons when doves not in season. Question: Is it legal to shoot clay pigeons in the same fields that I use for dove hunting when doves are not in season? (Richard X.) Answer: Fish and Game laws do not generally cover target practice. However, Fish and Game law does pro- hibit target practice on most state wildlife areas, except in specifically designated areas that are identified as such. Keep in mind that shooting clay targets produces a lot of litter. Please make sure you have the property owner's permission before you do it and comply with their requirements regarding cleanup. 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. Spring wild turkey season opens today California's 2012 gen- eral spring wild turkey hunting season opens statewide on March 31 and extends through May 6, with the archery season extending through May 20. Hunters who have a current junior hunting license may also hunt the weekend before the open- er, on March 24 and 25, and the two weeks after the general season (through May 20), using shotguns or any other legal method of take. Please note that the season is closed to all hunters from March 26 to March 30. Shooting hours for spring turkeys are from one-half hour before sun- rise to 4 p.m. Both a hunt- ing license and upland game bird stamp are required to hunt turkeys, although an upland stamp is not required for hunters with junior licenses. The bag limit is one bearded turkey per day and no more than a total of three turkeys during all seasons (general, archery, junior) combined. The statewide popula- tion of wild turkeys is esti- mated at 240,000 birds. DFG's most recent hunter surveys indicate that on average about 24,000 hunters bag about 22,000 turkeys in the spring sea- son each year statewide. Wild turkeys are found in most counties in Califor- nia, with the top 10 for spring harvest being El Dorado, Mendocino, Plac- er, Sonoma, Shasta, Yuba, Butte, San Diego, Napa and Lake counties. For places to hunt turkeys, hunters should refer to the "Guide to Hunting Wild Turkeys in California" on DFG's website at www.dfg.ca.gov/hunting/. DFG also offers several special hunts for turkeys that are open to a limited number of hunters. Infor- mation and applications can be found in the Cali- fornia Hunting Digest at www.dfg.ca.gov/publica- tions/digest. For more information visit DFG's special hunts W ebsite: www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/ hunting/uplandgame/gam ebird/SpecialHunts/Sprin gTurkey. 3B