Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/78325
2B Daily News – Saturday, August 11, 2012 Outdoorlife living Question: An issue has come up regarding minors in pos- session of a firearm, and so we would appreciate some clarifica- tion. The ques- tion is in regard to teenage hunters who hunt on an adult license (16 years and older) but are Carrie Wilson still considered minors (less than 18 years). This seems to be a "gray zone" because these teens can drive to shoot or hunt, have a license to hunt with a firearm, but still need parental pres- ence or written permis- sion. Here is the ques- tion: Can a minor (someone less than 18 years old, but holding an adult Califor- nia hunting license for individuals 16 years or older) be in possession of a firearm and ammuni- SAFETY hunter education class and obtained the appro- priate license or tag from carrying a gun while hunting. There are spe- cific prohibitions and restrictions regarding the transfer or sale of guns to minors within the Penal Code, but Penal Code section 27505 provides specific exemptions that allow for minors to pos- sess firearms for lawful purposes, such as hunt- ing. For more information, please contact the Cali- tion for that firearm, without the presence of an adult super- visor OR writ- ten permission of an adult on their person? (James S.) Answer: Noth- ing in the Fish and Game Code or its imple- menting regula- tions prohibits a juvenile who has passed a & Minors in possession of firearms fornia Bureau of Firearms at http://ag.ca.gov/firearms/ faq.php just to make cer- tain. Question: I'm an avid free diver and spear fish- erman, as well as a fre- quent clammer. While diving for Dungeness crab recently, I noticed a number of enormous clam siphons in the silty mud bottom in 4-8 feet of water. Having previously dug for horseneck clams (Tresus capax) on a num- ber of occasions, it was clear to me that these were horseneck siphons, or "shows". These clams are all well below the low tide line and would thus be impossible to dig in the traditional way. Would it be legal for me to harvest these clams using a homemade PVC "clam gun" to excavate the mud in which they are encased? Looking at the regulations pertaining to horseneck clams, underwater harvest is neither specifically per- mitted nor forbidden. (Carter J.) Answer: Yes, you can take clams underwater using a "clam gun" as long as you are free div- ing. The use of SCUBA is prohibited for the take of clams north of Yankee Point in Monterey Coun- ty. SCUBA can be used south of Yankee Point. You don't say where you plan to dive for clams, but you may like to know that there are gaper clams south of Yankee Point. Here's what the regula- tions say: Invertebrates 29.05. GENERAL. (d) In all ocean waters skin and Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) divers may take inverte- brates as provided in this article except that in all ocean waters north of Yankee Point (Monterey Co.), SCUBA may be used only to take sea urchins, rock scallops and crabs of the genus Cancer. For the purpose of this section, breathing tubes (snorkels) are not SCUBA. 29.20. CLAMS GENER- AL. (a) Except as provided in this article, there are no closed seasons, bag lim- its or size limits on salt- water clams. (b) Fishing hours: One- half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. (c) Special gear provi- sions: Spades, shovels, hoes, rakes or other appliances operated by hand, except spears or gaff hooks, may be used to take clams. No instru- ment capable of being used to dig clams may be possessed between one- half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sun- rise, on any beach of this state, except tools and implements used in the work of cleaning, repair- ing or maintaining such beach when possessed by a person authorized by appropriate authority to perform such work. Question: Can motor- ized decoys, such as Mojo be used on doves or other upland game birds? Answer: Yes. Question: I live in San Joaquin County and have two fishing questions. First, is it legal to fish with live shad? Second, is it legal to use a cast net/bait net to catch shad and minnows? (Justin) Answer: A casting net or throw net is unlawful to use or possess in inland waters, but dip nets are authorized for taking certain species of fin fish that can be used as bait (see CCR Title 14, sections 4.00 – 4.30 in the Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations available online at www.dfg.ca.gov/regula- tions/. Live shad may be used in the Valley and South Central Districts (section 4.10) in waters where taken, but they must be taken with a legal dip net under cer- tain provisions. On the trail of historical treasures KANSAS CITY, Mo. (MCT) — They look for places where pioneers heading west climbed from covered wagons to assess a creek crossing. Places where blue coats and gray coats camped and perhaps traded gunfire. Places where families picnicked and played at the water's edge. MCT file photo Alondra Tovar, 10, gets fitted with a bike helmet after a team-building exercise. Always wear a helmet — and that goes for parents, too have you seen this — kids riding their bikes on a roadside or bike path wear- ing helmets while their parents ride bareheaded? Every time I see that, it makes me cringe — because I've known two people who died from head injuries in bike crashes and several others who suffered brain damage that took months and even years to get over. If you're involved in a bicycle crash, there's high probability of a serious head injury, and that proba- bility skyrockets if you're involved in a collision with a vehicle. By ERIC SHARP DETROIT (MCT) — How often A few years ago I was riding up a steep hill on the Leelanau Peninsula, and after puffing over the top I start- ed coasting down the steep slope on the far side. I'd barely gone 50 yards when the front wheel went into a pot- hole and blew the tire. That caused the wheel to twist out of shape and lock. A Canadian Medical Association study of more than 200 fatal bicycle crashes in the Toronto area deter- mined that only 4 percent of the cyclists killed were wearing helmets. It's not a coincidence that the other 96 percent were riding without head protection. I've occasionally heard people say that they don't wear a bike helmet because helmets are uncomfortable and too warm in summer. But because of federal safety standards, $20 will buy a helmet that offers better com- fort and protection than ones we paid $100 for 10 years ago, and they're so well-vented that they feel good even on the hottest days. And I can assure you, they work. I went over the handlebars and hit the road hard, and at first my concern was my left knee, which swelled to twice its size in a remarkably short time. It wasn't until a Good Samari- tan was driving me into Traverse City that I noticed the top of my helmet was split down the middle and the protective padding was crushed. That got my attention. Before the Michigan legislature made its decision to rescind the motorcycle helmet law, a man called me to complain about having to wear one. My answer was simple — I know what my brain is worth, so I wear a helmet. You know what your brain is worth, so act accordingly. And parents, how can you expect your kids to wear helmets and take what you say seriously when they can see that you don't? er to wave their wands across the earth in search of traces of the past before a modern-day picnic of grilled hot dogs and potluck fare. Welcome to a typical meeting of the Mid- Western Artifact Society. One recent Sunday morning, two dozen mem- bers combed the grounds of an old Boy Scout camping spot at the southern edge of Swope Park in Kansas City, Mo. After a little socializ- ing, it was time to do some "ground fishing," as metal detecting is sometimes known. And when they find these places, they look for buried treasure. Once a month they gath- with a passion," he recalls. "Now I love it." Passion is a common trait among metal detector enthusiasts. Few go as far as one aficionado who was buried several years ago in Kansas City's Floral Hills Cemetery with his metal detector (polished, with fresh batteries) and a silver half-dollar between his fin- gers. Today's high-end detec- tors for hobbyists now run between $1,000 and $1,300 and use computer technolo- gy that allows the user to set sensitivity, discrimination, tracking speed, threshold volume and other factors. Beginners often make do with inexpensive wands from yard sales and pawn shops. Some members wan- dered with their instru- ments in the shade of old oak trees and at the edges of woods. Others paced in a grid pattern across open, grassy areas. All wore some type of utility apron to pocket trash as well as any treasures. Their findings would not be remarkable: a Red Ryder belt buckle, three Mercury dimes (also known as Winged Liberty dimes, minted from 1916- 1945), a silver quarter, a World War II German artillery badge, a Boy Scout neckerchief slide and three tent stakes — not nearly as lucrative as trips to an old swimming hole in south Kansas City where the group has uncovered some 200 coins. But the loot isn't really the point. What matters is the thrill of the hunt, cama- raderie and a little outdoor exercise. "What's the story behind this stuff? How did it get here? That's what I like to think about," says Bob Kerr of Miami Coun- ty, Kan., who keeps his findings, neatly sorted, in a plastic tackle box. His thoughts are echoed by club president Dan Spielbusch of Overland Park, Kan. "When I was in high school, I hated history But "I'm hooked" is a frequent refrain among club members on the forum page of their well-orga- nized website http://mwas.org. They post tales about digging up their first silver (usually a Mer- cury dime). They trade coin books and study old atlases and plat maps. They keep tomes such as "Uniform Buttons of the United States" and "History of the Dog Tag" by their reading chairs. And they share their first experiences with humor and humility. One message board entry reads: "I went up and down a dry creek bed on a private lane to find enough barbed wire to go all the way to Missouri. Enough scrap iron to build a ship, 10 pounds of aluminum cans, a golf ball and some great fossils. … Then I went to the local park to find pop tops and tabs, some other trash and five quarters, three dimes and three pen- nies. Hello McDonald's. What a great first day!" Although not quite as old as the Civil War, the first metal detectors date to the late 1800s. Alexander Graham Bell used a crude machine in an attempt to locate an assassin's bullet in President James Garfield's body. The search was unsuc- cessful, befuddled by the fact that the president was lying on a bedwith steel springs. Whatever the equip- ment, there is a certain art honed by experience and technique in locating buried objects. Silver, for instance, is relatively easy to distin- guish from trash, but gold rings up like an aluminum can pull tab. The group's monthly meetings follow a standard format: two hours of hunt- ing at a spot where they have obtained permission to search, followed by a potluck picnic and a show- and-tell competition, where items discovered at any point since the last meeting are placed in an organizer with clear plastic pockets. There are seven cate- gories for the items: most coins, most silver, oldest coin, best coin, best jewelry, best military and most unusual. Votes are tallied and small prizes go to the winners. Club members found 2,416 coins in June. In May, when the weather was bet- ter, the haul was 4,426. The group recognizes that some people use metal detectors in unscrupulous ways, and it emphasizes the need to follow local ordi- nances (listed on the artifact society website) as well as a strict code of ethics. "Remember, there are find landmines and other explosives during World War II, and later by the min- ing industry to locate ore- bearing rocks. But detect- ing as a hobby took off only in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when equipment became more portable and affordable. Some club members recall ordering self-assembly kits from the back of comic books and magazines like Popular Mechanics for as little as $14. Detectors were used to no un-owned pieces of property!" writes Don Vickers, who manages the website. "Make sure you know who owns it and who is responsible for granting permission before you attempt to detect it." Vickers, who also blogs about the hobby, says his best finds have come from approaching older landowners in older houses on back roads. If the yard is a bit weedy and the road is unpaved, chances are even better. "People who have spent their entire lives in a house are usually curious about what oddities from their past you're going to find," he writes on the website. "They're almost excited to have you there."