Cal Sportsman Mag Nov 2019

GIFT GUIDE INSIDE

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CALSPORTSMANMAG.COM

8 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

California

Sportsman Your LOCAL Hunting & Fishing Resource

Volume 12 • Issue 2 PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Walgamott EDITOR Chris Cocoles CONTRIBUTORS Scott Haugen, Tiffany Haugen, Art Isberg, M.D. Johnson, Todd Kline, Bill Schaefer, Lisa Selner SALES MANAGER Katie Higgins ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mamie Griffin, Jim Klark, Mike Smith, Paul Yarnold DESIGNERS Celina Martin, Lesley-Anne Slisko-Cooper DESIGN INTERN Jacob Culver PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Kelly Baker DIGITAL STRATEGIST Jon Hines ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Katie Aumann INFORMATION SERVICES MANAGER Lois Sanborn ADVERTISING INQUIRIES ads@calsportsmanmag.com CORRESPONDENCE Email ccocoles@media-inc.com Twitter @CalSportsMan Facebook.com/californiasportsmanmagazine ON THE COVER November is a great opportunity to get out for some of California’s best bird hunting. Tiffany Haugen is excited about the first full month of waterfowl hunting throughout the state, plus there will be opportunities for dove, wild turkey, pheasant and others. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 2

SAVE OUR SALMON Even as California’s drought issues have been relieved for the moment, the Trump administration appears ready to divert the water that’s so critical to ensuring healthy Central Valley Chinook salmon returns, and conservationists aren’t happy about that plan.

69

(HARRY MORSE/CDFW)

FEATURES 57

DIVING INTO DOVE SEASON

The sequel to the state’s split dove season gets started Nov. 9 and even as many hunters forget about the birds after the first season wraps up Sept. 15, Northern California wingshooter Art Isberg thinks some of the best opportunities occur as the autumn chill begins to take effect, sending flocks south down the “1,000-mile-long dove factory” that is the Golden State. Find out where to get your limits of mourning as well as white-winged and other doves in this season that runs nearly to Christmas.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 33 39 49

65 GIVE YOUR PUP A GOOD WARMUP

Take it from an old high school football player – warming up before a game, or in this case, taking to the hills and marshes, is just as important for athletes as it is for your gun dog. Our Scott Haugen shares tips for getting the most out of your pup, whether training or hunting, as well as offers diet advice for older dogs that might not be as limber as they once were.

75 IT’S ALL ABOUT THE WEATHER

Even in temperate California, bass anglers need to pay attention to the weather as they get out on the water in late fall with winter approaching. Bass guru Bill Schaefer says the pending arrival of storm fronts and the possibility of high- as well as lowpressure conditions could mean that the bass that were in one spot one day might be elsewhere the next and require a different set of tactics. Find out how Schaefer gets it done as the seasons change.

Protecting Wild California: Nutria eradication update Nontoxic ammo options for waterfowlers From Field to Fire: Waterfowl photographer Gary Kramer inspires others; Duck and goose leg recipe

DEPARTMENTS 15 17 19 21 25

The Editor’s Note Adventures of Todd Kline Photo contest winners Outdoor calendar Holiday gift guide

Read California Sportsman on your desktop or mobile device. Go to www.calsportsmanmag.com/digital California Sportsman is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Avenue South, Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Send address changes to California Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124. Annual subscriptions are $29.95 (12 issues), 2-year subscription are $39.95 (24 issues). Send check or money order to Media Index Publishing Group, or call (206) 382-9220 with VISA or M/C. Back issues are available at Media Index Publishing Group offices at the cost of $5 plus shipping. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising.

All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2019 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. 12 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

WE GOT YOU COVERED!

w w w . r e v e n g e b a i t s . c o m

THEEDITOR’SNOTE Guide Manny Saldana Jr. says the Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association hopes to raise more awareness about helping fish and fisheries at a time when they need all the help they can get. (CHRIS COCOLES)

F

ull disclosure: By no means do I consider myself a hardcore charitable person. But I do donate when I can.

Whether it’s been to help dog rescue – I remember funding superheroes in Serbia and Greece, respectively, who care for literally hundreds of stray pups in their home countries – breast cancer awareness, our pal Randy Houston’s Purple Heart Anglers’ nonprofit (California Sportsman, November 2014) that takes wounded veterans fishing and hunting, or my alma mater Fresno State’s annual “Day of Giving,” I’ve tried to help out. But I know I don’t give nearly as much as I could, or should.

That said, there are two events this month that are put on by organizations worth supporting. Both fundraisers benefit Northern California fish and fisheries, including salmon, which are under fire in the Central Valley due to possible water diversion projects as our story on page 69 describes.

On Nov. 2, the Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association was set to host its “Save Our Fisheries” dinner, raffle and silent auction in Yuba City (ncgasa.org). NCGASA’s website says, “Our organization brings guides and sportsmen together to protect and increase hunting and fishing opportunities in Northern California!” (You can also make a contribution at ncgasa.org/donate.)

Then on Nov. 16, our friends at the Golden State Salmon Association (goldengatesalmon.org) – the organization recently changed its name from Golden Gate Salmon Association – will host its annual Sonoma Fundraising Dinner to aid hatchery programs and help preserve salmon habitat. (Donate at goldengatesalmon.org/drought-emergency-fundraising.)

“Proceeds will help us continue to fight salmon battles including government water and environmental roll-backs and ocean health, while keeping salmon fishing families on the water and salmon on Californians’ plates,” GSSA president John McManus said in a press release.

Yuba City-area guide Manny Saldana Jr., who we chatted with about the state of salmon, is very active in the NCGASA. “We’re hoping in the future that the Nor-Cal guides association can get more of a presence to help save our fish and fisheries,” Saldana says.

Well said: The fish really need our support right now. -Chris Cocoles

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s e r u t n e v d A

Fall has kicked in and the bass are on the chew before they move deep for the winter. I caught this pair trying to locate fish and figure out what they would bite on before taking out clients the next day. (TODD KLINE) The desert sunrises and sunsets on the massive Colorado River reservoir are incredible. (TODD KLINE)

I just returned from a WON Tournament at spectacular Lake Mead in Nevada. (TODD KLINE)

W

e’re not ashamed to admit it: Todd Kline has the kind of life we wish we could experience. Kline’s a former professional surfer, a successful co-angler on the FLW Tour and a Southern California bass guide, plus he gets to travel the world as a commentator for the World Surf League’s telecasts. Todd has agreed to give us a peek on what he’s up to each month. For more on Todd or to book a guided fishing trip with him, check out toddklinefishing.com, and you can follow him on Instagram at @toddokrine. –The Editor

I had a good day one, a tough day two but a good day three. When it was all over, I finished 17th out of 254 and cut a good check. (TODD KLINE)

A whopping 254 boats staged for the day-two launch at the tournament. (TODD KLINE) calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2019 California Sportsman

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18 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

PHOTO

CONTEST

WINNERS!

Rob Dekker is the winner of our monthly YoZuri Photo Contest, thanks to this shot of son Colton and his Northwest kokanee. It wins him gear from the company that makes some of the world’s best fishing lures and lines!

Randy Hart Jr. wins our monthly Hunting Photo Contest, thanks to this great pic of he, his son Brennon and his dad with Brennon’s southeast Washington mule deer buck. It wins him a knife!

For your shot at winning hunting and fishing products, send your photos and pertinent (who, what, when, where) details to ccocoles@media-inc.com or California Sportsman, PO Box 24365, Seattle, WA 98124-0365. By sending us photos, you affirm you have the right to distribute them for our print or Internet publications. calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2019 California Sportsman

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20 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

OUTDOOR CALENDAR NOVEMBER

2 Colorado River Zone scaup season opens 2-3 NorCal Trout Challenge Tournament of Champions, Collins Lake; anglerspress.com 7 San Joaquin Valley, Southern California and Balance of State Zones scaup hunting season opens 9 Statewide pheasant hunting season opens 9 Fall wild turkey hunting season opens 9 Late dove hunting season opens 13 Northeastern California antlerless elk season opens 21 Fort Hunter Liggett muzzleloader bull elk season opens 23 Fort Hunter Liggett archery-only

antlerless elk season opens

DECEMBER

7 Most bighorn sheep hunting seasons open 7 Balance of State Zone American crow season opens 8 Fall wild turkey season closes 21 Second Northeastern Zone scaup season opens 21-29 Southern Zone band-tailed pigeon season dates 23 Second archery-only pheasant season opens 29 General bear hunting season closes 31 Last day 2019 hunting and fishing seasons are valid

California’s statewide pheasant hunting season begins on Nov. 9. (CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE)

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2019 California Sportsman

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BOAT REVIEW Boulton 18’ and 20’ Hook

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oulton Powerboats strives to build the very best heavy gauge welded aluminum boats in the industry. With boats ranging from 18 to 40-plus feet, we have a model to meet everyone’s needs.

For over 20 years the Boulton designs have held true and provide one of the best boating experiences you can find. With that in mind Boulton Powerboats has developed a new model to fill a void and provide a great Boulton boat at a more affordable price. The new Hook model will come in three configurations 18- and 20- foot with extended transom and a 20-foot inboard jet. This boat will be capable of taking on the big lakes and bays like the other models with ride comfort, maneuverability and spaciousness at the forefront.

DESIGN The Hook is based on Boulton’s very popular Skiff hull and is designed to be a very basic boat that will work well in lakes, rivers, bays etc. with all the performance of their higher end custom boats. There will be a limited number of upgrades available for this model to help keep the cost down. This boat is spacious with ample deck space for fishing, crabbing or just

hanging out on the lake with your family.

The Hookprovides a very stable platform for fighting fish, hauling in your crab pots or running through that afternoon chop when the wind picks up on the lake. The 20 foot model with the extended transom powered by a Honda 90hp will be priced with at an MSRP of $34,995.

RIDE This boat is a fun ride. With its light weight, 34-degree bow entry and 12-degree bottom, it is quick out of the water and tremendously nimble. This boat glides through the water and turns like a race car. The Hook will get you to your favorite fishing hole in very short order without using a lot of gas. The ride is comfortable, and roomy with plenty of storage for gear. The 20-foot Hook comes standard with 2 Pro Angler helm seats and 36-inch folding bench seats on storage boxes. Plenty of seating for the family or your fishing buddies.

FISHABILITY The Hook has plenty of space for fishing.

Like Boulton Powerboats’ other models space is of the utmost importance. With

the extended transom and walk through windshield the Hook allows for even more fishable deck space. The Hook comes standard with three rod grippers on each side and rear rails with down rigger mounting brackets welded in place.

SPECIFICATIONS Length: 20 feet Length overall: 22 feet Beam: 96 inches Bottom width: 6 feet Side height: 30 inches Fuel capacity: 40 gallons Horsepower rating: 150 Entry: 34 degrees Deadrise: 12 degrees

FEATURES • Two bench seats • Two helm seats • Walk-through windshield • Glove box • Anchor/bow storage • Full-length side tray • Rod grippers

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24 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

Holiday Gift Guide Izorline Don’t forget the most important thing between you and catching the fish – super-strong premium Izorline! www.izorline.com

Silver Horde Tie on the Original Herring Aide lures. Silver Horde’s Gold Star Coho Killer and Kingfisher spoons are super-hot lures that don’t disappoint.

Troll them alone or behind your favorite flasher and these spoons will produce a realistic panicked baitfish action.

Both Ultra-Violet and Double Glow finishes create superior visibility for fishing at all depths. www.silverhorde.com

Scan Marine

Eat Me L ures Proudly made in the USA, Eat Me Lures’ swimbaits are designed to bridge the gap between artificial and live bait, giving you a better option while fishing offshore, inshore or lakes.

All of their swimbaits are hand-poured or hand-injected using the finest quality plastic available to create a bait that will hold up to multiple fish strikes when the bite is on.

These incredibly effective swimbaits are irresistible to predatory game fish and, when used correctly, a top-secret weapon for tuna, dorado, bass, halibut, redfish, bottomfish and more. www.eatmelures.com

The new Wallas Viking Air 3kW forced-air diesel heater is now available at Scan Marine. The Viking Air provides state-of-the-art Bluetooth and WiFi-controlled heating for modern and older boats alike. With up to 105CFM of air volume, quiet operation and superefficient fuel burn, the Viking Air will maximize your boating season! www.scanmarineusa.com

Caribou Gear Caribou Gear is the manufacturer of the world’s finest patented meat care products. Their bags contain innovative, species-specific packaging and advanced fabric, with unique features such as light-reflective attachments for easy night viewing and lock loops that can close and lock, which is great when sending your game meat to public coolers.

To top this off, they are reusable for years of service. www.caribougear.com

Boat Insurance Agency The Boat Insurance Agency is an independent agency representing the best marine insurance companies. They carefully compare a number of policies to find the lowest premiums and best values for your boat insurance needs.

Boat Insurance Agency is owned and operated by Northwest boaters. They have the local knowledge needed to understand boating in the West, along with your special needs. Contact them for an insurance quote and to learn more about the value and service they can offer. www.boatinsurance.net

Nomar

R eliable F ishing Product s Reliable Fishing Products was established in 2003 and makes the best kill bags in the industry.

They offer 10 bag sizes, ranging from 18x36 inches to 42x90 inches, as well as two kayak bags and three billfish/tournament blankets. They are all made with ½-inch closed-cell foam, YKK zippers, and UV-resistant vinyl. www.reliablefishing.com

Nomar’s soft-side, waterproof, floatable gun scabbard is a favorite with Alaskan bush pilots.

They do not want bulky, hard gun cases in those little planes. It also ranks high for carrying that gun in a skiff or on the back of a horse.

Made in Alaska to stand up to tough conditions. Standard gun scabbard holds a scoped rifle; shotgun-style is also available. www.nomaralaska.com

C ylinder Stoves Enjoy all-night wood heat, a flat cooking surface, hot water for a shower and even an oven for baking with a Cylinder Stove.

Built in the mountains of central Utah, Cylinder Stoves are crafted by hunting and camping folk who know what is expected of a good camp stove. www.cylinderstoves. com

DIP Inc. DIP Inc. manufactures aluminum and steel accessories to replace the OEM plastic parts for numerous brands of rimfire rifles and pistols such as the CZ 457MTR (shown), Tikka T1X, Savage B22, Anschutz 54/64 action rifles, Marlin XT, 60 and 795, SAKO Quad, Steyr Xephyr II, and a host of others. www.diproductsinc.com

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2019 California Sportsman

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K irkpatrick L eat her With the Rifle Shell Holder from Kirkpatrick Leather, rifle shotshell reloads will be close at hand for your next hunting trip. Constructed of premium 8-ounce saddle leather, the rifle shell holder is offered for a wide array of rifles.

Choose from plain with laser-engraved name for $105 or plain with laser-engraved logo for $115. www.kirkpatrickleather.com

Seal 1 The Seal 1 Complete Tactical Gun Care Kit includes: • 4-ounce container of their multipurpose CLP Plus Gun Care Paste; • 4-ounce container of their multipurpose CLP Plus Gun Care Liquid; • Seal 1 CLP Plus Pre-Saturated EZ-Cloth; • 12-inch by 12-inch square microfiber cloth; • Double-ended nylon utility brush; • and two 6-inch hardwood cotton swabs. www.seal1.net

PrOlix PrOlix will get a new look for the holidays and a new easy-tohandle 16-ounce size with their three-way adjustable nozzle Pro Trigger Sprayer!

PrOlix made no changes to their great formula, even with their gun-oil and grease replacer, Xtra-T Lube. www.prolixlubricant.com

Bill Saunders Calls The latest addition to the Bill Saunders Calls lineup is the Big Spin Goose Call. After taking input from many of the nation’s top guides and callers on their staff, Bill Saunders Calls developed a call that will fill the needs of callers of any skill level and style of calling. Originally designed for creating a wall of sound for calling big wads of lessers, the folks at Bill Saunders Calls quickly realized the Big Spin had incredible range of tone, pitch and volume that would make it a killer big honker call as well.

With a shorter mouthpiece for increased speed, larger back bore exhaust for maximum volume, red gut with comp-style reed combination that produces a wide range of tone/ pitch, flared lip roll for air tight seal, and their new “guide grip” technology on the insert, the Big Spin isn’t just another call in the lineup – it is a unique addition to a legendary brand. www.billsaunderscalls.com

Exquisite K nives Exquisiteknives.com grew out of ABS Mastersmith Dave Ellis’s love of all things edged.

Dave is personally involved in most aspects of the custom knife industry and has established relationships with top makers, dealers and collectors worldwide.

Knife pictured is from the three-brother team from Argentina, CAS. Choose Exquisiteknives.com for the finest in custom knives. www.exquisiteknives.com

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2019 California Sportsman

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The Salmon & Steelhead spinners & spoons that Fishermen can rely on every time for high quality and dependability.

You can find these incredible American made lures at these fine sporting goods stores, Sportsman’s Warehouse, Englund Marine and Sportco, or at mcomiescustomlures.com

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30 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

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KERN RIVER VALLEY Late summer and early fall are super times to relax and fish Lake Isabella in the Kern River valley. The days are warm and the lake is calm. Plus the fish are still biting.

This recent catch shows off a day’s fishing for the always available Lake Isabella crappie.

The other great news is that that great fighting species, the bluegill has returned! After several years of being seemingly nonexistent, fishermen are reporting action in the South Fork trees with good success for this popular fish.

Photo courtesy of The Kern River Red’s South Fork Marina Valley, located just east of Bakersfield is full of outdoor adventures for everyone.

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32 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

PROTECTING

WILD CALIFORNIA

FIGHT TO ERADICATE INVASIVE NUTRIA CONTINUES

By Lisa Selner

N

utria continue to persist in and along wetlands and freshwater habitats in parts of California, as their destructive behaviors create an eyesore for those who enjoy outdoor recreational activities.

As mentioned here last year (California Sportsman, June 2018), nutria were originally discovered in California’s Central Valley and South Coast in the 1940s but were eradicated from the state by the 1970s. Nutria weren’t seen in California again until 2017, when a reproducing population was discovered in the San Joaquin Valley.

In March 2017, while conducting operations to reduce wildlife damage to irrigation structures, Mike Enos, a U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services wildlife specialist, captured the first nutria in this century.

Now, two years into an eradication effort led by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, nutria are being stopped in their tracks. State and federal agencies – as well as county officials and private property owners – have been working closely with CDFW to aid with these efforts. The USDA WS, U.S.

USDA wildlife specialist Hannah Garland checks a trail camera for nutria, which have become a significant issue in the San Joaquin Valley, though a collaborative effort among state and federal agencies has already started the eradication process of the unwanted nonnative species. (LISA SELNER/USDA WILDLIFE SERVICES) calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2019 California Sportsman

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A nutria is detected by one of the trail cameras set up to track the beaver-like invasive rodents that are native to South America. By late summer almost 700 animals had been collected from the Central Valley. (USDA WILDLIFE SERVICES)

Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Food and Agriculture are a few of those collaborating entities.

In May, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy was awarded $8.5 million in a three-year span to assist in the nutria eradication project.

“The grant funding represents the second, significant award from the Delta Conservancy,” a press release stated.

“In 2018, the Delta Conservancy awarded CDFW $1.2 million over three years that, along with grants from the Wildlife Conservation Board and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s State Wildlife Grant Program, largely enabled CDFW’s eradication efforts to get off the ground.”

REMOVAL IN PROGRESS As of this past August 20, almost 700

A map of the San Joaquin Valley depicts where in Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Mariposa, Fresno and Tuolumne Counties nutria have been captured, with the highest concentration around the confluence of the Merced and San Joaquin Rivers. (CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE) 34 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

THE POSSIBILITIES ARE

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nutria had been removed from Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Mariposa, Fresno and Tuolumne Counties. They occupy various wetland, river, canal and other freshwater habitats. Nutria can also inhabit brackish coastal water areas and are primarily nocturnal.

Often confused with native beavers and muskrats, nutria can be distinguished by their round, sparsely haired tails and white whiskers. Designed for aquatic life, nutria have partially webbed hind feet, and their eyes, nostrils and ears are located high on their heads.

Their large front teeth are visible and yellow to orange in color. An adult nutria is about a third of the size of an adult beaver, and over five times the size of a muskrat. Having a high reproductive capability, once introduced the population can increase rapidly. Females are reproductive by six months of age and can breed year-round, producing up to three litters a year in warmer climates.

CDFW’s Nutria Identification Handout can be found online at https://nrm .dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=154118&inline.

The most efficient and cost-effective way to handle this invasive species is to take immediate action using the available science, technology and most effective trapping methods available.

This enables CDFW and collaborating agencies to eradicate nutria before their population becomes more abundant and widespread.

Assistance from local landowners and the public throughout the Central Valley, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and beyond continues to be critical to successfully determining all population locations. Hunters and other outdoorsmen and -women play a vital role by reporting nutria sightings and potential signs of the species to CDFW’s Invasive Species Program via email at Invasives@ wildlife.ca.gov, or by calling (866) 4409530. You can also report online at wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Invasives/ Report. CS Editor’s note: Lisa Selner is a wildlife biologist for USDA California Wildlife Services.

36 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

HUNTING Nontoxic shotshells for waterfowl have come a long way since federal wildlife managers began phasing out lead in the late 1980s. Hevi Shot’s Classic Doubles brought down this classic brace of a drake mallard and pintail. (JULIA JOHNSON)

NONTOXICS: TODAY’S TOP CHOICES FOR WATERFOWL WITH THE HEART OF WEST COAST DUCK AND GOOSE SEASONS ARRIVING, HERE’S A LOOK AT THE LATEST LOADS FOR KNOCKING DOWN BIRDS

By M.D. Johnson

I

t was the late 1980s – ’88, maybe ’89 – when we began to make the mandatory switch from traditional lead shot to nontoxic ammunition, i.e. steel shot. Ohio, where I lived at the time, wanted, I think, to make a confusing recreational activity – waterfowl hunting, in this case – even more challenging, so it implemented the switch on a county-by-county basis. Or group of counties by group

of counties until finally in 1991, the whole of Ohio, along with the entire United States, went nontoxic.

Mandatory nontoxic. Translation: If you hunted waterfowl, lead was no longer an option. Period.

It was, to put it mildly, an interesting time. Early steel shotshells were, in a word, terrible. The technology, though not new, might as well have been. There were waterproofing issues, and let’s not forget our chemistry and how steel

mixed with water creates large rusty slugs that … well, they didn’t work too well on ducks. Or they worked a little bit too well.

Powders. Primers. Wads. The shot itself. It was almost as if the entire operation was trial and error, and in some instances, it was. Older shotguns, the classic side-by-sides and over-andunders, were put out to pasture.

“Can’t shoot that damn steel in my father’s fill-in-the-blank,” they said.

And they were, for the most part,

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2019 California Sportsman

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HUNTING

Browning BXD, Federal Speed-Shok, Hevi-Shot Hevi-X, Kent Fasteel 2.0, Remington Hypersonic and Winchester Xpert Snow Goose are among newer offerings for the 2019-20 waterfowl campaign on California’s waters and fields. (PHOTOS BY MANUFACTURERS)

correct. Hard steel and the not-ashard steel barrels of older shotguns didn’t work well together.

Chokes too became a concern, with phrases like “ring bulging” entering ’fowlers’ vernacular. Me? I shot a 16-gauge during that time. Just finding 16-gauge steel was a challenge.

And the ammunition I did find? Ugh. Waterfowl hunter numbers dropped off. Guys quit. They quit duck hunting.

They quit goose hunting. Some of them gave up hunting all together.

If, by chance, you shot a 20-gauge or, heaven forbid, a 28 … well, you were basically out of luck during those very early days. Or, and when the subbore ammunition did become available, it was – well, bad. It wasn’t a good time to be a duck hunter.

But, but, but wait a tic! That was a long time ago. Thirty years, or damn near. And a lot has happened in the nontoxic ammunition world during those three decades. Today, it’s not just steel shot, but a long list

of metallurgic concoctions approved by the highest power when it comes to anything migratory ’fowl, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. How many concoctions? As of March 2018, the last time the list was updated, that would be 14, and if you’re interested, they can be found here: fws.gov/birds/birdenthusiasts/hunting/nontoxic.php.

Not just the shot itself, though.

Powders have changed and improved.

Primers. Hulls. Higher velocities.

And perhaps most notably, wads and wad design. Everything from .410 to 10-gauge is available today, and most, even the sub-bores, in a wide variety of shot sizes and weights. Good as lead? Strictly sharing my opinion here, some yes, and some no. However, some of these 21st century nontoxics are better than lead ever was, but that effectiveness and performance comes at a cost. Literally.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY So

what’s

40 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

good

about

today’s

nontoxics? First, and as I touched upon a couple sentences back, it’s available and available in a long, long list of configurations. Shoot a 10-gauge? You got it. How about a 2¾-inch 12? It’s all there. So, too, are options for the 16-, 20-, and 28-gauges, as well as the diminutive .410, which, for reasons still a mystery to me, is making a bit of a comeback in both the waterfowl and turkey hunting realms. Shot sizes and charges run the gamut, thus making the menu even thicker.

Second, and without going into a mind-numbing dissertation on ballistics and technology, let it suffice to say that modern nontoxics work well. Light-years of improvement when compared to, say, 1993. They pattern well through a variety of choke tube constrictions. They perform well, if not exceptionally well, on target, if the person pulling the trigger does his or her job efficiently.

Third – welcome back, old guns!

Yes, I can now put my dad’s 1952

HUNTING

There are more than a dozen metal alloys now approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for use, ranging from simple steel to copper formulated to inhibit corrosion to a tungstentin-iron-nickel mixture. They’re all nontoxic to waterfowl that otherwise succumb to lead poisoning when they pick the toxic pellets out of fields or marshes for their crops. (JULIA JOHNSON)

Winchester Model 24 double back into service, thanks to old-gun-friendly nontoxics like Hevi-Shot’s Classic Doubles or Kent’s new bismuth. A buddy of mine can shoot his 32-inch L.C. Smith at bluebills again. Rejoice, and hallelujah!

So, and in summation, these new nontoxics are many and perform well.

So what about the bad? You know, I’m going to skip right over the bad and go straight to the ugly. Today’s nontoxic shotshells are, by and large, expensive.

Stupid expensive. Expensive to the point that the Average Joe, of which I am one, can’t afford many, if any.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Naïve, I might be. I understand that the guy carrying a $1,500 shotgun, wearing $1,000 chest waders, and running the stick on a $60,000 airboat probably can’t legitimately complain about plunking down $40 to $60 for a box for duck bullets. And that’s fine; more power to ’em. But, and I don’t think I’m mistaken here, that’s not the Average Joe. The Average Joe – or Josephine – is looking for good shotshells he or she can afford. And the truth of the matter

is that they’re out there. You just have to sift through the $4/round stuff until you find something that doesn’t cause you and your wallet to hyperventilate.

WHILE WE’RE ON SHOT SELECTION ...

Let me take just a minute and talk about nontoxics and shot selection, or shot size. Back in the day, we shot No. 5 lead at ducks. Period. For geese, it was No. 2s or BBs. That changed with the introduction of steel. The rule of thumb there was – and perhaps still is to an extent – to shoot steel two sizes larger than you would in lead.

So, No. 5 lead became No. 3 steel, and No. 2 lead became BBs. Or bigger. But remember, steel has gotten better.

The pellets have improved. Better wads hold patterns longer, thus resulting ideally in more hits on target at acceptable ranges. Two sizes bigger still? For me, the answer’s no. I shoot a lot of Nos. 4, 5 and 6 steel at ducks over decoys. Maybe, just maybe No. 3s if it’s late and the birds want to play the 40-yard game. How? I choke it down, pattern everything, shoot conservatively, and – ready for this

42 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

one? – practice during the off-season.

The nice thing about nonsteel nontoxics, e.g. tungsten or tungsten blends, is that while expensive, I’m not shooting that many of them. Typically, I buy and save the nonsteel for geese, so I can shoot A) a tungsten blend, and B) a blend in smaller than normal shot sizes, such as No. 4 tungsten – think Hevi-Shot’s Hevi-X – for geese over decoys. No, I’m not pass-shooting big Canadas with No. 4 Hevi-X, though I’m not sure I’d feel uncomfortable doing that. I’m shooting decoying birds at 30 yards and in. There’s a difference and a discipline. What’s my point here with this diatribe? Give some thought to going smaller this season.

NEW (OR RELATIVELY SO) FOR ’19-20 A lot of new stuff is available this year for ’fowlers and their ’fowling pieces.

There was a lot of new stuff last year, too. The choices are many. It’s just a matter of finding something you, your shotgun and your pocketbook like. That said, a handful of these nontoxic options include: Hevi-Shot (hevishot.com) has

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2019 California Sportsman

43

HUNTING a ton of options when it comes to nontoxics for waterfowling, along with a corresponding ton of price points; however, none of their SKUs are what I’d call cheap. What I would call them all is flat-out devastating. For you oldgun folks, there’s Classic Doubles. Deep pockets? Hevi-X is a tungsten product that gives lights-out performance, but it does come with a price tag.

The nice thing about Hevi-X is now we’re back to apples-to-apples when it comes to shot size; that is, for ducks, I’m shooting Nos. 4 and 6. For decoying geese, it’s No. 4s. Middle-of-the-road kind of ’fowler? There’s Hevi-Metal, a blend of Hevi-Shot and traditional steel. There’s also Hevi-Snow, HeviMetal Longer Range, Hevi-Bismuth, Hevi-Steel, and, for you old-school ’fowlers, the original Hevi-Shot.

BXD stands for Browning Extra Distance, and while my jury is out about the additional-range part of the equation here, Browning’s

(browningammo.com) reentry into the ammunition world is much – and I mean much – more well-received than were the company’s initial attempts in the ’90s. Their waterfowl line of nontoxics perform more than adequately, and at $18 to $22 for 25 rounds, won’t break the bank. I’ve shot it for a couple seasons now. I like it. It kills ducks when I do my part, and I can’t ask for a whole lot more than that out of a ’fowl bullet.

Federal (federalpremium.com) introduced their Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) loads in 2018 to much hoopla; however, I’ve not heard a whole lot about it since then. Maybe it’s because it’s $4 a pop? Or maybe the blended tungsten-and-steel charges of No. 3/9 or No. 7/BB are just plain weird? I never did understand the shot size pairings, but then again, I’m not an ammunition designer/engineer either, now am I? But not to fear. Federal does offer a long list of nonweird waterfowl

44 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

ammunition at reasonable prices, shotshells to include their Speed-Shok and now famous Black Cloud lines.

Two words – Winchester Xpert.

Okay, make that six words – Winchester Xpert High Velocity Steel Shot. Buy it by the case, and it’s $8 to $9 for 25 rounds. I’ve even found it by the box at Walmart and other such establishments for the aforementioned $8/box. It comes in shot sizes from BB to #4, and in velocities running from 1,400 to 1,650 feet per second. And, now for the best part, it works just fine for $8/box. It goes boom. It kills stuff. It patterns well. Winchester (Winchester. com) has all sorts of options, though, including their unique six-sided Blind Side and DryLok brands.

There’s no two ways about it.

Kent Cartridge (kentcartridge.com) is making a comeback. No, reverse that.

They’ve made a comeback. Granted, the company had, and still does have, quite the following with their Fasteel

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46 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

shotshells, but now these speed groupies have Fasteel 2.0, a zincplated product featuring a revamped wad design, corrosion-resistant nickel head, and fleet-footed 1,560 fps muzzle velocity. Kent does offer a bismuth option, which I shot a bit of during the 2018-19 season and had good success with. There’s also their Tungsten Matrix, a fantastic on-target shotshell. However, TM is a bit on the spendy side at $3 to $4 a round.

Boss Shotshells (bossshotshells .com) is new on the waterfowl scene, and to tell the truth, I have yet to get my hands on any and give it a test run.

It’s a bismuth product, which is nice for the older-gun crowd. And Boss does offer a variety, including a really interesting menu for the 2¾-inch 12bore consisting of a 1¼-ounce charge of everything from No. 2 to 7 shot.

Of course, there’s 3-inch 12-gauge, along with 16-, 20-, and 28-gauge, and coming shortly, a 5/8-ounce load of No. 6 for the .410. I’m not sure why a duck hunter would want and/ or need something of that nature, but if someone does, Boss has it. And then some.

And finally in March 2018, Remington (Remington.com) filed for Chapter 11. Two months later, they emerged from bankruptcy having been purchased by whom? Their lenders.

Yes, sir; the same people to whom they owed right around $775 million. But OK, enough about the money side of things. Remington still has shotguns on the shelves for which they make waterfowl ammunition. Notably, three versions – a fast one (1,400 fps), a faster one (1,500 fps), and a silly-fast one at 1,700 fps. The latter, aptly named HyperSonic Steel, produces recoil akin to that of shoulder-firing a 105mm howitzer. Does it kill ducks? I haven’t shot enough of it – note: less than a box for me and my skinny frame – to really tell the truth, but if it does, then it definitely “kills” at both ends of the gun. Still, all three offerings from Big Green are effective and, at $15/box per case online, quite affordable in the grand scheme o’ things. CS

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F

HUNTING

FROM FIELD...

HIS BEST SHOTS

SPORTSMAN, WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER GARY KRAMER INSPIRES OTHERS WITH HIS PASSION

By Scott Haugen

I

t takes a lot for a person to inspire me. Usually it’s their performance or accomplishments that catch my eye. Then, if I’m really interested, I might try learning more about what makes that person tick.

If I’m truly moved by a person’s work and their story, I might hope our paths cross. Or, as is the case with Gary Kramer, I make a conscious effort to meet them.

In my opinion, Kramer is the best waterfowl photographer there is.

Sure, there are many great photographers these days, but the globetrotting Kramer has more species of waterfowl to his credit than any other

A white-fronted goose comes in for a landing. This is one of the classic poses shot by professional photographer Gary Kramer, who is known for consistently capturing waterfowl, no matter where in the world he’s photographing. (GARY KRAMER)

photog around. And his are not just images he snapped to say “I got it.”

PICTURE PERFECT When you see a Gary Kramer image you know it’s his, as many shots of even the simplest species will be jaw-droppers.

“For me, wildlife photography is all about lighting and timing,” says Kramer. “When it comes to photographing waterfowl, I’m in the blind well before daylight, then I’m waiting for the sun to come up behind me to offer the perfect lighting. I’m usually done shooting by late morning, as the sun is directly overhead casting unwanted shadows.

In the right situations I’ll shoot again late in the afternoon or early evening.”

In other words, Kramer’s worldclass photos don’t come by chance or through luck. I first learned of Kramer in the late 1990s, when I saw his photographs used to supplement many of my magazine articles. I’m a writer first, a photographer second.

To spruce up a writer’s story, magazines often purchase outside photography from professionals like Kramer.

Much of the time these outside photographers are not writers, but that’s not the case with Kramer.

MULTI-MEDIA STAR You see, Kramer’s background makes him a one-of-a-kind outdoorsman. He is gifted with a camera as well as the written word. He’s authored numerous

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49

HUNTING

... TO FIRE

GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR BIRDS

By Tiffany Haugen

W

ith the height of duck hunting season upon us, some of the tastiest cuts of meat from these birds are the legs and thighs. Because these muscles are not overworked – like those of upland birds that spend their life running – they turn out tender and tasty every time, as long as they’re not overcooked.

Legs and thighs of ducks and geese also take on the flavors of the ingredients they’re cooked with. With that in mind, here’s a tasty recipe that’ll keep you wanting more of these flavorful cuts.

Six to 12 duck legs and thighs One 13.5-ounce can coconut milk 2 tablespoons red curry paste 2 tablespoons soy sauce Two cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 1 tablespoon coconut oil for searing 1 tablespoon cornstarch, if needed, to thicken sauce Cilantro and chili sauce for garnish

In a medium bowl, mix coconut milk, curry paste, soy sauce, garlic and ginger until thoroughly combined. Place duck legs and thighs in a pressure cooker or

Tiffany Haugen thinks the legs and thighs of waterfowl provide some of the most tender meat on the birds. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)

50 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

slow cooker. Cover with coconut mixture.

Cook 20 minutes at high pressure in a pressure cooker or three hours in a slow cooker. Duck legs and thighs should be tender but not falling off the bone.

Remove legs and thighs from the curry sauce. Thicken sauce by continuing to cook or by adding 1 tablespoon cornstarch (dissolve first in 2 tablespoons cold water) and continuing to boil, stirring constantly.

In a large skillet, melt coconut oil on medium-high heat. Pull duck legs and thighs from the cooker and sear each side until caramelized, about 30 seconds.

Serve duck with chopped fresh cilantro and sauce. CS Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s popular book, Cooking Game Birds, visit tiffanyhaugen.com. Follow Tiffany on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and watch for her on the online series Cook With Cabela’s and The Sporting Chef TV show.

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51

HUNTING magazine articles, professional papers and some of the most highly acclaimed upland bird and waterfowl coffee table books ever written.

Kramer attended Arcata’s Humboldt State University, where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in wildlife management. Before retiring in 1999 to pursue a full-time photography and writing career, Kramer served as a waterfowl biologist and refuge manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ten of those years were spent as manager of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Northern California. On top of all that, Kramer is a lifelong hunter.

STILL GOING STRONG Combine the experiences Kramer has accumulated, both in the formal sciences and afield, and it’s easy to see how he’s positioned himself for success, even after retirement. But what really struck me about Kramer after having spent a couple days getting to know him at his home in Northern California is his drive.

At an age when most think of retiring for good, Kramer has a laundry list that makes even acclaimed world travelers look like they’re standing still. No doubt, it’s Kramer’s drive to succeed – not to mention his ability to work a camera – that allows him to capture images that will take the breath away Kramer is regarded by many as the best waterfowl photographer out there. The Humboldt State University grad and retired federal wildlife biologist is an accomplished international hunter as well as a leading conservationist. (GARY KRAMER)

of the world’s most avid waterfowl hunters and upland birders.

Wingshooting the World, Game Birds: A Celebration of North American Upland Birds and Flyways: A Celebration of Waterfowl & Wetlands are three books written and photographed by Kramer that, once you see them, will make clear what level this man operates on.

SHOOTING BIRDS ... WITH A CAMERA While Kramer is an avid wingshooter and waterfowler, as he put it to me, “It’s much harder capturing a good photo of a bird than dropping it from the sky.”

While Kramer has multiple game bird images appearing in hunting and birding magazines the world over each month, his latest book project is what will take him to a whole new level. Kramer’s passion is in photographing waterfowl. Since 1988 he’s had at least one photo appear in every issue of Ducks Unlimited, and in 2007 he reached a goal of photographing every waterfowl species in North America. Now he’s about to complete the world slam of waterfowl photography: snapping photos of each of these birds in their wild habitats.

“In all, I’ll have 167 species of ducks, geese and swans highlighted in this book, Waterfowl Of The World, due out in 2021,” Kramer says.

At the time of this writing, he had two species left to go. “I’ve been traveling the world since November 2017, when this project began, and while it has been endorsed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, International Wild Waterfowl Association and more, I’m largely funding it on my own.”

SELF-FUNDED PASSION Indeed, if most photographers knew how much Kramer was investing out of pocket for this endeavor, few would even consider attempting it.

Travel, food and accommodations are just the beginning, as gear, color printing and publishing quickly cut 52 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

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53

HUNTING deep into funds.

When I asked him why he’s doing it, he looked into the bright green leaves backlit in his yard on a sunny day in August, and thought it over.

Then he looked me in the eye and cracked a hint of a smile.

“If I don’t do it, who will? There are so many beautiful ducks, geese and swans, and it’d be a shame not to have them all highlighted in a single, high-quality coffee table book,” he says. “If I can find funding that helps me break even on this project, I’ll be happy,” That’s what kind of man Gary Kramer is. A hunter, conservationist and professional photographer who wants to educate and motivate people to enjoy all the world has to offer. CS

Kramer’s signature waterfowl shots are perfectly lit images of wild birds, as is the case with this stunning shoveler. (GARY KRAMER)

Editor’s note: To order signed copies of Gary Kramer’s latest books and see more of his work, visit garykramer.net.

54 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

HUNTING

THESE BIRDS ARE THE WORD The dove hunting in California is some of the best in the nation, and whether it’s mourning doves or two other species hunters can target, the late season that starts this month provides some great options.

(JOE FERREIRA/CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE)

SECOND SEASON WORTH IT IN THE ‘1,000-MILE-LONG DOVE FACTORY’ THAT IS CALIFORNIA

By Art Isberg

I

n a state of nearly 40 million human residents and wildlife often pushed to its limits due to endless expansion of homes, concrete, city limits and space, one species keeps delivering solid gunning despite everything.

No wildlife areas are set aside for its survival. No inviolate nesting areas are fenced off to help increase its numbers. This single game bird is left to its own designs and does amazingly well at it.

Who is this feathered master of blazing speed to match a downwind teal and which also possesses aerial acrobatics no other can match? It’s none other than California’s pious mourning dove and, to a lesser

degree, its cousin the white-winged dove. A new interloper to the Golden State, the Eurasian-collared dove, will be profiled later in this story.

HOMEGROWN HERO California produces an enormous number of native doves hatched in state starting in early spring through summer. The key to this production actually lies months earlier in winter rains and the snowpack in the Sierra, Coast Range and Cascade Mountains.

Why? Because this precious water runoff also produces the kind of lush growth of wild grasses and seed weeds that dove love to feed on, including agricultural crops, which the state has in abundance.

More feed throughout early

spring means higher nesting success rates and more than just one clutch of hatchlings. In years of plenty, mature doves can nest more than once. If an early hatch takes place, those young birds can even produce nests later the same year. In short, California is a 1,000-mile-long dove factory when nature cooperates.

ON THE MOVE Doves are migrating birds that start their yearly journey south beginning in the far north of the state. They move as the season progresses or inclement weather pushes them.

Smart shotgunners who move with them can experience opening-day success at each new staging area in late summer and even in early fall.

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HUNTING I live in the northern end of the state and have followed them south for many years to extend my hunts – all the way down into Southern California’s arid desert region.

WHERE TO HUNT Most dove hunters do not have access to private property, so where can they set up for a memorable dove hunt? The answer is a surprising number of highly productive places.

Some of the best of these options – and also the largest – are state and federal waterfowl refuges that begin in Northern California and continue down the entire length of the state. Managed primarily to host waterfowl in spring and summer, much of these expansive lands are still dry and unflooded and grow wild seed grasses and weeds that dove are attracted to.

Dove hunting is allowed and encouraged on most of these lands.

For the unattached hunter, they offer huge acreage where you will not be met by No Trespassing signs.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife lists all these refuges in their yearly regulations booklet and also on their website. It’s a simple matter to see which one is closest to you. Go to wildlife.ca.gov for more.

A second public hunt is the upland game bird program run by the state’s wildlife department. This special hunt program is offered on state lands from Central California south to almost the Mexico border.

These properties are planted in seed grains and left standing for doves to feed on. They naturally attract a lot of birds and great shooting opportunities. To apply online, go to ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales/

OutletSearch/FindOutlet or go to any CDFW license sales office. You can also call (800) 565-1458 for more.

All shotgun hunting in California must be with nonlead ammunition per rules that debuted last summer.

A third public area I’ve frequently used are the many public lakes and reservoirs found in the foothills of both the Coast Range and the Sierra Nevada. Summer doves are always attracted to open water, especially after a morning of feeding in dry fields. Their invisible flyways take them to this water, offering solid pass shooting.

They also wing in late in the day to fill up on water before flying to roosting sites for the night. Tall trees adjacent to most of these water areas serve both purposes for the birds.

Creeks and streams leading in or out of impoundments are often

Doves use tree lines and often even single trees as signposts to follow on their daily journeys. Learn these flyways and you should experience great pass shooting. (ART ISBERG) 58 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

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HUNTING Using an over-and-under 20-gauge will test your shotgun skills on these fastflying birds, but remember that nonlead shells are now required for doves and all other game in the state. (ART ISBERG)

9. This second opening is most important because it runs all the way until two days before Christmas.

After the first week of the season, many hunters believe they have seen the best of the hunting, as birds taken already mean fewer in the air, and remaining doves have grown gun shy. It’s a mistake to hang up your shotgun at this time, however.

There is more productive hunting to be had. Here’s why: In California, many new doves will wing their way into the state, showing up first in the north during the second half of the season. They come from across the border in Oregon and Washington and a few more from western Nevada as weather moves them south, and they represent a second wave of new arrivals.

NEW ADDITIONS

used as sky paths that doves follow religiously. Once you learn the birds’ flyways – whether it’s to feeding grounds to water or heading for evening roosting sites – you can depend on them literally for decades.

FINDING FLYWAYS The key to all dove hunting – whether close to home or traveling to new areas – is the lovely fact that dove flyways always follow some geographical feature of the land, even man-made ones.

By this I mean that anything prominent that runs the direction the birds want to travel are used by them as signs to follow. This can be a prominent ridgeline, a narrow valley cutting through surrounding hills or tree-lined creeks that are wet or dry.

I’ve also marked man-made ones such as flyways along power line right-of-ways, telephone pole lines and even barbwire fences. In flat aglands, I’ve set up for shoots alongside narrow concrete aqueducts meant to deliver water for crops.

When I’m hunting in areas new to me I can always see these sign

posts. I know doves will follow them, even if it’s midday and there isn’t a bird in sight. Learning these things makes you a better and more successful hunter.

There’s also the satisfaction that you’ve done your own homework.

When one or two birds are taken you also have evidence of what areas or fields and crops they’re feeding on by opening up the bird’s craw to see what seeds it holds.

When you put the pieces of this puzzle together, you have a good idea about where to hunt and enjoy results you’ve doped out yourself.

SPLIT SEASON California’s dove season is a twopart affair, with the early September hunt followed by the late season that begins this month. Too many hunters don’t pay much attention to the second half and thus miss out on good hunting opportunities.

The September 1 opening is traditional and runs to about September 15. The season closes for a month to give the birds a rest until reopening again on November

60 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

And here is another caveat for lateseason dove hunters: The great bulk of birds taken statewide are mourning doves. Next in the bag come white wings. But there is a third species that is beginning to make waves in hunting circles and with wildlife management officials.

Its name is the Eurasian collared dove. These birds were accidentally introduced into the United States in the 1980s from Florida.

They have spread rapidly across the nation except for the far northeast corner of the state. CDFW officials consider their fast-growing numbers to be a threat to mourning doves.

Hoping to limit their increasing numbers, state officials created a statewide, year-round, no-limit season on Eurasian collared dove.

And that means upland gunning like it hasn’t been seen since the wideopen days of the passenger pigeon.

Eurasian collared doves are easy to identify from mourning doves and white wings. They are a larger, slower-flying bird, something dove hunters will surely approve of.

Their overall body color is decidedly much whiter on all feathered areas. Their back neck

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HUNTING sports a bold, black crescent topped by a white one. These birds tend not to migrate, often nesting and spending the entire year in one location. I’ve watched several pairs that stayed through winter storms and rain and then nest again come spring.

For mourning doves and white wings, the daily limit is 15 birds, 10 of which may be white wings.

Possession limits are triple the daily bag. There is no limit on spotted dove or ringed dove.

ONE OF THE BEST

This pair of Eurasian collared doves has been nesting in author Art Isberg’s Northern California backyard for two years. There is no season or bag limit for this invasive species. (ART ISBERG)

62 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

California has some of the finest dove hunting in the nation. As we have seen, there are endless opportunities for shotgunners to take advantage of public land and state and federal programs to enjoy the gray speedsters. Now get out and burn some powder. The season runs through December 23. CS

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HUNTING

WARMING UP NOT JUST FOR ATHLETES – GUN DOGS TOO

Chukar hunts can be hard on a dog, and a proper warm-up prior to tackling this rugged country is important for your dog. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

By Scott Haugen

A

rrive early at any sporting event and you’ll see athletes warming up. They’ll be stretching, jogging, moving and stretching some more. They do this to make sure their muscles are warm and loose so they don’t strain or pull one during the match. Hunting with or training your gun dog should be no different.

No matter the time of year, it’s important to make sure your dog is warmed up prior to embarking upon a strenuous hunt or intensive training session; this is especially true during the cold winter months. A proper dog warm-up begins when you arrive at the hunting or training grounds.

START BY RESTRAINING your dog so it doesn’t bolt out the door. Hopefully, your prior training when it was a pup has instilled discipline so the dog won’t jump out the truck or kennel door the instant it’s opened. I’ve seen too many injuries as a result of poor discipline, some of which were very serious. Your dog should exit the truck or kennel calmly and under control.

Let the dog sniff around the area, taking its time, relieving itself as needed. When at familiar training grounds, this introduction time will be brief and routine for your dog. This is a great time for the dog to sniff out what’s happening, but also warm up as it moves about.

At the hunting grounds your dog will be more intense. They know

the difference between hunting and training; something that’s obvious once you grab your gun at home, and especially once you pull it out of the truck.

Prior to gearing up on a hunt, once I arrive in the grouse woods, pheasant flats or duck pond, I let my dog run before I do anything. I don’t put waders on, grab boots or slip on a jacket, and I especially don’t touch my gun. Once a motivated gun dog sees you’re getting serious about the hunt, they reach a different level of intensity and that’s when injuries can happen if you’re not careful. Before they hit that next gear, make sure your dog is warmed up and ready to roll.

Let the dogs run and do their duty.

Let them explore their surroundings

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65

HUNTING

No matter what or where you hunt with your dog, making sure they are fit and prepared for every outing is critical to their success and well-being. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

and smell familiar as well as unfamiliar odors.

I like having a reflective collar as well as an e-collar on my dogs before they leave the truck, so that I know where they’re at. The reflective collar allows me to see them with the beam of my headlamp, while the e-collar will allow me to issue a simple beep or two to let the dogs know what I expect from them in both darkness and daylight. I don’t want my dogs to range too far, too quickly during the warm-up.

ONCE THEY’VE RUN a bit, I call the dogs back to the truck and have them stick tight to me while I get ready. I put their vests on first, then I gear up. For my dogs, they know this means to stick close, for soon the hunt will begin.

If I have a long way to walk before actually hunting, I keep the dogs fairly close to me for a bit. This teaches them to not run about uncontrollably, and lets them warm up more slowly on those bone-chilling days. As we cover more ground, I let them range a bit further, always keeping them in sight, be it in daylight or with my flashlight and their reflective collars in darkness.

By the time the hunt commences,

the dogs are warmed up and ready to run. I don’t ever want my dogs taking off cold, hitting the ground at full speed, as this is where muscle and joint issues arise, especially on aging dogs.

Speaking of, for those that start off slow and a bit stiff, consider supplementing their diet with salmon oil or another anti-inflammatory during hunting season. This will

help ease joint and muscle pain, making their time in the field more comfortable, and it will shorten their recovery time as well. An antiinflammatory diet and high-quality dog food are a major benefit to the performance and recovery of all dogs.

Following rigorous hunts for chukar or where my dogs have retrieved many heavy geese in a muddy marsh, I’ll give them massages before bed. Gently rubbing their muscles is a great way to relieve pain and inflammation, and can expedite their recovery time. Even a quick rubdown the next morning can help.

WHETHER HUNTING OR training, don’t overlook the value of warming up your gun dog prior to cutting them loose. No matter how much spunk they have, restraint is key to not only a well-trained dog but a healthy one, and that, along with proper warmup, will optimize your dog’s health and well-being. NS Quality, low-inflammatory food is a major benefit for a dog’s overall health, performance and recovery.

The author feeds his versatile pudelpointers NutriSource, and couldn’t be happier. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

66 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

Editor’s note: To see some of Scott Haugen’s puppy training video tips, visit scotthaugen .com. Follow Scott on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2019 California Sportsman

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68 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

FISHING With the Trump administration planning to divert water from the Sacramento Delta for other purposes, conservationists worry it will have a crippling effect on the region’s struggling salmon runs. (HARRY MORSE/CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE)

WHAT TO DO WITH THE WATER? FEDS’ DELTA DIVERSION PLANS COULD IMPERIL CENTRAL VALLEY SALMON

By Chris Cocoles

C

entral Valley salmon are going through some tumultuous times. Again.

It’s been an up-and-down decade-plus for Chinook runs on the Sacramento River and its tributaries. Now comes word that the Trump administration plans to divert precious Delta water to San Joaquin Valley farms, a maneuver that many conservationists say will seriously threaten an already precarious situation for the Chinook whose lifecycle takes them down the Sacramento, through the Delta and San Francisco Bay to the Pacific before returning again to the watershed. calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2019 California Sportsman

69

FISHING The news of Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt’s plan – critics have cited Bernhardt’s previous role as a lobbyist for the Central Valley’s Westland Water District as a major conflict of interest – drew plenty of criticism.

“This decision weakens all of the existing federal rules to protect Bay-Delta salmon runs. We’ve seen this movie before,” said Golden State Salmon Association president John McManus.

McManus referenced a mid-2000s decision by then President George W. Bush that had reversed a plan to prevent such water diversion decisions.

Dick Pool of the Golden State Salmon Association, speaking at the Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Project’s media summit earlier this year, is concerned about the future of Central Valley salmon runs. “We’ve got big problems there,” he says. (CHRIS COCOLES)

“In 2004 federal salmon biologists found that operating this massive water diversion project jeopardized various native species, including the salmon our jobs and communities depend on, that are supposed to be protected,” McManus said.

“The Bush (and Vice President Dick) Cheney administration stepped in and overruled and reversed those findings which led to catastrophic water diversions that killed untold millions of salmon and shut down our industry entirely in 2008 and 2009. It looks like this administration is trying to shut us down again – permanently.”

Noah Oppenheim, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, was

Guide Manny Saldana Jr. sees some promise in the coming years for salmon after this season his boat hooked many “jacks and jills,” young fish whose brothers and sisters stayed at sea instead of return early. But like most everyone else in these parts, Saldana knows many factors will be in play going forward. (MSJ GUIDE SERVICE) 70 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

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FISHING rather blunt in his opinion of the Interior’s polarizing head and the role that Governor Gavin Newsom can play in this. In September, Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 1, which would allow the state to prevent rollbacks on environmental issues. The governor cited limitations on the proposed bill that prompted his vetoing it, which nonetheless drew blowback.

“The servile Interior Department has hijacked and subverted the scientific process. Fishing jobs are being sacrificed to benefit the corporate agriculture lobby, pure and simple,” Oppenheim said. “If the Newsom administration fails to fight this flawed water plan, the next drought may very well wipe California salmon off the map.”

McManus also challenged Newsom’s office to take action with California’s salmon facing another fight.

“Fishing and conservation advocates across the state are watching

closely to see if Governor Newsom stands up for California in the face of yet another Trump administration assault on our environment and on salmon fishing jobs,” McManus said.

Dick Pool, who owns and operates Pro-Troll Fishing Products and is part of the Golden State Salmon Association’s executive committee and is its founding member, spoke earlier this year at the Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership’s media summit about the plight of California salmon.

“At one time the Central Valley was second to only the (Pacific Northwest’s) Columbia River in salmon production in the United States,” Pool said. “One hundred years ago it was prime salmon country. The 49ers ate salmon because the river was full of them.”

Now winter-run Chinook there are listed as endangered, spring-run fish as threatened. Less water for fish and more for farmers could theoret-

72 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

ically wipe out those runs. Fall-run kings aren’t yet listed but Pool fears they too could be at risk. His presentation showed a peak of 633,469 fallrun salmon in 2002, but the number was down to a low of 17,060 counted in 2017, a 97.3-percent decline.

“So we’ve got big problems there and most salmon habitat improvement projects remain stalled.

There’s a question about money,” Pool said. “And the California public is mostly unaware of the salmon crisis. In the Northwest you have an advantage in that everybody knows about salmon. The economy is so big in California, salmon are a tiny fraction of the economy.”

SIGNS OF LIFE The 2019 ocean salmon season was deemed a big success. “The biggest king salmon season in a decade, on the heels of three years of disastrously low catches because of the drought,” reported the San Francisco Chronicle.

So that’s a good sign.

As far as the fish that returned to spawn in the Central Valley’s rivers, local guide Manny Saldana Jr. of MSJ Guide Service (530-301-7455; msjguideservice.com) saw many 2-yearold “jacks and jills” in his home river, the Feather, and noted some big salmon that were caught on the Sacramento this fall.

Admittedly, if not understandably, Saldana feels a bit “nervous” about the future, though all the young fish back in the river provides at least some short-term hope despite the political bickering that is looming on the horizon.

“That happens almost every year,” Saldana says of talk about water diversion and those who want to send water towards the vast farmlands of the Central Valley, even if it might be at the expense of the fish. “And if we had our way, there wouldn’t be (water allocation). But I think (anglers) fall short on the list. And I think we’re almost in their way, honestly. We’re in the way from their profits.” CS

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FISHING A carefully jigged spoon is just one way to tempt bass to bite as the unpredictable weather of late fall makes fishing more tricky.

(BILL SCHAEFER)

AS THE WEATHER TURNS CHANGING FALL CONDITIONS DICTATE HOW TO TRICK LARGEMOUTH

By Bill Schaefer

A

s we head through fall and inch closer to winter, the weather can greatly dictate where and how you fish for all species of bass.

California weather can be unpredictable and change at a moment’s notice. With it, the bass might not even be where you found them a day earlier. Fast-moving fronts, along

with high or low pressure, will send the baitfish into a tizzy. The bass will follow the bait and you will have to work a little harder to find them.

If you’re fishing from shore or off of a boat without electronics, you have a little harder challenge and more limited tactics. But sometimes being unable to move around too much or travel too fast helps when the fishing gets tough.

I always worked uphill when I was

in a boat without electronics. You are going to pass some feeding fish eventually. Anglers fishing from shore are doing this and get bit because they don’t move much. If your bait passes by a bass often enough, the fish may just get mad enough to eat it. That said, let’s look at the better scenario of you in your boat with electronics.

FINDING THE FISH There has been topwater action going

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2019 California Sportsman

75

FISHING Bricen Schaefer, the author’s son, enticed this beauty on a drop-shot rig. Many pros will add weight to their dropshot setup this time of year. (BILL SCHAEFER)

on at most California lakes. Bass are also chasing shad balls. If it stays warm, the action can last well into the fall, but all it takes is that first strong cold front to throw off the pattern.

The first place to look if the bass are not on top is to meter around main lake points. Did the baitfish just drop down to a more comfortable depth? If you see streaks of feeding fish on the screen around those bait balls, then you should be able to catch them, as the bass are still in feeding mode.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS You can try a variety of ways to catch them, but you need to look at the other clues to narrow that choice down. If those balls of bait are out in the middle of the lake, then you will most likely have to jig some type of

spoon or ice jig around the feeding bass and hope for that strike.

Drop down to the school and snap your spoon or jig up and then drop your rod tip to let it flutter down. Repeat until you snap it up and a fish is on.

Sometimes casting regular or underspin jigs with shad bodies will work, as will Alabama rigs. Weighted spinners like the classic Little George will also do well. Cast beyond the metered school of bait and feeding bass and try to swim the lure through the feeding frenzy.

If the baitfish are balled up on points or close to the bottom, bass are usually coming up off structure to feed and then returning to the structure.

Drop-shot fishing and shad-type baits would be more in line in this situation.

76 California Sportsman NOVEMBER 2019 | calsportsmanmag.com

LEARN FROM THE PROS A trick some pros use is to use a longer tag – as much as 18 to 24 inches – to the weight on their drop-shot rig to get that baitfish lure off the bottom enough to get the attention of bass.

The setup lets the bait dart around since the weight is on the bottom.

Another classic that will work well this time of year is the split-shot or Carolina rig. This weight-forward rig will let the trailing bait float and swim like a wounded baitfish. The splitshot rig is as simple as it sounds – a split-shot pinched to the line about 12 to 18 inches above the hook. Select a weight that just gets you to the bottom and holds you there. You want the bait to float around.

The Carolina rig is the other end of the spectrum. A very heavy barrel sinker above the swivel and a leader of about 18 to 22 inches is the norm. This heavy setup stirs up the bottom and lets the bait float along like a swimming shad. Hopefully this will attract bites.

My favorite option is a cross between the two rigs. I run my main line through a worm sinker and tie on my hook. I hold the worm weight in place with a small split-shot, making about a 14- to 18-inch leader. The double weight clacks a bit and helps attract bass, and the leader lets the bait swim along like the others. Reapers are a great bait for this application.

Try them all and go with the one that works well for you.

GEAR CHECK For tackle, your favorite worm rod will do; mine is a Daiwa Tatula 7-foot setup with 10-pound Maxima Ultragreen. Ten-pound test is a good, all-around worming line size. Some like to use straight fluorocarbon line.

With the Carolina rig you can always use a heavier main line and change the leader to your liking.

This time of year I feel bass are still keying on shad or other baitfish, which should drive your lure selection. Again, weather will play a big part in how baitfish act and where they travel – and where bass will be. CS

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It’s a glorious sunrise, viewed in fast forward thanks to the power of your 250 ProXS. It’s a glorious sunrise, viewed fast the forward thanks toyour the power of your 250 ProXS. glorious d in fast sunrise, forward viewed It’s thanks a glorious in to fast the power sunrise, forward ofviewed thanks yourneed 250 to in to ProXS. the fast power forward thanks your 250 tofish ProXS. theare power 250 ProXS. Because you get thereofin while stillof eating breakfast.

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