April 23, 2024

Dog owners in California are reminded to take precautions to protect their pets from Salmon Poisoning Disease.

Salmon Poisoning Disease is a potentially fatal condition seen only in dogs after they eat certain types of raw or cold smoked fish like trout and salmon that are infected with a bacteria-like organism, Neorickettsia helminthoeca, which is transmitted by the parasitic flatworm (or “fluke”) Nanophyetes salmincola.

Nanophyetes salmincola occurs naturally in waters of northern California and most of the north state can be considered the native range for the fluke. But dogs throughout the state are susceptible. Dog owners are advised to be cautious and to keep their dogs away from salmon, steelhead, trout and other freshwater fish carcasses. The parasite cannot survive in cooked fish, is not harmful to humans and does not affect pets other than dogs.

If your dog has eaten or is suspected of eating raw fish, watch for signs of the disease. Symptoms are similar to distemper and may include some or all of the following: a rise in body temperature, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, listlessness and/or rapid weight loss. If signs of the disease appear, promptly take your dog to a veterinarian. Salmon Poisoning Disease is treatable if caught in time. If untreated, death usually occurs within two weeks of eating the infected fish. Without treatment, 90 percent of dogs showing symptoms die.

While all fish caught or originating from streams in California could potentially be infected, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) cautions that trout stocked in some waters in CDFW’s North Central Region are more likely to be infected with the flukes that cause Salmon Poisoning Disease.

Weekly fish stocking information is publicly available at CDFW’s Fish Planting Schedule web page at https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishPlants/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.

April 19, 2024

Question: As a duck hunter, I’m curious how the California Waterfowl Habitat Program works?

Answer: Also known as the Presley Program, named for the state senator who established the program, the California Waterfowl Habitat Program encourages private landowners to manage their land in accordance with management plans that are cooperatively developed between CDFW biologists and landowners and designed to benefit waterfowl and other wetland-dependent species of wildlife. In turn, those landowners get a personal wetland consultant for 10 years, and are paid $30 or $60 per acre per year for successfully managing habitat ($30 dollars for habitat that’s flooded during the fall and winter. $60 for habitat that’s flooded during the spring and summer). This program helps provide habitat for both birds that spend their winters in California, and birds and other wildlife that spend their entire life cycle in and around California’s wetlands.

“There’s a lot that goes into managing wetland habitat each year,” said CDFW Private Lands Biologist Andrew Greenawalt. “Spring and summer flooded wetlands require constant maintenance. In addition, fall and winter-flooded units need to be drawn down or dewatered at specific times and rates in the spring to provide habitat for staging migratory waterfowl and shorebirds. They also need to be irrigated in the spring and summer to boost the carrying capacity or number of birds those wetlands can support, and flooded up at the right time and depth during the winter to ensure those resources are available to birds when they need them. Presley is designed to offset some of those management costs for landowners”

It was the voter-approved Proposition 68 in 2018 that continued funding for the California Waterfowl Habitat (Presley) Program, and it continues to be extremely popular with landowners. Over 70 properties are currently enrolled in the program throughout the state, and well over 100 more are on the waiting list to apply for the program the next time the Department has a solicitation. Since 1987 the Presley Program has boosted habitat in the Central and Sacramento valleys by more than 50 thousand acres.

More information on the California Waterfowl Habitat Program is available at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/WCP/Private-Lands-Programs.

April 19, 2024

Question: What’s the attraction of hunting with a muzzleloader?

Answer: Muzzleloaders are single shot firearms where each round is manually loaded through the barrel. There are no rounds or casings, and instead primers, powder, a slug and wadding are used. The main attraction for many hunters using muzzleloaders is the challenge of the hunt, the experience of using a less common firearm and the potential of having additional hunting opportunities through the various muzzleloader tags available. Because the effective range of muzzleloaders is considerably less than modern rifles, this form of hunting requires a hunter to stalk closer to their quarry.

CDFW offered nearly a dozen specific muzzleloader deer hunts in 2023. Because of the challenge of this hunting technique, it’s often easier to draw muzzleloader tags than a similar rifle tag. The schedule for 2024 hunts is available at https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=200602&inline

April 12, 2024

More than 500,000 salmon will be released over two days from CDFW’s Fall Creek Fish Hatchery into the Klamath River below the Iron Gate Dam

What: The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), joined by Tribal leaders and fisheries experts from the Karuk Tribe, Yurok Tribe, the Shasta Indian Nation and the Quartz Valley Indian Rancheria, will release almost 100,000 yearling coho salmon and more than 400,000 Chinook salmon fry into the Klamath River from CDFW’s Fall Creek Fish Hatchery in Siskiyou County over two days.

It is the first major release of coho salmon, a state and federally listed threatened species, into the Klamath River since the drawdown of the Klamath River reservoirs as part of the historic dam removal underway and a major milestone in the rebirth of a free-flowing, undammed Klamath River, which these salmon will return to as adults in a few years.

When: Tuesday, April 16, 2024, 10 a.m. to noon

Where: Iron Gate Fish Hatchery, 8638 Lakeview Road, Hornbrook, Calif., 96044

Who: Salmon and fisheries experts from CDFW, leaders from the Yurok Tribe, Karuk Tribe, Shasta Indian Nation and the Quartz Valley Indian Rancheria will be available for interviews.

More Info: The salmon release will be preceded by a Tribal blessing.

April 4, 2024

Question: A friend was telling me about fishing tournaments in California. How can I get involved?

Answer: Hundreds of fishing tournaments and contests are scheduled in California for the rest of 2024. You can search the type of contest, location, date and sponsor name at https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FishingContests/default.aspx?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery. Please make sure to be in touch with the sponsor organization to register, since CDFW does not host these events.

Most of the contests target black bs, but some involve other species such as trout, kokanee and striped bass. Contests take place all year, but most occur in the spring, summer and fall. Diamond Valley Lake (Riverside County), Clear Lake (Lake County) and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are among the most popular locations for anglers to compete against each other. Fishing is mostly from motorized boats, but there is a growing popularity for the shore-based and kayak contests.

“Many people enjoy fishing for the chance to be alone in nature. It’s their time away from the busy parts of our lives,” said Senior Environmental Scientist Supervisor Flower Moye. “Fishing contests can give people that same feeling, but also provide a space for camaraderie and healthy competition. They offer folks another way to enjoy the sport. In fact, some people get into fishing because of the tournament scene.”

Since 1975, CDFW has required tournament organizers to have permits for their events. The regulation enables the department to ensure responsible use of resources. CDFW does not make money from the contests. Usual fishing regulations apply meaning winners are determined not by the number of fish caught, but by the weight or length.

A full explanation of CDFW contests, tournaments and derbies is available at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/Contests?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.

April 10, 2024

On Wednesday, April 10, 2024, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) acted unanimously to recommend closure of California’s commercial and recreational ocean salmon fisheries through the end of the year, mirroring recommendations made last year to close the fisheries in 2023.

Salmon stocks continue to be impacted in California from ongoing issues associated with drought and climate disruption. The salmon currently present and returning to California’s coast and rivers were impacted by a multi-year drought, severe wildfires, and associated impacts to spawning and rearing habitat, harmful algal blooms and ocean forage shifts. The low ocean abundance forecasts, coupled with low 2023 returns, led the PFMC to recommend full closure of California’s commercial and recreational ocean salmon fisheries.

After reviewing the PFMC recommendation, it is expected that the National Marine Fisheries Service will take regulatory action to enact the closure, effective in mid-May. In addition, the California Fish and Game Commission will consider whether to adopt a closure of inland salmon fisheries at its May 15, teleconference meeting.

“After the closure last year, this decision is not an easy one to make,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “While we have been enjoying back-to-back wet winters this year and last, the salmon that will benefit from these conditions aren’t expected to return to California until around 2026 or 2027. The current salmon for this year’s season were impacted by the difficult environmental factors present three to five years ago.”

“While incredibly painful to fishing families and fishing communities, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations supports the closure,” said George Bradshaw, president of PCFFA. “We all need to be doing everything we can to give California’s salmon a chance to recover. It has to be an all hands-on deck effort to ensure survival for our Central Valley and Klamath salmon runs.”

Following today’s actions, CDFW will work to expedite a request for federal fishery resource disaster determination for the State of California 2024 Sacramento River Fall Chinook and Klamath River Fall Chinook ocean salmon fisheries. Governor Newsom made a similar request in response to the closure in 2023, which was approved. The Department is currently seeking comments on the 2023 spend plan for the $20,625,729 that has been allocated by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration for the disaster. Comments may be provided via email through 5 p.m., April 19, 2024, at SalmonDisaster@wildlife.ca.gov.

Salmon are significantly important to California’s cultural and natural resources. These important species provide significant commercial, recreational, economic, intrinsic, and cultural benefits to California Native American tribes, fishing communities and the state.  California is taking several steps to rebuild salmon stocks across California. In late January 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future: Restoring Aquatic Ecosystems in the Age of Climate Change. The strategy has six priorities and 71 actions that will benefit salmon stocks in California.

More information about the PFMC is available on the PFMC website. More information about federal fishery disaster relief and ocean salmon fishing seasons is available on the CDFW website.

March 21, 2024

Question: How different is the taste and texture of wild turkey compared to store-bought turkey?

Answer: This is an excellent time to explore this question, with the popular spring wild turkey hunts about to begin. One recent national survey showed wild turkey as the third most popular wild game species following deer and other small game.

It’s probably not surprising to learn that the taste and texture of a wild turkey compared to a domestic (store-bought) turkey is quite different. That’s due to wild turkeys having more developed muscles than turkeys raised on a farm where physical activity is limited. A wild turkey also has less fat and will end up drier after cooking. It’s important to prepare the wild turkey properly and understand when the cooking is finished.

Dan Skalos isn’t just a 10-year employee at CDFW who currently oversees the department’s upland game and waterfowl programs, which include turkey, he’s a serious cooking hobbyist who is happy to share his best tips for successful wild turkey preparation.

Because wild turkey can be tougher at the time of consumption, a good brine is necessary according to Skalos. Brine is a mixture of water and salt, which helps with flavoring and increasing moisture. Skalos suggests a brine treatment of at least two days, and a basic mixture that includes one gallon of water and a cup of salt. But his preferred recipe involves far more ingredients like brown sugar, vegetable stock and candied ginger just to name a few items. After all that, his final tip involves time and temperature. Because an overcooked wild turkey can become too dry if it reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit, Skalos said it’s important to have a meat thermometer in use, and to make sure the bird is removed from the oven promptly when it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

For wild turkey and other wild game recipes visit California’s Wild Kitchen at https://wildlife.ca.gov/R3#547882389-wild-food-recipes.