California Outdoors Q&A

Trading sport-caught fish

Q: If I catch bluefin tuna on a charter boat, can I trade it for fishing gear?

A: No. It is not legal to trade sport-caught fish for fishing gear. California Fish and Game Code (FGC) section 7121 prohibits selling or purchasing sport-caught fish – and the definition of “sell” includes barter, exchange or trade (FGC, section 75).

Urban coyotes

Q: What’s the best way to haze urban coyotes?

A: Hazing is a process designed to scare animals away and instill in them a fear of humans, which is done for both public safety and the well-being of the animal. For the general public, here are a few hazing techniques that can work with coyotes: Making yourself look as big and scary as possible, waving your arms above your head, vocalizing aggressively toward the coyote while maintaining eye contact, stomping your feet and taking a few steps in the coyote’s direction (while maintaining a safe distance), throwing rocks or sticks toward the coyote, using a shaker can (a can filled with coins or some other small object that when shaken makes a loud noise), using a garbage bag by shaking it open so it makes noise, or using an airhorn or water gun.

For hazing to be effective, people need to continue to haze the coyote until it completely leaves the area. Many people will haze the coyote and then stop once the coyote takes a few steps away. However, it’s crucial to continue hazing until the coyote completely leaves the area.

More information about living with urban coyotes can be found on California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Keep Me Wild web page. Additionally, CDFW’s Wildlife Watch Program produced a document on coyote hazing techniques (PDF). People who are experiencing problems with urban coyotes are encouraged to submit a Wildlife Incident Report. CDFW also helped produce this short video about living with coyotes (Video).

CDFW’s goal is to help people and wildlife coexist, and that includes native predators like coyotes. Coyotes occupy an extremely important niche in our ecosystem. They help keep rodents under control and scavenge carrion (remains of dead animals), which helps keep neighborhoods clean.

Remember that hazing must always be done safely and from a distance. If there is an immediate danger to public safety, or if a coyote has bitten or scratched a human, get to a safe location and call 911.

Crab loop traps

Q: Can two crab loop traps be used simultaneously on one fishing pole?

A: Yes. It is legal to have two crab loop traps used simultaneously on one fishing pole. However, if you’re on a public pier, no person shall use more than two rods and lines, two hand lines, or two nets, traps or other appliances used to take crabs, per California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 14, section 28.65(b). Also see CCR, Title 14, section 29.80 which covers gear restrictions for recreational take of saltwater crustaceans. A hook is not a legal method of take for crabs. If you’re going to use crab loop traps, you’ll need to tie the trap onto the line instead of using a hook. Bottom line: While fishing for crabs from a public pier in ocean waters, you can either have two poles with one loop trap tied on each, or one pole with two loop traps.

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Releasing wildlife

Q: Someone posted on Facebook that they were seeking a kingsnake to breed and release into the wild for rattlesnake control. Wouldn’t that be illegal? Should I report the post to CDFW?

A: Yes, this would be illegal. Written authorization from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is required to release animals into the wild. CDFW would not approve this release for two general reasons: (1) The risk of spreading pathogens and parasites and (2) The risk of introducing new genotypes into the environment which could impact the species or ecosystem.

California kingsnakes are ubiquitous and habitat generalists. If a property doesn’t already have California kingsnakes, then it’s probably not suitable habitat. It wouldn’t be a healthy environment for the snakes, and they probably wouldn’t persist for long.

You can report release of captive wildlife through CalTIP, which stands for Californians Turn in Poachers and Polluters. Reports can be submitted anonymously. We genuinely appreciate your help in protecting against those who illegally harm the state’s natural resources!

Kingsnake photo: Taken by CDFW Scientific Aid Raquel Elander while investigating snake fungal disease.

Air rifles

Q: Can I use a big-bore air rifle to hunt big game like wild pigs, deer and bears in California?

A: No, big-bore air rifles cannot be used for the take of big game species or migratory game birds. However, they can be used to take small game mammals and resident game birds.

The allowable “methods of take” for big game animals can be found in California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 14, section 353. Air guns are not listed as an allowable method of take.

Note that air rifles are not considered “firearms” in California. Pre-charged pneumatics (PCP) big-bore air rifles use compressed air as a propellant to fire pellets.

Wildlife Violator Compact

Q: What is the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact?

A: The Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact (IWVC) is an agreement between 49 states which allows for the reciprocal recognition of hunting and fishing license suspensions. If your license privileges have been suspended by another state, the suspension may be recognized here in California. For example, if your sport fishing or hunting privileges have been suspended in Colorado for five years, your privileges may also be suspended for five years in California or any of the states participating in the IWVC. The purchase of licenses or tags during the term of the suspension is a violation of the law and may result in prosecution. Licenses or tags purchased prior to or during a suspension are not refundable. Information on member states can be found on the National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs website.

Over the years, CDFW has received occasional calls from hunters or anglers wondering why they were not allowed to purchase a hunting or fishing license at a California vendor. A common reason is that they have an unpaid citation in another state for something as simple as fishing without a license. That failure to take care of the fishing without a license citation would put them in the IWVC, which would prohibit them from purchasing a fishing license in California or any of the other participating 46 states until it is handled per the direction of the out-of-state court.

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Sharks

Q: How often do sharks bite people off the coast of California?

A: California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) scientists published a study in December 2022 reviewing all available information on California shark incidents. The study showed there were 201 confirmed shark incidents in California waters between January 1950 and December 2021. Among those incidents, 107 caused non-fatal injuries and 15 were fatal.

On average, there were fewer than three incidents annually. The average annual number of incidents resulting in injury was less than two. The average annual number resulting in fatalities was far less than one. While the annual number of reported shark incidents without injuries has increased since 2004, there did not appear to be an increased risk to ocean users, the study showed.

CDFW uses the word “incident” rather than terms like “bite” or “attack” which imply intent on the part of the shark to knowingly harm or consume a person. Most interactions where sharks bite people can be attributed to exploratory bites in which the shark is investigating an object in its environment, or incidents in which the shark mistakes a person for its natural food source. White sharks have been observed biting many non-food items including kelp, floating debris, and other inanimate objects.

Shark incidents in California remain quite rare. However, as with any wilderness activity, entering the ocean includes risks that must be weighed on an individual basis and given a variety of considerations. Kudos to CDFW scientists John Ugoretz, Elizabeth Hellmers and Julia Coates for their valuable and wide-ranging study.

For more information on white sharks see: wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/White-Shark

Deer poaching

Q: Can a deer hunter lose their hunting license if they are convicted of a poaching offense?

A: Yes. Decades of wildlife law enforcement have provided anecdotal evidence that the potential loss of future hunting privileges is often more effective than fines to deter future poaching behavior.

The relevant statute comes from California Fish and Game Code section 4340(a) which states: Any person who is convicted of a violation of any provision of this code, or of any rule, regulation or order made or adopted under this code, relating to deer, shall forfeit his or her deer tags, and no new deer tags shall be issued to that person during the then current license year for hunting licenses. Section 4340(b) also specifies that no person described in subsection (a) may apply for deer tags for the following license year.

In addition, the California Fish and Game Commission can suspend or revoke hunting and sport fishing privileges when an individual is convicted of violating the Fish and Game Code or its implementing regulations, per California Code of Regulations, Title 14, section 745.5.

Oil spills

Q: What is CDFW’s role in conserving wildlife habitat after an oil spill?

A: CDFW’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) is the state’s public trustee in protecting, managing and restoring California’s wildlife and habitat after an oil spill.

OSPR works to protect and preserve 3,400 miles of shoreline and 7,700 square miles of state waters from petroleum substances. When a spill occurs, OSPR deploys a team of wildlife officers, scientists and oil spill prevention specialists to manage the state’s response. These responders often work within a unified command that includes federal and local agencies, and the responsible party.

OSPR was established by the Lempert-Keene-Seastrand Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act of 1990. The legislation came on the heels of two major spills, the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, in which 11 million gallons of crude oil was released, and the American Trader spill in Orange County in 1990 that resulted in a release of 416,598 gallons of crude oil.

For more visit CDFW’s OSPR web page.

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