Tag Archives: california department of fish and wildlife

Community News, Local News

California Department of Fish and Wildlife Implement Online Hunter Education Classes

CDFW Press Release

In response to the delay of in-person California hunter education classes due to COVID-19, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is temporarily allowing new hunters to complete their education requirements entirely online.

Prior to COVID-19, California offered a traditional in-person course or a hybrid online/in-person class with a certified Hunter Education Instructor (HEI). Because all classroom instruction opportunities have been suspended, California will temporarily waive the in-person requirement, allowing students to complete the full course of instruction online.

“Online-only certification is a temporary solution to allow Californians the ability to fulfill their hunter education requirements and obtain a hunting license during these unique times,” said David Bess, CDFW Deputy Director and Chief of the Law Enforcement Division. “We don’t want anyone to miss out on the chance to earn their certification before the fall hunting seasons, so we believe this is a reasonable solution, given the circumstances.”

When deemed safe to do so, CDFW intends to return to the prior system, including a minimum level of in-person instruction with a certified HEI. “We value our 1,000 extremely dedicated volunteer instructors enormously, and we’re anxious to see them back in front of students as soon as possible,” Bess added.

Effective immediately, prospective hunters may earn their hunter education certification online. More information is available at https://wildlife.ca.gov/hunter-education. The cost for the course is $24.95. Successful prospective hunters who complete and pass the online course will be able to immediately print a paper Hunter Education Completion Certificate, which will qualify them to purchase a hunting license. Their CDFW online license profile will automatically be updated with their Hunter Education Certification within two days.

Prospective hunters are advised that the deadline to apply for California’s Big Game draw is June 2, 2020. CDFW advises new hunters to set a goal of completing the online certification by May 31, to allow time for the automatic update of their CDFW license profile. CDFW license profiles can also be updated by presenting the paper certificate to a CDFW License Agent.

Local News

CDFW to make bear presentation to June Lake residents

CDFW to offer advice about how to coexist with wildlife in bear country.

June 6, 2016
Submitted by California Department of Fish and Wildlife

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife invites the community to a presentation on “Living Responsibly in Bear Country” on June 22, 2016, at 7 p.m. at the June Lake Community Center.

The presentation will cover black bear biology, bear behavior, how bears become habituated to human sources of food, CDFW’s role in responding to bear-human conflicts, and what residents can do to help keep bears in the wild where they belong.

During spring, summer and fall, California’s black bears are in an almost constant search for food to obtain the large number of calories they need to survive and reproduce. If bears find easy sources of food in residential areas, they will return again and again to the same location. When bears get too comfortable around people and begin to associate humans with food, they can become dangerous and must be killed.

This presentation will educate residents on how to eliminate bear attractants from their property, what to do if they encounter a bear, and how CDFW and local agencies can help. For more information, please contact Andrew Hughan, CDFW Communications at 916.322.8944

June Lake residents, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Black Bear biology, June Lake Community Center, Black Bears in Mono County
Local News

Watch for Wildlife

Watch out for Wildlife Week

Caltrans and Fish and Wildlife Urge Motorists to Be Alert During
Watch Out for Wildlife Week

SACRAMENTO – Caltrans and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) remind motorists to remain alert for wildlife near roadways during Watch Out for Wildlife Week, which runs September 14-20.

“Motorists need to be alert when traveling through wildlife areas,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “This will protect the public and animals, while helping reduce tragedies.”

Defenders of Wildlife, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting native species and their natural communities, reports more than 200 people are killed nationally in collisions with deer, elk and other large mammals each year and estimates 1.5 million animals are hit each year.

The Watch Out for Wildlife campaign is supported by Caltrans, CDFW, Defenders of Wildlife and the Road Ecology Center at the University of California, Davis.

“Drivers may see more animals crossing roads and highways this year, as they need to travel farther than usual to find adequate food and water,” said Marc Kenyon, CDFW’s Human-Wildlife Conflict Manager. “This is just one of many reasons to give driving our complete attention when we’re on the road. Only drivers can prevent collisions with animals, by being careful and paying attention.”

Caltrans, CDFW and Defenders of Wildlife offer a few tips for motorists:

Be especially alert when driving in areas frequented by wildlife, and reduce your speed so you can react safely.

Pay particular attention when driving during the morning and evening, as wildlife are most active during these times.

If you see an animal cross the road, know that another may be following.

Don’t litter. The odors may entice animals to venture near roadways.

Cover Photo by the Mono County Sheriffs Office.  Black Bear near roadway in Crowley Lake

watch out for wildlife, california department of fish and wildlife, caltrans, animal crossings
Local News

Bear in Crowley

There’s a new “resident” in the Crowley Lake area

Written and reported by: Jennifer M. Hansen, Public Information Officer, Mono County Sheriffs Department

There is a new local “resident” in the community of Crowley Lake. This is the mountains and bears do share our space.  Due to the current drought conditions, it is anticipated that bears may be forced to seek out food other than their native diet.

Please remember some simple tips to lessen the likelihood of a bear encounter: to avoid vehicle break-ins, do not leave food, wrappers, gum, mints, ice chests, lunch boxes, or anything that smells like food, etc. in your vehicle; do not leave outdoor trash cans open, unattended and unsecured; use proper bear proof food storage containers; do not leave out any type of food including pet food and bird seed; make sure all BBQ’s and outdoor cooking areas are kept clean to prevent problems with bears; and, if you accidentally come “face to face” with a bear, slowly step back and make as much noise as possible to alert the bear of your presence. Also, slow down when driving on local streets and roadways to avoid any potential accidents with wildlife crossing the road. These simple tips are for your safety and the safety of our local bears.

 If these simple tips do not work, and your safety is still at risk, or you simply see the new local “resident” wandering in your neighborhood, please do not hesitate to call the Mono County Sheriff’s Office at (760) 932-7549 ext. 7 for non-emergencies, or 911 for emergencies, or the California Department of Fish and Wildlife locally at (760) 873-1171 or via their dispatch at (951) 443-2969. Please do not take matters into your own hands. Please be safe and cognizant of wildlife in all communities throughout Mono County!

cover photo by Crowley resident Julie Estridge

mono county sheriffs department, crowley lake, california department of fish and wildlife

 

Community News, Local News

Joe Bragdon Arrested

Joe Bragdon Arrested

From the California Department of Fish and Wildlife..
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) officers arrested a poacher today (Friday, December 5th) in Inyo County for allegedly illegally killing a trophy 3×3 deer in the G-3 zone. Joseph Eugene Bragdon, 37, of Bishop was taken into custody without incident at his workplace after a $15,000 arrest warrant was issued by the Inyo County District Attorney’s Office.

“We are grateful to the Inyo County DA’s Office for recognizing the importance of resource protection and that wildlife poaching is a serious crime,” said Lt. Bill Dailey of CDFW’s Law Enforcement Division. “Ethical hunters prize the G-3 tag for the incredible landscape and quantity of large deer. With only 35 tags issued every year, hunters can apply for years and never draw this zone.”

CDFW wildlife officers received a tip, through the CalTIP hotline, that on Nov. 1 Bragdon took his juvenile son to Division Creek in the trophy G-3 hunting zone and killed a large mule deer buck using a D-7 deer zone tag. With the assistance of the investigating warden’s tracking dog, Sieger, they located a dead deer with only the antlers and part of the edible meat removed. Most of the animal was left to waste.

Poaching a deer, cutting the head off and wasting edible meat is illegal and an egregious violation of ethical hunting standards. Wildlife officers took DNA samples and seized ballistic evidence.

The G-3 deer season runs only from Dec. 6-21. This area is considered a trophy deer hunt when high country mule deer bucks enter the area to escape the high country winter storms.

In November 2012, Bragdon was convicted of two misdemeanor hunting violations in Nevada, including hunting big game in a closed season and hunting big game without a tag. He was fined and had demerit points added to his Nevada hunting license.

Bragdon faces possible charges for several violations of the Fish and Game Code, including taking a deer without a license, tag or permit, failure to fill out tags, waste of game, failure to have a tag in possession and possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. If convicted, Bragdon could face revocation of his hunting license, fines, probation and/or jail time.

CalTIP (Californians Turn In Poachers and Polluters) is a confidential secret witness program that encourages the public to provide CDFW with factual information leading to the arrest of poachers and polluters. Ethical hunters and anglers are the most common contributors to the CalTIP hotline. The toll-free hotline number is (888) 334-2258.

California department of fish and wildlife, poaching, hunting, CalTIP, Joe Bragdon, deer