USA -(Ammoland.com)- Here’s a detailed look at the California Department of Wildlife Calendar for November 2016.
Saturdays — Tundra Swan Tours at District 10, a 23,000-acre expanse of privately owned rice fields and restored habitat in Yuba County, north of Marysville (95901). The free tours are led by naturalists and last about two hours. Tours for up to 30 people are held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 3 p.m. Registration is required at www.wildlife.ca.gov/regions/2/swan-tours. For more information, please call (916) 358-2869 or email interpretiveservices@wildlife.ca.gov.
Weekends — Sandhill Crane Wetland Tours. Docent-led public tours are offered at Woodbridge Ecological Reserve the first three Saturdays and Sundays of each month through February. The reserve is located just west of Lodi and offers managed wetland habitat that attracts the sandhill cranes each year. Tours begin two hours before sundown. Visitors can register for tours up to eight weeks in advance online at www.wildlife.ca.gov/regions/3/crane-tour. Self-guided tours, highlighted by a set of interpretive panels, also are available at the Woodbridge Ecological Reserve South Unit, 11154 W Woodbridge Road, Lodi (95242).
Weekends — Elkhorn Slough Ecological Reserve Tours. Volunteers lead walks every Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Binoculars and bird books are available for the public to borrow at no cost. The visitor center and main overlook are fully accessible. The day use fee is $4.12 per person, ages 16 and older. Groups of five or should notify staff that they are coming and groups of 10 or more can request a separate tour. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/lands/places-to-visit/elkhorn-slough-er.
Weekends — Gray Lodge Wildlife Area Tours. 12:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 5, at 3207 Rutherford Road, Gridley (95948). The 90-minute walking tour covers slightly more than one half mile through a premier birding spot that highlights migratory waterfowl and other wetland wildlife. No reservations are necessary for groups of less than 20 people. A $4.32 Daily Use Fee is required for visitors without a valid annual CDFW pass, or a California sport fishing, hunting or trapping license. There is no additional cost for the tour. Tours are canceled in heavy rain. For more information, please call (530) 846-7505 or email lori.dieter@wildlife.ca.gov.
Various Days — Guided Wetland Tours, by reservation, at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, 3207 Rutherford Road, Gridley (95948). A wildlife naturalist will lead any group, school or organization on a half-mile route through the diverse wetlands of the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area. General information includes wildlife identification, behavior patterns and conservation efforts. Tours can be catered to include requested information. The minimum group size is 18 people. For more information, please call (530) 846-7505 or email lori.dieter@wildlife.ca.gov.
Various Days — Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Access Permit Application Deadline for Multiple Hunting Opportunities. Wild pig, deer, bear, turkey, dove and quail hunts are available through the SHARE program. A $10.50 non-refundable application fee (plus handling fees) will be charged for each hunt choice. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/share.
1 — California Fish and Game Commission Predator Policy Workgroup, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., California Department of Parks and Recreation, Redwood Room, 1416 Ninth St., 14th Floor, Sacramento (95814). For more information, please visit www.fgc.ca.gov/meetings/2016/index.aspx.
2 — Nimbus Hatchery Fish Ladder Opens, 9:30 a.m. at Nimbus Hatchery, 2001 Nimbus Road, Rancho Cordova (95670). The opening of the fish ladder signals the start of the spawning season for Chinook salmon on the American River. Throughout the fall, the public can view the ladder and the spawning operations at the Nimbus Hatchery Visitor Center. For more information, please contact Laura Drath at (916) 358-2884 or laura.drath@wildlife.ca.gov or visit www.facebook.com/nimbushatchery.
5 — Statewide Recreational Dungeness Crab Season Opens. For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/fishing/ocean/regulations/fishing-map.
5 — Greater Sage-grouse Falconry Season Opens (extends through Jan. 3). For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/upland-game-birds.
5 — Southern San Joaquin Valley Scaup Zone, Colorado River Scaup Zone, Southern California Scaup Zone and Balance of the State Scaup Zone Open (extends through Jan. 29). For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.
5 — Imperial County White Geese Season Opens (extends through Jan. 29). For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.
5 — Director’s Recreational Abalone Advisory Committee (RAAC) Meeting, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Marin-Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District Boardroom, 595 Helman Lane, Cotati (94931). The committee will discuss proposed emergency rulemaking to change regulations in the recreational red abalone fishery for 2017. The proposed emergency rulemaking is recommended by CDFW to reduce take within the entire fishery under the guidance of the Abalone Recovery and Management Plan. Fishery constituents and the public are encouraged to attend and learn about the proposed changes to fishery regulations and how they may engage in the process. For more information, please contact Ian Taniguchi at (562) 342-7182 or ian.taniguchi@wildlife.ca.gov, or visit the RAAC webpage at www.wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/marine/invertebrates/raac.
7 — North Coast All Canada Geese Zone Opens (extends through Jan 29). For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.
8 — Northern Brant Special Management Area Brant Season Opens (extends through Dec. 14). For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.
9 — Balance of State Brant Special Management Area Brant Season Opens (extends through Dec. 15). For more information, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl.
12 — Pheasant, Fall Wild Turkey and Late Season Dove Open.General pheasant season opens statewide and extends through Dec. 25; fall wild turkey season opens statewide and extends through Dec. 11; and late season dove hunting season opens statewide and extends through Dec. 26. For more information on upland game bird seasons and limits, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/upland-game-birds.
12 — Stanislaus River Salmon Festival, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 17968 Covered Bridge Road, Knights Ferry (95361). The free event will feature fly casting, interactive exhibits and California Department of Fish and Wildlife law enforcement officers will be present to answer questions. For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/srsfest or call (209) 403-1046.
13 — Last Day of Recreational Ocean Salmon Season from Horse Mountain to Point Arena. Recreational ocean salmon fishing is closed statewide after this closure. For more information, please visit the Ocean Salmon webpage at www.wildlife.ca.gov/oceansalmon or call the Ocean Salmon Regulations Hotline at (707) 576-3429.
15 — California Fish and Game Commission Marine Resources Committee Meeting, time to be determined, West Ed Building, Ed Myers Classroom, 4665 Lampson Avenue, Suite A, Los Alamitos (90720). For more information, please visit www.fgc.ca.gov/meetings/2016/index.aspx.
15 — 2017 Sport Fishing Licenses Available. The 2017 Sport Fishing Licenses become available where licenses are sold. For more information or to purchase a license online, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/fishing.
16 — Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting, 10 a.m., Room 112, State Capitol, Sacramento (95814). For more information, please visit https://wcb.ca.gov/.
30 — Delta Conservation Framework Outreach Workshop. 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Jean Harvie Senior and Community Center, 14273 River Road, Walnut Grove (95690). CDFW invites agencies and stakeholders to the fourth workshop in a series of four to help develop a 25-year Delta Conservation Framework for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Yolo Bypass and Suisun Marsh by 2017. The workshops are hosted by the Delta Restoration Network to provide participants an opportunity to inform concepts and work products as they are developed for inclusion in the Delta Conservation Framework document. For more information, please visit http://deltaconservancy.ca.gov/ or contact Chad Dibble at chad.dibble@wildlife.ca.gov.
30 — Last Day of Recreational Red Abalone Season. CDFW reminds abalone anglers that the law requires them to return their abalone cards to CDFW or report their harvest data online by Jan. 31, 2017 even if they did not try to take abalone. Cards may be mailed to CDFW, 32330 North Harbor Drive, Fort Bragg, CA 95437-5554 or dropped off at the office. Data may also be submitted online from Dec. 1 until Jan. 31, 2017 at www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/lishing#758846-harvest-reporting. The cards provide important data used by CDFW to monitor the abalone fishery.
About the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW):
The Mission of the Department of Fish and Wildlife is to manage California’s diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public.
For more information, visit: www.wildlife.ca.gov.