Cow decoy for big game and turkey hunting?

Question: There is a manufacturer of decoys that attach to the front of a bow gun for hunting big game and turkeys. They are similar to the Montana style decoys but with a frontal profile blocking the hunter’s profile while he aims and shoots through the large center hole.

The decoys come in the frontal shape of a bovine cow, a turkey, a cow elk, a mule deer and others. Can I use the bovine cow decoy while bow hunting big game such as deer and wild pigs in California?

I have heard of great success with this decoy in other states. Also, can the same decoy be used for turkeys? The cow decoy seems to be a much safer alternative for the hunter to avoid being mistaken for game. (Leo H.)

Answer: There are no regulations regarding the use of decoys for big game hunting. However, it is “unlawful to use any mammal (except a dog) or an imitation of a mammal as a blind in approaching or taking game birds” (Fish and Game Code, section 3502).

Stopping crab trap raiders and thieves?

Question: What, if anything, can a recreational crabber do to detect, prevent and/or suppress others from raiding and stealing their crabs during crab season? Not only have I had crabs and crab nets stolen (Bodega Bay area), but thieves have gone so far as to replace a catch with things like rocks and beer bottles?

Realizing some of my traps may be unintentionally (some possibly intentionally) cut by vessels traveling at sea, is there anything else one can do? Even with my GO ID number properly marked, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) wardens are hard-pressed to enforce applicable laws.

I’m thinking of developing an alarm of some sort via microchip to detect changes in depth after they’re set. Do you have any other ideas? (Derek B.)

Answer: Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot we can do in this situation. If you are using hoop nets, they must be checked every two hours or less. So crabbing should be a closely monitored activity, which should help alleviate this problem.

You may also want to talk with other crabbers and make arrangements to keep an eye on each other’s traps while out on the water. Otherwise, set your traps when you are planning to be on the water and then fish for other species while your traps are soaking.

Is shooting biodegradable clays still littering?

Question: In a recent column you addressed a question of shooting clay birds being thrown into the ocean. Not sure I like that idea, but that isn’t the issue I have. ALL clay birds today are made of non-toxic, biodegradable material. I love shooting clays and get tired of people who don’t shoot assuming I am “littering” the landscape. Can you please let the public know there is nothing to worry about when it comes to clay birds sold in the stores today? (Linda K.)

Answer: Target shooting and shooting clay pigeons are some of my favorite pastimes. While the clays are supposed to be biodegradable, they break down at different rates depending on the brand. I think the issue is more one of people leaving all of the discards in the fields or areas where they have been used.

I think the real issue is even though they may break down eventually, they will still litter the landscape and be viewed as litter when left in public areas. If you’re shooting these on your own property or at a designated shooting range, it’s your choice to leave them where they fall.

However, for me, we do much of our shooting on my brother’s property, and although the land is not open to the public, we still pick up everything that we can easily find afterward as a common courtesy, especially since they are all easily seen due to their bright white, orange and lime green colors.

Same thing goes for spent shotgun shells. Those don’t break down and will be visible for a long time if left behind.

Maximum lobster hoops?

Question: I know the maximum number of hoop nets that can be fished from a boat is 10. We take a couple of multi-day trips every year and invariably lose one or two during the trip. Can we carry a couple of spares on the boat to replace any we lose? (Larry H.)

Answer: No, unfortunately, you may not. No more than five hoop nets may be possessed or used by a person, not to exceed a total of 10 hoop nets possessed per vessel (CCR Title14, section 29.80(b)).

Carrie Wilson is a marine environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week in this column. Please contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Brad James Maiden, 47, beloved father and friend, passed away on Feb. 22, 2017.

Brad was born in Los Angeles County in 1969.

Some of his many accomplishments included being a Junior Olympian Boxer in the 1980s, serving his country in the Army, marring Jolene in 1995 and of course being blessed with the birth of his loving daughter, Patricia Jean Maiden in 1997.

His presence will truly be missed among us here, but thankful he suffers no more pain. Among the angels now he soars, watching and caring for us.

Arrangements entrusted to Jones Mortuary FD311, Lakeport, www.jonesmortuary.com .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Next week the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office will perform a manual tally of a portion of the precincts included in the election for the Measure D fire tax.

Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley said her office will conduct a public manual tally of a minimum of 1 percent of randomly selected precincts for the March 7 Lake County Fire Protection District Special Election, commencing at 9 a.m. Thursday, March 16.

The selection of the precinct(s) to be included in the manual tally will be randomly chosen on the same date prior to the manual tally.

Observers are invited to view the manual tally of the ballots, but shall not interfere with the election process.

The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office is located in Room 209 on the second floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport.

California revenues of $6.52 billion for February fell short of projections in the governor’s proposed 2017-18 budget by $772.7 million, or 10.6 percent, State Controller Betty T. Yee reported Friday.

Recent month-to-month fluctuations have not developed a clear pattern. January revenues beat projections by 6.2 percent.

The variance can often be as simple as one large payment due on the first of the month being recorded on the last day of the prior month.

Personal income taxes, or PIT, corporation taxes, and retail sales and use taxes all fell short of January’s revised budget estimates for February, and only corporation taxes – the smallest of the three-- topped fiscal year-to-date projections in the governor’s proposed 2017-18 budget. 

For the first eight months of the 2016-17 fiscal year that began in July, total revenues of $73.28 billion are $663.9 million below last summer’s budget estimates, and $888.1 million short of January’s revised fiscal year-to-date predictions.

February PIT of $3.12 billion was shy of projections in the governor’s proposed budget by $5.3 million, or 0.2 percent.

In the current fiscal year, California has collected total PIT receipts of $50.97 billion, or 0.9 percent less than January’s revised estimate.

Corporation tax receipts of $168.2 million for February were 35.0 percent short of assumptions in the proposed 2017-18 budget.

Fiscal year-to-date corporation tax receipts of $3.82 billion are 3.3 percent above projections in the proposed budget.

February sales tax receipts of $3.06 billion missed expectations in the governor’s proposed 2017-18 budget by $710.2 million, or 18.8 percent.

For the fiscal year to date, sales tax receipts of $16.29 billion are $613.5 million below the revised estimates released in January, or 3.6 percent.

The state ended February with unused borrowable resources of $27.44 billion, which was $3.27 billion more than predicted in the governor’s proposed budget.

Outstanding loans of $13.53 billion were $628.3 million higher than projected in early January. This loan balance consists of borrowing from the state’s internal special funds.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Irene Josephine Kimmel, 94, beloved mother, grandmother and friend, passed away on Feb. 24, 2017.

Her celebration of life will be held at Jones Mortuary, 115 S. Main St., Lakeport, on Saturday March 11, at 11 a.m.

Arrangements entrusted to Jones Mortuary FD311, Lakeport, www.jonesmortuary.com .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Library invites community members to participate in Book-to-Action, a community-wide book discussion and activity that features the novel “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman.

Book-to-Action events will be held during April and May around Lake County.

Free copies of A Man Called Ove will be available to the public at all Lake County Library branches beginning March 14 as long as supplies last.

Library branches are located at 1425 N. High St. in Lakeport, 14785 Burns Valley Road in Clearlake, 21256 Washington St. in Middletown and 310 Second St. in Upper Lake.

The Lake County Library chose “A Man Called Ove” for its theme about the importance of community.

Ove is a lonely, grieving man who masks his sadness with grouchy outbursts and hyper attention to rules and regulations.

Ove plans to put an end to his misery but his neighbors inadvertently interrupt his plans and gradually he responds to their friendship.

In a series of darkly comic events Ove comes to value his neighbors and to be valued in turn. His story reminds us we are not alone in the world, and that community and connection matter. We wear our masks of strength or unapproachability hiding our sorrows and solitariness behind them.

Events begin with a free showing of the movie of “A Man Called Ove” at the Soper Reese Theatre on April 8 at 2 p.m. The theater is located at 275 S. Main St. in Lakeport.

Events will continue with discussions of the book at the Lakeport, Redbud and Middletown library branches during the third week of April.

As part of the Book-to-Action program the library invites participants to attend the Lake County Behavioral Health Department’s Mental Health Matters Community Fair, May 4 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Redbud Park, 14655 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake. At the fair attendees will have the opportunity to find ways that they can get engaged with the community.

All Book-to-Action events are free and no registration is required to attend an event.

Book to Action is a program of the California Center for the Book, under the auspices of the California Library Association, and is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.

The full calendar of events is available at all library branches and is posted on the Internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov .

Jan Cook works for the Lake County Library.

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Public Works Department said temporary daytime closures are set to begin on Mathews Road in Lakeport next week in order to facilitate repairs.

Beginning Monday, March 13, county road crews will be closing Mathews Road from Highway 175 to George Road to all traffic between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in order to remove and repair a small slide area near the new bridge.

It is anticipated that this schedule will continue through Wednesday, March 15, the department said.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Art Center, or MAC, will host an opening night reception for its 16th exhibit on Saturday, March 11.

The open house will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the center, located at 21456 Highway 175, at the junction of highways 29 and 175.

The exhibit features work by Lake County artists that highlight the persistence of doing something without consideration of benefit or reward, simply as a “labor of love.”

From contemporary painting and sculpture to printmaking, textiles and more, you’ll find pieces of beauty and interest including intriguing new 3-D works in mixed media by Alana Clearlake and Laura Kennedy and Darina Simeonova’s large scale drawing.

The exhibit runs through April 16.

MAC is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to providing artistic and cultural opportunities to the residents and visitors of South Lake County while contributing to the community’s health and economic vitality. The center will celebrate its two-year anniversary on March 24.

The MAC Gallery is open Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Fridays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; or by appointment.

Visit MAC online at www.MiddletownArtCenter.org .

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