Posted in birds, birdwatching, meadow larks, wildlife, tagged meadow larks on May 7, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
To my ears, meadow larks are among the greatest of singers. While hiking at Lake Del Valle, I stopped to rest on a ridge-top bench. A meadow lark was perched in the tree above me and his timing was impeccable.
click and listen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BWMLDNe4kk&feature=youtu.be
Meadow larks seem to be singing most of the time, especially in spring.
(click to enlarge the photo)
Posted in Coyotes, outdoors, photography, wildlife, tagged wildlife photos on April 11, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Looped around the perimeter of Mayberry last Saturday. Because our property is permanent marsh, most of the wildlife is just across the drainage canal on the grazing ground.
White-front geese stage at Sherman Island and it looks like they are about ready to head north.
(Click on photos to enlarge.)
Not sure why this single spec didn’t take off with his brethren, but he eventually flew off to join them.
As I watched some waterfowl, waiting for a good photo opportunity, I heard a splash in the canal next to me. Figuring it was river otters, I paused before turning to look. When I did, it was just in time to see a coyote dog-shaking to get the water off his back.
The coyote was nearly hidden by the tall growth.
Lola was very excited to be back in her element.
A horned owl, rested in a willow tree until Lola scared him off.
A red-tailed hawk took off from the field across the canal.
Lola jumped up a rooster.
Red-wing blackbirds were displaying.
The goats of Mayberry were back, cleaning up the vegetation on the levee. Hope they left enough cover for the pheasants to nest.
Posted in snakes, tagged rattlesnake video on April 1, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
While turkey hunting, I came upon a large rattlesnake and got a pretty good video of him rattling away. Check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUADIEIKykg
Didn’t find the turkey.
Posted in Gray wolves, turkey, wildlife conservation on March 27, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Turkey season opens this Saturday (March 30) and the gobblers are gobbling.
I sat on a rise overlooking (and overhearing) a canyon where most of our turkeys live. Gobblers sounded off from several locations. Hoping that this season will provide more action than the past few. I’m planning to be in attendance for the opener.
My new Mathews bow will be with me. I’d better take a few more practice shots.
My iphone says the weather will be rainy. A serious rain could curtail my trip, but it seems unlikely that the rain will fall very hard. We could sure use the rain. Before long it will be too late for this year.
Tomorrow I’ll be in Redding to attend a Wolf Stakeholder meeting. It will be interesting to see how the group reacts to the latest movements by our only wolf (OR7). He headed north (back) into Oregon a few days ago.
Posted in Ecology, Endangered species, Uncategorized, wildlife, wildlife conservation, wildlife management, wolves on February 21, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
My college roommate was a student of economics. He later became the controller of a large law firm. He has credibility with me, so I’ll relate a story from my college days.
Bob came in from an economics course and explained the law of diminishing returns to me in this way. The first beer is the best tasting, and each beer after that is not only less tasty, but also has other negative effects. Thus the biggest bang for your buck, is the first beer. With each subsequent beer the cost per unit of enjoyment is higher.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminishing_returns
After deliberating the wolf conundrum for a while, I’ve concluded that this rule of economics can apply to wildlife management decisions and nowhere does it apply any more appropriately than with the gray wolf recovery.
Even if species have no negative effects upon mankind, the rule of diminishing returns applies, but when species have negative effects upon society, by either threatening man’s possessions or inhibiting his peace and enjoyment, the returns on recovery are diminished at an accelerated rate.
I’d claim this as a great discovery, but surely somebody has beat me to it.
Posted in Endangered species, wildlife management, wildlife conservation, mule deer, wolves, Endangered Species Act, Threatened species, Gray wolves, tagged California Gray Wolf on February 6, 2013 | 2 Comments »
Conundrum: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conundrum
After spending the afternoon with a gray wolf stakeholder group, I have concluded that California gray wolf management is a conundrum.
First question: Why is it important to re-establish wolves in California? Answer: It is not very important.
Second question: Why is it important to facilitate the successful rehabilitation of California wolf habitat to accommodate a stray wolf that has wandered into California? Answer: It is not very important.
Third question: What problems do wolves create for California ranchers, conservationists and wildlife managers? Answer: Too many to list.
Last question: Why are we holding meetings to make decisions about gray wolf management in California when there is only one known gray wolf in California? Answer: California politics are out of control and we are driven by a form of insanity, which is the result of guilt feelings (for all the evironmental destruction man has wreaked on the earth) and an out of control emotional attachment to iconic creatures – like wolves.
I am a wolf fan and I will be thrilled when I see my first wolf and hope to have a wolf hide hanging on my wall some day, right next to a couple of coyote hides. You can bet that wolf hide won’t be from a California gray wolf.
Here are four possible solutions to the gray wolf situation. The simplest and most cost-effective approach? Have the gray wolf classified as a varmint so that it can be eradicated. This solution is simple, painless, proven and cheap. It worked well for almost 100 years. End of discussion.
If the simple, cheap, proven and painless solution is not acceptable, the second solution would be to work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to create a recovery plan under the Federal Endangered Species Act. The recovery plan would establish management goals and create opportunities to fund activities like monitoring, study and mitigation for negative impacts to the species and its habitat. Hopefully, this would also create opportunities to manage other species, such as ungulates, that are critical prey species for wolves. But, I have to believe that the last thing the USFWS wants is to drag California into the already colossal fiasco that is taking place in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington – so odds are that this will not be the approach taken.
Another option is for California to take the lead in wolf recovery using a management plan as a guide. This option could create some problems by attempting to create a wolf program without proper funding. This approach would be particularly undesirable if wolves were delisted by the USFWS or is they make some type of formal decision that California is not important wolf habitat.
The last option is for California to list wolves under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) and use the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as a tool to fund enhancement of wolf habitat and also habitat of related prey species. Land managers and conservationists could use the enormous power of CESA and CEQA to fund mitigation for habitat losses and compensate stakeholders who are negatively impacted by wolves. This type of action would prevent the creation of a (potenitally) huge unfunded mandate (option 3). And, politicians would be making the decision to go forward with a better idea of societal costs. Under this plan, wolves could thrive and so could their prey species.
(A side benefit would be that college freshmen planning a career in wolf management will have their chances for a success enhanced.)
The complexity of this solution would be mind-boggling and also extremely expensive. Maybe that’s a reason for it to happen.
Californians can’t resist the temptation to spend money – especially on iconic creatures. The best thing about this last option is that it could result in improved habitat for and boost awareness of the other species out there that share wolf habitat – like mule deer. Wouldn’t it be ironical if one stray wolf accomplished all that for California wildlife?
Oh. There is another solution. California’s lone wolf (OR7) could go back home to Oregon and never come back. That would be nice.
Now, having this off my chest, maybe I can go to bed and get some sleep.
Posted in birds, ducks, wildlife, tagged waterfowl feeding techniques on January 31, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Ever see a flock of ducks in a circle seemingly in a feeding mode – even a frenzy?
That is was I observed on a local pond last week. I’ve observed this type of feeding in the past, usually with shovelers. The first time I ever took notice of this type of feeding was at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge about 25 years ago. The ducks were spoonies.
Last week I spotted a group of widgeon doing this. Here’s a photo.
These widgeon were definitely feeding. My theory is that they were feeding on invertebrates that live near the bottom of the pond. Because these are dabblers, they don’t dive for food so critters on the pond bottom are not available to them. Somehow the ducks have learned that by feeding in a circle, the food rises towards them.
The reason for this? As they paddle towards the center of the group (circle) the ducks paddle water away from the center of the circle. This creates water movement away from a point at the center. As the water moves away, it must be displaced by other water. The displacement causes water to rise from the bottom. This is a similar effect to a low pressure weather system.
Water movement from bottom to top brings up the critters. I think this type feeding is more commonly found in winter as food sources diminish. Here’s another photo.
If you click on the photos they will enlarge.
Posted in elk, Gray wolves, Hunting, landowner political issues, mule deer, wildlife, wolves, tagged Gray wolves in California on October 2, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
The petition is in and the facts support the fact that the gray wolf was once an inhabitant of California. At this time, there is probably at least one gray wolf in California. Somebody knows for sure.
As a hunter, I have a concern for this action. If the petition were prepared by other hunters, I’d support the move. Because the petition has been produced by anti hunters, I have concern.
We admire and respect wolves because they represent everything we love about hunting and the outdoors. They are one of the supreme hunters among us. They are cunning and overpowering.
Unfortunately, unchecked, they have the ability to destroy our game herds. There seems to be no moderation of the events surrounding wolves and this is fitting because wolves are not moderate.
An Idaho friend of mine is an elk-hunting fanatic. He owns his own pack string and hunts remote places in the Salmon River Wilderness. He has been a successful elk hunter for many years. About 15 years ago he told me he heard his first wolf and that hearing that howl ”was really cool.”
On this year’s trip, he searched in all the traditional places. And, he found not a single elk. I didn’t ask him about wolves.
I didn’t need to.
Posted in Coyotes, Deer hunting, Hunting, mule deer, wildlife, tagged CA mule deer hunt on September 24, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Although the number of hunters was a little higher than hoped for, overall our X-12 deer hunt was a positive experience.
When we found out there would be ten hunters camped on our trail within a quarter-mile of each other, we were a bit discouraged. However, we managed to get along well with our neighbors and minimize interference with each other. A few other hunters wandered into the area as well and after opening day, it became a bit tough to find a buck.
As for me, I set up a spike camp a couple miles away and was fortunate enough to find a decent buck on opening day. Still hunting through fir trees at about 10,000 ft, I surprised a small group of deer that included a 3×4 buck. From 50 yards, I didn’t miss and he went down in a hurry. I was satisfied to be able to hike the mountain and bag a fine buck once more. I never know how many more chances I’ll have. The hiking and climbing was both invigorating and tiring.
Here are a few shots of the hunt.
The X12 deer zone has some of California’s most beautiful wilderness.
The 50 yard quartering away shot hit his heart. Although alerted by other deer, he never saw me. After a run-in with a bear in camp, most of him is now safely in my freezer.
This blonde coyote greeted me with howling at spike camp.
Rob and Joe caught a few nice brook trout in this pond.
Joe and I with a hero shot. Joe’s buck was the best buck taken that I knew of.
Several packers provides services in the X12 area. Two of them are Leavitt Meadows and Virginia Lakes Pack Stations.
Posted in black bears, dogs, Hunting, Political Action, wildlife, tagged SB1221 on September 10, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Governor Jerry Brown
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Governor Brown:
Please Veto SB1221. This is a case of the majority taking freedom away from a minority.
There is no biological reason for elimination of hound hunting for black bears. On the other hand, there are many good reasons why hunting bears is a good thing. First of all, in areas where black bears are not hunted with hounds, bears are causing significant damage to homeowners. (Lake Tahoe for example.)
Hound hunting produces revenue that is beneficial to all wildlife management.
This is your chance to be a voice of reason.
Sincerely,
Rich Fletcher
