Sections 300 and 313: Upland Game Birds/Stamp

Fish and Game Commission MeetingAugust 7, 2013

Dan YparraguirreWildlife and Fisheries Division 1

1. Adjust annual number of sage-grouse permits

2. Increase possession limits to triple the daily bag for resident and migratory upland game birds

3. Provide an early archery season for pheasants

4. Establish year-round season for Eurasian collared-dove in Imperial County

Section 300 Proposals:

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• Replace upland game bird stamp requirement with validation per FGC 3682.1

Section 313

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1. Sage-grouse permits - criteria

• Lek counts estimate population size. • 5% of low projected fall population =

maximum allowable harvest. • No increases since 2010 ESA candidacy.• Population declines in Lassen Zones

following Rush Fire and loss of habitat.• Smaller declines in Mono, but still at near

record highs and no habitat loss.

Sage-Grouse Permit 2013Hunt Zone

2013Males

ChangeFrom2012

Projected Total Fall

Population

Allowable harvest (5%

of low fall pop.)

Proposed Permits

2013

North Mono

433 -15% 714 - 1143 36 30

South Mono

307 -27% 507 - 810 25 25

East Lassen

221 -44% 365 - 583 18 0

Central Lassen

103 -48% 170 - 272 8 0

Sage-grouse Conservation Plans

• 3 Local Conservation Plans– Bi-State Action Plan (2012)– Buffalo-Skedaddle (Lassen County; 2008)– Clear Lake/Devil’s Garden (2010)

• Collaborations– Local Working Groups – Stakeholders– State of Nevada and Oregon– Feds – USFWS, BLM, USFS, NRCS, USGS

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Major Conservation Actions

• Juniper/Pinyon Removal/Shrub Rehab• Fire Suppression/Post-Fire Rehab• Conservation Easements• Grazing Management/NRCS Initiative• Translocation (genetic isolation)• Secondary Road Closure/Rehab• Scientific Monitoring and Research

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State Sage-Grouse Funding

• Intensive surveys of all known leks• Research projects >$700,000

– Movements/Home Ranges– Survival/Reproduction– Habitat Selection– Genetics– Translocation to Clear Lake NWR

• > $330,000 Big Game Funds – Rush Fire

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Cooperating Agency

• New BLM Resource Management Plans– Provide Regulatory Mechanisms– Incorporate Specific Sage-grouse Actions – State Determines Priority Habitat– Development of EIS Alternatives

• USFWS– Conservation Objectives Team/Report – Sage-Grouse Task Force

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• Increase possession limits to triple the daily bag limits

• Migratory upland game birds• Doves, band-tailed pigeon, common snipe

• Resident upland game birds:• Pheasants, quail, chukar, sooty/ruffed grouse

2. Possession limits

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• First Saturday in October extending 23 days (4 weekends)

• 2 pheasants per day (may include 1 hen)• General season opens second Saturday

in November and extends 44 days• Eliminate late season archery-only

hunting (16 days)

3. Option A - Early pheasant archery season - Preferred

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• First Saturday in October extending 9 days (2 weekends)

• 2 male pheasants per day (no hens)• General season opens second Saturday

in November• Maintain late archery-only hunting (16

days)

3. Option B - Early pheasant archery season

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• Open season year round in Imperial County

• Invading southwestern U.S. most• Effects to mourning dove and other doves

unclear, but concerning• Nine of 13 states allow year-round

hunting with no bag limit

4. Eurasian collared-dove

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• Sage-grouse permit recommendations• Increase possession limits to triple the

daily bag for resident and migratory upland game birds

• Establish early pheasant archery season• Open Eurasian collared-dove season year-

round in Imperial County

Section 300 Summary

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Questions Thank You

Scott GardnerSenior Environmental Scientist

916-801-6257Scott.Gardner@Wildlife.ca.gov

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