Question: I'd like to collect some mussels from Monterey Bay but know there are health warnings during certain times of the year. Is it safe now? Is there someplace on the Web where I can check?
— Joe L., Modesto
Answer: Mussels can be taken year-round but health warning quarantines are in effect. The California Department of Public Health monitors and quarantines the take of mussels for human consumption to prevent cases of paralytic shellfish poisoning and domoic acid poisoning. The quarantine is usually in effect from May through October. For updated information on quarantines and naturally occurring shellfish toxins, call the California Department of Public Health's Shellfish Biotoxin Information Line at (510) 412-4643 or toll-free at (800) 553-4133.
Q: I have a question about a new broadhead I've found and whether I can use them to hunt big game in California. They are sold in 100 grains, have a 1-inch cutting diameter and are advertised to fly very accurately. If the blades are made of razor wire, does this make them illegal?
If the blades bend and flex when pushed through a hole, are they then illegal? Should the test be done with a metal sheet or wood?— Tyler A.
A: To be legal in California, broadheads must meet certain criteria specified in the Mammal Hunting Regulations booklet (Section 354). Retired Capt. Phil Nelms of the Department of Fish and Game, said that hunting big game, broadhead-type blade attached to arrows and crossbow bolts that are too small to create a »-inch hole cannot be used.
The 1-inch cutting diameter you mention sounds promising. The real test, though, is exactly what it does when it starts to penetrate. It's reasonable to assume it holds its shape. But before you spend a lot of money, you should get one and see if it passes the test.
Razor wire blades do not make it illegal. The standard established in the regulations specify that the head "not pass through a hole 7/8-inch in diameter." The regulation does not specify the material containing the hole. However, in the Fish and Game Academy, game wardens are taught to use a piece of paper to measure the hole. You should use the same. If the arrowhead passes through the hole without cutting the paper, it is too small and is not legal.
To put it another way, if the arrowhead cannot be passed through the hole without cutting the paper, it is legal.
The only additional guideline is that "retractable blades" must be in the open position when conducting the test. The flexibility of the wire in this type of broadhead would not seem to be an important consideration, unless they hang limp when not in flight, which seems unlikely.
Q: If I scan my fishing license and save it as a PDF file on my smartphone, can I then just show my phone to any game warden who asks to see my license?
— Dave B.
A: No, you are required to have your actual sport fishing license in possession while fishing and to present your actual license upon request to any warden who asks. Fishing and hunting licenses are printed on special waterproof paper to prevent fraudulent duplication. A scanned or digital version could be easily altered from its original image.
Carrie Wilson is a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game. Contact her at CalOutdoors@dfg.ca.gov.
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