Carrie Wilson

Carrie Wilson is a 30-year CDFW veteran and an avid outdoor enthusiast, angler and hunter. She is a marine biologist with a strong background of professional experience working in both fisheries and wildlife management. An established award-winning outdoor writer, Carrie enjoys tackling the tough questions from the public and will be regularly tapping into the expertise of CDFW’s wildlife officers and many fisheries, wildlife and marine biologists to best cover all the topics.

Articles: 36

Carrie Wilson Articles

lobster hoop net

lobster hoop net

Fishing Fishing Reports

Lobster Report Cards Due

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is reminding those who got a 2020-2021 spiny lobster report card to mail their cards or submit them online by April 30, 2021, as required by regulations. Information collected from the cards provides CDFW with data necessary to monitor …

wildlife regulations

wildlife regulations

Wildlife Regulations Q & A With The CDFW

Why Do I Need to Report the Number of Days I Hunted? Q:Why does the deer harvest report questionnaire ask about the number of days spent hunting? Why is this question important? What is the purpose of this information? A:Your timing is perfect, as the deer …

javelina California

javelina California

CDFW Regulations Q&A With Carrie Wilson

Editor’s Note: Carrie Wilson, veteran of the CDFW, offers answers to sportsmen’s questions about CDFW regulations on a wide variety of topics. Can Javelina be Hunted in California? Question:I am new to Southern California and have been hearing about javelina in the southeastern part of the state. …

red abalone

Conservation Hunting

CDFW Q & A – Sportsmen’s Questions Answered

What are the Abalone Regs for 2017? Question:What’s happening with abalone for this year? Does the season close at the end of October or November? And what is the season limit? CDFW:Abalone populations in California have been in decline over the last few years due to …

fish release

Fishing & Wildlife Questions For CDFW

Properly catching and releasing fish while taking photos? Question: My friends and I are all fly fishermen who promote catch and release fishing rather than taking fish for consumption. Many other fishermen, fishing guides and lodges, as well as most fly fishing magazines also claim …

trout id fishing California Q&A

trout id fishing California Q&A

California Q&A With CDFW

CDFW Answers Questions Question: I have a question regarding regulations on non-adipose fin-clipped (“wild”) rainbow trout/steelhead and coastal cutthroat trout in tributaries on the North Coast (e.g. the lagoons in northern Humboldt County). Anglers are not permitted to keep wild rainbow trout/steelhead but are permitted …

hunting tips California Department of Fish and Wildlife

hunting tips California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Q and A With CDFW – January 2017

Importing Native Snakes To Control Ground Squirrels? Q:We have a small orange grove in Ventura County that has been overrun by ground squirrels in the past few years. Is there any legal method of “importing” king snakes or gopher snakes onto our property to help …

deer hunting

California Outdoors Q & A

California Outdoors Q & A Shooting Deer Across a Lake? Q:Is it legal to shoot my rifle across open water to the other side? Say I am on one side of a lake and see a legal deer on the other side (let’s assume it’s 200 …

Q&A CDFW

California Q & A with CDFW

Can Sport-Caught Fish Be Donated to a Food Bank? California Q CDFW Q: We often take folks out fishing while they are visiting the area and staying at hotels, bed-and-breakfasts or campsites. Unfortunately, they are often not able to consume all of the fish that they …

fishing hunting

fishing hunting

Conservation Fishing Hunting

California Hunting and Fishing Q & A October 19

CA Hunting and Fishing Questions Electronic Decoys? Q:I need some clarification regarding electronic waterfowl decoys. My duck blind partner and I are contemplating buying one of the new electronic decoys. These brand new electronic decoys have wings that flap up and down like a real …

marine mammals

Conservation Fishing Hunting

California Hunting and Fishing Q and A – September 21

Hunting and Fishing Questions Sea Lions are Eating All My Bait Q:Is there anything I can do to deter or discourage sea lions from eating all my crabbing bait? I know that seals and sea lions are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act but I’ve …

concealed weapon

concealed weapon

California Question and Answers August 20

Keeping the Peace Q: My question is about peace officers carrying a handgun while archery hunting. The way I read the Fish and Game Code, it only states that you may carry a firearm capable of being concealed on his or her person, not that …

flounder

Conservation Fishing

New California Recreational Pacific Halibut Regs

New California Recreational Pacific – California Fishers The recreational Pacific halibut fishery opened May 1 for the 2015 season. This year the fishery will be held to a federally established quota of 25,220 pounds. The season dates will be May 1-15, June 1-15, July 1-15, …

Conservation Fishing Hunting

Q and A with CDFW April 21

Harvest of Road-Killed Wild Game Meat? Q:I have a screwy immune system with 3-4 different diagnoses (depending on the doctor) as to what the problem may be. Going vegetarian makes it worse. I must have flesh food, but again, because of the immune issues, it …

law questions

Conservation Fishing Hunting

Q and A with CDFW March 23

Q and A With California Fish Game Regulations Can Anglers and Divers Help Fill Another’s Bag Limits? Q:We do a lot of ocean fishing and spear fishing and have a question: Does an angler or spear fisher have to stop fishing once they reach their bag …

wildlife questions

wildlife questions

Conservation Fishing Hunting

Q and A with CDFW February 23

Residential Varmint Trapping – CDFW February 23 Q:I live in Chico across the street from Bidwell Park. Lately I have been plagued with raccoons and skunks on my property. They have been wreaking havoc on my garden, crapping all over my deck and carport, and I …

Conservation Fishing Hunting

Q and A with CDFW February 12

Although They Sell Deer Chow, Don’t Be Deceived Q:I was at my local feed store today and was astounded to find bags of Purina Deer Chow for sale, and another feed for wild pigs. I know it is illegal in California to feed big game …

Conservation Fishing Hunting

Q and A with CDFW February 4

Hoisting Sturgeon to Pose for Photos? Q: I’ve seen several pictures over the years of anglers hoisting oversized sturgeon out of the water and dragging them back to the dock for pictures. Isn’t it against the law to treat fish that are to be released …

Conservation Fishing Hunting

Q and A with CDFW Jan. 20

Cattle Blind? Q:I am in a duck club and we get geese in the field between our blinds. It is impossible to sneak up on the geese without being seen. We made a life-size cow silhouette and painted it black and white just like the …

Conservation Fishing Hunting

Q and A with CDFW Carrie Wilson

Hunting Sea Ducks Q:I would like to hunt sea ducks and target surf scoters this waterfowl season. Is this legal? If so, how does one know where it is legal to hunt from shore? Also, if hunting from a boat, I know the motor must …

hoop net

Q and A | Tagged Lobster

Each month Carrie Wilson, a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), answers questions sent in by outdoorsmen on a wide range of hunting and fishing topics. In this column, Carrie tackles a range of questions including one about reporting tagged …

Q and A | Becoming a Hunting Guide

Each month Carrie Wilson, a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), answers questions sent in by outdoorsmen on a wide range of hunting and fishing topics. In this column, Carrie tackles a range of questions including one about fishing for …

Q and A | Can You Share Limits on Party Boats?

Each month Carrie Wilson, a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game, answers questions sent in by outdoorsmen on a wide range of hunting and fishing topics. This month, Carrie tackles a range of questions including whether or not it is legal …

Conservation How To Fish

Q and A | Removing Salmon Heads

Each month Carrie Wilson, a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), answers questions sent in by outdoorsmen on a wide range of hunting and fishing topics. This month, Carrie tackles a range of questions including one about turning in salmon …

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