Rash of illegal hunts in hills

Published online on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008

Six suspected poaching incidents in Madera County during the past two months resulted in several citations, most of them issued to Fresno residents.

Five of the six took place near or along Minarets Road, Department of Fish and Game warden Danny Stevenson said. The other occurred in Coarsegold.

The most unusual incident took place last month near Jackass Meadow, where two men were found to be in illegal possession of a doe and a fawn.

Instead of killing the fawn with his rifle, one of the men whacked it a few times in the head with a framing hammer, Stevenson said. When California Highway Patrol officers stopped the vehicle, officers discovered the fawn still alive in the trunk. Both men were arrested, and one was charged with animal cruelty.

Last weekend, wardens stopped a Fresno man for using a spotlight to illegally hunt at night. The man, who had his 9-year-old son with him, was cited for possessing an out-of-season fox after officers detected blood in his ice chests. The carcass was discovered tossed over the side of the road.

In September, before the start of rifle season, Stevenson cited three men -- all Fresno residents -- for possessing a deer that was skinned, butchered and stuffed inside a duffle bag.

"Last year I didn't catch a single person poaching," said Stevenson, who patrols eastern Madera County. "This year we had six in our area, and I personally caught four. ... We just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

Citations for an unlawfully possessed deer generally result in fines of less than $1,000.

The public is encouraged to report poachers to the DFG's Cal-Tip line at (888) 334-2258. All calls are confidential.

DFG promotions

Two game wardens serving the Central Enforcement District were recently promoted.

Holly Spada, who has patrolled Madera County since 1995, is now the lieutenant for Fresno and Madera counties. Spada supervises eight officers.

Spada replaced Nathaniel Arnold, who was elevated to captain. Arnold supervises 27 officers and five lieutenants in a 71/2-county area, including Fresno, Madera, Kings and Tulare.

White Thanksgiving

Sierra Summit reported a half-inch of new snow from Tuesday night's storm and more snow was falling Wednesday.

The Huntington Lake winter resort will be open on a limited basis Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with one handle tow operating. Check www.sierrasummit.com for details.

Sunday is the last day to purchase discounted season passes at Sierra Summit and Badger Pass, which is scheduled to open Dec. 12 if conditions allow.

Winter road closures

Kaiser Pass Road in the Sierra National Forest is scheduled to close for the season Monday (be mindful of conditions if traveling to the mountains this weekend), while McKinley Grove Road to Courtright and Wishon reservoirs and Black Rock Road are closing Friday.