Bear killed in campground highlights need for education, regulation
Redbird's land base is located in the heart of the Angeles National Forest, giving us an amazing opportunity to witness the local natural world. It also calls upon us to be present when our human interactions
with nature need to be addressed.
Every autumn, hunting season opens in the Angeles, and every autumn, hunters flock to the recreation areas to hunt. This is not legal. Unfortunately, it is also widely misunderstood, by hunters, by other forest users, by USFS employees, USFS volunteers, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the public in general. By law, all firearms and bows/arrows should be cased/unloaded when in a campsite or developed recreation area. The boundaries of our local recreation area are delineated in the diagram below and include lands on both sides of Angeles Crest Highway that are frequently hunted, from
Charlton Flat Picnic Area and Mooney Road all the way to the Santa Clara Divide.
Why is this so misunderstood? Because finding maps that show the no hunting zone is very difficult. The map service that the USFS links out to on their website does not show the no hunting zone. The pdf maps available online from Fish and Wildlife do not show the no hunting zone. And on the ground, in the forest, information kiosks do not address the no hunting zone. It is very difficult to find this information.
Our 2024 hunting season opened with a hunter fatally shooting a bear in Manzanita Campground. The hunter had a bear tag. He said the bear "startled him." The hunter was unable to retrieve the bear from where it collapsed, and went to the USFS fire station for help. On October 12, it was a bear. Typically, deer are taken from the campground, often dressed out on the campground road. There is no dedicated law enforcement presence in the area. There is no signage indicating that hunting is not allowed. Hunters are expected to know where they are, know the areas where hunting is restricted, and to follow the rules without needing law enforcement supervision. Some hunters do follow the rules. Some don't.
So we begin the work of taking responsibility for the place where we are, the place that we love, the Angeles National Forest...Charlton Flat, Mooney Road, Chilao, Horse Flats, Bandito, the Santa Clara Divide...we begin by addressing the education deficit and seeking engagement from both the USFS and Fish and Wildlife to address hunting in designated recreation areas and developed areas and occupied areas.
Important Updates!
In an email conversation with USFS Recreation Officer David Cline in November 2024, David told us that there is a cartographer who can create more legible maps, and in sizes that can be used in information kiosks throughout the forest. We can begin the process of creating those maps now and have them in place for the 2025 hunting season. (The most popular hunting season is deer rifle season, which is when we see the most hunting activity in places that are both legal and restricted).
An email response from California Department of Fish and Wildlife on November 19, 2024:
Hi Corina,
I received your email below and can provide some clarification. CDFW provides regulatory information pertaining to our state laws and regulations. We do not post all local and county ordinances for counties in the state. The map you are referring to is related to LA County ordinances pertaining to areas where firearms can and cannot be discharged. These areas do not only pertain to hunting, but to the general discharge of firearms as well. This map was produced by LA County because it is for their county ordinances and to my knowledge, like you said, has not been printed in 20+ years. This map also does not include all campgrounds and campsites, those laws/regulations fall under government code enforced by the US Forest Service. The LA County map includes more inhabited areas and major roadways. When hunting near campgrounds, our Fish & Game laws can apply, which we do post on our website, because you are not allowed to hunt or discharge a deadly weapon with 150 yards of an occupied dwelling. We are often contacted by hunters and our officers provide refer them where to find the digital copies of the map online, and send to them if needed.
I have a digital version of the map that was provided to me from the County and I attached that map to this email for your reference.
Thank you,
Kory
Captain Kory Collins
CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife – North Los Angeles, Ventura, & Santa Barbara County
(The map can be found below in the slide show images)
(Header image - Line fire smoke plume on left and Bridge fire smoke plume on right
as seen from Chilao School, September 2024. Please note, the fifth image below is graphic and includes the bear which was shot on October 12)