Yes, Tejon elk came from the Rockies

Question: I live in Stallion Springs, a rural community about 15 miles west of Tehachapi, and we have bands of elk that roam in the neighborhood. They move freely between the huge Tejon Ranch and the neighboring Bear Valley Springs community.

I have been told by a born-and-raised Tehachapi native that the elk escaped in the early 1970s from a high-fence operation in the nearby Cummings Valley. So, are they Rocky Mountain Elk or the Roosevelt subspecies?

How does the Tejon Ranch conduct hunts for these elk when we never see anything in the hunting regulations? And, since their rutting season usually runs from late October into November in other areas, why do these animals go into the rut from the end of August to the beginning of October? Also, deer zone D10 is all on private land and that zone is open to draw.

— Ron A., Stallion Springs

Answer: In 1966, the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) issued a permit for the release of 300 Rocky Mountain Elk imported from Yellowstone National Park into a fenced compound on a game farm ranch in southern Kern County. By 1967, 290 elk had been shipped from Yellowstone, but due to the stress of transport (and possibly other causes), only 277 survived to be released on the ranch.

Many elk died within the enclosure from several diseases brought on by stress induced by confinement, as well as a different diet. Later that year, elk began escaping because the fence wasn't maintained. It is not known exactly how many escaped to the wild.

Now, around 200 animals reside in the area around Tejon Ranch, according to DFG Elk and Pronghorn Coordinator Joe Hobbs. Raising elk is no longer allowed in California.

Tejon Ranch runs its elk hunt through the DFG's Private Lands Management Program (PLM). In exchange for doing habitat improvement projects on their land, landowners can get special PLM elk tags each year. The numbers and types of tags correspond to the population level of elk and conditions on the ranch.

Elk in this area might have an earlier rutting season due to the warmer weather in Southern California.

Q: I just bought two crabs and found one with black spots on the shell. I've seen these before and usually avoid them, but this time the seller sneaked it into my package. When I called him about it, he said he didn't know what caused the spots, but it doesn't permeate the shell. This isn't true — I've seen this stuff on the flesh at the joints. It looks like oil. Can you enlighten me? Besides being ugly, is it unsafe?

— Mari V., Berkeley

A: Lur senior fish pathologist, Jim Moore, says black spots on the shells of crustaceans are typically composed of melanin, which is the end product of a series of immunological reactions. This means the crab was likely responding to some shell damage that could have been caused by physical trauma or disease. In this case, the black spotted crab is probably safe if cooked properly. However, if the discolored shellfish tissue has an unpleasant taste or texture, or looks or smells unusual, we always recommend not eating it.

Q: I have a question about carrying a concealed weapon (pistol) without a CCW permit while hunting or fishing. My understanding of the Penal Code is that if I'm hunting or fishing, I can carry a loaded concealed weapon, but when en route to and from, I need to unload the firearm but can still carry it concealed.

— David F., Lake Almanor

A: This is correct. Licensed hunters or fishermen can carry loaded and concealed pistols, revolvers or other firearms while hunting or fishing — as long as they're hunting or fishing in a place where it's not illegal. When going to or returning from the expedition, or when carrying those firearms, they must be unloaded. But this exemption does not apply in all cases. While handguns can be used to take certain types of game, carrying a loaded handgun while fishing from a public place in an incorporated city, or in prohibited areas outside of a city, could violate PC 12031(a)1).

Carrie Wilson is a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game. Contact her at CalOutdoors@dfg.ca.gov.