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California Department of Fish and Game Warden Jerry Karnow with suspected poisoned bear at an illegal marijuana grow site
April 19, 2015
in Wildlife Law Enforcement
by Steve

Marijuana Wars and the California DFW

California Department of Fish and Game Warden Jerry Karnow with suspected poisoned bear at an illegal marijuana grow site

Fish and Wildlife Warden Jerry Karnow with a suspected poisoned bear at an illegal marijuana grow site. Photo courtesy of California Department of Fish and Wildlife Warden Jerry Karnow

Just after daylight in September 2014, four California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers and four Nevada County Sheriff’s deputies quietly locked their vehicles and began what was to be an arduous hike into the bone-dry Yuba River Canyon. Armed to the hilt and decked out in standard marijuana eradication attire—full camo uniforms and bulletproof vests—the officers were prepared for any eventuality. Since becoming fully engaged in the business of eradicating marijuana grows and routinely dealing with drug cartels and dangerous criminals, DFW wardens had added a new weapon to their arsenal: the POF .308 semiautomatic rifle.

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Mature bald eagle at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge
March 6, 2015
in Outdoor Adventures
by Steve

Show Respect and Pass Through Quietly

Mature bald eagle at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge

Mature bald eagle perched on snag at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge

“Quick, roll up the windows!” said Kathy. We had just entered the ten-mile auto tour route at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, when four cars roared by us like we were standing still. Pulling to the side of the road, we waited for the dust cloud that enveloped us to subside.

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Author Steven T. Callan signing books for Wintu Audubon Society members
January 14, 2015
in Appearances, Presentations, and Book Signings
by Steve

Presentation at Wintu Audubon Society

Author Steven T. Callan signing books for Wintu Audubon Society members

Signing books for Wintu Audubon Society members. Photo by Kathy Callan.

Last night I had the pleasure and privilege of giving a presentation to a packed house of Wintu Audubon Society members. In addition to discussing my current book and the upcoming sequel, The Game Warden’s Son—A Half Century of Protecting California’s Wildlife, we shared ideas about how our natural resources might be better protected. One of the suggestions for helping to finance more wardens in the field was a voluntary wildlife stamp for people who bird watch, hike, and enjoy nature’s wonders but don’t necessarily hunt or fish. This is an excellent idea, in my opinion, and one that would find favor, I believe, with sportsmen, nature enthusiasts, and game wardens alike.

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Waterfowl at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge
December 26, 2014
in Fish and Wildlife
by Steve

For the Love of Ducks

Waterfowl at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge

Waterfowl taking flight at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Photo by author.

With the north wind blowing off snow-covered Mount Shasta, it was brutally cold that December afternoon in 1960. Sitting in the back seat of our family car, I spotted an enormous flock of snow-white birds feeding in the grain field on the west side of the highway.

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Photo of spawning male Chinook salmon by Steven T. Callan
November 19, 2014
in Fish and Wildlife
by Steve

Splashing Salmon and Giant Sycamores

Spawning male Chinook salmon

Spawning male Chinook salmon. Photo by author.

I’m sometimes asked if I had any favorite places to work during my twenty-one years supervising the warden force in western Shasta County. Lower Battle Creek immediately comes to mind—especially the tree-lined section from the mouth, where Battle Creek flows into the Sacramento River, to the barrier weir at Coleman National Fish Hatchery.

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One of the largest trees on Earth: Old-growth redwood in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, California
October 9, 2014
in Outdoor Adventures
by Steve

Tall Trees and Emerald Waters

One of the largest trees on Earth: Old-growth redwood in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, California

One of the largest trees on Earth: Old-growth redwood in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, California. Photo by author.

Kathy and I recently attended the Outdoor Writers Association of California (OWAC) fall conference on the aptly-named Wild Rivers Coast. Stretching from Port Orford, Oregon to Klamath, California, the Wild Rivers Coast is 101 miles of incredibly beautiful coastline. Eight of America’s most renowned salmon and steelhead streams course through this magical land  of tall trees and spectacular seascapes: the Sixes, Elk, Rogue, Pistol, Chetco, Winchuck, Smith, and Klamath Rivers. For an outdoor enthusiast who loves to write, paint, fish, kayak, bird watch, and walk on the beach, this may have been as close to nirvana as I will ever come.

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