Bears Taking High Road Out of Town

There aren’t any bear-crossing signs on Interstate 10 overpasses, but they wouldn’t be as out of place as you might think in the east Riverside County towns of Beaumont and Banning.

Wildlife experts believe black bears are using the overpasses to cross the freeway and make inroads into San Diego County.

And in so doing, the bears are making history.

There has never been an established population of black bears in the region, but it appears one is taking hold in the pine-forested mountains east of San Diego.

Department of Fish and Game offices received reports of bear sightings from three areas in San Diego County on Wednesday alone--and one of the bears was accompanied by cubs.

“It doesn’t take much more than that to turn into a breeding population,” says John Massie, a DFG senior biologist in Ramona.

One of the bears was seen rolling a cast-away oven down a hill near Julian, and another was dining on fallen fruit in a Palomar Mountain citrus grove.

Historically, San Diego County was grizzly country, which is why smaller black bears kept their distance.

But the last San Diego grizzly was killed soon after the turn of the century, and the last California grizzly was shot in Northern California’s Tulare County in 1922.

Massie says the forests of eastern San Diego County are prime bear habitat and finds it “amazing” that it has taken so long for black bears to stake a claim there.

Not that they haven’t tried. Road kills on I-10 at the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains have been documented for years. Now it seems the animals--the smarter than average ones, anyway--are using overpasses to reach the San Jacinto Mountains, and from there it’s a leisurely stroll into the Cleveland National Forest.

There are an estimated 25,000 black bears in California and last year’s El Nino rains resulted in excellent acorn production, which has been a boon for bears. Now they’re simply “pushing out” into new territory.

“There just isn’t a lot of space left for them,” Massie says. “They don’t like places without trees. They don’t like the desert. They can see the trees [across the freeway], and now they’ve found a way over.”

Massie is somewhat concerned about this phenomenon. The bears have already discovered citrus groves and it’s only a matter of time before they discover the vast avocado orchards of San Diego County.

“When they start taking a liking to all that guacamole, we’re going to have 800-pound bears walking around,” he says.

FOR THE BIRDS

So much for the mild summer La Nina has given us.

The timing of this week’s heat wave couldn’t have been, well, it couldn’t have been better for dove hunters, who next week will flock to that blast furnace otherwise known as Imperial County.

Opening day is Wednesday, and what would a dove opener be without oppressive heat?

“The air’s so thick you can cut it with a knife,” says Richard Sprague of Sprague’s Sports and RV, across the border in Yuma, Ariz.

Yes, the heat is on and it will really be on Wednesday morning for the tasty little game birds.

Last year, California dove hunters killed 1.3 million doves, which is a drop in the bucket considering that there are about 900 million of them in North America.

The limit is 10 a day and 20 in possession on and after the second day of a split season that runs Sept. 1-15 and Nov. 13-Dec. 27.

In the Yuma area, which attracts a good number of Southland hunters, the orange and lemon groves are good places to hunt, although hunters are requested not to shoot in the groves, since the fruit already has enough pits.

In and around El Centro, on this side of the Colorado River, “Everything looks A-OK,” says Keith Earle, the club pro at Lakeview Golf Course, who will give new meaning to sinking birdies on Wednesday morning. “Just driving around, I’m seeing birds all over the place. Tell people just to bring a shotgun and have a good time.”

In Blythe, Wayne Pinkerton, owner of B&B; Bait, says the melon fields were recently plowed but are still holding birds, as are the citrus groves.

Thus, it seems only thunderstorms could put a damper on the opener.

By the way, it was 110 degrees in Blythe on Thursday and that same kind of heat is forecast today.

“We don’t have anything to complain about down here,” Pinkerton says.

SALTWATER

* Local tuna: Los Angeles and Long Beach skippers relocated the elusive albacore on Thursday, as shown by the 100-plus count logged by Pierpoint Landing’s Toronado 75 miles offshore near the Cherry Bank. Some of the tuna weighed 40 pounds, meaning a new and larger class of fish has arrived.

Anglers on San Diego overnight boats are still encountering a few large bluefin mixed with the albacore, but predictions that huge schools just beyond range would move north have yet to prove true.

Off Morro Bay, where an outstanding albacore bite had been in progress only 40 miles out, the fish have scattered--perhaps because of the full moon--and on Thursday the counts were down. But anglers on the Princess out of Virg’s Landing still put about 50 on the deck.

* Cabo blues: The only blues people here have to contend with are those magnificent billfish, which are all over the place. An 812-pounder was caught on a live yellowfin tuna fairly recently at outer Gordo Bank, and since then several 300- to 500-pounders have been hooked.

* East Cape dorado: Gary Graham of Baja on the Fly and two clients recently had a 40-fish day, prompting Graham to label the dorado fishing as good as or better than he has ever seen. Earlier this week, however, a storm blew through and scattered the fish. Debris left by the storm is providing lots of cover, though, and fishermen again are enjoying many a golden moment with the colorful game fish.

FRESHWATER

Hansen Dam Lake in Lakeview Terrace will open to anglers Saturday for the first time in 18 years, with catfish the only game fish available.

The 10 a.m. grand opening will feature food and live music as well as fishing at the 9 1/2-acre lake, which has been restored “to pristine condition” as part of an extensive redevelopment project.

Eventually, largemouth bass, bluegills, red-ear sunfish and even trout will join catfish as target species.

WINDING UP

Bay Area travelers hoping to cool off along the coast at Stinson Beach should take note that the ocean will remain off-limits until at least Monday because of shark sightings earlier this week.

The beach itself has been more popular than ever after TV news stations statewide showed video of the shark--presumably a 12- to 14-foot great white--cruising along the surface close to shore.

A large dorsal fin slicing through the water was enough to send swimmers rushing for dry sand and lifeguard supervisor Bob Chung said Thursday he has had little trouble keeping them out.

“They’re pretty sensitive about it, especially after that kid got attacked last year,” he said.

The 16-year-old in question suffered extensive leg injuries last summer after being bitten while bodyboarding 50 yards from shore. One expert said this might be the same shark.