NATURAL RESOURCES CHECK IT OUT.

--Blythe the way: There are 70 openings for junior hunters on the two junior pheasant hunts on Robinson Farms fields in the Blythe area, according to Gerald Mulcahy of the Department of Fish and Game.

Junior hunters wishing to apply should send a postcard application that includes their name, address, date preferred, and junior hunting license number to Mulcahy at Department of Fish and Game Pheasant Hunt, P.O. Box 2160, Blythe, CA 92226. All junior hunters must be accompanied by an adult.

--Quigley to speak: Paxton Quigley, a nationally known self-defense advocate, author, and trainer, will be the featured speaker during Saturday's Friends of the NRA fund raiser in San Pedro.

Tickets will not be available at the door.

The event will be at 5 p.m. at the Elk's Lodge, 1748 Cumbre Drive, San Pedro.

Dinner tickets are $35 a person. Proceeds will benefit local NRA programs, especially youth marksmanship and firearms-safety education.

The evening will feature NRA limited-edition merchandise, firearms, entertainment, raffles, live auction, and silent auction.

Information: [phone] or 45-70(at)usa.net.

--31 flavors of fish: The County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation will be have its 31st annual Adult Fishing Derby on Nov. 8 at Apollo Park in Lancaster.

The derby, open to anglers 16 years and older with a fishing license, will allow participants to compete during a four-hour period to win prizes.

The event will benefit the Free Youth Fishing Derby, May 1.

Tickets for the derby went on sale on Tuesday. Information: [phone] or [phone].

Apollo Park is at 4555 W. Avenue G in Lancaster next to Fox Fairfield.

--Lead pays: The Los Padres National Forest will kick off a pilot program to encourage hunters to use ``gutpile safe'' ammunition while hunting deer in portions of forest in an effort to reduce the amount of lead condors pick up while foraging in the region.

Under the ``Help Get the Lead Out Rebate Program,'' all big-game hunters in deer hunting zone D-13 (Ojai and Mount Pinos Ranger Districts) who use solid copper Barnes X-Bullets loaded into some lines of Federal and PMC hunting ammunition or Winchester Fail Safe rifle ammunition will be eligible to apply for a $15 rebate on the purchase of the alternative ammunition.

The program is aimed at helping endangered species such as the California condor and other wildlife that are susceptible to lead poisoning from eating lead bullet particles in game remains, according to Maeton Freel, wildlife biologist for Los Padres National Forest. X-Bullets and Fail Safe bullets do not leave lead residue in gut piles or blood-shot meat hunters leave in the field.

ON THE INTERNET

--Polo anyone? Think water polo for those who don't want to get wet. Well, maybe that's what the allure of canoe polo is. Heck, there's even a Web site touting this game (http://www.canoepolo.com/).

What is this European-dominated activity? Let's refer to the International Canoe Federation for the rules:

``Players paddle polo kayaks, on a well-defined area of water, attempting to score goals against the opposition. The winning team in a game is the team that scores the most goals.''

In case you missed it on ``SportsCenter,'' The Netherlands captured the 2003 European championship, beating Germany 2-1 in the title game played in Ireland.

--Raise the Larinda: The Hyannis, Mass., community is mourning the sinking of the tall ship schooner Larinda last summer. A Web site (www.savelarinda.20m.com) is up and running, and donations are being accepted for her recovery and restoration.

The ship itself, which sank in Halifax Harbor when an unmanned former Canadian Navy vessel broke from its moorings and rammed the Larinda during Hurricane Juan, was built over a 30-year period and resembled a 1767 Boston schooner ship.

The Larinda's official Web site (www.larinda.com) includes information on the captain, Larry Mahan, and details plans to salvage the wreckage and begin the painstaking rebuilding effort.

- Chris Cocoles

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