One of the things I think most of us enjoy at these shindigs is the auctions.  There are all sorts of great items for sale, including things like art (sculptures and prints), guns, gear, hunting trips, and so on.  It’s a hoot, even when you’re not bidding, just to listen to the auctioneer and watch the other bidders.  From time to time, you can get a great deal, but that’s not really what the auctions are about.  It’s about raising money for the “cause”… well, that, and about the tax write-offs.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will be holding their own event, Elk Camp, in February.  Along with everything else, there’ll be an auction.  Why does this one stand out?  Well, because there’s going to be an item for sale.  I’d describe it myself, but the press release does it better than I ever could.  So read on…

MISSOULA, Mont.–A custom casket featuring hardwood inlay artwork of an elk and mountain scene, hand-forged elk antler handles and camouflage bedding is among many special items to be auctioned in Las Vegas, Feb. 2-4, 2012, to support the conservation work of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The auction will be held as part of RMEF’s 27th annual Elk Camp convention and expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Riviera Hotel.

Elk Camp is RMEF’s largest annual fundraiser. Proceeds help support a variety of initiatives to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. Over the past year, RMEF passed the 6 million acre mark for habitat conserved and enhanced nationwide, supported elk restoration efforts in Maryland and Missouri, helped mitigate the effects of historic wildfires in Arizona, introduced thousands of youths to hunting and conservation, assisted with legal efforts to manage and control wolves, and much more.

The handmade casket, built from maple with walnut trim, is being donated for the RMEF auction by BNG Finish Products of Etna, Calif.

Company rep Nik Branson says coffin making began as an experimental offshoot of his custom cabinet business, “but now we do commissioned pieces for families around the country, and the biggest response has been from people who enjoy the outdoors, hunting and fishing.” Caskets with outdoor scenes and themes are the most requested, he said.

The coffins typically retail for $1,500 to $4,500.

Other RMEF auction highlights will include:

• A pack mule named Possum
• A New Holland tractor
• Art, firearms, furniture, jewelry and collectibles
• Many types of outfitted hunts
• Other kinds of travel packages including a motorcycle rally in Sturgis, S.D.
• An electric ATV from Timberline

I’ll be in Vegas for the SHOT Show in January, so I doubt I’ll be able to make it back again in February, unfortunately (I’m just a working guy, after all).  But the RMEF Elk Camp definitely sounds like a blast.  If you’re interested in trying to get out there for this good time, you can learn more about it at the RMEF website.

The owner of a small zoo in Ohio committed suicide after releasing some 56 animals from their enclosures.  Several of the animals were potentially dangerous, including 18 tigers, lions, a wolf, and bears (grizzly and black bears).  Schools were closed, businesses shut down, and motorists along the highway were warned to be alert for crossing wildlife.  In short, it created quite the fiasco for several hours.

Because of the risk to public safety and the difficulties of safely capturing the animals, local law enforcement took the logical step of issuing a “shoot on sight” order.

When the smoke cleared, 49 of the animals were dead and the predictable, public relations crap storm ensued… is still ensuing.

I know it seems an awful shame to kill all of those animals, but dammit folks, they are not pets.  As relatively recent events have shown, even a “tame” tiger or bear can turn deadly in a heartbeat.  According to the reports, these were not considered tame animals.  The reports also suggested that the animals weren’t necessarily kept in great condition, which can make big predators particularly dangerous.  Into that mix, dump an unpredictable population of civilians, and you’ve got a recipe for real disaster.  Even one human death would have been too much, especially if you’re the law enforcement officer charged with maintaining public safety.

The way the whole situation came into being is a sad shame, but in light of circumstances, it almost appears that this outcome was pretty much inevitable.  The only way it could have been avoided was to take those animals away from the zoo owner a long time ago.  Because the law didn’t provide for that at the time, the situation spiraled out of control until this.

Bottom line, folks need to stop blaming law enforcement for taking the actions they did.  It was the only sensible thing.  But if we want to be constructive, it’s time to take a closer look at the laws surrounding the possession and treatment of exotic animals.

And yes, some hogs met the reaper in the process.

As always, I was a little cautious since articles on that publication are not always the kindest to hunters (although I’ve been pleasantly surprised before).  The title of the article pretty much set the tone of the whole thing:  Special Ops, Pig Patrol: Commando Wannabes Stalk Porky.

“Just a little snarky,” I thought, but being charitable and cautious, I decided to read on.

Well, the tone never really got any better.  I suppose one could call it benevolently supercilious if one were predisposed to that sort of language.  Or you could call it, “snotty.”

The article was focused on the growing popularity of high-tech hog hunting, involving military-style rifles and night-vision equipment.  As we’ve mentioned here so many times, the explosive growth of the “black rifle” in the sporting market has definitely captured the imaginations of many hunters.  As more and more of these guns go into the field, it does play into the “little boy playing army” stereotype, which is what the article seemed to be ridiculing.

I’m not sure it’s as widespread as the article would make it sound, but maybe it is.  Does hunting appeal to your “inner rambo”?

By all accounts, one of the Forest Service District Ranger has “arbitrarily” closed a section of the Los Padres National Forest to hunters due to non-specific “safety concerns”.  This news starting rolling out at the end of the weekend, so I imagine a lot of CA hunters have already heard about it, but I wanted to drop it in here as well.  The closure is specific to the Lower Santa Ynez Recreation Area.   

My friend, Al over at SoCal Bowhunter has more detail on his site, so I won’t try to recreate the whole thing here.  I don’t know much about the area, or what may have prompted this closure, but on the surface it certainly does cause some concern that a district ranger can, apparently arbitrarily, close the area to hunters.  At the very least, I wanted to share this info for any hunters who may have been heading into that area for the archery deer season, or for wild pigs.

Here’s the official notice from the US Forest Service.  Click on the image to get the actual PDF file, if you’d like.

Apologies for the inconsistent posts of late.  I wish I made enough off of this writing thing to spend more time working through stories and ideas, but as it is, it’s all I can do to get out for a hunt lately, much less testing gear.  I’ve a couple of projects in the wings, though, and while it’s taking forever to finish them, I think I’ve got ‘er if she just don’t jump.  In the meantime…

With the draw behind us and the first CA deer season rolling around in less than three weeks, it’s time to double-check the gear.  If your off-season has been like mine this year, that presents a bit of a challenge.  The first challenge is just finding everything.

I walked out into the garage this afternoon to try to sort out some of my archery tackle.  I’ve been shooting the Mathews a couple of times a week, but I didn’t realize that I’m down to my last five intact arrows.  I guess that’s technically enough to hunt with, but I sure don’t like the odds.

One dozen new Victory arrows, with fletchings, nocks, and inserts…  $120

I’ve got three broadheads already set up on arrows.  Somewhere out there, I’m sure I have two more packs of Slick-Trick broadheads, but after tossing camo, ammo, calls, slings, and odds and ends all over the garage, I can’t seem to locate them.  I need to have at least three spares.

Better pick up some one more pack.  $30.

I need to pick up a few more judo points too, so I don’t lose my arrows practicing in the field.  I usually only carry one at a time in my quiver, but it wouldn’t hurt to get a couple of spares.

Three judo points – $30.

I dug out my hunting boots a couple of weeks ago, only to find out the soles are worn to nothing, and the uppers have separated from the sole.  I replaced them then, but for the sake of accounting, we’ll toss that into the mix.

A new pair of Danner Pronghorns – $183.

Happily, I still have my optics.  The Leica Geovids are in the truck, along with my “spares”, the Nikon Monarchs and my Nikon Rifle Hunter rangefinder.  I’ll probably bring along the Nikon Field Scope as well, in case I get a chance to do some long-range glassing across the canyons.

Somewhere under the pile of stuff I just moved, I’m sure I saw my Thermacell.  I’ll be wanting that for this early season hunting, especially with all the rain we had this year.  The mosquitos promise to be hellacious.  I’ve also got that new holster for it, to make it easier to carry between setups.  Now where did I leave that thing?  Are the refills still in that box?  If not, I’ll need to pick up some more.

Two packages of butane refills and two packages of wicks – $32.

What about the truck and camper?  Oh brother, that’s a mess!  Every little short trip I’ve made since last fall has left its mark.  Empty bottles, gear, dirty clothes…  better get that all cleaned up.  How’s the propane?  Damn, I really need to remember to shut the valve when it’s not in use for a long time.

Propane refill – $25

Speaking of fuel, what about the truck?

30 gallons of diesel – $125

I haven’t even bought groceries for the first trip of the season, and I’m out $545 already!

Man, maybe I should just take up golf.

How’s your pre-season prep going?

Imagine, a chip that unlocks and starts your car when you walk up.  Tune your brain to CNN or Fox for a 24×7 news feed.  Pick up your groceries and walk out of the store without ever having to stop to check out.  Alert you to medical issues and send your vitals to the Dr… or send an automated call for help in a medical emergency.  Exceed the speed limit on the highway and a sensor automatically generates a traffic ticket, sets the date on your e-calendar, and charges your credit card for the bail.   

It sounds like paradise, no?

Well not to get all Michael Crichton technophobe here, but I’m just not so sure.   But it’s the world we’re living in.

At any rate, like many CA hunters I was excited to hear that the DFG would finally release the new Automated License System (ALS), allowing us to get our licenses and apply for tags electronically.  How nice it would be to avoid that last-minute rush to the DFG office to get a tag, or not to arrive at some remote sporting goods store only to find they just ran out of pig tags. 

Well, after my first experience with the system, I’ve got mixed feelings.  The user interface isn’t exactly the friendliest, but it does work.  And it was nice to just run through my selections for the deer and elk draws and not have to worry about mailing the cards back in time.  But as a lifetime license holder, I was really sort of spoiled on just receiving all of my stuff in the mail each spring.  In the new system, I had to go through tag-by-tag to sign up for all of the things I’d already paid for… my upland stamp, state waterfowl stamp, and five pig tags.  It seemed like a kind of convoluted process, since all of these things are already recorded. 

And then I received my license in the mail.  Check this out!

 That ten-foot string of paper (or whatever this is made of) is my hunting license for 2011, along with all of my tags.  This is what I’m supposed to carry with me when I’m hunting. 

It’s certainly not the end of the world, and won’t be a backbreaking load to carry in my pack, but doesn’t this just seem wrong?  If the automated system is supposed to reduce paper, is this a step backward (or at least laterally)? 

How about you other CA hunters.  Do you find your new licenses a bit unweildy?  Do you care? 

What thoughts do you have about ways to improve this?

What about hunters from other states… how does your state handle this?

Anyway, this press release just came in.  With the new automated licensing system, some of the process will be a little different this year.  Give it a read, and start planning.

California Department of Fish and Game News Release
May 4, 2011

Hunting Licenses, Big Game Drawing Applications Now Available

Hunters can now purchase 2011 hunting licenses and apply for the Big Game Drawing online, the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announced. DFG’s new Automated License Data System (ALDS) means that the application process for both will be simplified and streamlined.

“ALDS offers tremendous improvements that hunters have been anticipating for many years,” said DFG License and Revenue Branch Chief James Fong. “Hunting licenses are available from more locations than ever before and for those applying for the annual Big Game Drawing, there is no longer a need to fill out multiple forms and manually mail them to a single DFG office.”

Customers applying for a license for the first time via ALDS may initially experience a slow license sales transaction. In subsequent years, the process will be faster, as the customer’s information will be retained in the system. Under ALDS, purchasers of a hunting or fishing license are issued a “Get Outdoors” identification number (GO ID) that is printed on all license documents. The GO ID is used to retrieve a customer’s information each time they purchase a license or apply for drawings in the future.

In addition to purchasing a license, hunters can now apply for the Big Game Drawing at any DFG license sales office, license agent or online. When the transaction is complete, the customer will receive a receipt to show their hunt choices have been entered in the drawing.

To qualify for the Big Game Drawing, an application must be submitted and the sales transaction completed before midnight on June 2, 2011. All premium deer hunt tags, and elk, antelope and bighorn sheep tags are awarded through the DFG Big Game Drawing. Mail-in applications are no longer accepted.

The implementation of ALDS also means:

• Hunters can obtain deer and bear tags at the time of purchase from a local license agent.
• Hunters who purchase licenses and big game tags online will receive them in the mail within 15 days.
• State Duck and Upland Game Bird stamps are validations in ALDS and printed on the hunting license. Hunters must have the validation in their possession while engaged in this activity. DFG will continue to print and offer the physical stamp which can be mailed, upon request online, to the purchasers after July 1 each year.
• Customers must provide legal identification and a telephone number when they make their first purchase through ALDS. Customers can still purchase licenses for other people if they provide the other person’s hunting license from the previous year and driver license number.
• DFG will no longer accept a Hunting License Declaration as evidence of meeting a hunter education requirement. Hunters must have a prior year’s California hunting license or a hunter education certificate to purchase a new hunting license.

To find a license agent near you, to purchase items online or for more information on ALDS, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing. To learn more about the Big Game Drawing application process, please view the 2011 California Hunting Digest (2011 Big Game) at www.dfg.ca.gov/publications/digest/.

Additional Drawing Opportunities
Two new fundraising random drawings, for a deer tag and an elk tag, will also be held this year. The drawings are open to anyone 12 years of age or older, for $5.40 per chance, per tag. Applicants do not need a valid hunting license to apply, and may apply for the drawings as many times as they wish.

Proceeds from all fundraising tags are deposited into the newly established Big Game Management Account, which is used to benefit antelope, elk, deer, wild pigs, bear and sheep populations. An advisory committee reviews and provides comments to DFG on all proposed projects funded from the account. Recent activities funded by revenue from the fundraising tags have included helicopter surveys, other deer and bighorn sheep studies, and improving both hunting access and water source improvements for sheep and deer.

####

So, CA hunters, what CA draws will you be putting in for this year?

At the same time, over the last few days I’ve received emails from CA hunters interested in finding places to hunt, and considering joining GOlden Ram or a similar organization.  They ask me about pros and cons, as well as about tips for hunting the properties.  I’ve got lots of opinions and a few facts, so I thought I’d bring the topic to the Hog Blog.

Folks in other places may not realize this, but there’s some terrific hunting in California.  It’s the only state in the nation where it’s possible to hunt all three North American elk: Roosevelt, Rocky MOuntain, and Tule.  There are bighorn sheep in the Sierra and in the desert.  Black bear numbers are growing exponentially.  We have mule deer, blacktail, and the hybrid California Mule Deer.  There’s a wide variety of upland birds, small game, furbearers, predators,and varmints.  Waterfowl hunting in CA is some of the best that U.S. hunters can ask for, on par in a good year with some Canadian hunting and with a variety of birds I don’t think you can get in any other flyway.  And, of course, there are hogs.

The other thing that people don’t realize, even some CA residents, is that much of this hunting is available to any hunter willing to do the research, drive a bit, and burn some boot leather.  There are millions of acres of public land in California with a diversity of habitat and terrain that’s pretty well unmatched in any other state.  We’ve got it pretty good here (let’s just not get into the political climate, OK?). 

You might wonder, and reasonably, “if there is all this public land, why would anyone pay to hunt private land, either in a club or guided?” 

Click to enlarge this image.

Good question. 

The easiest answer is that success rates are generally higher on private land, especially for species like hogs and deer.  There are a lot of reasons for this, but the key is reduced hunting pressure and the quality of the habitat.  A lot of people don’t have the time or inclination to research and scout public land options, so paying to go private is the simplest choice. 

Sometimes, it’s just more economical to hunt private as well.  I know, maybe this sounds counter-intuitive, but give it a thought, using hog hunting as the example.  (Be aware that the cost of a guided deer hunt is substantially higher than a hog hunt and presents a different situation.)

A fully outfitted, guided hog hunt in CA, right now, will run you between $500 and $1000.  So let’s stick in the middle and figure $750 (figure an addition 10% or so to tip the guide).  For that money, you have very high odds of success.  All you need is transportation to and from the hunting location, a weekend, and your weapon and ammo of choice.  You should be in and out for a shade under a grand. 

To hunt unguided on private land, when you can find a place that allows it, you can figure on a weekend cost of around $450.  Odds of success are lower than a guided hunt, but you still have a good chance at a shot opportunity.  Again, you’ll need transportation and weapons.  You’ll probably also need to plan on a couple hundred bucks for food and lodging unless you’re at a place like Tejon Ranch that allows camping.  Even on the high side, you could probably do this entire hunt inside of $750.

Hunting public land costs nothing, right?  Well, not really.

To begin with, you’ll probably drive two or three hours (seems to be an average from people I’ve asked).  Unless you’re driving an economy vehicle, that means you’re spending around $100 on fuel on each trip.  Driving that far makes a day-trip unlikely, so plan to make a weekend of it.  Most folks I know are camping when they go, but you still have to provision the camp.  That’s still pretty economical. If that were all there was to it, this would be a slam-dunk proposition.  A weekend hunt on public land for under $300 vs. $750 or more for the private land hunt. 

So here’s the catch.  For that $300, you probably had a great time in some beautiful country.  You probably saw some hog sign.  But the odds are stacked pretty high against your actually taking a hog, or even against having a shot opportunity. 

This means that, if your goal is to kill a hog, you have to come back.  In fact, for the vast majority of public land hunters there will be many, many return visits before you have success… if ever.  Hog hunting success rates on public land are abysmal.

So it really comes down to a question of quantity vs quality. 

If you’re like some hunters, just getting out there and trying is all you really need.  Taking an animal is a bonus, as long as there’s a slight possibility of success.  The more times you can get out there, the better, regardless of whether you ever kill anything.  For you, public land is the perfect option.  Read no further. 

Arguably though, most hunters want some success sooner than later, especially if they don’t have the luxury of being able to keep going back weekend after weekend to achieve it.  For these guys, the most bang for the buck comes from paying it all at once, and getting out on that private land hunt.  Two or three guided hunts per year, with success most of the time, can be a lot cheaper than dozens of fruitless trips to public land.

Hunting clubs like Golden Ram and Wilderness Unlimited sort of fall into a niche between these two extremes.  The way these organizations work, for those who don’t know, is that they lease ranches and hunting property around the state.  Members then have access to these properties, creating a semi-private environment.  You still share the land with strangers, but there is a limited number and they’re subject to a set of rules that is usually a little stricter than DFG regulations.  So, for the cost of annual dues, you can hunt these properties as much as you want. 

The quality of the properties varies. I can only speak first hand to three or four of the Golden Ram properties, and on those I’ve only hunted deer and hogs. The habitat is good, and the opportunities for success are reasonable (not exceptional, but way better than public land).  I haven’t visited or hunted any of the waterfowl or pheasant properties. and really couldn’t say if they’re good or bad.  I’ve heard lots of things, but I don’t want to sit here and pass along secondhand info.

Costwise, I’d say an average, single membership will run a little shy of $1000 per year.  You can, and should, ask about deals, specials, etc., because you can save yourself some money.  Both Golden Ram and Wilderness Unlimited offer different levels of membership with associated cost differences.  I’d suggest speaking to a couple of members before discussing membership with a sales representative from either organization. 

In order to realize the value of joining a club, you have to determine how often you plan to utilize it.  For someone who may only get out once or twice a season, it will probably be more economical to just plan on going on guided hunts.  But if, like me, you get out fairly often, the ratio gets a lot better.  SO do your odds of success.

Before you decide to join a club, take a real close look at your motivation.  What are you looking to get out of it? 

If you want a place to yourself, without pressure or aggravation from other hunters, I can tell you that a club is only slightly better than public land.  On the best properties, there will be other hunters most of the time… and a few of them are real jerks.  To get completely away from this, you’ll need to go guided, or look into a private lease. 

Likewise, if you want 100% success on almost every outing, then a guided hunt is the best call.  Just because there’s good habitat doesn’t mean an animal is going to be standing behind every rock and oak tree.  Most club hunters come home empty-handed, even on the premium properties.  

And here’s where things get real subjective…

The main reason I joined Golden Ram was to have a good hog hunting spot.  Personally, I feel like there is some awesome deer hunting on California’s public land for anyone who has the gumption to get out and find it.  I also think public land waterfowl hunting, while it has its drawbacks, is as good as you’ll find anywhere… especially if you’ll take the time to learn an area.  With that in mind, if I only wanted to hunt ducks or deer, I’d have stuck with public land hunting.  But hog hunting public land has been a true exercise in frustration, and this is primarily what brought me to the club.

The thing is, even with my membership I still do a trip or two every year to Tejon Ranch for the unguided hunts there.  I also hunt public land a few times a year, not only for deer, but for hogs and turkeys.  All of my waterfowl hunting is on public land, even though I could leverage my Golden Ram membership to access some of the club’s properties.  To me it’s all worth it, but some folks question my priorities, and I expect that a financial advisor would scold me soundly if we ever did the numbers.  But in all,it’s absolutely worth it to me.  Your mileage may vary.

And yeah… I know, most of you readers aren’t in that area and this means naught to you.  That’s OK, though, because a lot of our CA hog hunting means very little to the folks in Wilmington.  So I guess we’re even. 

As for me, I decided to cancel my Santa Maria hog hunt this weekend.  As much as I was looking forward to getting down there and hunting with those guys again, I just realized that I’m going to be gone way too much over the coming six to eight weeks.  It seemed to make better sense to stay close to home and take care of things like, you know, my relationship.  I’ve also got some work to do on my truck, some time to spend with my daughter, and maybe a few hours to just veg out in front of the TV. 

Starting next weekend, I get back into it in earnest.  Starting with a trip to Kokopelli Valley with Holly, Dave, and a couple of other folks, I’m then off the following weekend to guide again at Native Hunt.  The weekend after that, I’m heading up to Coon Camp Springs to meet this year’s clients and help Dave get set up for the hunts before driving back home for another week.  I’ll close out the month by heading back to Coon Camp where I’ll be guiding for a couple of weeks.  As soon as I get home, I turn around for a surprise hunt (location will be disclosed at a later date), and then…finally… it will be time to stop and unwind again over Thanksgiving.  Following the holiday, it’ll be back to the field for hogs, and maybe some ducks.

In between all that, I’ve got to tend to my day job to pay for all of this. 

Ahh… Fall fell.  It’s that time of year!  As my old friend, Rev. Roy Steward said, “these are the hunters’ ‘High Holy Days’!”