Bubblehide
WKR
- Joined
- May 13, 2015
- Messages
- 3,715
I have no issue with party haunting that is legal. Some states, and the last time I looked, Ca had a limit on the number of people that can be in a drive hunt, i.e., the number of people pushing deer.
As far as everything else, F&W as was pointed out is exceptionally limited in there numbers in this state. Frankly they desperately need our help when possible. Is short, when we see something, we need to be doing their job. What I mean is we need to be calling them, reporting what we saw, and to safely gather any evidence we can.
For example, just this season I witnessed a small group shoot an illegal buck and abandon it. The group had no idea I was there (1/2 to 3/4 mile away. watching the whole incident. Upon abandoning the buck (hiding it in some brush and covering it), I called Cal-Tip and reported it. I informed the operator that I would be trying to get the perpetrators pictures. I managed to get several good pictures of the small group. I then went to search for the abandoned buck. While searching the warden called me and informed me she was about 1 hour away and would call again when closer. I informed her I was searching for the buck and would take pictures of it. I found it and did so. I then began hiking out toward a location we could meet up at. This turned out to be an experience in itself, that was complicated by a a lack of a cell signal. But we managed to meet up. I had already sent all the pictures to her cell and with them she knew she had a slam dunk case built for her. So she knew that with her limited fuel budget, this was a call worth responding to.
I never confronted the group, I just managed to stealthy get several pictures of them.
If your worried about our herd numbers, you need to be active in assisting in the factors you can that are impacting our herd numbers. Poaching is but one, predation is another in which we can take action to assist our herds.
The cost of pig tags, yeah I get it, they are an invasive feral species which is classified as big game, thus requiring a tag. I recently purchased 6 tags for a grand total over $100.00. However, our F&W department is responsible for pig management and clearly there have associated costs. But I would agree, the tag fee is excessive in my book. But on the other side of that coin is I will fill every tag I purchase so I will have a full freezer year round. So the tag fee in my case, is not a problem in my view. And to top it off, during my pig forays, I often see F&W. So I know my money is well spent.
But back to group hunters. The fact is that, from my experience, the game animals know when it is deer season in areas where groups of people move in suddenly. The response of mature deer is to move. So what is left generally is immature deer, i.e, young bucks. Additionally, the success rate is what 10 to 30% in the vast majority of zones. To top that that off, the old rule of 10% of the hunters every year kill 90% or more of the deer. And, those 10% are very much the same people every year. So in shore, large group hunting in general, over the long run, has a smaller success rate that the zones predicted success rate. Unless of course someone(s) in the large group is one of the 10%. No, I have no problem with large group hunting, other than the possible legality. I simply chose to pack in and get away from the crowds.
I simply put the work in by making the long hike into the area I hunt numerous times during the off season. I have put the work in, and know the escape routes, the seasonal food supplies and the preferred order of these seasonal foods, the areas used, when and why the animals use different areas, their hidey holes when the pressure gets high... I know their summer range, their winter range...
In short, I know how to fill my tags. But I also know when to end a hunt and help out F&W, thus helping our herds. I threw the towel in on a magnificent buck so that these poachers could be caught. What are you all doing. (that is a rhetorical question intended to be food for thought and NOT be answered).
As far as everything else, F&W as was pointed out is exceptionally limited in there numbers in this state. Frankly they desperately need our help when possible. Is short, when we see something, we need to be doing their job. What I mean is we need to be calling them, reporting what we saw, and to safely gather any evidence we can.
For example, just this season I witnessed a small group shoot an illegal buck and abandon it. The group had no idea I was there (1/2 to 3/4 mile away. watching the whole incident. Upon abandoning the buck (hiding it in some brush and covering it), I called Cal-Tip and reported it. I informed the operator that I would be trying to get the perpetrators pictures. I managed to get several good pictures of the small group. I then went to search for the abandoned buck. While searching the warden called me and informed me she was about 1 hour away and would call again when closer. I informed her I was searching for the buck and would take pictures of it. I found it and did so. I then began hiking out toward a location we could meet up at. This turned out to be an experience in itself, that was complicated by a a lack of a cell signal. But we managed to meet up. I had already sent all the pictures to her cell and with them she knew she had a slam dunk case built for her. So she knew that with her limited fuel budget, this was a call worth responding to.
I never confronted the group, I just managed to stealthy get several pictures of them.
If your worried about our herd numbers, you need to be active in assisting in the factors you can that are impacting our herd numbers. Poaching is but one, predation is another in which we can take action to assist our herds.
The cost of pig tags, yeah I get it, they are an invasive feral species which is classified as big game, thus requiring a tag. I recently purchased 6 tags for a grand total over $100.00. However, our F&W department is responsible for pig management and clearly there have associated costs. But I would agree, the tag fee is excessive in my book. But on the other side of that coin is I will fill every tag I purchase so I will have a full freezer year round. So the tag fee in my case, is not a problem in my view. And to top it off, during my pig forays, I often see F&W. So I know my money is well spent.
But back to group hunters. The fact is that, from my experience, the game animals know when it is deer season in areas where groups of people move in suddenly. The response of mature deer is to move. So what is left generally is immature deer, i.e, young bucks. Additionally, the success rate is what 10 to 30% in the vast majority of zones. To top that that off, the old rule of 10% of the hunters every year kill 90% or more of the deer. And, those 10% are very much the same people every year. So in shore, large group hunting in general, over the long run, has a smaller success rate that the zones predicted success rate. Unless of course someone(s) in the large group is one of the 10%. No, I have no problem with large group hunting, other than the possible legality. I simply chose to pack in and get away from the crowds.
I simply put the work in by making the long hike into the area I hunt numerous times during the off season. I have put the work in, and know the escape routes, the seasonal food supplies and the preferred order of these seasonal foods, the areas used, when and why the animals use different areas, their hidey holes when the pressure gets high... I know their summer range, their winter range...
In short, I know how to fill my tags. But I also know when to end a hunt and help out F&W, thus helping our herds. I threw the towel in on a magnificent buck so that these poachers could be caught. What are you all doing. (that is a rhetorical question intended to be food for thought and NOT be answered).
