The Hog Blog

Well, I’m afraid you’ll get short shrift today if you were looking for a report on yesterday’s dove hunt at the Native Hunt property.  I took no still photos, and first thing in the morning I left my new iKam Xtreme video glasses in the ranch truck.  I didn’t see them again until I was packing to come home last night. 

Speaking of packing to come home, I didn’t roll in until around midnight, after being up running around the ranch since 0400 (and I won’t even tell you what time I got to bed the night before).  Tired is to what I am now, as breezy is to Hurricane Earl. 

It was a great time, though.  It’s always good to see the regulars again, and really neat to meet our celebrity hunters for the event, Tim Abell and Steve Kanaly. 

The shooting started out pretty slow in the morning, but the evening hunt really got hot.  I stopped at eight birds (mostly Eurasian collared doves) because that’s all I wanted to eat right now, but as we recounted the day around dinner, it looks like plenty of folks filled out their limits, and those who didn’t had lots of opportunities.  Doves are deceptively tricky targets.  The air was filled with unrequited gunfire. 

Oh, and Holly, I don’t believe anyone collected any dove “bling”. 

In lieu of a lengthy write-up with pictures and video, I decided to enhance this post with a link to Dave Petzal’s most recent Gun Nuts blog.  In the post, Petzal remarks on the fact that at longer ranges, the “rules” of ballistics can get a little squishy.  Just because a ballistics chart says the bullet will do one thing, it will sometimes do something completely different.  The big take-away here is that, if you want to shoot at long ranges the only way to prepare is to practice at long ranges.  You cannot count on a chart in a book or on a computer.

It’s that time again!  September first will dawn tomorrow, and with it comes what, for many hunters, is the kick-off of the hunting season… the Dove Opener! 

I remember years ago, living in NC, and waiting eagerly for the annual opening day hunt.  Before I knew what a feral hog was, my hunting season generally wrapped up around the end of February, and that was it until Labor Day.  The dove opener was the like Christmas to me.   

The big opener was also a huge social occasion.  In NC, the dove opener always started after noon, which made for a great opportunity to get friends and family together at a “decent hour”. At the best dove openers I can remember, we’d gather on the edge of a recently cut corn or millet field to the aroma of hardwood coals and slow-cooking pork.  Guns and hunters of every vintage would mingle excitedly, eating, telling tales, and making memories before spreading out across the field to burn ammo on the grey rockets. 

Here in CA, we start at sunrise, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have fun!  Once again, I’ll be down at the Native Hunt properties with T. Michael Riddle and a handful of friends and guests.  We’ll greet the morning with gunfire, and then retire back to the comfortable lodge for a great lunch and a big party. 

I’ll be offline until I get home, but I’ll be carrying the camera and the video, so I hope to capture some of the fun to share with all of you when I get back.  I’ve got a new toy to try out, from Hunter Specialties.  At the SHOT Show in January, they introduced the I-Kam Xtreme video glasses.  I thought they were kind of neat, in a purely gadgety kind of way, and asked if they’d send me some to try out.  I thought they’d forgotten about me until about two weeks ago when an unmarked box showed up on my front porch.  I think I’ve got them figured out, so we’ll see how they work on tomorrow’s hunt.

So to all of you who’ll be out there tomorrow, slinging shot at the feathered furies, have fun and be safe!  Don’t forget to follow the rules, stick to the limits, and shoot where they’re going, not where they were.

I didn’t get out this weekend, but it’s not for want of being there.  Sometimes it’s just not meant to be… but as they say at Burning Man, you don’t have to be there.  “The Man will burn without you!” 

So in lieu of my own hunting, I thought I’d do an update on one of my friend’s hunts.

Some of you may remember my last Mythical Blacktail Buck tale and my friend Saul’s report of success.  I finally got around to getting a photo of his animal and, as I expected, it turned out to be a trophy jackalope.  It’s a nice specimen, Saul, and you deserve to be proud of it… especially since you were hunting in Sonoma County.  With all that wine around, most folks down there can’t hit the broadside of the wine cellar.

(OK, seriously, an A-zone buck is always a good thing.  Judging by the last one I killed and ate at the Hedgepeth Ranch, this one should be great on the table.)

Earlier this afternoon, the EPA announced that they had no legal authority to ban lead bullets, despite the arguments of the Center for Biological Diversity and other petitioners (see the press release here).  The rejection was not particularly extensive or involved, but centered on the fact that ammunition is excluded from the tenets of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 

However, lead fishing sinkers are not excluded, and are still on the table for a potential ban.  Not sure how that’s going to play out, but the animal welfare folks have been after it for a while. 

Anyway, below is the letter from the EPA in response to the petition. 

So, will the CBD be following this up with a lawsuit?  Anyone taking bets?

With all the news about the lead ammo ban this week, plus the breakdown of my personal computer, I almost missed the opportunity to mention something that I think needs to be said publicly… a great big “thank you” and a “job well done” to the Forest Service. 

In 2001, the Trough Fire burned through about 25,000 acres of the Mendocino National Forest near Stonyford.  One of the areas it hit hard was the area I call Kokopelli Valley… a place I’d been hunting regularly since I first came to CA in 1996.  It’s a relatively unique spot due to the variety of high-quality food and year-round water sources.  Prior to the fire, it was also relatively secluded and hidden from the roads. 

After the fire, the place looked like a moonscape. 

I was there for the B zone rifle opener just a few days after the fire had passed through.  Stump holes were still smoking, and very little was left of the cover or food sources.   

The Forest Service and other agencies got to work quickly, trying to re-stabilize the hills to stop erosion, and help the native plants get re-established before the invasives took over.  The process has been ongoing ever since, and it’s been relatively effective.

For the B-zone archery opener this past weekend, I went back to Kokopelli Valley… as much for old-times’ sake as to actually get in some hunting.  With the exception of a weekend hunt there with Holly last year, I really haven’t spent a lot of time there in the last couple of seasons, and I missed the place.  I also wanted to get some time on the ground there, to see if some of the food sources had come back. 

The place is looking great, and the deer are healthy and plentiful.  The bears have come back as well.  But what really struck me was the evidence of the amount of work that’s been done, not just on the restoration, but little extras like the hiking trail that cuts down to a previously hidden waterfall.  I did see some of this last year, but failed then to mention what a great job the Forest Service and crews have done. 

(I’ve got some video from this past weekend that shows how great the place is looking right now, but that’ll have to wait until I get my laptop repaired.)

So kudos to the hard workers, both professional and volunteers, who put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

Man, it just keeps coming!

First the NRA-ILA challenge the Center for Biological Diversity’s petition to ban lead in ammo and fishing tackle, and now the NRA and the California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA) have served notice to the CA Fish and Game Commission that they intend to sue over the lead ammo ban in the “Condor Zone”.  Crazy, right? 

OK, so truthfully, politics, bureaucracy, and legalese largely make me tired.  Most of the time it’s more about angling for advantage and seldom about the actual topic on the table.  But this time it seems to be pretty direct and to the point… although I’ve got to say it takes a tack I’m not sure I would have expected. 

Here’s the press release with a link to the letter.  I definitely recommend giving the letter a thorough read.

On August 23, 2010 the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA) Foundation, through their joint California “Legal Action Project,” sent a petition letter to the California Fish and Game Commission challenging certain hunting regulations. These regulations were adopted by the Commission to regulate the mere possession of firearms and/or lead ammunition when engaged in certain activities and/or when present in certain areas, such as designated wildlife areas.

Click here to view a copy of the letter.

The letter requests that the Commission repeal these regulations because they conflict with both laws granting the authority to carry firearms for self-defense, and with constitutional Second Amendment protections. The letter further explains that the Commission lacks the authority to adopt such regulations in the first place.

To fight for the self-defense civil rights of all Californians, the NRA and CRPA Foundation have joined forces to create the Legal Action Project (LAP). Through LAP, NRA/CRPAF attorneys fight against ill-conceived gun control laws and ordinances, educate state and local officials about available programs that are effective in reducing accidents and violence without infringing on the rights of law-abiding gun owners, and produce valid science about game and wildlife resource management.

To contribute to the NRA / CRPAF Legal Action Project (LAP) and support this and similar efforts and Second Amendment litigation in California, visit www.crpafoundation.org.

I don’t know what kind of traction this thing might get, but remember… this whole thing started with a lawsuit against the State.  It would stand to reason that a similar threat could turn the tide.

The EPA is considering the CBD Petition to ban lead ammo and fishing tackle, and is now accepting public comment.  Consider this your first, best, and potentially last opportunity to enter your opinion and feedback.  Go to the Regulations.Gov site to read the petition and enter your comments.

UPDATE:

The EPA is considering the CBD Petition to ban lead ammo and fishing tackle, and is now accepting public comment.  Consider this your first, best, and potentially last opportunity to enter your opinion and feedback.  Go to the Regulations.Gov site to read the petition and enter your comments.

OMG!

OK, seriously now…  I’ve been a little behind on some issues, especially since my personal laptop died on Sunday.  Fortunately, I’ve got a new source of hunting and outdoors news to keep track of the little things I’ve missed.  The new Camo Underground site is a repository of news articles, columns, and blogs about all things outdoors.  One of the things I’d have missed without this new site is the following:

On August 20, the NRA-ILA (National Rifle Association – Institute for Legislative Action) submitted a position document to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in response to the CBD (Center for Biological Diversity) petition to ban pb (lead) in ammunition and fishing tackle.  I posted on the CBD petition a little while back, and it seems to have drawn little attention since then.  I guess the NRA and Co. have been getting their ducks in a row.

The letter is largely legalese, but in essence it challenges the CBD’s argument that the EPA should ban lead bullets and shot from ammunition.  The CBD uses the auspices of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to suggest that the EPA must ban these components.  The NRA-ILA letter, on the other hand, points out that Congress excluded ammunition from the reach of the EPA, and that since bullets and shot are integral components of ammunition, the EPA would be overstepping its authority in banning them.  They appear to say, as I read it, that without the lead bullets or shot, ammunition wouldn’t be ammunition. 

I’m not so sure it’s a completely sound argument when I look at it from a layman’s perspective (I think there’s a hole in it… do you see it too?). 

 The whole thing takes place on a level of the legal playing field that I don’t think I’m qualified to play on, but I’d suggest that anyone interested read the letter before commenting.  If nothing else, I think it delineates the way the arguments are going to face off.  

You can read the whole thing here.

Is it true?  Does the blacktail buck really exist? 

Well, according to an email I received yesterday, my friend Sol may have the proof in his cooler as we speak.  I received the email as I came back down off the mountain from my own, unsuccessful archery hunt, so I only gave it a cursory read.  I don’t like doing email on my Blackberry, so I figured I’d give it more attention when I got home.  I deleted the local copy and headed for the house.

Unfortunately, when I fired up my laptop at home, it ran for about three minutes, made a fizzling sound, and died.  No Blue Screen Of Death… nope… this time if just, plain died.   With the laptop went all of the email I’d received over the weekend.  But what I recalled from Sol’s email indicates that he did, indeed, kill something that may or may not have been a blacktail buck.  He was hunting up at the Hedgepeth Ranch, one of my favorite spots, and decided to hit a new area.  Through the fog he spotted his target, and with a well-placed shot his quest was ended. 

Of course, from the description he sent (there were no photos), it’s possible that he actually took a common jackalope instead.  Sol’s relatively new to this hunting thing, and a big jackalope does look a lot like a blacktail deer.  In fact, I’ve nearly made the mistake myself.  I actually saw two forked-horn jackalopes up in Kokopelli Valley during my hunt on Saturday, but they were too far out for me to get an arrow in them.  I started to stalk them up the mountain when I realized what they were and returned my attention to my real quarry, blacktail bucks. 

Back in syphilization today, I logged on to the work computer to catch up on the news.  Imagine my shock at the image of a blacktail buck, and the accompanying story about the apparent decline of the blacktail deer population in CA.  I’d already heard about some of this in a release from the DFG a few weeks ago, but this article offered more detail. 

Since they use hunters’ harvest reports to create a picture of the population density, the researchers are still trying to determine if the issue really is a population drop, or if it’s related to reduced hunter success rates. 

A team of scientists led by the California Department of Fish and Game is fanning out across the rugged mountains of Mendocino, Glenn and Lake counties in an attempt to figure out just what is going on.

“The deer population harvest has been steadily declining,” said David Casady, an associate wildlife biologist for the Department of Fish and Game. “One of the things we’re studying is whether the population has decreased or just the harvest. Most likely it’s the population that has decreased and the harvest is just tracking that.”

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/23/MNG31EV7G9.DTL#ixzz0xRkLg14V

The researchers will also have to sort through several theories as to why we’re seeing this decline.  A popular argument among some hunters is that the mountain lion population is growing unchecked due to the ban on lion hunting.  This may be so, but some folks also need to consider that depredation hunting and public safety kills average over 100 lions per year.  During the only sport hunting season in CA, hunters took 118 lions.   That’s not much of a decrease in the annual take. 

Other theories include degradation of habitat by non-native invasive plant species… due in large part to modern, wildfire suppression policies. I think there’s a real good argument there, although that’s another convoluted discussion. 

And there is one other plausible thought out there.  Maybe the reduction in population is a natural result of a balanced system, as wild predators increase to take more deer then there are less deer for human hunters. 

Personally, I expect that the answer lies in some combination of all of these theories.  With the documented upsurge in black bears and coyotes, and the likely growth of the lion population, there are more predators feeding on fawns.  At the same time, the spread of invasive plants is choking out native forage.  Finally, there are less hunters taking to the field, and those who are hunting are spending less time at it due to the economic times. 

Regardless the outcome of what is sure to be  a lengthy examination, there’s no question that it’s a complex situation.  The answer and resolution promise to be equally complicated.

This may or may not have any relevance to anyone here, although I’m thinking it will soon.  But I just read in this morning’s SFGate (online news) that the Yurok tribe is planning to reintroduce condors into their range along the Klamath River. 

Biologists with the Yurok tribe, which has lived for centuries along the Klamath River, are studying ways to reintroduce the giant black vultures to the mountainous region, where they haven’t been seen for a century.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/20/MNLK1ETQA6.DTL#ixzz0x9TACyEQ

Why am I posting this here, now? 

Well, it may or may not be reason for concern, but the reason the lead ammo ban has so far been contained to the central part of CA is because there really are no condors up north.  If a population is established, then the same lawsuit, and the Endangered Species Act protections that spurred it, will return to the fore.  In other words, this will give momentum to the move to expand the lead ammunition ban.

I don’t fault the Yuroks for their desire to bring back the Condor, as it is apparently a part of their tradition and ritual.  But I’m afraid it’s going to lead to new tensions for the hunting community, and increased restrictions that, so far, haven’t been proven to make much difference in the survival of these endangered scavengers. 

I guess we’ll see.

Like a lot of folks in the last few days, I’ve been dying to hear from Ted Nugent about his side of the story.  There are a lot of unanswered questions, and it really seems like a few answers would go a long ways toward easing some of the hostility.  Unfortunately (or not), in light of his No Contest plea, I doubt a lot of detail will be forthcoming… but who knows. 

Anyway, Nugent’s website is now carrying the following message:

To my Fellow Outdoorsmen…. You may have read the news that I pled no contest to two misdemeanor game violations. I should have been better informed, more aware and I take full responsibility. The honorable hunting lifestyle is my deepest passion.

Ted Nugent

Somehow, I doubt this is the last we’ll hear as the pressure is really coming on.

You can read Nugent’s account of the hunt (less the bits about spikes and bait) on Archery News Online.