The Hog Blog

This is a tough one, because I just received two press releases that are equally relevant here.  Since they’re both kinda long, I’ll put a “jump” here so they don’t take up the whole page… we have a couple of great discussions going that I don’t want to lose.

So, here ya go… click the link and read on!  It’s worth the effort! Read the rest of this entry »

My friend Michael Riddle just sent me this news article from the LA Times, regarding Tejon Ranch’s development plans and the uproar they’re causing amongst environmentalists. 

As you will see when you read the piece, the environmentalist community is at definite odds over the apparent willingness of several key organizations to sell out to Tejon Ranch’s program.  Under the terms of the agreement, Tejon will develop a small percentage of their properties, and will guarantee the remainder (almost 90%) will stay undeveloped.  How this will all impact the hunting programs (wild hogs, antelope, deer, elk, etc.) remains to be seen. 

Under the accord unveiled in May after two years of confidential negotiations, Tejon Ranch Co. will preserve 90% of its holdings in the Tehachapi Mountains, about 60 miles north of Los Angeles.

In exchange, a coalition of environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, Audubon California and Natural Resources Defense Council, will not challenge massive development projects on the remaining 10% of the Tejon property.

Of course, this isnt’ enough for some of the more strident “protectors” of the natural habitat.  Nothing short of 100% preservation would suit them, and even that wouldn’t be enough for many.  Never mind the fact that this is, after all, Tejon Ranch’s property.  Forget the idea of property rights and ownership, and the common sense argument that, really, the Ranch shouldn’t have to do any damned thing at all to appease any special interest group. 

No, these folks are rallying around the condor to advance their preservationist (not to be confused with conservationist) agendas.  They could care less who the land belongs to.  And that’s unacceptable. 

True, Tejon Ranch has a large piece of property which encompasses an awful lot of wildlife habitat.  To lose this would be devastating to many species, possibly including the condor.  Under their acclaimed “stewardship” of this land, it would behoove the Ranch to take care of it and preserve as much as possible. 

But on the other hand, this is a business we’re talking about, and for a business to survive, it has to turn a profit.  Raw land isn’t very profitable unless you’re selling it.  They have to do something, and Joe Public has nothing to say about that. 

Tejon has climbed into bed with some strange and conflicting bedfellows to do this development project and make it as palatable as possible.  Of course it’s all about appeasing the most powerful of the environmental organizations, but as I’ve wondered before… can you really appease these people?  Or will it turn out, as things progress, that the more these organizations get, the more they will want? 

It doesn’t bode well, unfortunately.  We’ll see where it goes. 

Yeah, I know… it’s been so long now it’s hardly relevant.  And honestly, the footage isn’t all that great.  But I promised, and I need to start finishing these video series (unlike the last Colorado elk hunt video).  So here goes.  If you’ve already forgotten part 1, you can see it here.

Now for part 2. 

This is just getting out of hand, but here’s what I’ve been able to gather so far.

First of all, despite the fact that there’s no real good evidence or rationale for it, Tejon Ranch will close to ALL firearm hunting from June 9 through July 9 (at least).  In fact, no one will be permitted to even bring guns onto the ranch, whether members, guests, or guided hunters during this period.

The Ranch is also taking some pretty extraordinary steps to appease the environmentalists as well as the US Fish and WIldlife Service.  Despite the fact that the ranch voluntarily banned all lead ammo at the beginning of the year, that doesn’t seem to have been good enough for the pro-condor folks.  During the hunt last week (Memorial Day weekend), we were requested to bury the carcasses and gut piles of our hogs, even though we were hunting with non-lead ammunition.  That seemed pretty extreme, since we were hunting with lead-free ammunition (inspected at check-in). 

Since the news broke yesterday, the ranch has taken even more measures that seem to be little more than window-dressing and reconciliation.  

What the heck is going on?  Why the focus on Tejon Ranch, and why is Tejon Ranch going to such extremes to placate their accusers? 

The whole situation, the responses to it, and the total lack of logic or rational thought behind various reactions simply leave me no alternative but to suspect dirty pool.  The thing is, I can’t figure out what the heck the stakes are in the game. 

The first suspect would be money, but what is the financial reward for sliming the reputation of the Tejon Ranch? 

Is someone trying to upset the development plans?  That’s doubtful, since no one has pointed fingers at development as a culprit here. 

Is someone trying to put a stop to hunting on the Ranch?  That’s possible, I suppose, but really, there’s hunting all around Tejon Ranch.  What would shutting down the Ranch’s hunting program achieve beyond costing a handful of jobs (all good people, but relatively small potatoes in the big picture of Tejon Ranch Corporation)?  It sure wouldn’t protect the condors, as they don’t recognize property lines or boundaries. 

It’s hard to think the condors are anything more than pawns in some kind of power play.  The whole thing is hard to make any sense of. 

I’ll share info as I get it.  In the meantime, ask your own questions, and if you get answers that I don’t have, please share them. 

It just never stops! 

I didn’t want to post another Lead Ban Chronicle so soon, but this article just about slipped by me from yesterday’s paper…  it’s definitely worth a read to anyone concerned about the condor issue or the lead ammo ban.  I’d also urge you to use the comment form following the article to post your comments and add your voices to calls for reason and responsibility in reporting this issue (you’ll see mine as Elwing1). 

Looks like seven condors have turned up with lead poisoning, and the press (along with some condor/environmental groups) seems eager to blame hunters… particularly hunters at Tejon Ranch.  Look at the way this paragraph is phrased!

While officials won’t know the source of the contamination until next week, Grantham said the birds were likely poisoned by eating tainted carcasses at Bitter Creek, Lake Piru or on Tejon Ranch. Of the three areas, only Tejon Ranch currently allows hunting.

So, really, what they’re suggesting is that Tejon is the ONLY place this could have happened, and therefore Tejon hunters MUST be the culprits? 

Now I don’t know the science here, but how long would it take for the birds to show the effects of eating lead-tainted carrion?  Tejon Ranch banned the use of lead for any hunting, beginning the first of January, so no lead ammo has legally been used there for almost six months.  I also know that there’s not a lot of big game hunting at Tejon in December, so there wouldn’t have been a lot of carcasses lying around the place then… at least not carcasses killed by hunters. 

It sounds to me like someone has Tejon Ranch bent over a barrel and is now taking advantage of the position.  Remember, Tejon has taken a lot of pressure over plans to develop a large section of the property.  They’re also one of the largest and best-known hunting programs in the country, which makes them an easy target for organizations with an anti-hunting agenda.  Finally, they’re one of the largest privately-owned properties in the current California condor range.  To say the Ranch sports a big bullseye for special-interest groups is an understatement.

I’m also interested in knowing how the Fish and Wildlife Service will have conclusive information over the source of the contamination in just a week.  Are they relying on the controversial “isotope” testing process?  How will they determine the geographic location of the lead source, even if they can determine that the lead is from bullets? 

What more, beyond banning lead ammo, does anyone expect hunters to do to protect the condor?  Keep in mind that this very public statement is being made less than one month before the “Condor Preservation Act” comes into effect, with the lead ban becoming effective throughout the condor zone on July 1. 

And here’s a really big question… if the contamination is determined to have nothing to do with hunters, bullets, or Tejon Ranch, will any public announcement be made?  The accusation made in the AP article sure makes hunters and Tejon look like the bad guys here… scars on our reputation that we definitely don’t need right now. 

There are many more questions than answers here, and it’s hard to trust our sources when the media runs headlines based on pure speculation and poorly-researched information (the first paragraph states that the lead ban is statewide, as opposed to limited to the “historic condor range”). 

There’s too much political bullshit going on here, and too many agendas being advanced.  The public deserves better, even if hunters don’t. 

Well, looks like I didn’t get a chance to post anything at all yesterday, and for that I apologize… a little bit.  Got back from my visit to NC and hit the ground running Monday.  Getting back into the work mode has been a little challenging, although it’s nice to be working again.  There’s only so much sitting around a person can do.

Anyway, while I’m still putting together the second part of my Tejon hunt video, I thought ya’ll might enjoy these two bits put together by Jesse, from Jesse’s Hunting and Outdoors.  He came out just to video the festivities, as it were, and was able to get some pretty nice stuff. 

Check out part 2, where about six of us have a ringside seat to watch my friend, Scott Plunkett, make the move on a nice hog across the canyon.  I don’t know if he realized he had a peanut gallery along on his hunt, but he made good!

And yeah, the HogBlog guy makes an appearance.  I’m such a ham!

Before I do any more stupid puns, here’s the video.  Enjoy!

Here’s the first of two videos from the Memorial Day hunt at Tejon Ranch.  

You can read the story of the hunt a couple of posts back, if you’re up to my usual long tale.  Otherwise, enjoy the movie. 

Wow! 

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, at least to anyone who’s ever hunted Tejon Ranch, but every hunt there is spectacular and fulfilling…even when nothing comes home in the cooler.  It’s just a magical place, as I’ve probably repeated too many times, where just being there is a gift to the hunter/outdoorsman. 

Still, wow!  This trip really shone!

There were 29 guys on this hunt, mostly from Jesse’s Hunting and Outdoors forum, and we were all geared and eager to roll.  It was like the date would never arrive, but when it did, 29 hunters were chomping at the bit and waiting at the gate.  Most had been to the ranch at least once, and several of us had been here many times.  My brother, Scott, had flown all the way in from North Carolina to enjoy his second visit to Tejon… and hopeful to score his second hog.

The weather, usually hot and dry at this time of year, turned ugly on us.  As we were checking in for the hunt, the clouds and wind increased steadily until they unleashed a full-on rain squall on us.  On the higher ridges, the rain mingled with sleet and at the highest elevations it turned to snow.  Hail fell on some of the hunters in one area of the ranch.  Everyone was damp as camps were setup and hunters dug through their gear in hopes that they’d remembered to pack rain gear.  Fortunately, almost everyone came prepared for the fickle, California weather.  You never know what you’ll get at Tejon Ranch.

By the time I’d finished getting folks checked in, checking their ammo (no lead allowed on Tejon Ranch), and directing those who asked for suggestions on where to hunt, it was finally my turn.  I ran through the paperwork with Barbara, the Tejon representative who manages these hunts, then jumped in the truck and headed to the campground.  When I arrived, almost everyone in the group had already set camp and headed for the hills!  It was barely noon, but with the rain and overcast conditions, we all figured the hogs would be out and about. 

And we were right!

Scott and I hit my honey hole around 2:00.  As we worked our way out to the end of the ridge, we spotted two hogs trotting across the opposite hillside, right towards us.  I had Scott set up next to a downed tree to wait for them, while I moved out to the point in case they tried to go around.  The wind was howling, but at least the worst of the rain had dissipated. 

The two hogs disappeared into the chapparal, but as I topped the last rise I spotted dark shapes moving in an oak flat below me.  I got on the radio to Scott.  “I’ve got hogs!  I’m gonna try to get a shot.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s the second part of the Tejon hunt video. Thanks to the guys on the hunt for the camaraderie and for making this event what it is!

We’ll be doing it again at the end of May. While it’s primarily a group of folks from Jesse’s Hunting and Outdoors, if you’re interested in joining the fun you can get in touch with me and I’ll be sure you get an application. Completed and paid apps are due back to me by May 7.

As promised, here’s video from day one of this past weekend’s Tejon hog hunt.  I’m no C.B. Demille, but hey…whatta you want for nothing?  The second part should be up tomorrow, if I have time to do the edits.