Santa Barbara Boar Hunting Ranch Booked Till Late This Year

Boar hunting drums say: Rancho San Fernando Rey near Santa Barbara is fully booked until November 2011. That is no surprise to me. They are close to major urban centers in Southern California, have reasonable prices and a great success rate.
The place is getting quite popular with boar hunters. Better make your reservation soon if you plan a wild pig hunt at the ranch. If all else fails, you still have the Big Horn Ranch to go to. Similar distance to cover, access fee to pay and success rates. Just not as romantic.
PJJ

Did You Know . . .

that pigs are capable of more than wallowing in mud or digging up front yards.
"I know of no other animals [who] are more consistently curious, more willing to explore new experiences, more ready to meet the world with open mouthed enthusiasm. Pigs, I have discovered, are incurable optimists and get a big kick out of just being."  (Biologist, Zoo director Lyall Watson, Johannesburg, in his book "The Whole Hog")

Online Hunter Education Classes

Virtual Shooting Ranges too.

How a misplaced hunting license leads to an afternoon of fun with hunter education courses.

Work on my previous article about ALDS and Online Registration for Special Hunts served as a painful reminder to me that the Gods have set Hunter Education Classes before a hunting license. The law requires both - and for good reason. I have no quarrel with that.

But I am unhappy with the fact that in the course of shuttling to and fro between my old and new abode a small satchel containing hunting essentials at the ready silently sneaked away leaving me without my old hunting license and the copper bullet ammo for my wild pig rifles. And yes, you could have guessed it: My certificate of completion of a hunter education class is also missing.

That's a long introduction to state the simple fact that now I must either find a duplicate of the hunter safety certificate, my old hunting license or take hunter education for the third time. Not exactly my favorite way of passing hot summer months without boar hunting.

Yet, to my great surprise and relief an alternative presented itself: Online Hunter Education Classes. Never thought of that. Why not? There is traffic school online, one can become an ordained minister or a layer with a J.D. online., gamble the family fortune away or engage in virtual sex. So, why not hunter safety classes?

Indeed numerous virtual hunter education providers present their services on the Internet. They all offer hunter education and safety courses that follow the course guidelines established by individual states. Virtual hunter education classes furthermore use the official material that is otherwise used in real classrooms. Some providers operate nationwide while others concentrate mainly on their state.

All basically follow the guidelines established by the International Hunter Education Association (IHEA) and the individual states.

Ease of use of the study material and of the virtual course varies somewhat from provider to provider. While all meet the minimum study requirements, some present the course information in less inspiring fashion than others. 
Larger providers offer approved courses for several states under their virtual roof while smaller companies tend to concentrate on one specific state.

The largest I found in my quick survey offers approved hunter safety courses for 20 states. Another has nine southeastern states in its portfolio.

Being goal oriented and motivated to find a quick fix for my dilemma I skipped courses that are taking a traditional approach to the subject with stern warnings, rules and dry teaching. For example, I looked at a safety course for Texas only to find pictures and diagrams I had previously seen in my brick and mortar safety class in California.

On the other hand, an online safety course offered by HunterCourse.com, one of the leading hunter education and certification providers, is more entertaining and easier to understand than many others without compromising the quality and instructional nature of the topic.

The California version of their safety course follows the state curriculum presenting 12 chapters dedicated to one mandatory topic each. The chapters are fully narrated ending with a brief practice exam. Numerous pictures illustrate all course chapters.
Course segments with numerous interactive pictures further demonstrate the lessons learned in the previous course component. That makes learning not only more memorable but also more fun. It also helps visual learners greatly. 
I had fun watching the moving parts, loading and firing mechanisms of various types of rifles, shotguns and handguns in full action – all controlled by my interaction with the animated pictures. 
Aspiring hunters can handle a real weapon during explanation of its functions during a local safety class, but they will not be able to see the rifle's hidden parts in action. The animations in the online course accomplish that with ease.

I was hooked and continued to breeze through the animated part of the course chapter by chapter all the way to the final exam. Believe me, I was almost tempted to complete the class officially just for the fun of it.

Taking the online test will cost you $ 19.95, due only after you pass the exam. The voucher for the state mandated on location follow- up class set you back another $ 24.95.

Successful graduates from the online hunter safety course need this voucher to participate in one final 4 hour on site class in order to pass the state test required to receive the official certificate of completion of hunter safety education.

If you follow my example and lose your certificate or misplace your hunting license, you will have to get a duplicate certificate or take the hunter safety course all over again.

But who knows, by then someone may have produced even more enticing 'shoot 'em up' hunting safety video games. Texans, how about some realistic video game class on hunting wild pigs from helicopters with machine guns?

Talking about shooting, if you like to hone your shooting skills why not use the virtual rifle and archery range? It is part of this site as well. And so is the animated section of the chapter on shot placement in the main safety course. You can test how well you know the anatomy of big game by shooting it from different angles. When you reveal heart, lung and bones of the animal, you can clearly see how well placed your shot was – or not! Sorry, no wild pig targets. 
It would be a good exercise to have an option to practice shooting at running wild pigs. The objective? To develop a sense for the lead required to hit the kill zone of game at various speeds and distances.

Just do not attempt to control the action with the touch pad of your laptop. Especially not on the virtual rifle range. It is almost impossible to place the mouse cursor reliably on the target.

Summing up my brief excursion by necessity into the world of online hunter education I have found virtual classrooms an excellent alternative to traditional hunter education. At least to the one I took. I had a hard time staying awake during the entire course.

Not so in the action and fun filled electronic classroom.

By the way, some providers of online hunter safety courses also offer boating, ATV, snowmobile and bow hunter education courses. I got to check them out as well.

PJJ

PS: For the benefit of budding hunters and those who need to replace a license or safety course certificate, I will add a link to the sidebar.

Did You Know . . .

that our popular series on pig facts, published and unpublished, will soon be available in the form of a short ebooklet and as an audio file?
Now you know.
PJJ

Online Registration System for DFG Special Hunts

DFG offer speeds up application process.

Most of you know that the California Department of Fish and Game rolled out ALDS, the Automated License Data System.  ALDS phases out printed hunting and fishing licenses. It does also away with the need to go to a license agent in order to buy a hunting or fishing license and/or  required special stamp. The new system links  DFG sales offices, license agents and the new online service        electronically to a central database. Licenses and license related items are created instantly on demand. They can be purchased online.

ALDS also brought us a faster, easier, more convenient way to register for drawings for special hunts organized and conducted every year by DFG: The  Special Hunts Online Registration System.

The new electronic system  allows hunters  to “apply online for random lotteries to participate in DFG Special Hunts, including Upland Game Bird Heritage Hunts, and certain special deer, wild pig, and waterfowl hunts, to view drawing results and current hunt information on hunts you have applied for and finally to view drawing results for all upcoming hunts”.
Special hunts conducted by the DFG License and Revenue Branch on State and Special Wildlife Preserves are not part of the online registration system.

Before using the new system a hunter must first create a an active DFG web account. I opened mine in about 15 minutes including the time I had to wait for e-mail activation. The activation key lets you set your own login password to the Online Registration System. 

Login leads to a Data Portal that lists numerous hunting applications. Selecting  'Online Registration System'  brings up another screen on which a hunter can select the game he wants to hunt from a drop down list and to another drop menu showing available special hunts for that species. The listing also specifies details of the special hunts, such as number of hunters in a party, junior hunts, hunts for mobility impaired hunters and other pertinent conditions. A valid hunting license number or GO ID (the electronic hunting license number) or  the number of a certificate of successful completion of a hunter education course is required before you can proceed any further.

All registration applications take part in computerized drawings. Successful applicants will receive notification by e-mail, including detailed instructions regarding the special hunt.
The system also allows hunters to check on the status of the application process and whether they are among the winners.

The combined systems with their multiple screens are very intuitive and simple. The setup is easy to use even for those who are not exactly computer wizards.
It may take a little time and effort to get your data entered into ALDS and then to open an active DFG web account, but the rewards in the form of ease of use, time savings and reduced hassle during future registrations is well worth it. Give it a try.  Apply for a special deer or quail hunt.
PJJ

Special Hunts on Chimineas Units of Carrizo Plain Ecological Reserve

Drawings in August and November, Hunts September, January 2012


The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) will provide hunting opportunities on the Chimineas Units of the Carrizo Plain Ecological Reserve in 2011 and 2012, including additional opportunities for mobility impaired hunters.


According to a DFG press release walk-on hunting for dove, rabbit, quail and wild pigs during the appropriate seasons "will be limited to Wednesdays and Saturdays during the first half of September and throughout the months of December and January. All access will be closed in October and November during the elk hunting seasons and the Chimineas Units will be closed to hunting between February and September. 
Walk-on access is only available from Highway 166. The North Chimineas Unit will not be open for walk-on hunting. Free access permits will be available at the Hwy 166 parking lot at mile marker 45 east of Santa Maria and at the Caliente Peak trailhead.  

Vehicle access for hunting will occur on two weekends. Twenty-five permits will be drawn for each of these one-day hunts and each permit is good for two hunters.  To apply for one of these hunts, applicants need to submit a self-addressed envelope and a letter or postcard with the hunter’s name, address, telephone number and hunting license number to: DFG, 20 Lower Ragsdale Road, Suite 100, Monterey, CA 93940.

DFG will also offer five additional permits for each hunt to mobility impaired hunters to allow them to gain access to the property. The application process is the same as for the regular drawing above. Applicants should add the words “Special Draw” to the attention line when addressing their envelope. Successful applicants will need to show either a Mobility Impaired Disabled Persons Motor Vehicle Hunting License or a standard handicap vehicle placard or license plate on the day of the hunt. If more than five applicants apply, there will be a drawing among the mobility impaired applicants.

Applicants may submit only one application for each hunt and applications need to be received by 5 p.m.on the due date. Applications received late, incomplete or without a self-addressed envelope will not be considered in the draw. Successful applicants will receive additional information, including maps and special regulations, prior to the hunt. 

The first drive-on hunt will be Sept. 10, 2011 for dove, pig and rabbit. Applications must be received by Aug. 12. Include “Attention: September Chimineas Hunt” when addressing an envelope to DFG. This hunt will be held on the North Chimineas Unit.

The second drive-on hunt will be Dec. 10, 2011 for dove, quail, pig and rabbit. Applications must be received by Nov. 10. Include “Attention: December Chimineas Hunt” when addressing an envelope to DFG. This hunt will be held on the South Chimineas Unit."

Wild pigs are mainly transitory on Chimineas, mainly in the vicinity of private ranches. In the past the September hunt on the North Chimineas Unit was the most productive for wild pig hunting. Because of the wet winter we may have slightly better conditions in the other units especially around a few watering holes. 
PJJ

Did You Know . . .

that pigs can use joy-sticks to control video games? They are "capable of abstract representation . . ..  "there is much more going on in terms of thinking and observing by these pigs than we would ever have guessed." (Professor Stanley Curtis of Penn State University)

Wild Hog Hunting From Helicopters Now Legal in Texas

Helicopter Based Hunts To Start In September 2011.


A law allowing to hunt wild pigs from helicopters and establishing minimal rules for the new 'sport' sped through and was passed by the legislature in Texas. It faced very little opposition  The governor signed it without delay.
Up to now only landowners could contract with helicopter owners, pilots and shooters for hog eradication services on their property from the air. Now any ex-schoolyard bully, wannabe animal torturer and pretentious hero who is lacking the physical prowess to hunt a smart, resilient and cunning animal can take to the sky to mow down game that cannot look up to the sky even when its life depends on it.

Texas has the largest wild hog population in the United States. No Texan parking lot without its own hog, as the saying goes. Damage inflicted by the boar to agriculture, habitat and infrastructure is  significant. Interested parties exaggerate it wildly to further their causes. Nevertheless, wild pig control and eradication measures are a must in Texas. But does that mean only cowardly helicopter hunting can solve the problem?
I doubt it.

The controversy is mostly not about the high number of wild pigs and the damage they are doing. There are much stronger financial incentives in play that promoted this decision. Landowners first began to charge hefty access and guide fees for hunting wild pigs on their properties. That gave boar the space and safety they needed for prolific breeding and population expansion. Today at a time of loud and persistent wailing by ranch owners about the damage the boar inflict on their properties, wild pig hunting in Texas is not cheap. Even a so-called free hunt will set you back over 250 dollars not counting travel expenses. A regular hog hunting weekend in Texas costs anywhere from $ 350.00 to more than $ 800.00  – without trophy fees.

Now ranchers found another way to increase revenue by selling hunting rights from helicopters to couch potatoes, out of shape big game hunters and sadistic murderers of Miss Piggy. How do they justify the double dipping? I do not know.
Overflight fees for the use of the air space above their ranches? And if that does not fly because of lack of jurisdiction, how about terming them 'removal fees' for the wild pig carcasses scattered all over their respective ranches?
Or meat processing fees for preparing the corpses for human consumption? Or 'sanitation fees' for taking the rotting, stinking cadavers to rendering plants?
No, this one will also not work. Removing road kill is the job of public services and their employees. Can't interfere with that.
But removing carcasses from private property is not their job. Who will do it? Helicopter operators and owners who run aerial wild boar hunting businesses? I do not think so. But if they did, they would need access to the private ranches for removal of killed pigs. Do I hear 'access fees' again? For land access?

I can see why hunting animals from helicopters has met so little resistance. Ranchers get the best of three worlds: Overflight and land access fees and free eradication of those pesky wild pigs; all wrapped in the mantle of thrilling helicopter hunts to rid the land to rid the land of the plague of wild hogs.

I hope the very same ranchers change their opinion when the first irresponsible helicopter operators and incompetent wannabe helicopter machine gunners start mowing down their livestock. I cannot wait.
Australian helicopter 'hunters'  tried their greedy hands on boar hunting from helicopters with good initial success. Yet the boar soon developed their own countermeasures. What makes us think that it would be any different here?
And how about Santa Cruz Island off the coast of California? Helicopter hunting was supposed to rid the island from the wild pigs. It did – to a degree. The smart, wily old boar withdrew to the most inaccessible sectors of the island where even helicopters found it difficult to go. It took old fashioned experienced, fit professional hunters on foot to get them.

The new law lacks detailed safety feature and rules. Anyone with enough money to rent a seat on a helicopter can try his hand at wild hog hunting from the sky. Experience or not. Shooting down from an erratically moving platform  at fast moving targets has its own problems. Accidents are bound to happen. Texans beware of the amateur cavalry in the skies!
We should all loathe the day when flying sadists will discover the need for caliber 50 machine guns to use on the dastardly goons below.

(guns.com)

It starts innocently enough with land based modern night vision equipment, then progresses to the use of automatic weapons. Helicopters are only the first step on a very slippery slope to perversion. Helicopters equipped with heat seeking and night vision equipment will most likely lead to the demand for machine guns in the sky.

I searched quickly and found this picture that sort of reinforces the nightmare scenario: Helicopter gunships over private, public and park land in Texas, complete with crazed sadistic gunners spraying boar and other wildlife alike with machine gun fire to the tune of 'Flight of the Valkyries' of Apocalypse Now fame.
It is only a small step . . .

With landowners, helicopter companies, pilots and 'guides' all eager to cut out their piece of the newfound pie in the sky we can expect a proliferation of helicopter hunts and helicopter hunting organizers all over Texas. Prime hunting areas, that is sectors with flat territory and few obstructions on the ground,  can be expected to see a high density of hunting helicopters.
Let's see how too many (new) helicopter companies and pilots, untrained shooters excited by the thrill of pursuit and erratic whirly birds in the sky can crowd accident free into prime air space without accidents and for how long.

Read for yourself how some hunting writers are already drooling over the prospect of engaging in the most exciting “hunt” of all times. Go to guns.com  and look for their article on helicopter hunting in Texas,  to 'funfix'  and many similar publications.

But can we call these activities “hunting” at all? I for my part can not. True hunters always respected their game and used humane methods whenever possible. Even in times of subsidy hunting hunters  thanked the game animals that sacrificed their life so that the hunter and his family or community may live. Modern sport hunters do their best to engage their quarry in a fair and humane manner.
High tech mechanized hunting from helicopters leaves not much to chance. It is neither fair nor humane.
It derives from warfare. By its very nature it is therefore designed to injure, maim and kill indiscriminately. Humanity is not a factor at all.
Killing animals from helicopters has only one justification, if it has one at all: To eradicate a species deemed destructive to the environment and a danger to humans. We should be honest enough to call it by its real name, species eradication, and not to besmirch the image of hunting and honorable hunters in efforts to whitewash a dirty job and get rich in the process.
Are we headed back to the times of market hunting? Have helicopters replaced market hunting trains when railroad barons shuttled train loads full of eager shooters to rid the prairies of pesky herds of bison that were taking up too much space and eating much grass?

If this is the future of hunting, then it is time for me to hang up hunting for good and join animal rights activists and PETA in a better,  more wholesome  kind of foolishness.

Once again human greed and the folly of politicians pandering to the interests of a few wealthy individuals have put us on a slippery path from which there will most likely be no return.
Wolves in Alaska, coyotes and hogs in Texas, wild pigs in San Diego County today -  tomorrow bears everywhere and Grizzlies in Yellowstone and the Cascades.
Didn't a grizzly just kill a hiker in the Yellowstone. Helicopter gunners to the rescue!

Ah, wild horses. I forgot the wild horses and burrows. They eat the grass that huge cattle herds feast on. Let's mow them down instead of rounding them up and putting them on feed lots for the rest of their life. And the myriads of cattle that overgraze the land? Shoot 'em up from the sky.
But wait! They belong to the rich ranchers who love helicopter hunts. We cannot upset them.
Oh, Catalina Island in California has a few bison to spare.

Who or what will then be next?
Wild pigs in California?

Didn't a marauding band of boar from a nearby animal preserve raid the front yards of a tranquil rural community digging up manicured lawns and uprooting rose bushes? How dare they! Helicopters and  machine gunners to the rescue!
PJJ

Online Licensing Increases Big Game Draw Applications

DFG News    July 15, 2011

The new Automated License Data System (ALDS) used by DFG now is credited for a surge in the number of applicants for the highly anticipated Big Game Draw. Total applications were up 10 percent on average for antelope, deer and sheep, with elk applications up 13 percent over last year.


Only a limited number of tags are issued annually for each species. In previous years, hunters had to drop off their applications at DFG offices, sometimes having to brave long lines of last-minute applicants. This year, walk-in traffic was light as most hunters purchased their applications on the Internet or at a license agent.
New this year was the opportunity for hunters to purchase as many chances as they liked (at $5.40 each) to win a rare Owens Valley elk tag and an open zone deer tag.

New this year was the opportunity for hunters to purchase as many chances as they liked (at $5.40 each) to win a rare Owens Valley elk tag and an open zone deer tag.

The Owens Valley elk tag raised $60,120 and the open zone deer tag raised $77,585. The money raised by these tags goes into the newly implemented Big Game Management Account (BGMA).
A new Senate bill that was implemented this year made specific and important changes to existing law regarding revenues from the sale of antelope, elk, deer, wild pig, bear and sheep tags, including any fund-raising tags. Revenue from these sales must be deposited into the BGMA to provide separate accountability for the receipt and expenditure of these funds. 
The law stipulates the permitted uses for these funds, including acquiring land, completing projects, implementing programs to benefit antelope, elk, deer, wild pigs, bear and sheep, and expanding public hunting opportunities and related public outreach.

Typically these two tags would be auctioned off by nonprofit organizations, which generate approximately $25,000.
Applications for the 2011 Big Game Draw closed June 2, 2011.

Need a hunting dog? -- Get a Coonhound!

Correction to my update: He only found a temporary foster.
He is still looking for an avid hunter who needs an eager helper.


In my other incarnation I temperament test and evaluate dogs for placement in adoptive homes. I just found this great, young

black and tan Coonhound.

He is about five years old, very friendly, playful and a quick learner. He was abandoned in an apartment by his owner and left to fend for himself.

Coonhound are excellent hunting dogs. They are widely used in the South as chase dogs for wild hog hunting. But they are more than willing to assist you with any other type of hunting. Need a dog to climb a tree? Talk to the hound.

Please contact me for details on how you can give him a good home. He is running out of time.
PJJ

The Answer . . .

to your burning question is: 
A boar needs his clockwise corkscrew penis end to lock safely into the cervix of the sow. Her cervix is 3.9 to 9.7 inches long and has transverse folds that form a counterclockwise corkscrew pattern. Without a secure, lasting lock between the two at the height of the mating process insemination could not be guaranteed because of possible slippage during the lengthy ejaculation. The climax in pigs lasts about 30 minutes. So say the experts. (Swine Production Glossary; informedfarmers.com)

Now you know.

Dove Hunts Offered in San Diego County - September 2011

Game Bird Heritage Dove Hunts

DFG News, July 13, 2011

The Department of Fish and Game Game Bird Heritage program is offering five dove hunting opportunities at Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve in 2011. Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve is located in San Diego County. On Sept. 3, two hunts are scheduled, one at 6 a.m. and the other at 3 p.m. On Sept. 4, there is a single hunt at 6 a.m. On Nov. 20, there is one hunt scheduled at 6 a.m.and another hunt at 3 p.m.These hunts can accommodate 20 hunters apiece. For additional information, please contact Nicholas Bechtel at (805) 965-3059 or getan application from the DFG website.
Application deadline is Agust2, 2011 at 17:00.

I know . . . Now You Have A Burning Question!

Inquiring minds want to know what is the purpose of the clockwise twist at the end of the boar's member?


I refuse to give in to the temptation of playing with words.
But I know the real purpose.


Check back soon for my more science based explanation.
PJJ

Did You Know . . .

. . . that the penis of a boar is long (11.8 to 19.7 inches), S - shaped near its origin and ends in a clockwise spiral? The end spiral serves to interlock during mating.

Wild Boar In Worldwide News - July 2011

Festive Boar Dinner Italian Style

Flour and  Water, an Italian  restaurant in San Francisco, offers a fancy wild boar dinner every first Friday of a month. It consist of a five course tasting dinner prepared by Chef Thomas McNaughton. It also comes with specially selected wines.

For the price of a low cost wild pig hunt 12 guests can savor a variety of wild boar recipes specially prepared for each occasion.  Two hundred dollars get you a seat in the Dough Room for each dinner.

Or three wild boar hunting clinics with four wild boar BBQ lunches at an advanced boar hunting clinic or several dozens of home made meals after a successful hunt.


Michigan delays ban wild boar as an invasive species.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced a three month delay of a ban on wild boar in the state. The ban was to go into effect on July 1 but now will become active on October 1, 2011.

It was issued when farmers filed  numerous complaints about wild pigs tearing up their fields. The increasing number of marauding wild pigs was attributed to boar escaping from hunting ranches in the state.
The $600 million pork industry in Michigan supports the move. Pork industry lobbyists say that pigs carry 'hundreds of diseases' to which domestic swine are not immune.  If you asked our friends from PETA they would tell you that much worse conditions exist in the domestic pork industry that contribute more to pig diseases than any other source.

Lawmakers called for the delay in order to work out a compromise between the two parties.


Twins Eaten By Wild Pigs

The Ugandan 256news.com blog reported that six boar have eaten two month old twins. The mother of the kids placed them under a tree while she was digging. The mother was – not the boar!

They in turn found the babies and started to cannibalize them according to the report. Their cries alerted the mother who summoned neighbors to help her chase the boar away.  But it was already too late. The pigs had eaten the twin's intestines. The babies died in the hospital. The fate of the wild pigs is unknown.


Wild Hog Attacks Rare But Scary

is the title of an article in the Port Arthur News. The article by Chester Moore, Jr. quotes Rick Taylor of the  Texas Parks & Wildlife Department who wrote a booklet called  'The Feral Hog in Texas'. Taylor   writes in his pamphlet:
“All wild animals have the potential of being dangerous, especially when wounded or cornered. In a natural state, feral hogs will prefer to run and escape danger, and are not considered dangerous. Extreme caution should be maintained when tracking wounded animals, trapping animals or encountering females with young. Their razor sharp tusks combined with their lightning speed can cause serious injury.”

He then continues to quote numerous example of wild pig attacks. Do a little digging of your own and read what Taylor has to say about the attacks.


Wild pigs are wearing out their welcome in San Diego County

Finally, San Diego wild pigs are in the news again. This time the Los Angeles Times felt compelled to contribute to the discussion about what to do with the controversial boar in San Diego County.

On June 5, 2011 Tony Perry wrote an article stating that 'They're big, ugly and mean.'
He continues to say  'that nobody is 100% sure where they came from' and then contributes several theories explaining their possible origins. The most credible is that 'the feral pigs are descendants of a failed venture to start a game-hunting ranch on Indian property.'
Others say the boar immigrated from Mexico or other states of the U.S. Right! Mexico, that makes sense. Illegal wild pig immigrants!

In my opinion it is far more likely that the story about the failed boar hunting experiment on tribal land is accurate. Judging by the angry and belligerent comments I received in response to my first article on the boar problem this  outrage by two bands of Indian tribes is nothing but hypocrisy.
PJJ

Did You Know . . .

. . . that in wild boar (not boar hybrids)  "body weight lies forward; Coat color
is brindled and an underlying brown pelage is present; Snout is narrow straight and long; Ears are pointed and held erect; Hind quarters are sloped
and the shoulders (in males) are large; Piglets have brown and cream stripes.
(Henry (1969) quoted by Paula Aravena/Oscar Skewe.) 

Like this:

DFG to Offer a One-day Wild Pig Hunting Clinic in July

Last Reminder.

DFG News    July 5, 2011



The California Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) Advanced Hunter Education Program is hosting a wild pig hunting clinic in July in KernCounty.  Co-sponsored by the Pacific Coast Hunter Education Association and Tejon Ranch, the clinic will be held July 30 at Tejon Ranch.

Details are in my previous post about the clinic or can be obtained from the DFG website.

PJJ

What Do Wild Pigs and Grizzly Bears Have In Common?

Why grizzlies get on a boar hunting website.

My recent article on the first confirmed grizzly sighting in the Northern Cascades in decades my have prompted you to ask what grizzly bears are doing on a wild pig hunting site. The verified sighting alone of a bear that was feared extinct in California is a perfect reason for a brief mention. A live bear in the wild is better than a heraldic animal on a flag, isn't it?

But there are more and better arguments for the inclusion of grizzlies on this site. Disregarding the fact that both are mammals and omnivores we are left with one significant common factor. Extensive scientific studies of damage done by wild pigs to oak dominated ecosystems in California defined and quantified the effects of wild pig rooting on a wide variety of plants and animals directly and indirectly. Research results confirmed that wild pigs do indeed have a negative effect on the ecosystem in the Californian woodlands by reducing the biomass productivity, seedling survival and mast available for germination. Wildlife that depends on or competes for plant life disturbed by wild pig rooting is also negatively affected. Areas with high wild pig densities are more seriously affected than ranges with fewer wild pigs. Damage to flora and fauna is limited where only approximately 2 pigs per square mile are found.

On the other hand, these studies also established that limited wild pig activities can have positive effects on the survival and germination rates in oak woodlands. The studies confirmed the obvious:

“. . .Rooting by wild pigs was much more widespread at research sites with relatively

high pig density compared to sites with relatively low pig density . . .”.

(Rooting and Foraging Effects of Wild Pigs on Tree Regeneration and Acorn Survival in California's Oak Woodland Ecosystems1. Rick A. Sweitzer and Dirk H. Van Vuren)

Areas with intermediate levels of disturbance by wild pig should have “the highest species

diversity/community heterogeneity . . .compared to areas with very low or very high disturbance.” (ibid.)

The authors of the study conclude:

“ This may be important from a historical perspective because there was another large omnivore, the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos), present in California until the 1920s. Historical accounts indicate that grizzly bears once consumed considerable acorn mast and “grubbed” extensively for forage in and around California’s oak woodland ecosystems (Pavlik and others 1992).

The last free ranging grizzly bear in California was killed in 1922. Related to the grizzly bear's taste for acorns and grubbing behavior that may have been very similar to rooting by wild pigs (Tardiff and

Stanford 1998), it has been suggested that wild pigs are the ecological equivalent of the now extinct grizzly bear in California (Work 1993). According to this hypothesis, some intermediate level of acorn foraging and rooting disturbance by wild pigs may replace the activities of grizzly bears as an important source of natural disturbance in oak woodland ecosystems. This idea remains to be quantitatively assessed.”

(Rooting and Foraging Effects of Wild Pigs on Tree Regeneration and Acorn Survival in California's Oak Woodland Ecosystems1. Rick A. Sweitzer and Dirk H. Van Vuren)

There you have it!

Rooting and grubbing are the other habit grizzly bears and wild pigs have in common.

Thus, grizzlies deserve an honorable mention on this wild pig hunting website.

PJJ

Correction to the quote above: The last grizzly in California was shot in 1961 not in 1922. And it was not exactly the last since there are still an estimated 10 to 20 grizzlies alive and free in the Northern Cascade of California.

That cannot be!

Time to call in those infamous heroes in helicopters.

PJJ

For those who would like to get a little more facts on damage done by wild pigs to the environment:

Tardiff, S.E.; Stanford J.A. 1998. Grizzly bear digging: effects on subalpine meadow

plants in relation to mineral nitrogen availability. Ecology 7: 2219-2228.

Work, George. 1993. A rancher’s view of the wild pig as an economic and ecological asset

to the ranching enterprise. In: Conference summaries of the wild pig in California oak

woodland: ecology and economics; 1993 May 25-26; San Luis Obispo, California.

Berkeley, CA: Integrated Hardwood Range Management Program; 5.

University of California – Oak and Woodland Management

Feral Pigs and Oak Woodland Vegetation

 

Grizzly Sighting in North Cascades National Park Now Confirmed

The first grizzly bear sighting in at least 15 years in the North Cascades National Park was made last October by Joe Sebille. His photograph of the bear was since confirmed as that of a grizzly bear (ursus horribilis) by a group of experts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies according to an official announcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 


This photograph is officially classified as a Class 1 sighting because of the physical evidence and the geographically verifiable background.


The range of grizzly bears once extended from the Cascade in the Northwest to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. Grizzly recovery expert estimate that  fewer than 20 bears live in the U.S. portion of the Cascades. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service puts their numbers at about 10 or 20 bears.

Picture by Joe Sebille

The last confirmed sighting of a grizzly bear occurred in 1960 when hunters shot a bear in a remote valley that is now part of the North Cascades National Park.


Healthy populations of grizzlies in the lower U.S. are found only in the Glacier National Park of Montana and nearby wilderness areas, and in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in Wyoming.
PJJ

Did You Know . . .

... that "wild boar populations live in Europe, Russia, North Africa and Asia; feral pigs (escaped domestics) live in Australia and New Zealand; feral pigs and wild
boar/feral pig intercrosses live in the Americas".

DNA based ". . . discrimination between wild boar and pig offers no difficulties; nevertheless the differentiation of crosses or hybrids is currently complex and requires a sequence of tests for discrimination."   

(Paula Aravena and Oscar Skewes in AgroCiencia 23(3): 133-147, 2007)

Now you know why your guide always wants to charge you more for that black 'Russian' boar. You cannot tell the difference between a true Russian and a hybrid by looking at it alone. If it is black, it is not necessarily Russian.

Avoid Unwanted Encounters With Bears at Tahoe - A timely reminder from DFG

Just before a long holiday weekend that will without doubt bring throngs of people to the great outdoors, the California Department of Fish and Game published another reminder about the hazards posed by encounters with black bears.


"The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) reminds people enjoying the Lake Tahoe Basin to take precautions to avoid black bear encounters. This area is prime black bear habitat, and many of these wild animals are not afraid of humans. Recently, a bear had to be killed after a man in his tent was injured as the bear tried to break in.
Bears are constantly searching for food, which humans inadvertently make obtainable to them. It is important for everyone to avoid creating odors that attract bears. They are attracted not only to food but also perfume, cologne and containers that once held food.

Yearling California black bear

“A bear’s fate is almost always sealed once it associates humans with food,” said Marc Kenyon, DFG statewide bear program coordinator. “It’s unfortunate when a bear becomes a threat and has to be killed because people either haven’t learned how to appropriately store food and trash, or simply don’t care.”

Last year DFG staff logged more than 5,200 hours handling black bear nuisance calls in the Lake Tahoe region alone. Bears’ attempts to obtain human food cause the majority of public safety incidents involving bears. California’s growing black bear population is now estimated at more than 30,000. DFG biologists have ramped-up staff and study efforts to learn more about urban black bear trends while providing increased public response throughout the Tahoe Basin. Black bears are located in most of the state where suitable habitat exists and bear-human encounters are not isolated to wilderness settings.

DFG wardens and biologists respond to numerous wildlife feeding issues throughout the state. Access to human food or garbage, whether it is overflowing from a campground or residential dumpster or in the form of snacks in a tent, is the most common bear attractant. When wild animals are allowed to feed on human food and garbage, they lose their natural ways – often resulting in death for the animal.

Feeding wildlife or allowing wildlife access to human food provides unnatural food sources, habituates animals to humans and can change animal behavior from foraging for food in the wild to relying on human food sources in or near urban areas, which can lead to bears breaking into cars or houses to seek out food. 
It is also illegal to intentionally feed wildlife in California."

Let us all do our part to keep these magnificent animals wild and in their wilderness habitat! It is easy to do.
PJJ