Greetings from CA's better half, NorCal that is

[bioboy232000]

Hello I'm an avid hunter that can't stop thinking about deer, I've been fortunate enough to have public land success in such an anti hunting state. I'm just as addicted to hunting deer as I am about learning and watching them. I'm currently a contracted fish/game biologist for the state. My goal is to acquire information/resources that would some day assist me in my pursuit to give back to our veterans and be able to guide them on hunts. Until then I have a lot of catch up reading to do on this forum.
P.S. I may have a worse map fettish than Randy
Thanks for the acceptance to the forum
Darren

 

[Biscuit Hunter]

Welcome aboard. Are you in blacktail country? We need more blacktail stories. Post em up.

As far as helping veterans goes-- I thank God that there are people like you in our public agencies; people that want to help our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines to have a successful hunt.

Again-- welcome aboard.

 

[Elkhunter24]

Welcome

 

[duckhunt]

Welcome from Iowa

 

[JohnCushman]

Welcome!! I would suggest getting in touch with Wounded Warriors in Action or Warrior Bonfire Program to get you started in the right direction. I'm involved in both organizations as a wounded veteran and they are well organized and give back most of what they get to the veterans. Good luck in your endeavor and thanks you from a wounded veteran.

 

[bioboy232000]

Welcome aboard. Are you in blacktail country? We need more blacktail stories. Post em up.

As far as helping veterans goes-- I thank God that there are people like you in our public agencies; people that want to help our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines to have a successful hunt.

Again-- welcome aboard.

I live really close to the recognized boundary for Blacktail which is I-5 and I hunt Blacktails in the western part of CA, hybrids or what some call "benchlegs" in the cascades, and mule deer just east of the Sierras, all on public land. I couldn't imagine not having all this public land to hunt on I always took it for granted until I started listening to Mr Newbergs podcasts and the threat we as hunters face with losing these lands. It's a "cold dead hands" issue in my house as well.

 

[hank4elk]

Welcome, from an ex-pat. of the Central Coast....you know ,where you guys say there are no pure blacktails...lol. I used to love to show them to the F&G Bio's when I took them round the lake or planting trout.

 

[bioboy232000]

Welcome, from an ex-pat. of the Central Coast....you know ,where you guys say there are no pure blacktails...lol. I used to love to show them to the F&G Bio's when I took them round the lake or planting trout.

Haha yeah some guys get really persnickety if someone calls their Blacktail a "benchleg" personally I would suspect the central coast deer are more of a pure Blacktail. The genetic waters are pretty muddy in a lot of places. I measure my success in lbs of meat not inches of bone, so I never cared if what I tagged would qualify for the "Blacktail" record books. Careful with the "you guys" talk haha I'm not associated with big game state/fed biologists. I just read all the published reports and have a unquencable thirst for ungulate knowledge

 

[bioboy232000]

Awesome thank you John Cushman for the information I will get in touch with them, and thank you for your service.

 

[hank4elk]

Cool,no problemo bioboy. lol
Used to see some monsters on the dawn patrol @ Montana De Oro State Park,Vandy & @ home near Diablo. Pockets of habitat.
I was just the driver for DFG at times.

 

[LuketheDog]

Cool,no problemo bioboy. lol
Used to see some monsters on the dawn patrol @ Montana De Oro State Park,Vandy & @ home near Diablo. Pockets of habitat.
I was just the driver for DFG at times.

I used to surf there when I went to Cal Poly. Saw some nice bucks on the Morro Bay sandspit/peninsula too while duck hunting...

 

[hank4elk]

Hah!
The Canyon was my home away from home. The backbay for brants & other flying beasts, the sandspit for cockles on the bonfire.
Saw some bizzare little deer on the Pismo dunes too.

 

[mfb99]

Welcome to the forum, from the other better half of Cali, So-cal and the Mojave desert.

Interesting, I have not experienced "such an anti-hunting state" as you have said. California has some of the best hunting in the country and has world class management of their animal populations. To me it is amazing that in a state with 39 million people, I can buy an affordable hunting license, easily access hundreds of thousands of acres of some of the most amazing public land in the country and still find solitude in my hunting activities.

I can hunt rabbit, jackrabbit, mule deer, blacktail deer, chuckar, quail, dove, turkey, ducks, snipe, banded pigeon, antelope, elk, big horn sheep, etc. etc. When I am tired of hunting, I can grab my pole and fish for trout in the morning and blue fin tuna in the afternoon.

My interaction with Cali public officials have been very cordial. They are interested in helping hunters and fishermen and have always been very professional.

The numbers of hunters and sportsmen in Cali is huge, numbers of gun and sporting shops is huge. I am pretty sure that California leads the nation in fire arms purchases.

So, that said, I do on occasion run into someone who is anti-hunting. I respect their view and if they are interested I try to educate them. I also do my best not to lump them into a big bucket called "anti-hunting" and dismiss them. I have found that maybe those same anti-hunters are avid mountain bikers who what to keep the trails open or they might be gold prospectors who want to keep access to public lands.

California has some amazing public land, just last week I was hunting in an area that was so remote, I really had to be on my toes to not do a stupid because I could have died in the "wilderness". That is a pretty amazing thing when you think about all the people who are in this state. The week before that, I was fortunate enough to see a Mountain Lion, also on public land.

The future for public land is not guaranteed. There are very powerful political and commercial forces that want to strip these lands from the people. Those of us, all of us need to band together to make sure that never happens. To band together means more acceptance and finding common ground to make sure these lands always stay wild.

Cheers,

Mark

 

[LuketheDog]

Hah!
The Canyon was my home away from home. The backbay for brants & other flying beasts, the sandspit for cockles on the bonfire.
Saw some bizzare little deer on the Pismo dunes too.

I grew up not far from there, down in Santa Ynez. I loved the Central Coast, lots of great hunting, fishing, and surfing to be had for sure!

 

[hank4elk]

Had lots of friends down in SB Co. & in SY valley. Even had a chunk of land in The Ranch at one time.

 

[bioboy232000]

Welcome to the forum, from the other better half of Cali, So-cal and the Mojave desert.

Interesting, I have not experienced "such an anti-hunting state" as you have said. California has some of the best hunting in the country and has world class management of their animal populations. To me it is amazing that in a state with 39 million people, I can buy an affordable hunting license, easily access hundreds of thousands of acres of some of the most amazing public land in the country and still find solitude in my hunting activities.

I can hunt rabbit, jackrabbit, mule deer, blacktail deer, chuckar, quail, dove, turkey, ducks, snipe, banded pigeon, antelope, elk, big horn sheep, etc. etc. When I am tired of hunting, I can grab my pole and fish for trout in the morning and blue fin tuna in the afternoon.

My interaction with Cali public officials have been very cordial. They are interested in helping hunters and fishermen and have always been very professional.

The numbers of hunters and sportsmen in Cali is huge, numbers of gun and sporting shops is huge. I am pretty sure that California leads the nation in fire arms purchases.

So, that said, I do on occasion run into someone who is anti-hunting. I respect their view and if they are interested I try to educate them. I also do my best not to lump them into a big bucket called "anti-hunting" and dismiss them. I have found that maybe those same anti-hunters are avid mountain bikers who what to keep the trails open or they might be gold prospectors who want to keep access to public lands.

California has some amazing public land, just last week I was hunting in an area that was so remote, I really had to be on my toes to not do a stupid because I could have died in the "wilderness". That is a pretty amazing thing when you think about all the people who are in this state. The week before that, I was fortunate enough to see a Mountain Lion, also on public land.

The future for public land is not guaranteed. There are very powerful political and commercial forces that want to strip these lands from the people. Those of us, all of us need to band together to make sure that never happens. To band together means more acceptance and finding common ground to make sure these lands always stay wild.

Cheers,

Mark

Wow, I'm glad you hold our state in such high regard, I just have one question. How long have you been hunting?

 

[mfb99]

Yes, I hold "our" state in high regard. Though, it is really not our state, but the state of 39 million folks who live here and 300 million Americans.

I was born in China, lived in Central America, worked in Europe and Asia, surfed and climbed in Mexico and traveled over much of the US. I saw many beautiful places along the way. Having something to compare California too only made me more appreciative of how amazing, beautiful and diverse the state is.

I am not quite sure I grasp the connection from my original post to your question about how long I have been hunting. I don't want to miss read it as implying that one has to hunt a long time to have a valid post on the forum. I don't think this way and encourage all newbies to participate.

However, I will answer, I got my first hunting license in 1973....I'll let you do the math.

May I ask you a question? You said that you are a contract biologist for the state. Who pays your salary? My guess is that it is folks like me, tax payers and sportsmen (and women) who buy hunting and fishing licenses.

I am pretty sure that I am reading you wrong that you have a beef with the state that employees you, that would just not make sense, so I'll refrain.

Cheers,

Mark

 

[bioboy232000]

Yes, I hold "our" state in high regard. Though, it is really not our state, but the state of 39 million folks who live here and 300 million Americans.

I was born in China, lived in Central America, worked in Europe and Asia, surfed and climbed in Mexico and traveled over much of the US. I saw many beautiful places along the way. Having something to compare California too only made me more appreciative of how amazing, beautiful and diverse the state is.

I am not quite sure I grasp the connection from my original post to your question about how long I have been hunting. I don't want to miss read it as implying that one has to hunt a long time to have a valid post on the forum. I don't think this way and encourage all newbies to participate.

However, I will answer, I got my first hunting license in 1973....I'll let you do the math.

May I ask you a question? You said that you are a contract biologist for the state. Who pays your salary? My guess is that it is folks like me, tax payers and sportsmen (and women) who buy hunting and fishing licenses.

I am pretty sure that I am reading you wrong that you have a beef with the state that employees you, that would just not make sense, so I'll refrain.

Cheers,

Mark

With all due respect I'm just confused because you're the only hunter I've ever talked to that doesn't think CA is going in the wrong direction, maybe I'm just reading you wrong but your response is just very atypical. As far as my employment I'm payed by large water sales to users south of the Delta and not so much taxes. I'm not a state employee, I'm a private contractor that works closely with the likes of DFW, DWR, USBR, USFW ect. I've seen behind the curtain, and maybe that's why I feel the state has failed us as hunters and anglers. Im sure you knew the commission outlawed the use of hounds on bears in CA. How long before they put an end to letting whippets run around tearing up critters? I fear for your future right as a hunter that utilizes dogs. Most people are ok with hunting, until you start asking them specifics then they don't seem to be too keen on it. Hunting in CA will likely die a death of a thousand cuts one piece of legislation at a time.

 

[LuketheDog]

With all due respect I'm just confused because you're the only hunter I've ever talked to that doesn't think CA is going in the wrong direction, maybe I'm just reading you wrong but your response is just very atypical. As far as my employment I'm payed by large water sales to users south of the Delta and not so much taxes. I'm not a state employee, I'm a private contractor that works closely with the likes of DFW, DWR, USBR, USFW ect. I've seen behind the curtain, and maybe that's why I feel the state has failed us as hunters and anglers. Im sure you knew the commission outlawed the use of hounds on bears in CA. How long before they put an end to letting whippets run around tearing up critters? I fear for your future right as a hunter that utilizes dogs. Most people are ok with hunting, until you start asking them specifics then they don't seem to be too keen on it. Hunting in CA will likely die a death of a thousand cuts one piece of legislation at a time.

I think Mark has a point. California has some of the most diverse outdoor recreation opportunities in the country. I have many great memories of hunting and fishing all over CA while I lived there, and I never once ran into an issue with an anti-hunter of CADFG employee. I do believe the state has irreversibly gone in the septic tank on the political scale, and in fact is going the wrong direction in pretty much EVERY measurable way-I'll never move back! It would not surprise me if soon you residents will be hunting with single-shot firearms only. But, if you hold the state in such low regard, why live there?

 

[bioboy232000]

I think Mark has a point. California has some of the most diverse outdoor recreation opportunities in the country. I have many great memories of hunting and fishing all over CA while I lived there, and I never once ran into an issue with an anti-hunter of CADFG employee. I do believe the state has irreversibly gone in the septic tank on the political scale, and in fact is going the wrong direction in pretty much EVERY measurable way-I'll never move back! It would not surprise me if soon you residents will be hunting with single-shot firearms only. But, if you hold the state in such low regard, why live there?

I don't disagree about the splendid game diversity of this state, and have never encountered a Anti hunting DFW employee. The problem lies within the appointed commissioners that make the Rules for everyone. Look at the poor guy that had to step down because he went on a legal mountain lion hunt out of state and that didn't "represent the views of the people of California" as Gavin Newsome put it. Our secretary of Natural resources John Laird hosted and presented at a high dollar fund raiser event for Project Coyote. Those examples are what I was referring too when I bashed CA as a anti hunting state.
Why I still live here? That's a great question. I grew up here, and the outdoors are my life. I guess I feel I owe it to my back yard to be their voice. I was foolish to think that I could make a difference with my work to help protect the waters and the woods that I got so much enjoyment out of growing up.