Boar hunting Panoche Hills

[shaginator]

What does the lake look like? I hear some people say it's more like a shallow pond, but that's probably because they were only out there in summer.

 

[Rocketman]

The lake at the top of the hill is a small dam, maybe 50 yards across. It is/was the water supply for the town and they used to have someone living there to guard it. The shack is still there but I didn't see anyone around. Spanish lake is another 10 miles out the same road, last time I was there I found a pig skeleton with 1 1/2 inch tusks. Along the road to spanish lake are a few springs if you know where to look.
Ed

 

[bowhunting fool]

Ed is right about the pond above the town and that someone used to guard it but i don't know about now, but on that same road is spanish lake just like what Ed has said, about 10 miles or so, and in the wet winters the lake gets so big that is covers the road at certain spot making the road immpassable. because it is under about 3 feet of water.
Well on that road about a mile or two before you get to spanish lake is a huge jumble of boulders that almost looks like Big Thunder railroad at disneyland. Well I have seen some exotic rams on that jumble of rocks, I think they were the mouflon rams and there were about 12 or so and all had huge long curled and twisted horns. and I was told by a BLM ranger that they had escaped an exotic game ranch that was near there several years before. And he said he did not know of any regulations that said you could not hunt them, so I went back some months later to try and hunt one. Well I finally spotted a few and when I got into a shooting position they all scattered before I could squeeze off a shot so I spent the rest of the weekend looking for them but I never saw them again. So I am wondering if anyone else has seen them any time recently. As I think that would be an interesting hunt. If they were still there and had not all been killed yet by either hunters or mountain lions. So has anyone else ever seen these rams there. I have 2 buddies that have seen them with me so I know I was not hallucinating.

 

[Rocketman]

Are you talking about the rock outcropping on the top of Santa Rita peak before Spanish lake?

 

[bowhunting fool]

Yes, I believe that is the rock pile I am talking about. It is just before spanish lake and stands out pretty big. it is also a reddish color.

 

[Speckmisser]

I was too wore out and sore to go over toward Spanish Lake this weekend.  Hadn't heard of any mouflon rams up there though.  Doesn't mean they're not there, only that I wasn't told about them.  If they are there, you can certainly shoot them.  

 

[bubba]

Bowhunting fool:  I just talked to an DFG Warden.  I asked about the exotic animal question.  He says you need permission from owner, if you can find him, to shoot them.  He says it would be the same as shooting an escaped cow.  They belong to someone.  He says it is a felony, its considered rustling, if it does not belong to you or if you don't have permission.  That was one person's though on the subject.  I'm going to call th eimport /export dept. next.  

 

[bowhunting fool]

I would understand that if they were on or near Private property but these rams are deep into BLM land and there is not an exotic ranch or any ranch around for miles, as they were escaped animals that have adapted and developed a way of survival out there just like the original pigs in the state, as they were escaped animal at one time as well .Where do you draw the line between a farmers escaped flock or a domestic animal that is now wild and thriving without the farmer. I would really like to see someone try and put a claim on these goats that are running around wild now. I think if you give anybody an opportunity to say "yeah they are my goats" they would take it all the way to the bank, and then want to start charging to hunt them.
My personal belief is they are wild animal now and belong to all of us and the farmere who once owned them years ago has lost claim to them because they have adapted and grown and even bred new goats all without the farmers lands or feed or vet care for that matter therefore making them wild animals now and state property, available to all of us who own a hunting lisence. Thats just my opinion.

 

[shaginator]

bowhunting fool is morally correct.

however we all know that morally correct is not necessarily legally correct -- especially when government bureaucracies are involved.

i'd say a majority of dfg officials just plain don't know because nobody's "studied" the issue. now i'm no legal expert, but at this point what it probably comes down to is which warden you might happen to run into if you decide to harvest one of those goats. one who knows the area and history of these beasts is likely to let you take as many as you can.

may also help to just contact the BLM Hollister field office to see what their take on the situation is.

 

[bubba]

Bowhunting fool:

I'm trying to get as much info as possible from as many people as possible.  For accuracy, when do you think these animals first escaped and how many generations passed.  I'm inclined to agree with you that any animals breed in wild are wild.

 

[Bishop]

According to the DFG Mammals & Furbearers regulation book, section 472 "Non-game Animals" states that "aoudad, mouflon, tahr, and feral goats" are non-game animals and can be taken at any time.  So, if there's no private game farm close by it appears that you can shoot these animals.  In fact the section doesn't mention anything at all about game farms or privately owned animals.  

 

[bubba]

I just talked to a BLM guy in Hollister.  He says that there was an adjacent ranch that dealt with exotic animals about 7 years ago.  He's not sure if that ranch is still operating.  He also said that he has never received any reports of anyone seeing any goats up there....

I'll keep you posted

 

[sdbowyer]

I think it distinctly states in the DFG guide that they are non-game animals and can be hunted.  Sad that the official representatives of the DFG don't know their own regulations but I've encountered this before.

 

[bubba]

Just talked to regional manager of DFG Region 4.

He says. " They are non-game animals.  Just need a hunting license and have fun."

So.  If they are there, I don't think you should have any trouble getting them and worrying about getting in trouble.  They are non-game animals on public land.

(Edited by bubba at 4:29 pm on April 11, 2002)

 

[shaginator]

So who's going out there this weekend? I may be around that area for hogs.