Guided hunts - are prices to high?

[Rick]

On topic, we used to lease a ranch near Parkfield for many years until Bub died. He would occasionally let a guide on, or let us take additional pigs beyond our lease allotment, for $200-250 a pig. Whatever the guide got above that amount was his to keep. All Bub cared about was his fee and that you obeyed his rules and possessed common sense. If the guide charged $400, he made a couple hundred bucks for his efforts, gas to get there and drive the hunters around, food (if provided) etc.

 

[Backcountry]

QUOTE (Rancho Loco @ Jan 9 2008, 06:07 PM) http://index.php?act=findpost&pid=951915

Oh man is this gonna mess with your head..

Yes I do have a better deal. I have a place an hour away where I can shoot wild pigs for free just about any time I go out there. But it isn't hunting - it's shooting. Set up on the edge of a pasture and rip a good one when they come out at last light.

But it's not hunting, so I choose to spend some bucks in a few choice places to test myself and my equipment. And enjoy the company of fellow members of Jesse's. And check out some new places with amazing wildlife and scenery.

Chew on that one.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here... he's not going to grok your point.

That said, Rancho, thanks for inviting me to spend my extremely hard earned money on a fun hunt with you and da boys at Choppers... For what it’s worth, I've got a better option too... it's free (for me), and in Sonoma County, 5,000 acres, and is full of hogs (shot three there last year)... but, IMHO, there IS more to hunting than kill'n... the way I see it, I'm paying my money to Chopper for the opportunity to kill a hog and turkey in April, but with the guarantee that I'll be doing it with 5 other guys (plus Chopper) who will enhance the experience, vis-à-vis the camaraderie.

Pretty much what Rancho said...

But I guess we're idiots because we CHOOSE how to spend our money...

 

[sancho]

plain and simple: a pig hunt is worth exactly the amount someone is willing to pay. for me, i like running around looking for them. i am learning fast, that pigs are to be respected, because they are effen hard to find. even when you do see them, getting close enough for me to thread an arrow into their vitals opens me up to a myriad of obstacles. i think paying to get onto some property that holds alot of animals, and paying some "expert" to put me into them is money well spent. expecting folks to band together to get landowners and guides to lower prices is crazy talk. remember the love people expected when we were supposed to unite against the gas companies? we were asked to stop buying gas for a single day in order to bring the gas juggernauts to their knees! the power of the consumer unite!!! BS, that didnt even raise any corporate eyebrows, and neither will this. if you cant pay, and i typically cant, somebody that can, will always step up with the cash!!

it is sucky that the cost of hunting is going up. keep in mind that all of it is going up. tag, clothing, ammo, arrows...all of it. so whether or not i can afford it or not is not the question. i dream of arrowing a public lake sonoma hog. i go often, and i hike alot. but for a better chance, i think i am wiling to pay to hunt a good spot. (booked for choppers, and heading off to texas for some hill country piggies. 2 weeks away!)

i think the cost of pig hunting is going up, because it is gaining in popularity. hunting magazines are all over it. and even Jesse's hog and javalina section is maybe the second most popular section. it used to be a vermin. now pigs have gone legit, and into the mainstream. good luck fellas, i hope and pray we all get to hunt!

 

[boarhunter67]

I can't remember who told me about Tejon bringing in hogs, but I think it was a former guide. He did tell me that the hogs were over hunted. I do know that DFG makes a lot of exceptions for the right price. For example, when Chimines sold out near Soda Lake DFG gave him two Tule Elk tags that were good for a whole year. He brought one in to our shop and the tag was good. We asked him about it because it was out of season and that's how we found out about the deal he bragged about. As far as the fence at Tejon keeping Elk in, no it's a pretty small fence that wouldn't keep them in if they wanted to jump. My dad in Tehachapi said every few years in a while he sees an Elk and a few antelope around the hills off Woodford Tehachapi road so I'm sure some get out. Also Cummings brought in quite a few species of game that eventually got out.

 

[7magHunter]

Say hello to my little friend!

[attachment=48279:Let__s_r..._roll___.jpg]


I enjoy this very much so you guys go get that popcorn and wait for Rancho vs 7Mag

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

Jackrabbit Quote:"San franphysco " -- is that in Northern California, or is Norcal there??? I am sure Norcal has been to at least one place with that kinda name!! 7 mag, just kidding,[/b]

That's how we call San fransisco in this part of town, like others they call us Hollyweird!
I wasn't aware of a member ID Norcal? we have a few weird member's id right Crazy Ranch?
C'mon Rancho come out I'm bored!

 

[Speckmisser]

Boarhunter,

Nothing personal or anything, but I don't go in much for the hearsay stuff. That's why I question it. I've spent a fair bit of time with a couple of the guides there, and we've discussed some of the rumors and such that go on about Tejon. That was one of them, just like the rumor that the hogs are getting "shot out" or that they're over-hunted. I don't have the science to support me, but I doubt you COULD overhunt the hogs on that piece of property. It's too big and too prime.

Tejon is a PLM property, which is why they get to set their own seasons (within certain guidelines). I am honestly not completely clear how the deal with the elk works, since they're not native tules... but it's all part of their management agreement which is how they get PLM tags.

Same most likely goes with Chimines... I wouldn't doubt that he worked a deal to include a couple of PLM tule elk tags as part of the price. Heck, I would!

Anyway, I've already made a bigger deal of this than it deserves. Back to the topic at hand.

 

[Rancho Loco]

In NO WAY are the pigs at Tejon overhunted. They're fat and thick, and crwling out of the woodwork. They've been that way since I've been hunting there.

They are smarter now - that's what happens to pigs when they get shot at... But that place will never be shot out, pig wise..

 

[Rancho Loco]

QUOTE (Backcountry @ Jan 10 2008, 05:35 PM)

I'm gonna go out on a limb here... he's not going to grok your point.

Ya think?

 

[7magHunter]

Oh well I guess this thread is

, but sure was fun!
I still can't convince rancho in saving his money, I was just trying to be a good Samaritan!

 

[boarhunter67]

Okay, I was somewhat mistaken. Here's what I was told by someone I know who worked there. He was told to shoot any boar that was not completely black because they wanted their feral pigs to look more russian. I guess they had previously introduced a russian strain. Anyway, that didn't put much of a dent in them so they increased their hunts quite a bit until the pig population was much lower, then they brought in a bunch of big russian boar and sow and released them. He was there when they released them and he said they were big and some had snouts 14" long. They bred in and now most of the boar there are very black some with a little red mixed in, but very few--if any--have the painted look anymore. So, the extra hunts weren't simply for money.

 

[hatchet1]

dude,i love the pokadots and the neopolitans, those truly are the ones i will shoot if
there is a choice between a black one and one of the multicolors, personal choice i guess,
but to me i never understood the theory behind trying to get all black hogs, maybe they taste better

 

[Rancho Loco]

QUOTE (boarhunter67 @ Jan 10 2008, 08:38 PM)

Okay, I was somewhat mistaken. Here's what I was told by someone I know who worked there. He was told to shoot any boar that was not completely black because they wanted their feral pigs to look more russian. I guess they had previously introduced a russian strain. Anyway, that didn't put much of a dent in them so they increased their hunts quite a bit until the pig population was much lower, then they brought in a bunch of big russian boar and sow and released them. He was there when they released them and he said they were big and some had snouts 14" long. They bred in and now most of the boar there are very black some with a little red mixed in, but very few--if any--have the painted look anymore. So, the extra hunts weren't simply for money.

Don't take it personal - but that's the most unlikely story I've ever heard.

And I've probably seen more spotted and colored hogs there than solid black. The biggest boar I've ever seen shot there was a 350+ lb. spotted.

 

[bpnclark]

If some corporation wanted to tell other corporations that they had a huge ranch in CA for “wild” pig hunting, what other choice would they have. It would be hard invite some big shots for a wild pig hunt and have a pink sow with white spots go running by.

If that’s what they want, that’s what they will get. More power to them. I’m still confused on why they don’t offer Tule Elks. They would be making a lot more $.

 

[upper]

The spotting(HYDRO type) is from inbreeding,not to be confused with the belted hogs.Piebald is the correct term.Tehon could have known this and brought in hogs from another area to mix things up a little.Upper

 

[hatchet1]

ive always called them neopolitans rather than belted, always shoot um in
the strawberry, nobody likes the strawberry

 

[kelly106]

still going?

 

[Cal hunter]

Just my opinion but I used to think it was to much until I went on my first paid hunt at Birds and Boars.I sent chopper my deposit which I had some time to do and then sent him money here and there and had it paid for in full before I even went on the hunt so that I would have money for the other expenses of any hunt public or private.For two days I hunted some of the best property I have ever set foot on,, stayed in a cabin with a view that had all the comforts you could want and made some very good new friends.Now the way I see it If I wanted to rent a cabin for a weekend or stay at a resort I would have spent just as much and not got to hunt.I have gone back to Choppers 3 times and its worth every penny to me.I can only afford to go once a year but I look forward to this trip and I save up for it through out the year.For me it works and for some it dont.If you can save up to buy a toy then you can save up to treat yourself to a hunt.

 

[oneshothunter]

 

[brknarrow]

i use to shoot 1 to 20 pigs in an outing just to let them freakin rot' thought i was gonna rid our county of those vermin. not..now theres money in it dfg is watchting $$$$ the're gonna crank up the fees even more. and i really don't think rancho's that big!!!

 

[cam188]

I used to think pig hunting was too expensive myself. But the more I do the math Choppers is a great deal and I am going to try and do a hunt this year.600 ish is a bargain when you consider it is two day accomodated. I have only heard good things about his place.

Tejon would be fine if you hunted with someone who new the area like the back of their hand.

Considering what I spent out in the field and gear etc. for deer hunting this year pig hunting is a bargan the only thing I worry about is my skill with connecting. lol...

That and the cost of gas from LA to Central CA. The V10 with 37's sucks alot of fuel lol...

Believe me I can't afford a $500 hunt but we all find a way to do what we love. I have never hunted hogs before and think choppers gives a great learning opportunity.

I look at it like this I went Duck hunting two weeks ago gas was 150 room 40 food 100, 15 to hunt thats 305
Guess what four of us left with 1 pintail drake. lol... That is one expensive bird lol.... Oh and we had ressi 1 and blind 10 at kern but with our socalled drought they let 50% of the water out and there was only 6-8 inches in front of the blinds duckies didn't like it. lol..

But back to my point hunting in CA is not cheap period. Land is at a premium game is pocketed and takes alot of work to make it happen.

Yes they are pests but my guess is that pigs are one of the biggest revenue generating species for Fish and Game in the hunting spectrum. They have become a commodity that we all want to hunt. So we have to pay the price. Do you really think an ounce of gold is worth over 800 an ounce cmon. Or a house in Los Angeles 800,000 I don't but people pay what they have to.

Just my 2 cents...