My FHL nightmare/Murphy's Law hit me!

[gasdocwannabe]

This is a long post, but I think many of you can relate and/or empathize as we have all had bad hunts.

So I got out of school eager to get to FHL, the 5 hour trip was fairly uneventful so I thought I may have a decent weekend coming up. I arrived at FHL at around 5 PM and went to the check-in window. I had sent my application and 25 bucks in two-weeks earlier, had called to make sure the base was open on the info line, and thought all would be in order. No way! The gentleman at the office, who was engaged in a conversation with a fellow civilian base worker (giving him hunting tips) broke stride in his conversation to check me in. It was apparent that he was not extremely pleased to do so. He then asked me for my license (no biggie-thats his job) and proceeded to tell me that if I had only sent my app in 2 weeks earlier it was doubtful if his female co-worker would have done the paperwork yet. How long should it take??? He proceeded to tell me that we as hunters should generally give them at least 3-4 weeks and that there was nothing he could do for me. When I told him that I drove 5 hours to get to the base he told me that I should have called to confirm that I had been processed properly and all hunters should do so but that he would point out a spot (after I told him I had made reservations at the Hacienda) just outside the base perimeter in LPNF. He gave this spot up very easily-a high pressure spot no doubt. Then he told me to come back before June 30, but "better call first". When I got to the Hacienda they had the wrong date for my reservation, which was okay because they still had a room. I am spoiled when it comes to motel rooms I guess, I realize its a historic place and renovations can't be made, but man-my tent is where I'll stay next time! I ended up booking the room for just one night. I couldn't take all the soldiers barfing in the common head and hallways. After checking in to the lodge I went out to scout the area and found a bunch of people camping, lost my cel phone, got blisters on my feet (I knew I would I'm trying to break in new boots before deer season) and was attacked by flocks of mosquitos (forgot my spray at the truck and forgot to spray up before leaving it!)! When I returned in the morning the campers were gone so I did hunt the area. No piggies-some scattered sign but no animals-I went out EEEaaarly too! Saw crudloads of deer and quail though. At any rate I decided to cut my losses and went back home-now I have to decide on whether or not to take a 25 buck loss or return to the blasted place. Especially since it looks like the piggies may have already gone nocturnal. Oh well thought you all would laugh!

 

[Cda55]

Damn that sucks. I haven't been there in a little while. Planning on a trip next month though. Have you thought about going to Camp Roberts Memorial Day Weekend? There will be a few of us there always willing to add another to the group.

 

[Boar Tracks CA]

With all the JHPers ,loks like were going to have a camp bob pig-o-rama.

Ithink its going to be fun.

 

[bighorn67]

They should not need three to four weeks to do your paperwork. I sent mine in and it was done in a week. You should check and see if they will let you apply that to another weekend. The process at Camp Roberts is much easier. You can register at the window without sending in a voucher.

Dave

 

[gasdocwannabe]

Can't make Camp Roberts Cda55, thanks for the offer....I may go back to FHL sometime before June 30 since I still have twenty five bucks on the books. I agree with you bighorn67-they should not need three weeks. I got a generally poor impression of the worker that was there. He really didn't appear to give a hoot. If its a first come-first serve basis I think they should actually be able to do a check-in at arrival kind of thing like Camp Roberts has. Oh well. Maybe Murphy will leave me alone next time at FHL-if there is a next time- I may do as many suggest-save my money and go out with a good guide to avoid the problems.

 

[Bill in SD]

Gasdocwannabe, have you ever heard of SUNK COSTS??? That is what your $25 fee is. That $25 is spent and is non recoverable.

To drive back out there will cost you a hundred or so dollars. That is the question you should ask yourself....

Do I want to spend the time, money, and possible frustrations with going back?

I live in San Diego and FHL is a long drive. What you explained as a bad day is not that shocking to me.

As a kid my dad would not take me anywhere untill I first called to make sure the hobbie shop or whatever would be open when we got there and they had what I wanted to go there for.

As an engineer I have been programmed to live by the rule of if there is a way someone will screw up or something will go wrong or I might screw up and how can I best avoid these disasters and make it through them unscathed.

My dad was not an engineer, but he sure did things a lot like and engineer.

I pay that $75 fee for FHL many weeks before I go there. And I have them mail the whole thing to me. That way I can have it in my hot little hand to present to them at the window to get the sticker for my license.

Even then I make sure to call Wed or Thurs before going. And I listen to the tape 2 or more times to make sure they are talking about the weekend I am going and not the previous weekend. Sometimes I call the Friday afternoon before leaving just to make double sure.

I have never stayed at the Hacienda, I asked once about it in February and the person on the other end of the phone said it was booked for the entire month. I got the feeling they did not want to rent out rooms.

If you go to eat at the Hacienda that will put you in the right mood for the base. The food is EXCELLENT but the service is mediocure at best. The servers can hardly get out of their own way.

That window attendent is very nice and very helpful, unless I am naive or something. Yes, he gives probably the same information to lots of people, but depending on how friendly you are to him and what questions you ask will result in the information you get.

He is a joy compared to having someone rude slam the window on you or say something rude.

That base is big and although there is a lot of game and excellent habitat, there is a lot of pressure.

And I figure when the training areas are not open and during the week you have solderiers running all around stirring things up. Not that that is bad, the base is there for training, which is number 1.

I live in San Diego and have been to FHL about 6 times in the last several years. I have mostly had a good time there, for the price it is excellent.

You and me face the same problems we live a long, long way away and it is not really worth it unless you don't mind going home empty handed.

For the one hour away hunter I would say what the heck the gas costs are not much and camping and food is cheap. And I think there are "locals" that do well consistently. But they are up there all the time and hunt hard and smart.

My problem is I don't want to go on one pig hunt per year. I want to go several times, and I cannot afford to pay a guide to hunt several times a year. I have a pig and javalina under my belt, so I am not going and going and going just for my first kill.

I just wanna hunt pigs, I wanna hunt pigs. When I get tired of no success I'll think about hiring a guide.

So, if you have fun going there go. If you don't, then don't

It sounds like you had a bad time, and I would place a bet that if you go again you probably won't like it. The Hacienda experience you had will probably be the same. The hunting is very, very tough.

The last time I went with my wife we busted out of SD right after lunch as soon as she could leave. We immediately hit traffic from a crash and the whole drive was long and slow. When we got onto the base my wife got busted for speeding after I told her over and over to slow down. There was a sign actually two while driving into the Hacienda. The one says reduced speed ahead the second has the reduced speed limit. During the day they are easy to see. At night the signs don't have any real reflective tape and the paint is poor and they are off the road a bit. There was a cop waiting in the dark and boom. The good news was that we paid the fine and nothing on the driving record.

Overall I have had a good time at FHL.


Cheers
Bill

 

[Bill in SD]

To be totally honest my only real complaint with FHL is that it is so far away from San Diego.

If I could drive there in an hour or less it would be great. All the hunting pressure and base idiosyncrasies are not that big a deal. For what you are paying for it is a really great deal, the $25 for a weekend or $75 annual pass.

The long drive for many is what makes it uneconomical in my opinion.

I really enjoy going to Mammoth during the summer for fishing, scouting and hunting. The only problem with Mammoth is that it is too far away to go often.


Cheers
Bill

 

[spectr17]

Hello gasdoc,

The issue about the woman (Cindy Williams) who runs the hunting program and her obnoxious behaviour is well documented here. You're not alone, trust me.

I pushed the issue up to her boss and he basically has told me a another reporter who asked about the problem that there was "no problem" and we can just pound sand.

You cannot contact Cindy M-F during the week to check on your hunter application because she will not give out her work phone number. You have to leave a message on the recorder and hope she returns your call.

If you feel like emailing Cindy's boss, his name and email is Mark Grindstaff, FHL Director of Public Works at mark.grindstaff@liggett-emh1.army.mil

I've also been told to try and work the local state and federal reperesentative angle since FHL is government land but I have not gone that route yet. Maybe that would light a fire under Grindstaff to at least solicit a survey to even see if there are any complaints. He dismissed all the complaints that were posted here several months ago as not being enough to be considered a problem.

You can also call the Fort Commander and try and lodge a complaint there, I was shuffled off to Grindstaff on my attempts.

Right now it's a huge turd sandwich and if you want to hunt FHL you have to take a bite once in awhile.

As far as the Hacienda, the soldiers can be a problem. I can remember the San Miguel beer and Jagermeister flowing through my nose as we decorated the bathrooms there well. You can always motel it in King CIty, San Migeul, Paso Robles or the campground at FHL. More info at http://www.jesseshuntingpage.com/fhl.html

 

[Boar Tracks CA]

Hey Jesse I just happen to know cindy's work number. Let me know and I will go into work tomorrow and get for all of JHP.THATS ONLY IF YOU WANT IT.

 

[spectr17]

Boartracks,

I was given her number and told not to publish it or she would change it again.

In other words, she doesn't want to be bothered by hunters. My only question is why is there not a live body you can talk to M-F to ask about an application status? You can talk to billeting, the Hacienda, the Commander's office but no hunter point of contact. At Vandenburg AFB you can talk to a warm body as well as Camp Roberts.

 

[Boar Tracks CA]

I will talk to Mark next week and see if maybe that can changed, Because without the hunters she does not have a job.

 

[bubba]

Boar Tracks,

Ask if there is any possibility of them selling vouchers over the counter again.

 

[sportyg]

Fire her and hire me hehehe as long as it is a GS07 or higher hehehe..

 

[THOR655]

Re FHL, I had a good time hunting, but the check in was horrible. I was "helped" by a girl with a mustache (no joke). I dont know her name but she was sucked hind teat. She was rude and disrespectful to me and other hunters. I saw her shred a guys pig tag, because she thought that he was using it illegally. He wasn't but he drove too far to argue DFG regs with her.

There were many new hunters to FHL that day and they all being treated rudely. As a military man myself it offended me greatly to see that much disrespect handed out on a military base. You can bet that if she was military she would "standing tall" in front of the Commander to explain her actions.

By the way, I saw everything but Hogs on my hunt. There were many Deer, Elk, Turkey, and Quail though.

The Hacienda used to be a hunting Lodge for the Hearst family. If you think of it as that you wont be disappointed. The rooms are sparse and you have to walk down the hall to use the head, but it is cheap.

 

[Loye]

Cindy.