Opinions on Big Horn Canyon Ranch

[slanttop357]

Go for it Bruce its the "thrill of the chase" dropping a porker and enjoying some good eating with good friends and learning anything that comes out of it is what its all about, i have eaten some pig from there and it was very good my sons friend arrowed a 250# pig from there i think if he curred it up a bit it would of been a little more tender. Any way good luck regards Craig.

 

[ltdann]

Farmerdoug, I agree with what you say here. Although, I disagree with trying to talk somebody out of doing something they might enjoy.
Talking trash might not have been the correct terminology, but thats what usually goes on in a BHCR thread.

BHCR has its place here. I think it is a good way for new people, kids, or disabled people to get on a pig. Or just a fun way to get some meat, way more fun than going to costco on a saturday hahaha. As long as there is an understanding that what you are doing is not "hunting", and the real thing is not this easy. A noob CAN learn valuable lessons there as far as recovery, skinning, gutting, and meat care. Vs someone that might go out on public land and get their first animal and be totally lost on what to do now. It can be a good way to prepare yourself for the real thing.

I bought my Dad a hunt there because he just started hunting recently (quail and rabbits are his thing), but in his physical condition he is past the point where he could do a REAL big game hunt. This was a fun way to get out there with my Dad and for him to shoot a pig. This was HARD WORK for him and he enjoyed the crap out of it. Like you said, the definition of hard work is different for everybody. My Daughter got to see up close how to gut and skin a pig too. She was so excited when a group of pigs busted out of the brush and took off over a hill, she was excited when we "stalked" up to 15 yds from the goats. She knows this is not fair-chase, but cant deny it was pretty fun.

My Daughter cant hunt big game yet cuz shes 11, she has her lic and hunts small game with me. She wants to go back and get herself a pig or goat. She will learn what BUCK FEVER is when she gets a big animal in her sights. She will learn how to gut, skin, and butcher. She will have all this knowledge before she goes out and gets her first Deer or Pig on public land. Or..... worste case.... she will decide that it is not what she's into and wants to stick to small game. Either way, lesson learned.

I am a Sportsman, all MY hunting so far in my life has been fair-chase. But i might go there if I have some extra cash, to bag a 4-horn goat. That would make a cool skull mount and some Birria!

Dave, I couldn't agree more. I HAVEN'T hunted there, but I like the idea that it exists, and that someday, I CAN. Maybe because of age, illness, ability or money or whatever the reason. I would gladly hunt that place.

When I first started hunting at age 32, I did it blindly. I literally walked into deer camp and stated "This is the first day I've ever hunted deer. What do I do?" Fortunately, these complete strangers took me under their wing for a few days. When I shot my first deer, I was by myself and had to figure out the gutting on my own. I remember that day, the spot and the deer, like it was this morning.

If I'd know about BHCR, I'd have started there. The EXPERIENCE of a BHCR hunt would have saved me a ton of heartbreak in later years.

Something no-one's mentioned is those folks that aren't really sure if hunting is for them, but willing to try it. BHCR is for those folks. The ones that need to find out if they can get a handle on the emotions, the killing and the work involved, before they spend a ton of time and money and realize, "I can't do this and sleep at night"

As an experienced hunter now, I'd call it armed grocery shopping.

I still plan on going one day, the lure of the Texas Dall is strong with this one.

 

[TonyS]

Bruce, I'm with you on the TX Dall. I will never have the chance to hunt a real Dall or for that matter any of the big horn sheep. But I would like to have the horns and meat. And doing it with a bow would be sweet.

 

[slanttop357]

Itdann i too had no one to help me with my first deer i was 21 but i did it no one to help me hoist the deer in a tree so my buck slept with me in the back of the truck big mistake 12 midnite the flees and ticks were thick in my hair and all over my body i freeked but it would of been nice to have some help, i did learn a lot about bagging my first deer.

 

[ltdann]

Itdann i too had no one to help me with my first deer i was 21 but i did it no one to help me hoist the deer in a tree so my buck slept with me in the back of the truck big mistake 12 midnite the flees and ticks were thick in my hair and all over my body i freeked but it would of been nice to have some help, i did learn a lot about bagging my first deer.

Exactly, LOL! Deer have ticks and fleas?

Who knew! I was driving a jeep cherokee at the time and all the fleas and ticks got into the carpet. They got on my wife and unkbeknownst to me, she put about 3 bug bombs in the back of the jeep. All the pesticides got into heating ducts. The next morning it was cold and I turned the heat on during the morning commute. When the ducts got warm, the pesticides flooded the jeep. I lost feeling in my fingers and by the time I got to work I was so stoned, I could smell and taste the colors.:ren:

Note to self: Deer have ticks and fleas. Spray deer with raid flea/tick formula before putting in vehicle with carpet.

 

[crackerman]

My experience:

A couple of months ago I won a hunt at Field Time sports for a hunt at Bighorn Canyon ranch. I have never hunted anything other then duck and wanted to try my hand at bigger game. I have read and heard all the good and bad about Bighorn Canyon and wanted to see for my self.

I got to the Ranch at 6:30, got a brief of the place and went down to find myself a pig. I walked down to the bottom of the canyon. I am not sure who has actually been able to pet a pig but they ran at the first sign of me. I moved farther back off a water trough and waited for them to come back.

One thing I really enjoyed was just sitting there listening to the nature around me. Just sitting and waiting I saw quail, other random birds, and just heard the world go by. After waiting a while and watching the hills change color I moved down the road and saw the pigs about 50 yards down by the side of the road. I put my sights on the better looking pig and pulled the trigger. I screwed up a bit and shot the front leg and broke that instead of getting the perfect lung shot. I moved up on the pig and put one into its head to finish it. The guys came down and brought the pig up to the rack and gutted for me while I learned a lot about how to clean an animal. I then dropped the pig off at the processors and can’t wait to bring home the bacon.

I learned quite a bit from the process. I learned I can shoot an animal, I figured you don’t know until you do and I am ok with that. I said my thanks to the animal and that was important to me. My CZ is certainly enough gun to take a smaller pig. Having a small easy to handle gun was great to carry around. Hopefully the processor can give me the bullet back. I need to hike more to get into better shape. I am glad I borrowed my dad’s good binos; I need to invest in a pair myself. I need to learn to dress animals myself and am looking for clinics around me. I know DFG has one at Tejon in July. I know open range hunting is not going to be nearly as easy as this was. I look forward to a tougher challenge down the road. I don’t think I will do Bighorn again for a pig but I will go back to do a horned animal when I want to get a mount done.

It’s nice to have it so close to my in-laws but I defiantly want to try big game hunting in other states and here in CA.

All in all a great first hunt experience

 

[Deleted member 33033]

Itdann i too had no one to help me with my first deer i was 21 but i did it no one to help me hoist the deer in a tree so my buck slept with me in the back of the truck big mistake 12 midnite the flees and ticks were thick in my hair and all over my body i freeked but it would of been nice to have some help, i did learn a lot about bagging my first deer.

Note to self: deer have ticks and fleas. Didn't know that either. Seems like it would be obvious yet I never gave it a thought. Good to know. BTW...my youngest is unsure if she wants to "kill anything" so who knows.

 

[DirtyDave]

BTW...my youngest is unsure if she wants to "kill anything" so who knows.

Like I said before Bruce. Take her there and check it out. Let her dicide if thats what she wants to do. Worst case, you are out $50

 

[Deleted member 33033]

If we go I'm out $375. cuz SOMETHING is gonna die and get dressed so I can learn how. <g>

 

[Bubblehide]

Bruce, to answer your question about eating exotics, if you have any doubts about the tenderness... of the meat, simply slow cook it all day, to the point that the meat falls off the bone, you can baste it during the process; after doing this, you'll have no hesitations on eating the meat of most any animal in the future.

The first time I tried this I was barely an adult, I had a spot for wild goats, and at the request of my sisters father in law, I bow killed a big old goat for his birthday party. I quartered it and took it to his house the evening prior to his party, his wife started cooking it that night, about 200 degrees until the next morning, basting it from time to time, but being sure there was plenty of juice in the pan so it didn't dry out. Anyway, it was as tender and tasty as could possibly be, and a total hit.

 

[ltdann]

If we go I'm out $375. cuz SOMETHING is gonna die and get dressed so I can learn how. <g>

If you need a spotter/assistant, give me a heads up, I'll go give a hand. It's only 45 min up the road. Hell, if your nice, I'll bring the meat saw and break it down for you so it'll fit in the coolers.

 

[Deleted member 33033]

Me? Nice? That'll be the day. LOL Thanks for the offer...I can use all the advice I can get.
45 minutes from Fallbrook? Where is this place, they don't say on their website. I thought it was out towards the Cajon Pass.

 

[crackerman]

its on the hemet side of Moreno Valley.

 

[DirtyDave]

Off the 60fwy and Redlands bl

 

[Deleted member 33033]

So from So. OC I would take the 241 toll road to the 91 to the 215 south? It would be an early morning run.

 

[DirtyDave]

So from So. OC I would take the 241 toll road to the 91 to the 215 south? It would be an early morning run.

Yep, then 60 east, exit Redlands bl. Go north for about 1.5-2 miles and there will be a dirt road on the right with a cable across it. That is the driveway.

 

[Caninelaw]

Here ya go Bruce. I guess at the end of the 91, at the 60 interchange, the freeway is called the 60/215, but, once you get up the hill from Riverside the 215 splits off and you have to stay on the 60.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...12,-117.485733&spn=0.453989,0.937271&t=h&z=11
(Not sure if that's the exact road off of Redlands Blvd. but its right in there somewhere.)

 

[Deleted member 33033]

Got it. Thx!

 

[DirtyDave]

fixed the map, you were going too far up Redlands bl
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Irvine,+CA&daddr=Redlands+Blvd&geocode=Fev5AQIdepj6-CnjQJFoDt3cgDE5mkpgdbV6pw%3BFZSMBgIdB1kE-Q&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=33.982193,-117.154663&sspn=0.014234,0.02929&ie=UTF8&ll=33.837912,-117.485733&spn=0.453989,0.937271&t=h&z=11

 

[Caninelaw]

fixed the map, you were going too far up Redlands bl
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Irvine,+CA&daddr=Redlands+Blvd&geocode=Fev5AQIdepj6-CnjQJFoDt3cgDE5mkpgdbV6pw%3BFZSMBgIdB1kE-Q&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=33.982193,-117.154663&sspn=0.014234,0.02929&ie=UTF8&ll=33.837912,-117.485733&spn=0.453989,0.937271&t=h&z=11

Thanks for fixing it Dave. I though it was either that one or the one I marked...of course 50/50 chance and I pick the wrong one every time. (Why I don't go to Vegas).