Pig Eradication Plan Set For California Island

[gwhunter69]

How do you become a contract hunter???

Pig Eradication Plan Set For California Island
Federal officials have begun corralling and killing wild pigs on California’s Santa Cruz Island as part of an effort to protect and restore the island’s natural resources.

Officials last month began stretching “pig-proof” fencing across the 60,645-acre island, the largest of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California. Once the 4,000 pigs are trapped inside the fences, they’ll be shot by contract hunters.

Biologists say the pigs are preventing an ecological restoration effort because they dig holes, strip bark from rare trees and uproot Native American artifacts. The pigs also attract non-native golden eagles, which prey on piglets and the endangered island fox.

The eradication project, which will cost $2.1 million, is expected to take 5 to 7 years to complete.

 

[CSUHunter]

In my experience, these contract killers are nothing more than lucky exterminators. Heaven forbid that they let us sportsmen in there and let us do it for free, or even pay a small fee. Instead, they hire these guys and pay them well for something that would be our pleasure. That's the state for you! Where I used to live there was a pig problem on a local golf course, they paid a huge sum of money for exterminators to shoot the pigs instead of letting locals do it for free. At the peak, the killed over a hundred pigs in two months, and the pigs are still nowhere near gone. I think the golf course got tired of paying for it, and are just trying to ignore the problem.


Dan

 

[Hook]

I can hear the giant flusing sound of my our tax money going down the toilet. And the pigs will STILL be there in 5-7 years.

Eradicate the pigs.....

 

[bubba]

With all the encroachment going on all over CA. Maybe we should start a JHP Pig Control company. We would have plenty of hunters to help out to cover all over the state.

What do you need to do to start something like this?

 

[CSUHunter]

Bubba-


That's really not a bad idea. I guess I never really though of that, or considered it a real possibility until somone else brought it up. We could pretty much outbid any other contractor, as us JHP'ers would be willing to so it for next to nothing. That is an interesting proposition, one that we may want to look into. I will do a little poking around and let you know what I come up with....



Dan

 

[EVAN III]

OH NO!!! NOT THE ISLAND KIT FOX AGAIN

I'd be up for the pig killing thing though.

 

[One Track]

Let's send in our bid at $1.9 million.


$500,000 - Transportation (40 ft. sportfisher, that sleeps eight. )
$500,000 - $100 prize for each pig shot.
$500,000 - for charity (NRA)
$400,000 - admin, ammo, bait, and food.

Just a suggestion.

 

[shaginator]

Sign me up!

OneTrack: that number does look cheap if you look at it through the eyes of the state.

Oh yeah, and don't forget that $20,000 check to Gray Davis so that he bumps us to the top of the list.

 

[gwhunter69]

Bubba: That was the best idea I have seen on here in a long time. Sign me up too...

BTW: Shaginator, Greedy Gray would not even look at you for $20,000. You had better pony up $100,000 to get a nod, and $1,000,000 to get your way. I wish I were kidding.

 

[CSUHunter]

Been checking into some things on the subject, but I havne't found much. I haven;t found anything that says that an exterinator must be licensed or anything special like that. It would be interesting to get on something like this before it got started and put a bid in. I am pretty sure that a 1.9 million dollar bid is about ten times lower than the next highest. Sounds like a pipe dream, but it would be interesting to find out more on the subject, and what exactly in would take to get the nod from the state on such a fair price. As for the company that actually got the bid, they are sure doing something right. Pig hunting 24-7, not only for free, but being paid well.


Dan

 

[gwhunter69]

I also tried to contact the California Department of Fish and Game. They told me to "contact Channel Islands." So, I said, "What you do not regulate contract hunters in the state of California?" He replied, "No." Either this guys is blatant moron

or you can call yourself a "contract hunter" without any special license or regulations in this state. I am not taking much stock in the words of the geniuses at F&G. They have proven themselves to be virtually clueless in the past.

 

[bubba]

I beleive the answer to our questions lies in Section 4180-4190 of the Fish and Game Code. This section deals in depradation permits. Apparently, any land/property owner can apply for this permit and issue them to any licensed hunter. There is a series of hoops to jump through initially ( provingthey are a nuisance or are causing damage to proerty, etc) that the landowner goes through. If we can identify landowners and then offer our services by not only hunting, but dealing with the red tape, we might be able to do something. Here is the link to the Code:

Fish and Game COde 4180-4190

 

[Big Bubba Daddy]

For all those sound and overpopulated sensitive areas, count me and my bow in!

 

[bubba]

I've heard of an area where ranchers are sometimes willing to allow hunters on their property for pest control (piggies). I will make up some business cards offering this type of service and drop them off at a local tavern where all the ranchers meet. I spoke to the owner of the tavern and he said he would give out my cards whenever a rancher would complain about the pigs.

So, I will offer rifle hunting, bow hunting , and maybe some trapping. If we get a depradation permit, the meat would have to be donated. We would make that decision based on nature of problem.

Rifle: no problem, I know plenty of rifle hunters and if this all pans out. I will be inviting JHP memebers for help.

Bow hunters: I only know a few bow hunters and I would definitely need volunters for this type of hunting.

Trapping: I have a place to take the piggies. I have a truck and could get some trailers if needed. I just never made a trap and really don't know much about trapping. I would definitely need help in this part also.

Not sure if I would charge the landowners at first, unless it gets really expensive. Just hoping to get some hunting oppurtunities. I have a million dollar bond to protect myslef and any ranch proeprty owners. You would have to sign a waiver for access. For those of you who don't have Personal Liability Insurance, you should consider it and mention it when you go try getting access. It makes a big difference since liability is usually the excuse for denying access.

Next step. Marketing material. But I need your assistance in what level of service to market. The only thing I am not sure about putting out is trapping unless I can get some help in this.

 

[Speckmisser]

That's a great idea, Bubba! Let me know how it goes. There are a lot of ranchers complaining about the damage to their crops out around Coalinga too, but they're real slow to let strangers on the property. Maybe a different approach like yours is the answer.

By the way, add one rifle/bow hunter to your list... I shoot both, as well as handgun and muzzleloader if the noise is OK but the range is short.

 

[shaginator]

bubba: would like to be on your list of rifle hunters.

Also -- from whom do you get your personal liability insurance?

 

[bubba]

Shaginator,

I got my insurance through GE Elctric insurance. I got a good rate since I was an employee. 68 bucks for 1 million dollars insurance. I no longer am a GE employee, not sure how much the premium will rise if aby next year, but I plan to keep it for protection. My lawyer advised me that its money well spent in todays society. As I mentioned, it also goes a long way in getting access. Most insuarance comapnies offer this supplemental insurance, try your current company and shop around.

 

[sdbowyer]

One Bowhunter volunteer reporting for duty sir.

 

[Freedivr2]

The depredation section of the Fish and Game codes has changed in the past year with a couple of new twists in it. Landowners can now only allow a maximum of (3) different "agents" per year (or per each depredation permit, I forgot which) to dispatch pigs depredating their property or crops. Another part of it is that the meat does not have to be turned in to the Fish and Game warden as it used to, it may be kept by the landowner or agent. Couple of reasons for that is that the Fish and Game had a problem with charities in that they would not accept meat that wasn't USDA or somehow federally inspected meat because of the inherent liability risk. I know a landowner who (two years ago) actually saw a warden take a pig he had dispatched just hours earlier and dump it in a ravine. His take is that the Department is getting pretty tired of going out and picking up a dead animal and dealing with it on a pig to pig basis, so they've also had the law revised to read that the landowner with the permit must document each dispatch, and provide a written report to the Department monthly.

Talk about learning to work smarter, not harder, eh?

Please make sure you read all the text of these codes and also speak with the local Fish and Game office before going out on a depredation permit. The permit is issued by the Fish and Game when depredation has occured, and must have the landowners and their agents names on it and a date range of when the permit is good for. Just a word to the wise, here. Check it all out, don't go in blind........

 

[bubba]

Not going in blind, just going by the code as previously posted which is updated daily. There is no mention of the changes you brought up. In every case it says the carcass must be made available to the department. Maybe the changes are proposed and have not been passed yet. I can only live by the written word for now. Have to be careful about information you get directly from the department. A lot of guys here can attest to the misinformation department employees give out.

I'll call the legislative branch to see what proposed changes F&G CODE 4180-4190.