Santa Cruz Island California Wild Pig Hunt.

[Hook]

Fubar,
Then we can send over some.........??? hunters to kill the lions? No, that's illegal in KA.

I am all for letting the hunters take care of the over population of pigs on the island but not the eradication of the pigs. I would like to go on the hunt, but a 40-60 lb. pig won't have alot of meat on it even if you bone it all out. Is it worth it??? Maybe

(Edited by Hook at 9:38 pm on Nov. 26, 2001)

 

[Speckmisser]

Actually, CA is pretty nice to non-residents for most kinds of hunting.  Big game gets a little pricey, but compared to some other states it's not bad at all.  Of course non-residents can't hunt some of our high demand game, like elk, but that stands to reason, since there's not enough elk to provide all resident hunters a fair shake.  

But I can bring my brother from NC who is dying to bowhunt wild pigs, spend $40 to get him licensed, and we can be hunting public lands that are like nothing he's ever experienced in the east.  It'll cost me three times that to go back home to NC and do the same thing.  

Or I can bring my father-in-law out here for a duck hunt, give him the hunt of his life (even a slow day here is better than most days in the Southeast), and still come out cheaper than out of state hunts in most other places.

 

[Speckmisser]

Well, I stand corrected.  To hunt any big game in CA, you HAVE to buy the full-season hunting license.  The short-term license isn't valid, and that pretty well sucks.

Still cheaper than going to a lot of other states, but sure busted my groove.  Thanks for pointing it out, Johnnie.

 

[mudwalker]

Hey Big Dog, you and Speckmisser can have all the pig hunting you want.  That is some work.  Just do me a favor and keep Speckmisser out of the Posion Oak.

 

[spectr17]

We used to train on the north end of San Clemente Island where they had a huge goat problem. One day while doing some diving we watched F-14s practice gun runs on them goats, they just exploded when the cannon fire hit them. Casper (the Knife) Weinberger, then secretary of defense, allowed the Navy to continue the goat shooting until a boatload of PETAs filmed it. End of goat practice.

I think they eventually removed the goats by trapping and shooting because of the damage they were doing to the grasses and shrubs.

The hogs I've seen on Catalina are mostly small also.

 

[limit7]

I used to live on Catalina.  The hogs are not very big, but some would be over 100lbs.   But they are pretty smart.  They would usually send down one pig first to check out an area before the sounder would follow.

The hunt sounds like fun but I wonder if it will get harder as the weeks follow.  I wonder if it is even worth it after the first couple of hunts.  And will the DFG cancel the later hunts if the hogs are gone.  Anyway I sent my card in.

 

[Fubar]

limit7  Welcome to Jesses Forum. Did you ever see any turkeys at Catalina? Did they ever let anyone hunt them?          Fubar

 

[limit7]

Never saw turkeys, but I live there off and on during the 1970's and 1980's.  Not sure if they were there then.    Saw lots of fox, pigs, goats, buffalo and quail.  Actually I did more fishing back then....caught lots of yellowtail and tuna.  

 

[karstic]

Anyone interested on pairing up with me on this hunt? Never hunted pig, but willing to give it a try.

 

[mjohns2]

Get me a piggy or relax in Jamaica, go hunting or go on this cruise. I'm sorry. As bad as I want to go on the piggy hunt, I can't make it

Someone please take pictures.

(Edited by mjohns2 at 7:40 am on Dec. 27, 2001)

 

[CrossTimbers]

I got to participate in a pig collection (blood/tissue samples) on the island in 2000 (Spring I think?) as prep. work for the eradication program & potential public hunt. They hadn't had rain, & the pigs were walking dead (I see why they call them razorbacks).

I'm told soon after our effort, there was a die-off and there are now fewer animals and they are in better condition-- but I wouldn't expect roly-poly animals.

I know fish & game worked hard with nature conservancy to get a public hunt out there before the eradication formally begins, so you guys bashing them are looking a gift-horse in the mouth. There didn't have to be a hunt (like being invited to a party & complaining about the food).

Also, we were too heavy for the plane & had to leave about a third of our gear behind. They won't tell you that till the last minute as they weigh stuff, so be prepared if you get drawn.  I assume that may be why some of the restrictions are in place.

A beautiful place, great fun to hunt (collect in this case).

Incidentally, the coyote idea won't work because the idea is to protect native species on the island like the island fox.

 

[Dakota]

I have hunted Santa Cruz before and the pigs are well over 60-80 lbs.  I have a pic if someone tell me how you attach it here.  It is a tough hunt.  You must Pack in your own water, there are no sourses.  Plenty of pigs though.  At least in the late 80s.  The pig I bagged was about 250.  

The terrain is far to rough to eradicate pigs by hunting.  They all ready tried using professional hunters once.  It didn't work.  There are a lot of funny politics involved with the island. And lots of rumors.

 

[Fubar]

Dakota Welcome to Jesses Forum. For info on how to post pics go to the top of the Big Game Hunting Forum. The first post will explain how to post pics.               Fubar

 

[Dakota]

The Picture,  After a couple attempts I think a got it.  Some quality was definaltely lost in the transfer.  I believe this was from 88 or 89 to the best of my memory.  Jeret Owen had the East end of the Island at that time.  Alot of nonsense has taken place since.

http://www.hunting-pictures.com/members/da...cruz%20boar.jpg

(Edited by Dakota at 11:43 am on Jan. 4, 2002)

 

[Fubar]

Dakota  Nice pig! Thanx for sharing the pic.           Fubar

 

[Stryder]

Nice pig Dakota. I hunted sheep and pigs over there with archery in feb. '97 right before they shut it down and to say it was a bowhunters dream come true is an understatement. I'm glad I got the chance to go but boy do I miss it.
                           Stryder

 

[bloodsports]

What size rifle would you use for this hunt?  Would a 30-30 do th job?  

Thanks

 

[Dakota]

A 30-30 will certainly do the job, but I am not much of a fan of that rifle.  Surely it was popular years ago and many animals have been harvested with it.  I prefer something with a little better ballistics.  With that said, a buddy on this same trip took one with a 30-30 at about 100 yards.

 

[colby18]

dakota,
would you say your pig was big compared to the rest of the pigs that you saw?  Also when will dfg notify the people who won the drawing.  I didn't enter, I have a game on that weekend but a couple of my buddies did.

 

[Bishop]

You can still apply for the hunt drawing until 1-31-02.  There are 10 hunts from March 18 thru April 19.  They are all on weekdays.  Mon/tue/weds/ or weds/thurs/friday.  The drawing is on 2-6 and notification is by 2-15.