- Joined
- Mar 11, 2001
- Messages
- 70,011
- Reaction score
- 1,007
SANTA CRUZ ISLAND HOG HUNT -- Jim Matthews-ons 23jan02
Santa Cruz hunt a last opportunity for island hunters
Over 1,000 hunters have already applied for one of the 120 slots available on 10 different hunts for wild hogs being held by the Department of Fish and Game on Santa Cruz Island.
"This is the front end of an eradication program to remove all hogs from Santa Cruz," said Doug Updike with the DFG in Sacramento. "Hunters are being allowed to take the cream off the top before the eradication begins."
It also represents the end of an era for California hog hunters who once went to offshore islands and shot feral hogs, goats and sheep that had been turned loose by early explorers. Over the past few years, the National Park Service and various conservancy groups which helped purchase the land have embarked on a campaign to rid the islands of these non-native animals, animals that have seriously damaged the environment. The wild hogs have already been completely removed from several islands and portions of others, and the Santa Cruz hunt may be the last public opportunity to hunt these animals.
The hogs that have lived on the offshore islands for hundreds of years are also different than feral mainland hogs. While there is a lot of talk about Russian wild boar in California, all hogs currently living in wild the state are predominately from European domestic hog stock. There are a couple of areas where some Russian genetic markers are evident in hog DNA, according to hog researcher Ron Loggins, who's working on his PhD in this field, but there are no true, full-blood Russian boars. But Loggins said the island pigs come from a completely different genetic stock than all other pigs in the state. While he's still collecting samples from around the world so he can pinpoint their origins, Loggins speculates that early Spanish explorers may have picked up the island wild hog descendants in the Philippines.
Hunters familiar with the island hogs' smaller size, large heads, and large tusks are not surprised by this news. In the past most simply attributed the differences between the island and mainland hogs was due to crowding and environmental conditions, but it is now known they just have different genetics.
On each of the 10 DFG hunts, 12 hunters will be flown over to the island from the Camarillo airport and dropped off in different locations to camp and hunt for three days, spending two nights on the island. The hunts are weekdays from mid-March through mid-April. There is no fee for the hunt, with the DFG picking up the tab with hog tag money. Hunters have to bring all of their own camping gear, food, and water, and are limited to bringing along one 60-quarter-sized ice chest in which to bring home game. There is no limit on the number of hogs a hunter can take (but he must have a tag for each one). Updike suggested that hunters plan on boning out the game completely so they could take more animals.
To apply, hunters must send in a postcard application that includes the hunter's name, address, and hunting license number. Two hunters may apply together on the same postcard, but only one application is allowed for each hunter whether he is applying with another hunter or not. Hunters must also specify which hunt period is desired on the postcard applications. The first hunt period is Monday through Wednesday, March 18-20, with the second period Wednesday through Friday, March 20-22. For each of the following four weeks, there will be Monday-Wednesday and Wednesday-Friday hunts numbered successively. The period 10 hunt is April 17-19.
Postcard applications should be sent to Santa Cruz Island Wild Pig Hunt, Wildlife Programs Branch, California Department of Fish and Game, 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. The deadline for these postcard applications to arrive at the DFG's office is next Thursday, January 31. A drawing will be held on Feb. 6 and successful applicants will be notified by Feb. 15.
Updike said that while most of the applications received so far are for early period hunts, he said later hunts are likely to be just as successful because the DFG will be moving hunters to different sites with each hunt period to maximize the amount of game taken. The Nature Conservancy, which is working with the DFG to make this hunt happen, estimates there are around 5,000 pigs on Santa Cruz, the majority in the area where the DFG hunts will take place.
The hunts will ring bittersweet for sportsmen. On one hand, they mark end of a rich sporting tradition on the islands off the Southern California coast; on the other hand, sportsmen are helping to start a process that will eventually restore Santa Cruz to a natural state where its native plants and animals will again have a chance to flourish.
Santa Cruz hunt a last opportunity for island hunters
Over 1,000 hunters have already applied for one of the 120 slots available on 10 different hunts for wild hogs being held by the Department of Fish and Game on Santa Cruz Island.
"This is the front end of an eradication program to remove all hogs from Santa Cruz," said Doug Updike with the DFG in Sacramento. "Hunters are being allowed to take the cream off the top before the eradication begins."
It also represents the end of an era for California hog hunters who once went to offshore islands and shot feral hogs, goats and sheep that had been turned loose by early explorers. Over the past few years, the National Park Service and various conservancy groups which helped purchase the land have embarked on a campaign to rid the islands of these non-native animals, animals that have seriously damaged the environment. The wild hogs have already been completely removed from several islands and portions of others, and the Santa Cruz hunt may be the last public opportunity to hunt these animals.
The hogs that have lived on the offshore islands for hundreds of years are also different than feral mainland hogs. While there is a lot of talk about Russian wild boar in California, all hogs currently living in wild the state are predominately from European domestic hog stock. There are a couple of areas where some Russian genetic markers are evident in hog DNA, according to hog researcher Ron Loggins, who's working on his PhD in this field, but there are no true, full-blood Russian boars. But Loggins said the island pigs come from a completely different genetic stock than all other pigs in the state. While he's still collecting samples from around the world so he can pinpoint their origins, Loggins speculates that early Spanish explorers may have picked up the island wild hog descendants in the Philippines.
Hunters familiar with the island hogs' smaller size, large heads, and large tusks are not surprised by this news. In the past most simply attributed the differences between the island and mainland hogs was due to crowding and environmental conditions, but it is now known they just have different genetics.
On each of the 10 DFG hunts, 12 hunters will be flown over to the island from the Camarillo airport and dropped off in different locations to camp and hunt for three days, spending two nights on the island. The hunts are weekdays from mid-March through mid-April. There is no fee for the hunt, with the DFG picking up the tab with hog tag money. Hunters have to bring all of their own camping gear, food, and water, and are limited to bringing along one 60-quarter-sized ice chest in which to bring home game. There is no limit on the number of hogs a hunter can take (but he must have a tag for each one). Updike suggested that hunters plan on boning out the game completely so they could take more animals.
To apply, hunters must send in a postcard application that includes the hunter's name, address, and hunting license number. Two hunters may apply together on the same postcard, but only one application is allowed for each hunter whether he is applying with another hunter or not. Hunters must also specify which hunt period is desired on the postcard applications. The first hunt period is Monday through Wednesday, March 18-20, with the second period Wednesday through Friday, March 20-22. For each of the following four weeks, there will be Monday-Wednesday and Wednesday-Friday hunts numbered successively. The period 10 hunt is April 17-19.
Postcard applications should be sent to Santa Cruz Island Wild Pig Hunt, Wildlife Programs Branch, California Department of Fish and Game, 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. The deadline for these postcard applications to arrive at the DFG's office is next Thursday, January 31. A drawing will be held on Feb. 6 and successful applicants will be notified by Feb. 15.
Updike said that while most of the applications received so far are for early period hunts, he said later hunts are likely to be just as successful because the DFG will be moving hunters to different sites with each hunt period to maximize the amount of game taken. The Nature Conservancy, which is working with the DFG to make this hunt happen, estimates there are around 5,000 pigs on Santa Cruz, the majority in the area where the DFG hunts will take place.
The hunts will ring bittersweet for sportsmen. On one hand, they mark end of a rich sporting tradition on the islands off the Southern California coast; on the other hand, sportsmen are helping to start a process that will eventually restore Santa Cruz to a natural state where its native plants and animals will again have a chance to flourish.
