Wilderness Unlimited Membership

[btele4]

Thanks SK!

I will hunt Benz again this weekend..only hunted it once so far..there is definately opprotunity there..just have to narrow it down a little more...i am archery for deer or pig right now...if i score i will post.

Brian
SD

 

[cam188]

If I could afford it I would be there in a heartbeat. From what I hear if you hunt waterfowl that is where the real benifits are at.

 

[bayedsolid]

Wow Cam188....You went back 2 years to dig up a WU thread??? You must like fights too. I find the UFC a touch more entertaining, but only because I can see the blood myself. This is definately a close second though. Good call!

Hey, last week I saw a guy with a Golden Ram sticker on his truck relieving himself near a fenceline that was clearly posted Wilderness Unlimited. Any takers??

 

[easymoney]

I would have done it years ago, but when I looked into them they were such dohtards about the sales scam and not telling what ranches I would buying into, it turned me off. And if the properties were really worth it, the price couldn't be beat.

 

[el_vaquero]

I agree with mudhen....if you are retired or can hunt whenever you want and don't have to plan your time off, it's a great deal. If you're like me and have to plan your time well in advance, it's really hard to get on a decent ranch. I have to basically take whichever ranch is available when I have the vacation time available...sometimes it's good and sometimes it's not. This year, I went inactive and may or may not renew.

The other downside is they will not tell you how many members are in the club, how many people will be hunting a particular ranch when you want to go, etc.. They are pretty secretive when it comes to numbers.....IMO.

 

[el_vaquero]

Oh, and if you're in So Cal and want to hunt big game, be willing to drive up north since that's where most of the good ranches are. There aren't a whole lot of properties in So Cal.

 

[bux-n-dux]

QUOTE (Live2hunt @ Sep 24 2006, 09:23 AM) http://index.php?act=findpost&pid=754820

Good luck in getting reservation.
L2H

My sentiments exactly. However, if you can get out and hunt a minimum of 10 times a year, it might be worth it. But the reservations for new members are very tough, especially waterfowl. At any rate, I truly hope it works out for you.

 

[Huntr Pat]

The best area get chosen by older members 1st. By senority/.

 

[Bison]

Pat, did you just make that up? why would you post total false info just to stir the pot. I know for a FACT that you are wrong, i have been in the office and have seen the process first hand. WU is not some evil company out to screw everyone, it is as simple as this, hunt public or join WU or go buy your own ranch!

for the record, I am not a member anymore, not becuase of WU, i just don't have time anymore.

 

[whiskerztickle]

Hi there,

There seems to be some misinformation here about Wilderness Unlimited. I have been a member for over 15 years.
I personally think the club is a good deal, but its not for everyone. As for some of the mis-info in this thread:

1. Regarding memberships - are for a family: Husband, Wife (or significant other), and dependant children
up to age 21, or as long as they're a full time student (or age 23). At least that's how long my kids were able
to hunt with me on our membership. Fees, by the way are based on a family membership.
A single person pays the same ... just gets more guest passes.

2. Harvest Quotas: All ranches have them, on a per ranch basis ... and when they're reached the ranch is closed.
Membership quotas: 2 deer per person (Ca Regs) but each person can harvest only one deer per ranch per year.
Members are limited to 2 pigs and 3 turkeys per membership year. Other bird hunting is limited only by DFG regulations.

3. Guest privileges are limited but someone mentioned that the club has a "Plus Card" - this is a guest membership
which allows the member to take a guest anytime. The Plus card is limited to an ADDITIONAL 3 Big Game animals
and a turkey. i.e. Buddies hunting with the member aren't freeloading off the member or other members, they're
paying they're own way.

4. Reservations are first come first serve - there is NO seniority - we all call the same 800 number for reservations.
In 17 years, I have never made a reservation more than 2 weeks ahead. Usually, for deer, pig, turkey, I book a spot
a 1 to 2 weeks ahead of time. Ranch availability has been pretty consistent over the years.

I have found 2 things that work good ...
First, I ALWAYS have 2-4 ranches picked out to hunt before I call ...
then I go down the list 1st, 2nd 3rd choice until I get a reservation.

Secondly, If my First Choice is booked, I ask to be put on Standby there, then go to number two, etc.
If my date choices are taken, I ASK when the next opening is ... sometimes getting on during the week is easier,
and sometimes weekends are easier. Being polite and flexible with the reservationists works better...
You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar or something to that effect.

5. It is NOT canned or guided hunting. The best advice for a new member for deer/pig/bear hunting:
Pick 2-4 ranches and get to know them ... don't try and hunt a new ranch every weekend. You'll end
up doing a lot of sightseeing which is fine, but its not productive. (Been there ... did that!)
Talk to other members and see what they have to say .... but take that with a grain of salt.
We all hunt different. If you talk to someone who mainly roadhunts, you'll get a different perspective
than from someone who mainly still hunts or spot/stalks.

For me, I like knowing who's on the property and that I don't have to wonder if someone's gonna
pilfer my camp while I'm out hunting, or worse. The wife likes knowing she won't have to put up
with anything obnoxious in camp (other than an occasional skunk) while I'm out beating the brush.

Good luck and keep your lines tight, powder dry, and bowstrings waxed.

A Satisfied WU member.

 

[mudroller]

Nice reply Whiskerztickle! I wonder what club Hunter Pat is in? I've been a member since 1991 and your description pretty much covers WU rules and it's hunting in a nutshell.

I loved the first year member I met last year at Big Timber that had hunted 12 A-zone Big Game ranches, and was on his 3rd B-zone ranch of the year and he had only seen does so far. He had hunted Clarke, Maguire, Elk Creek, Spring Valley, Circle V, Browning, and a bunch of others, places that are easy to hunt and good deer populations, and EVERYONE else except him was getting bucks except him. He was soooo pissssed. Too much coffee is a bad thing. To him, every ranch sucked. He wouldn't listen to any suggestions, we offered to let him hunt with us after lunch. While we are sitting in camp eating pulled pork sandwiches which we harvested on Mosby back in the spring, a 3x3 and a 20" forkie walk across the far edge of camp. He almost peeed himself sprinting to the truck to get his rifle, and the bucks saw him and trotted down the valley away from him. My nephew killed the forkie that evening about 300 yards from camp, the newbie guy never slowed down enough to see another buck. Brand new member hunted 15+ ranches in the first year... sounds like a seniority scam hunting club to me.

 

[whiskerztickle]

QUOTE (mudroller @ Aug 17 2008, 07:25 PM) http://index.php?act=findpost&pid=1027212

Nice reply Whiskerztickle! I wonder what club Hunter Pat is in? I've been a member since 1991 and your description pretty much covers WU rules and it's hunting in a nutshell.

I loved the first year member I met last year at Big Timber that had hunted 12 A-zone Big Game ranches, and was on his 3rd B-zone ranch of the year and he had only seen does so far.

Hey, mudroller ... I just have to correct your description of that "1st Year member" ... There is NO WAY that he could have "HUNTED" 15 ranches in the first year. The BEST he could have done is check in, drive the roads, and go home. That's not hunting ! You just can't "hunt" 30,000 Plus acres in a year and have a clue on whether a ranch is good, bad, or mediocre. But you sure CAN DO a LOT of sightseeing

He had hunted Clarke, Maguire, Elk Creek, Spring Valley, Circle V, Browning, and a bunch of others, places that are easy to hunt and good deer populations, and EVERYONE else except him was getting bucks except him.

One would think he'd get a clue, huh ...

He was soooo pissssed. Too much coffee is a bad thing. To him, every ranch sucked. He wouldn't listen to any suggestions, we offered to let him hunt with us after lunch. While we are sitting in camp eating pulled pork sandwiches which we harvested on Mosby back in the spring, a 3x3 and a 20" forkie walk across the far edge of camp. He almost peeed himself sprinting to the truck to get his rifle, and the bucks saw him and trotted down the valley away from him. My nephew killed the forkie that evening about 300 yards from camp,

Great going for your nephew !!! Sometimes CLOSE to camp is the best place to hunt ...

the newbie guy never slowed down enough to see another buck. Brand new member hunted 15+ ranches in the first year... sounds like a seniority scam hunting club to me.

Yeah ... That definitely implies the older members have seniority, doesn't it???
I've never figured out how you get seniority in a first come-first serve system.
Actually ... that argument sounds like sour grapes and poor planning to me ...

Good luck with your deer hunting ... They're there for the Hunters !!!

 

[gundogtrainer]

"The site administrator asked gundogtrainer to substantiate the claims and he is unwilling or unable to back them up."

Admin

Several years ago we leased a ranch accross the road from one of WU properties. They told their members to tresspass on ajacient properties. Every time we showed up found the the fence down thier meimbers hunting hunting on our property. Several times they broke into our pheasant pens. If we needed to find the game warden just had to just had to drive accross the street to their lease, he was almost always their arresting someone. Ranch manager was arrested for transporting bass from our ponds to theirs. One of their long time members cut the fence while we were their told us that WU said he could shoot ducks off our pond. By the time the warden got their he had shot 27 canvas backs. I have spoke with other land owners that have had same problem with WU and a few that have leased them land that said they had to through them out. Dont know how the stay in bussines fish and game is allways after them. They got busted while we were their for cutting hocks on a hog so one members could shoot it while his brother vidio taped the hunt. The member and his brother were wardens, can you say busted.

 

[mudroller]

QUOTE (gundogtrainer @ Sep 19 2008, 02:42 AM)

Several years ago we leased a ranch accross the road from one of WU properties. They told their members to tresspass on ajacient properties. Every time we showed up found the the fence down thier meimbers hunting hunting on our property. Several times they broke into our pheasant pens. If we needed to find the game warden just had to just had to drive accross the street to their lease, he was almost always their arresting someone. Ranch manager was arrested for transporting bass from our ponds to theirs. One of their long time members cut the fence while we were their told us that WU said he could shoot ducks off our pond. By the time the warden got their he had shot 27 canvas backs. I have spoke with other land owners that have had same problem with WU and a few that have leased them land that said they had to through them out. Dont know how the stay in bussines fish and game is allways after them. They got busted while we were their for cutting hocks on a hog so one members could shoot it while his brother vidio taped the hunt. The member and his brother were wardens, can you say busted.

If it's on the internet, it must be true!

Gundogtrainer- Do you wear your tin-foil hat when you're hunting, or just when you're at home making crap up? I believe this stuff as much as the BS on the Daily KOS.

"27 canvasbacks"? What planet do you hunt on? I haven't seen 27 canvasbacks in my lifetime, much less harvested, legal or otherwise.

"They told their members to trespass..." Give me a BREAK! Do you really believe that? Please name exactly who said that. I am certain NO ONE from Wilderness Unlimited EVER told anyone to trespass on anyone's property. I think someone at WU should be able to take legal action against you for even insinuating that. I been a member long enough to know that is total bull. What is YOUR agenda for making that up?

You claim, "They got busted while we were their for cutting hocks on a hog..." Oh really? You would think that DFG would publicize an arrest like that, especially since Wilderness Unlimited is the largest private hunting club in California. Yet, I couldn't find one news report anywhere on the internet or on Lexis-Nexis of any busts or violations against Wilderness Unlimited. Red Bank Quail and Ale got busted earlier this spring hunting over baited turkeys, it was on 4 TV news channels, and 12 newspapers, and 3 story links are below.

http://www.redding.com/news/2008/apr/02/ga...ics/?printer=1/

http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/ci_104120...rce=most_viewed

http://www.redding.com/news/2008/sep/04/da...es-hunting-case


The Red Bank story was just in the news again last week. You would think if there was a shred of truth to anything you claim, DFG would have pulled Wilderness Unlimited's club license and closed them down like they did to Red Bank Q&A.. But, in oddities of oddities, DFG is partnering with Wilderness Unlimited THIS WEEKEND for a waterfowl hunting seminar, last weekend they partnered with Wilderness Unlimited for an Upland Bird hunting seminar. A couple of months ago they partnered with WU for a Big Game hunting seminar. I can't see a state agency who you claimed they "BUSTED" getting involved on such a level if anything you claimed was true. It's even on DFG's website!

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/advanced/08...-waterfowl.aspx

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/advanced/08...pland-game.aspx

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/advanced/080517-big-game.aspx

If you or anyone believes any of that bull you have been shoveling, I think you SHOULD call DFG and find the straight scoop. Susan Herrgesell from DFG has her phone number on the bottom of the DFG press releases, call her. Call Carrie Wilson from DFG. She works in DFG Office of Communications, (831) 649-7191. She is the DFG staffer who answers all the DFG related questions in Western Outdoor News. I have met several DFG wardens who ARE members of WU in the years I have been a member, all three of them say they like to hunt there because they DON'T have to work while on the ranches, the poachers are on the OUTSIDE of the fences. I can list more than 20 police officers, CHP, Correctional and Sheriff officers I know personally who are members and would never allow any of that to happen. I know 2 FBI and one DEA officer who are members too.

As for the rest of your claims, I don't believe a single one. But if you ever have someone from a WU property trespass onto your land, please, take a picture of them ON YOUR LAND with your cameraphone and then CALL THE SHERIFF! Press CHARGES! I don't want them hunting next to my family either.

Several years ago Wilderness Unlimited had 3 ranches near Salt Creek/Elk Creek in Mendocino County. The land owners sold the land to the state of CA. for "mountain lion habitat". (Your tax dollars hard at work against you). Anyway, WU lost the lease. But while WU had the lease there, DFG set up a robot deer sting operation along one of the public roads on the boundary. The perps had to shoot across a barbed wire fence with 2 big, bright yellow "No Tresspassing" Private Hunting Club signs in clear view. DFG busted 13 non-members in 5 hours shooting at Robo-Deer, and amazingly, all but 1 said "they were members" and it was ok. (None of them were). My friend, who was the WU patrolman on the property that weekend, was sitting in one of the DFG vehicles with the wardens to identify the perps as members or not. All but 2 shot from in their vehicle, then got out and hopped the fence. One guy shot at it 3 times.

I have met many WU members since 1991, I yearly volunteer to let my shorthairs hunt with their kids during the Junior Pheasant hunts and Women Only Pheasant hunts, I have never seen a DFG regulation or safety infraction yet, or else I wouldn't let my dogs hunt with them. My dogs are family. I don't lock my truck on the ranches, most of the time I leave the keys in the ignition with the windows down. I can leave several rifle on the picinic table in camp, or 3 Sage Rods with Abel/Tibor/Ari Hart reels on them, go to town, have a pizza, come back and everything is where I left it. The only thing I have ever had taken was a 3 lb salami which a squirrel or something drug away, because we followed the trail to the hole. I wish my own driveway was as safe as a WU ranch.

PS> why would I want to leave the ranch I am hunting on to sneak across to somewhere that I would risk getting throw in jail and get throw out of Wilderness Unlimited for doing, losing all the money I've paid them? If I don't like a ranch, I never go back to it. I only have 130+ ranches in 2 states to pick from. All these "BIGFOOT/ Space Alien/ Wilderness Unlimited tales give me a headache. Seems to happen every time the hunter/fishing guide business slows down.

 

[wellerjohn]

QUOTE (gundogtrainer @ Sep 18 2008, 07:42 PM)

Several years ago we leased a ranch accross the road from one of WU properties. They told their members to tresspass on ajacient properties. Every time we showed up found the the fence down thier meimbers hunting hunting on our property. Several times they broke into our pheasant pens. If we needed to find the game warden just had to just had to drive accross the street to their lease, he was almost always their arresting someone. Ranch manager was arrested for transporting bass from our ponds to theirs. One of their long time members cut the fence while we were their told us that WU said he could shoot ducks off our pond. By the time the warden got their he had shot 27 canvas backs. I have spoke with other land owners that have had same problem with WU and a few that have leased them land that said they had to through them out. Dont know how the stay in bussines fish and game is allways after them. They got busted while we were their for cutting hocks on a hog so one members could shoot it while his brother vidio taped the hunt. The member and his brother were wardens, can you say busted.

Smells like B.S. to me..

 

[gundogtrainer]

"The site administrator asked gundogtrainer to substantiate the claims and he is unwilling or unable to back them up."

Admin

All true ,the ranch manager was arrested as he left our property with with an ice chest full of live bass and a loaded 30-30. The guy that shot the 27 canvasbacks was arrested and convicted. The ranch manager that cut the hocks on the pig was convicted and several other WU mambers were arested on our property. If you dont belive it check with the Kern Co sheriff

 

[elkguys]

mudroller I agree wiyh you!! send me a shout I to am a wu would like to chat

 

[doccherry]

Dear gundogtrainer:

I was a member of WU for several years before moving to the Big Island and finding myself literally up to my crotch in pigs and other big game. I make this statement without any qualification:

Your accusations and assertions are absolute crap.

I have never, ever heard of any WU member advising another member to trespass on adjacent properties. It was pounded into our heads that trespass onto adjacent properties was a matter of zero tolerance.

You have made your accusation. Now back it up. You mention Kern County. OK, what ranch [specifically] was adjacent to the ranch the trespassers ransacked? Specifically, what is the name of the WU ranch that you speak of? I hunted all the Kern County ranches and know them well.

Second, when did this take place? All you need is the year. I'll do the legwork from there.

Third, do you actually think that 27 canvasbacks---I assume wild, since they weren't enclosed---congregated on one single little Central Valley pond and sat still while they were killed one by one? No way. Absolutely no way. 27 canvasbacks have never congregated on a dinky little pond in CA ever. Find one legitimate biologist who disagrees. I dare you.

I have never written a post on this forum that was accusatory or angry, so this is a first. I ask Jesse or any other administrator who reads this to demand proof from you or delete your post and throw you off the forum. WU is controversial on this forum, to say the least, but your statements imply that WU in dishonest, corrupt, morally bankrupt, and run by low-life's.

OK, I've thrown out the gauntlet. Now prove your statements or take a hike. I dare you.

 

[Mel Carter]

I've been watching this thread, and have tried not to comment. But I have to agree with mudroller and doccherry on this one. I have been a member since `99, WU doesn't work for everyone, but it works for me and those who know how to make it work. Since I have been a member, EVERY member I have met, has been top notch! I have met all the owners of WU and several folks in the office. I have never met a more professional bunch of people, especially those in the office, great bunch of people. Everyone will always have their own opinion about something or someone, but when it comes to certain things, I have to see it for my own eyes to believe it or it has to come from someone I know is not full of BS. Right or wrong, I'm just that way.

 

[whiskerztickle]

Mudroller, Doc Cherry, Mel Carter, and others ...

I think gundogtrainer is just trolling.
As you all have said, his story is so BIZARRE it's UNBELIEVABLE.

If I had access to a ranch that allowed me to hunt ducks, pigs, raise and hunt pheasants, fish for Bass, etc. all in
one place and anyone got caught trespassing or doing 1/10th of what "gdt" said, not only would I have the club
and its members busted, but I'd make sure the DFG did NOT partner with them, and the local news media
would have a standing invite to do a sting / investigative piece on them.

Since I've never seen anything negative in the Public Media on WU, I must presume that "gdt" has some other
axe to grind against the club. Maybe they rejected him for membership, or worse, EJECTED him from the membership
for a rules violation.

By the way, "gdt" .... you said you HAD (past tense) a lease .... what happened that you still don't have the lease?

It's good to see other members standing up for their club, instead of just the ones that complain about it.