Outdoor Notes : Despite Problems, Bighorn Hunt Is Successful

To the best of the Department of Fish and Game’s knowledge, California’s first legal bighorn sheep hunt in 114 years has ended successfully, despite efforts by activists opposed to the hunt to save the sheep.

Vern Bleich, an associate wildlife biologist with the DFG in Bishop, said he had unconfirmed reports from San Bernardino County’s Marble Mountains that the last two available sheep had been killed.

Four Nelson bighorn sheep were authorized to be killed by the DFG in the Old Dad Mountains and four in the Marbles. One other sheep, an 11-year-old ram, was taken Nov. 30 by Bob Howard of Palm Springs, who had bid and paid $70,000 for the right to begin hunting 14 days before the scheduled hunt.

Since the regular hunt began Dec. 5, harassment by activists opposed to what they called “the sacrificing of nine sheep,” have made for “a very active hunt,” according to Dr. Loren Lutz, a retired Pasadena dentist who is the president of the Society for the Preservation of Bighorn Sheep.

The activists interfered with Lutz, who was guiding hunters, during his stay in the Old Dad area. His two hunters got their sheep.

One hunter, Bob Levett of Thousand Oaks, was with Lutz but chose not to talk about the activists, except to say: “I feel my rights were infringed on.”

Just when Levett had his sights on what Lutz termed “the biggest ram I’d ever seen in the area,” a group of activists emerged from the bushes “shouting and blowing their horns,” causing the ram to flee.

Levett later took a smaller, and possibly younger, sheep.

Partial results of the hunt:

--On opening day, Dec. 5, Brian Hawes of Friant, Calif., killed a 9 1/2-year-old ram in the Marble Mountains. Hawes encountered no resistance from the activists, who at the time were working the Old Dad Mountains.

--On Dec. 7, Larry Ott of Barstow killed an 8 1/2-year-old ram in the Old Dad area, unopposed. The same day, Joe Castello of San Jose killed an 8 1/2-year-old ram in the Marble Mountains.

--Levett got his Dec. 8, after losing what he called “a possible world record” because of the “severe harassment” on the part of the activists. He estimated that ram at 11 1/2 years old. He later settled for a 7 1/2-year-old animal that was field dressed at 123 pounds.

--On Dec. 9, Dennis Selich of San Diego took a 6-year-old sheep, in the Old Dad area, apparently without confrontation.

--Lutz’s other customer, John Moore of Vista, managed to get around the activists and shot the last available sheep in the Old Dad area Dec. 10, an 8-year-old ram.

Said Lutz of the interference: “I’ve never before been involved in such a fracas.”

Pending completion of deer herd surveys and analysis, DFG wildlife biologists expect to add six new special hunts for the 1988 season.

If Fish and Game Commission members approve the new hunts at their April 8 meeting in Long Beach, about 1,100 permits will be added to the approximately 5,000 either-sex and antlerless tags available to hunters for 1987 special hunts expected to be continued in 1988.

Two hunts rejected by the commission last year are being re-submitted: A 200-permit either-sex hunt in Shasta County, designated the S25 Cow Creek hunt, and a Lassen County, 476-permit antlerless hunt, named the S28 Doyle hunt.

The four remaining newly proposed special hunts are the S26 Loyalton hunt, an either-sex, 200-permit hunt in Sierra and Nevada counties; the S27 Truckee hunt, a 95-permit either-sex hunt also in Sierra and Nevada counties; the S29 Lake Sonoma archery-only hunt in Sonoma County with 20 either-sex permits; and the S30 Hopland hunt in Mendocino County, an antlerless hunt with 30 permits.

The number of tags to be issued for special hunts S26, S27 and S28 would be subject to change, depending on the outcome of fall and spring herd composition counts, which have yet to be considered by the DFG.

Lower Finney Lake, a 100-acre pool just south of Calipatria in the Imperial Wildlife Area that has been closed to public use since 1984, will reopen Saturday for the remainder of the waterfowl season.

Biologist Chris Gonzales, who manages the wildlife area for the DFG, said waterfowl have been sighted every day at the various potholes throughout the yet-to-be filled lake. The potholes have been providing for ducks an abundant food supply of small invertebrates.

The lake was closed for renovation in 1984 and is slowly beginning to refill. Construction consisted of a series of islands to provide bird nesting sites, rebuilding of severely damaged lake perimeter roads, the addition of lakeside slopes to check erosion and provide additional bird habitat, and the construction of three siltation ponds.

Two five-acre ponds have been completed and a third 30-acre siltation pond is being built.

Once completed, there will be two lakes: Upper Finney, which will measure about 35 surface acres, and Lower Finney with about 100 surface acres, and the three siltation ponds.

All of these areas will be open to waterfowl hunters.

Briefly Stocking stuffer? The DFG announced that fishing licenses for 1988 are now available at most of the usual agency outlets. . . . Irvine Lake will close at noon the day before Christmas and will be closed Christmas day.