Hunters Simply Going Hog Wild but Poachers Are Another Story

Wild pigs are breeding faster than rabbits and running amok in the backwoods of Central California.

So say wildlife officials, who add that the pig proliferation is making for wild times in the foothills. Hog wild.

And hunters taking advantage of new, no-limit regulations designed to keep the population explosion in check are bringing home the bacon like never before.

Ranchers are making a killing as well, charging hunters who want to shoot the destructive pigs on their land.

Then there are the poachers.

“These are not hunters,” says Brian Hunter, regional manager for the Department of Fish and Game. “These are the bad guys.”

The bad guys have little regard for the law and none for private property. They don’t use guns or bows to bring down the tusked 300-pound pigs. They set their dogs upon the porkers and butcher them on the spot.

“They derive somewhat of a thrill from chasing wild pigs in the moonlight,” said Tom Pedersen, a DFG patrol captain operating in southern Monterey County, where much of the poaching is taking place. “The dogs catch up to the pig, stretch it out, and the poachers walk up and slit its throat.”

It’s an ancient form of pig hunting still practiced by native Hawaiians in their homeland. Here, it’s an illegal form of hunting. Only licensed hunters, with firearms or bows, and permission from ranchers, on whose land the pigs roam, are allowed to kill them.

A reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle recently rode along with a Monterey County sheriff’s deputy trying to collar a poacher or two. They failed, but the deputy told the reporter that in the last three months there have been six reported incidents of road spikings, one that flattened the tires of a patrol car.

The deputy told of poachers using vicious pit bulls wearing leather vests, designed to save them from the razor-sharp tusks of the pigs, to chase down their prey. Of random killing of livestock. Of drug and alcohol use.

All this, of course, has residents afraid to go out at night.

Ken Range, 49, a retired San Benito County deputy who manages the 19,000-acre Rock Springs Ranch east of Monterey, told The Times that he has been threatened over the phone after trying to stop the poachers.

“I was basically told to sleep with one eye open,” he said.

Poaching is nothing new. It simply increases when available game increases. And the increase in the pig population in parts of Monterey, San Benito and Fresno counties has been more than substantial, thanks to successive years of abundant, forage-producing rainfall since the severe drought of the late 1980s and early ‘90s.

The DFG’s Hunter said that during the drought, the survival rate of young wild pigs--a cross between domestic pigs and European boars introduced in the area in the 1920s--was low because of competition for food and predation by mountain lions. Since then, the pigs have been busy building their numbers up.

“Adult pigs are capable of reproducing at least two times a year,” Hunter said. “And a mature sow can have a litter of eight to 10 piglets. That’s why we’re having this problem. They reproduce . . . faster than rabbits.”

The DFG responded by legalizing hunting year-round and eliminating the bag limit. Ranchers responded by opening their lands to hunters, who generally pay $300-$600 for one- or two-day hunts. The hunts are popular because wild pigs are wily and present a fair challenge to those hunting without dogs. They are also popular because their flesh is considered as good as or better than that of domestic pigs.

The poachers are difficult to catch in the rural areas in which they operate. Range said response time to reported poaching incidents, if there is any, is usually “measured in hours.” The more sophisticated poachers use scanners and CB radios to monitor police activity. And punishment, usually fines, is little or no deterrent to well organized poachers.

“For our area they come from the San Joaquin Valley or the Monterey area and they hunt in a three-county area,” Range said. “They check to see what courts are doing and hunt in the county where the punishment is [the mildest].

“They can get $100 for a pig, no problem, and a productive poacher can go out and kill three or four pigs a night, so with fines generally in the $250 to $500 category, getting caught is worth the risk.”

MISCELLANY

Hurricane Fausto slammed into the resort city of Cabo San Lucas last Friday morning but the sportfishing fleets held up well inside the marina despite fierce winds and torrential rains, according to Bob Smith, owner of Minerva’s Tackle. “There are awnings and trees and mud in the streets, things like that, but things are getting back to normal in town,” Smith said Monday afternoon. “Electricity came back in some places as early as Saturday afternoon, and it’s back in most places now. But all the hotels have generators. And the fishing is great.” With all the debris in the water, thanks to Fausto, Smith said the fishing will get better because dorado love to hang out under floating objects. . . . Cabo San Lucas’ newest fleet, the first geared primarily toward fly fishing, will begin operation Oct. 1. The boats are 22- and 26-foot ocean catamarans with casting platforms, powered by 90- and 150-horsepower engines. Details: (888) 894-3474. . . . The United Anglers’ first annual Celebrity Fishing Classic will be held Oct. 4-5 off Santa Catalina Island. Cost is $125 a person. Proceeds go to UA conservation efforts, notably the white sea bass hatchery project. Details: (714) 992-2000 or (714) 846-8259.

FISH REPORT

SALTWATER--Tuna remains the primary target for San Diego’s fleet operating south of Point Loma, but the popular game fish are being caught well north of the border. The First String out of L.A. Harbor Sportfishing, with 23 anglers aboard for a 1 1/2-day trip to an area near San Clemente Island, returned Monday morning with 61 yellowfin and 70 skipjack. The Sportking, also out of L.A. Harbor, encountered a school of yellowfin while on a day trip to Catalina, landing five tuna in the 18- to 25-pound class. . . . . More locally, skippers on boats from L.A. Harbor and Redondo Sportfishing are reporting an increase in yellowtail sightings at the kelp beds off the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Thus far, however, the fish have been reluctant to bite. Top catch: a 51-pound albacore caught Saturday by Troy Daul of Grand Terrace aboard the Fiesta out of Virg’s Landing in Morro Bay.

FRESHWATER--Lake Perris--Largemouth bass very active, biting on most lures and baits. Manny Sampang, Hermosa Beach, six-pound bass, on plastic worm at east end. Rob Barnhill, Riverside, six-pound bass, on purple neon worm south of island. Other species slow. Irvine Lake--Lots of limits of small channel catfish and an occasional large blue catfish. Largest of week, a 30-pounder on mackerel at Santiago Flats. Crappies biting on mini-jigs. Laguna Niguel Lake--Catfish and largemouth bass active. Catfish biting on mackerel. Bass, averaging one-three pounds, biting on dark plastics. Bluegills fair at creek inlet, biting on worms. Silverwood Lake--Most species active. Michelle and Wayne Brannon, Placentia, 13-4, 9-8 and 8-4 stripers, and 4-8 largemouth, on spoons in channel. Steve Bledsoe, Crestline, 14-6 striper, on anchovy in channel. Bob Grimm, San Jose, 9-2 catfish, on anchovy at dam. Green Valley Lake--Trout active, biting on Power Bait and small lures. Brian Kirker, Running Springs, three trout totaling 9-10, largest 3-10, on rainbow Power Bait. Some limits. Lake Cachuma--Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass action fair. John Banales, Camarillo, 2-8 smallmouth, on crawdad lure at Santa Cruz Point. Ulysses Birt, Whittier, five bass totaling 7-8, on spinnerbaits at five-10 feet. Catfish slow to fair. Donna Thomas, Norwalk, 22-pound catfish, on mackerel at island. Some red-ear perch and bluegills. Lake Casitas--Largemouth bass action fair. Fish mostly in two-pound range. Warren Glover, Port Hueneme, 10-8 bass, on crawdad. Catfish biting on mackerel, averaging six to seven pounds, one reported at 20. Pyramid Lake--Striped bass biting. David Toth, Canyon Country, seven stripers totaling 31-8, largest 6-8, on Pencil-Popper lures at dam. Tim Wilson, Lancaster, five stripers totaling 17-8, on Pencil-Poppers at dam. Crappies and bluegills biting on jigs and mealworms, best in the marina area. Catfish action fair on night crawlers in channel. Largemouth and smallmouth bass taking crankbaits in mornings. Lake Piru--Largemouth bass best bet, biting primarily in early mornings and afternoons. Night crawlers and plastic worms getting most. Trout fishing fair at dam, biting on chrome-bikini Needlefish lures at 60 feet. Some catfish. Mackerel at San Felicia Cove best bet. Castaic Lake--Largemouth bass active in both reservoirs. Brandon King, Castaic, 11-8 and seven-pound bass, on RoboWorm and crawdad. Mike Woernley, Canyon Country, 10-7 bass, on crawdad, in upper lake. Rod Thigpin, Santa Paula, five bass, largest 10-8, on homemade lure and crawdads in upper lake. San Diego City Lakes--El Capitan: Largemouth bass very active. Art Bailey, Escondido, five bass, largest 7-8, on plastic worms at north end. Other species slow. Hodges: Better than El Capitan. Pat McGrath, Chula Vista, 8-4 bass, on unknown lure-bait at dam. Catfish and crappie fishing fair. John Thompson, Riverside, five catfish, largest 8-2, on mackerel at bridge. Miramar: Fishing fair for small bass, slow for bluegills, very slow for everything else. Otay: Bluegills best bet, but a few large bass landed. San Vicente: Bluegills very active. Bass fair to good. Sutherland: Bass active in mornings and afternoons. One reported at 9-3. Some bluegills and catfish.

TROUT PLANTS--San Bernardino County--Green Valley Lake. SAN DIEGO--Lake Cuyamaca. Inyo--Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek (Lower, Middle, South forks and Intake II), Diaz Lake, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lake Sabrina, Lone Pine Creek, North Lake, Owens River (below Tinnemaha), Rock Creek (Rock Creek Lake to the end of the road), South Lake, Taboose Creek, Tinnemaha Creek, Tuttle Creek. Mono--Convict Creek, George Lake, Gull Lake, Lundy Lake, Mamie Lake, Mammoth Creek, McGee Creek, Owens River (Benton Crossing), Robinson Creek, Rock Creek (Paradise Camp to Tom’s Place, Tom’s Place upstream to Rock Creek Lake), Saddlebag Lake, Silver Lake, Trumble Lake, Twin Lakes Bridgeport, Virginia Lakes, Walker River (Chris Flat campground to town of Walker, Leavitt Meadows Campground to Sonora Bridge).

CATFISH PLANTS--Los Angeles--El Dorado Park Lake, La Mirada Park Lake, Willowbrook Lake. Orange--Centennial Park Lake, Mile Square Park Lake, Ralph Clark Regional Park Lake, Tri-City Park Lake.