A Guide for the Would-Be Hunter

A cold front had blown into Southern California, turning the sky gray. It was early October, a Saturday, the first day of the deer hunting season. After a long hot spell, it finally felt like autumn--at least temporarily.

Kevin Lundin, a long-time hunter who lives in Frazier Park, was with his 17-year-old son, Justin. They set out about sunrise, walking a deep canyon west of town while surveying the terrain with binoculars.

“And then we just came right up on this buck and he didn’t even know we were there,” Kevin Lundin said. “I’ve been hunting for 25 years and I’ll tell you there is nothing more exciting than laying next to your son and having him crack that gun off and get a deer.”

Hunting, of course, is wildly popular--mankind has engaged in the sport since roughly the beginning of, well, mankind. But it is also a complicated, grueling and often frustrating activity that is largely passed down through families.

Newcomers to the sport often don’t even know where to start.

Thus, here are some common questions about hunting--and the answers:

* 1. Hunting gets a bad rap from all my ultra-politically correct friends. Does anyone have something positive to say about the sport?

Easy enough. This from David Whiteside, owner of the Antelope Valley Sportsmen’s Club:

“If you shoot a pheasant or chukar or duck and you clean it and you eat it, you respect it. You take pride in and cherish that kill. You don’t need it as subsistence--you can eat lobster for what it costs to hunt--but you get the opportunity of watching the dogs work and the camaraderie of being with friends and relatives. There is the responsibility of carrying a gun in your hand. This is something a father can share with his son--it’s a way of showing the father trusts the son to be responsible. It also gives you more of a respect for the land. And all these things carry through to everyday life.”

* 2. I’m locked and loaded and ready to go--except I’ve never been hunting before. Where exactly do I go?

Hold your horses, pardner. First things first: No one who lives in California is going hunting until purchasing a hunting license. And, no one can purchase a hunting license until attending a state Department of Fish and Game hunter safety training class. The classes are 10 hours. They’re free and open to all. And, yes, there is a quiz. For more information on class times and locations, phone the DFG Long Beach office at (562) 590-5670.

Hunting information can also be found on the DFG’s website, which is excellent: www.dfg.ca.gov

* 3. So, what critters are out there?

Big game species include deer, wild pigs, black bear, elk, antelope and bighorn sheep. Resident game birds frequently hunted are pheasant, quail, chukar, grouse, wild turkey and dove. Popular waterfowl are ducks, geese, brants and coots.

Generally speaking, hunting is better in Northern California than in Southern California. Why? Up north, there’s more water, fewer people and, therefore, more animals.

* 4. Excuse me, but did you say wild pigs? As in “Lord of the Flies?”

Well, not quite. Most of the pigs have escaped from farms. Other are descendants of European wild pigs released into the wilds of Monterey County in 1925. Most of the pigs are hairy, have tusks and reproduce prolifically--a sow can have three litters of eight to 10 pigs each in a year. Some pigs weigh up to 300 pounds.

Pigs are found in 58 California counties, including Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo on the central coast. But be warned. Getting one isn’t easy, especially on public lands.

“Unless you’re an expert, the average guy probably won’t even see one,” Lundin said.

Your best bet is to shell out a few hundred dollars to a private guide who has access to hunting on private land. To obtain a list of guides, phone the DFG office in Monterey at (408) 649-2870.

* 5. Where are some other places I can go hunting?

We recommend a beginning hunter pay to hunt at a club, such as the 1,250-acre Antelope Valley Sportsmen’s Club (805-724-1291), located in Lancaster. The obvious advantage is that there is definitely game on the club’s land--meaning it’s likely that most hunters will at least get a shot at something.

For example, pheasant hunting is very popular at the Antelope Valley club. Here’s how it works: The club releases several pheasants into the field and sends the hunter into the vicinity of the release. It’s up to the hunter to flush and shoot the pheasants (field dogs can be rented to help with this). The recovery rate on the pheasants is 84%. Locally, there is hunting available for deer, antelope, elk, black bear, wild turkey and other small game at the 270,000-acre Tejon Ranch.

Phone (805) 248-6774 for information about hunting memberships.

Hunters might also want to try waterfowl hunting on wildlife refuges, especially since the DFG is forecasting a good year for ducks.

The Kern National Wildlife Refuge, near Delano in the San Joaquin Valley, opens some land for duck hunting on Wednesdays and Saturdays until Jan. 18, the end of the duck season. Most of the hunting is free roam and reservations are needed. Phone (805) 725-2767 for more information.

* 6. Any special rules I should be aware of?

Plenty. The DFG has voluminous rules governing method (type of weapon and ammunition), bag limits, shooting hours and season.

In addition to hunting licenses, hunters will need to purchase tags to hunt most big game or stamps to hunt migratory waterfowl.

Tags are often sold by lottery and must be applied for months ahead of hunting season. State bird stamps can be purchased at many sporting goods stores. Federal bird stamps, needed to hunt on national wildlife refuges, can be purchased at the post office.

* 7. All this talk is making me hungry. . . .

And, come to think of it, Thanksgiving is just around the corner.

That means you have two options: March down to Vons to buy a frozen Butterball or . . . dress up like a pilgrim, grab a 12 gauge and bag a central coast wild turkey.

If only it was that easy. Turkeys tend to be shy, especially in the fall when they are on everyone’s most-wanted list.

The standard technique is for hunters to conceal themselves and try to lure the turkey with a call, for example, simulating a hen or challenging gobbler.

“The only thing I’ve ever called in are coyotes,” says DFG wildlife biologist Tim Kroeker, who to date has yet to bag a gobbler.

On public land, the turkeys can be found in the Los Padres National Forest (805-683-6711) and at Fort Hunter Liggett (408-386-3310).

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Hunting Seasons

The 1997-98 huntings seasons for Southern and Central California:

* Pheasant: Nov. 8 to Dec. 7

* Quail: Oct. 18 to Jan. 25

* Chukar: Oct. 18 to Jan. 25

* Wild Turkey: Nov. 8 to Dec. 7

* Dove: Nov. 8 to Dec. 22

* Bear: Nov. 1 to March 31

* Wild Pig: open all year

* Duck: Oct. 11 to Jan. 18

* Goose: Oct. 11 to Jan. 18