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Author
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Topic: Results from the Memorial Hunt
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Nahuatl
Knows what it's all about
Member # 708
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posted December 05, 2005 06:24 AM
Critter callers from all over Southern California joined up for the check-in deep in the desert somewhere west of Barstow on Sunday after the 43-hour annual Memorial Hunt to honor those who have passed on to higher hunting grounds. Kevin G's team from hi-desert won the hunt with 5 coyotes. The barbeques blazed. We all enjoyed seeing a demonstration of FoxPro's impressive new FX3 and the Snow-Crow Pro. Everyone took a turn at the cold gun shot. Bob P won the Coyote Scat Trophy at the camo fashion show. The raffle went on for almost an hour and I'd be surprised if everyone wasn't drawn for a prize at least once. It was poetic justice when the final raffle ticket was drawn, this time for the .22-250 grand prize, and Kevin came up a big winner for a second time in the same day. Congatulations, Kevin, on your double win.
Posts: 202 | From: Mount Gleason, Angeles NF | Registered: Sep 2005
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Rich Higgins
unknown comic
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posted December 06, 2005 06:14 AM
Nahuatl, how many teams participated?
43 hours, was night hunting permitted?
Were all participants members of the chapters of CSVCA or of different and individual clubs?
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Nahuatl
Knows what it's all about
Member # 708
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posted December 06, 2005 09:04 AM
Rich,
Thanks for asking. Let me see if I can fill in some of the details.
There were 41 hunters at the check-in and most teams consisted of two people (though Kevin's winning team was a group of three). I am a long-time member of one of the old CSVCA chapters, now an individual club called the Predator Callers of Orange County, and it was our turn to sponsor the check-in. This year the prime mover was Bill S, who did a fantastic job organizing a wonderful raffle and a tasty barbeque.
Five or six years ago, the CSVCA, then consisting of four chapters, decided to disband as a formal statewide organization. That might be contrary to some things you read on the web, but it's the real truth. At the time, it seemed like a good idea. Each chapter hunts now as an individual entity, each with its own hunt rules and check-in. We come together for one hunt per year now where everyone is welcome at the Memorial Hunt, to honor passed members, and to pass the Memorial Trophy to the year's winning team/club, but each club follows their own rules for this hunt. The win is for bragging rights only; there is no jackpot, which means the check-in is a friendly affair. I know for a fact there were hunters or teams at the check-in from 6 different clubs. Even the brand new Bakersfield club had a team in the field. This is a great group with whom to hunt.
Yes, it was a night hunt. The hunt began at 5pm on Friday from your driveway (or 7 pm for those already in the field) without a formal check-out, each teams on the honor system. The hunt ended at noon on Sunday, the only hard rules, but proof-of-kill was left to the chapters and again, all teams were on the honor system when they reported their numbers. I saw no animals at the roundup except a gray fox being skinned as a demo for some of the novices. I had a couple of tails and full-bodied cat in the pickup, but no one asked to see them.
Almost all of the teams were hunting from dedicated spotlight rigs, trucks with campers or SUV's with super-sized sunroofs. We could have and should have had a car show. California, as you might know, is a great place to night hunt with a spotlight and game rangers, park service, and local law enforcement are glad to see coyote hunters in the field. The fish and game regulations appear confusing, but after you've mapped the long-winded description of the area where hunting with a 12 volt vehicle-attached spotlight is allowed and mastered a few rules about calls, seasons, and tags, you're good to go. Your vehicle must be stopped with the engine off and parked off the two-track. As you also know, there are millions of prime acres in the CA spotlight zone, and with the check-in near Barstow, I imagine some of the teams hunted Nevada, where spotlight hunting is also permitted. In Nevada, you need no license to hunt coyotes and you can even run a light from a moving vehicle in much of the state.
Just so you know, all the clubs, especially my own, are membership-friendly. We welcome new members and are always pleased to be able to share a wealth of experience with those new to predator calling. Joining a club is the single best way to learn about this unique style of hunting and we have a variety of activities during the course of the year.
Leonard, Liz took second in the chapter with her cat.
Gary
Posts: 202 | From: Mount Gleason, Angeles NF | Registered: Sep 2005
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted December 06, 2005 09:10 AM
It is a loose (very loose) informal association, since the CSVCA does not exist, in a previously recognizable form. The clubs are all independent, were previously "chapters" of the CSVCA. San Gabriel Chapter retained the name CSVCA and dissolved their charter and bylaws, and reformed as the CSVCA, without separate chapters. I agreed to write their bylaws, a decidedly thankless task, I might add.
If the Club formerly known as "San Gabriel Chapter" attended that hunt, I would be very surprised they were invited and further surprised they actually went. As an individual, I used to be invited; must have got lost in the mail, this year?
That's the sad state of affairs as it exists, these days. I could say more about how this developed and who shares responsibility, but I won't.
Good hunting. LB
edit: I can see that my post looks a little negative, compared to Gary's. If the "Bill S" is who I think it is, he must have switched clubs because I had heard that he drifted off somewhere?
Congratulations to your daughter, Gary. That will always be a fond memory for her. Just like scotchlight, right?
I also think that, if a half a dozen animals won the hunt; either San Gabriel wasn't there, or the format is no longer "take no prisoners"?
God, am I that far out of the loop, these days?
[ December 06, 2005, 09:27 AM: Message edited by: Leonard ]
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 32368 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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onecoyote
Knows what it's all about
Member # 129
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posted December 06, 2005 10:56 AM
Nahuatl, sounds like everybody had a good time. What clubs attented the hunt? PCOC, High Desert, National, Riverside and? Did Granville C. or Rick O. show up? I'm real happy for Kevin, he's a great guy. It's good to see some of the clubs are still around ![[Smile]](smile.gif) ....God Bless
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Great minds discuss ideas.....Average minds discuss events.....Small minds discuss people.....Eleanor Roosevelt.
Posts: 893 | From: Walker Lake Nevada. | Registered: Feb 2003
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Rich Higgins
unknown comic
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posted December 06, 2005 11:34 AM
Those are realistic numbers, in line with present conditions. The forty plus animals that Danny and Leonard post as winning the hunts in the past are probably just a memory in todays reality. Mexico and the Rez are no longer an option. Del Western took top calling honors at Arizona Varmint Callers in the sixties with 437 coyotes and a few cats and fox during a six month hunt. That wont happen again.
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onecoyote
Knows what it's all about
Member # 129
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posted December 06, 2005 05:24 PM
Rich, I'am sure you're right. I don't know about Mexico hunting, last time I hunted there I believe was 1988. It would be real hard to hunt where Del Western hunted because of all the federal people. ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
I don't think alot of animals is out of the question, maybe not 40. It took 26 coyotes to win last years World hunt out of Elko and I believe 22 another time. Dusty said he won that hunt with 17 and should have had 30, lots of missing. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
I'll say one thing, if it takes four or five coyotes to win a hunt...everybody well play and that's a good thing.
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Great minds discuss ideas.....Average minds discuss events.....Small minds discuss people.....Eleanor Roosevelt.
Posts: 893 | From: Walker Lake Nevada. | Registered: Feb 2003
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Rich Higgins
unknown comic
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posted December 07, 2005 06:05 AM
Danny, good numbers are still possible in some areas. Mostly private property. My point is that the public lands of Ca., Az. Nv., and Ut. that gave up big numbers just 15-20 years ago no longer do. 5 coyotes often win the monthly hunts at the Az. clubs just like Nahuatl's hunt.
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Nahuatl
Knows what it's all about
Member # 708
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posted December 07, 2005 06:46 AM
Leonard, Danny, Rich, and all
I got the numbers from Don this morning and though no one from Granville's club came, PCOC 20, Hi-desert 3, Riverside 10, SG 2, NVH 7, Bakersfield 2(?) but some of the guys belong to two clubs. There were a few independents who hunted with club members and a few guys who were there to help with the raffle and bbq and did not hunt.
Leonard, I'll personally make sure you get notified for next year's hunt.
Our success as a club these days is measured more by the number of members we serve and goodwill at the end of the day. Danny's very correct in his conclusion. Posting super-high numbers at check-in cuts both ways. All of us have had 5-coyote hunts. Anyone can win.
Posts: 202 | From: Mount Gleason, Angeles NF | Registered: Sep 2005
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