Thanksgiving thoughts about hunting posted on the Altadena, CA Blog.

Many families gather around the traditional turkey dinner during the Thanksgiving holiday.  Please keep in mind that turkeys do not grow on trees.  Millions of turkeys are raised for slaughter to accommodate the American Traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  PETA reports on their website entitled "Turkey Transport and Slaughter":

Close to 2,000 turkeys can be loaded onto a single truck headed for the slaughterhouse. The turkeys are collected by workers who grab them by their legs and throw them into large crates. Many birds suffer broken bones in the process.

The crates are then loaded onto trucks, and the birds are shipped through all weather conditions without food or water to the slaughterhouse. Millions of turkeys die every year as a result of heat exhaustion, freezing, or accidents during transport.

At the slaughterhouse, turkeys are hung upside-down by their weak and crippled legs before their heads are dragged through an electrified “stunning tank,” which immobilizes them but does not kill them.

Many of the terrified birds dodge the tank and, therefore, are completely conscious when their throats are slit. If the knife fails to properly slit the birds’ throats, they are scalded alive in the tank of hot water used for feather removal.

I have bow hunted turkey for at least 5 years.  To date, I have yet to even get a shot at a bird.  While target shooting last year, I had a rafter of turkeys walk between me and the target.  I had to wait until they cleared the area...it was not turkey season so I could not legally harvest a bird.  When I returned to the same location 3 weeks later during turkey season, there were no birds to be found.  The fall wild turkey season is only 30 days beginning the second Saturday in November and the limit is 2 birds per season.  According to Farm Sanctuary:

Turkeys used for meat suffer horribly on factory farms. Most spend their entire lives without ever setting foot outdoors. Genetically manipulated to grow extremely fast to achieve “market weight” at a young age, they are slaughtered when they have lived only a small fraction of their natural lifespan. An estimated 45 million turkeys are killed each year for Thanksgiving alone.

Forty-five million turkeys versus a two bird maximum.  I'm sure if the turkeys could lobby, they would be lobbying in the hunter's favor.  However, turkey is part of the American Traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

Many American dinner tables may have a variety of beef on the American Traditional Thanksgiving dinner table.  There's not many things that can beat a great steak--cooked and seasoned to perfection.  However, in a country of more than a billion people, with very different traditions, the majority still find beef consumption as wrong.  Some Hindu traditionalists are appalled:

 "The cow is our mother, it's our duty to protect her...We do this because we believe in what the cow represents in our country, our culture and in the Hindu religion."

The Indian government has increased the penalties for violating an Indian Tradition that is an every day occurrence in America:

Cow slaughter is now a serious offense and could invite a jail term of up to seven years in Madhya Pradesh. Consuming, keeping or transporting beef of any cow progeny will invite the same punishment.

My American Traditional Thanksgiving dinner includes venison.  I would very much like to have a wild turkey, also.  However, to date I have not been worthy.  The venison on my Traditional American Thanksgiving dinner table is from an animal that I personally harvested.  Millions of deer were not slaughtered so that I would have the convenience of selecting the perfect venison cut from the local supermarket. 

As described above, traditions vary greatly.  I am not so ethnocentric to expect that my mores are the perfect fit for anyone else but me.  By the same token, I refuse to have anyone expect that I will adopt their mores as my own because of their self-righteousness and/or passion for a popular cause.  According to historical accounts, the inclusion of venison (and duck) on my Thanksgiving dinner table more accurately resemble the dinner celebrated at the first Thanksgiving feast.

I would like to believe that those who value the wilderness as much as I do, would take this traditional Thanksgiving period to view the common ground that we share.  By helping to keep the WILDerness WILD, we can work together to preserve a natural resource that will continue to serve everyone for generations to come.  Our traditions may vary, but our cause is one in the same.

November 2013 Response to citizen's apparent dissaproval of having hunters in the National Forest posted on Altadena, CA Blog

The San Gabriel Mountain foothills are abundant with deer, bear, coyotes and a variety of animals that classify as game animals.  The State of California Department of Fish and Wildlife divide the state into specific Hunting Zones to regulate and balance populations of the aforementioned animals.  Specifically, legal deer hunting regulations in the Altadena and Pasadena areas by use of bow and arrow are as follows:

A-31 (Los Angeles Archery Either-Sex Deer Hunt).
(A) Area: That portion of Los Angeles County within Zone D-11 (see subsection 360(a)(10)(A)).
(B) Season: The season for hunt A-31 (Los Angeles Archery Either-Sex Deer Hunt) shall open on the fourth Saturday in September and extend through December 31. 
(C) Bag and Possession Limit: One either-sex deer (see subsection 351(b)) per tag.
(D) Number of Tags: 1,000.

The proximity of legal hunting areas on public lands in the National Forest to urban areas and residential neighborhoods have long been a major concern in Altadena.  There have been reports of poaching, hunting on private property, hunting too close to a structure and other misdeeds.  These actions are illegal and should not be tolerated.  They should not be tolerated by residents, because they are definitely not tolerated by legal and ethical outdoors-men.  People who engage in this behavior are criminals.  Criminals typically execute their deeds in secrecy and out of the public eye.  When exposed, they scurry like cock roaches trying to avoid the light. 

A person firing a weapon at an animal in the forest in violation of the rules and regulations qualifies no more as hunter than a person with a handgun qualifies as a policeman. In the State of California, every hunter is required to take and pass a Hunter Safety course.  Carrying a weapon also carries added responsibility.  The primary focus throughout the course is public safety.  The rules and regulations are designed to maximize public safety in the hunting environment without compromise.  You are much more likely to be severely injured by a errant golf ball from Altadena Golf Course, than by a hunter bow hunting in Angeles National Forest. 

People accused of violating the rules and regulations are treated fairly under the law.  If the accusations are proven to be true, the offender's hunting privileges can be suspended and/or revoked.  However, our legal system does provide that once the penance has been completed and the privilege to hunt restored, the person is not restricted as long as the current rules and regulations are followed.  There is no need to create a residential vigilante posse to monitor his activities.  Egregious crimes are noted and often have distinct signatures as to who and how they were committed.  Authorities have been trained to "hunt" for perpetrators of these crimes.  If someone repeats crimes that were proven in the past, the authorities are very well trained to handle the situation.        

The camouflage clad hunter casually crossing the road to enter the National Forest, or sitting on the tailgate of his truck talking to his hunting buddy, or walking down a trail is less likely to be someone planning to break the rules and trying to hide.  He or she is more likely to be the person who sees you while you are out for a morning or evening hike, but you do not see him or her.  The same unseen person would not hesitate to assist you if assistance was required when you believed there was no assistance to be found.  Public safety is paramount in hunting rules and regulations; virtue and decency are traits exemplified by hunters that I know personally.  This should not become a person of interest to the sheriff's department because he's not wearing the suit and tie he's required to wear during the week.  A deputy sheriff chatting with a legal bow hunter on Chaney Trail can't be at a house on Punahou Street investigating a burglary.

There are some residents who live in the foothills and near the National Forest with a very low "outdoor IQ".  Symptoms include leaving pet food outdoors, trash improperly bagged, in cans without lids or several days before scheduled pickup. Local wildlife view this as a dinner bell for an all-you-can-eat buffet.  Neighbors and law enforcement see this as an invitation for trouble. Unfortunately, it is usually trouble for the wildlife.   The California Department of Fish and Wildlife support the "Keep Me Wild" campaign to help educate people about our relationship with wildlife.  Most people are aware of the slogan, "...a fed animal is a dead animal...".   People exhibiting this behavior create a very serious public safety issue.  Wild animals are just that, wild.  Wild animals can be dangerous.  It is illegal to feed deer in California. Penalties may include a fine and/or jail time.

California Regulation251.3. Prohibition Against Feeding Big Game Mammals.
No person shall knowingly feed big game mammals, as defined in Section 350 of these regulations.  Amendment filed 1-1-08; effective 2-7-08.
    

I make no effort to influence your personal feelings toward hunting in general.  Having hunted in the Altadena area for over 15 years, I have personal misgivings about certain events that have influenced the wildlife population, also.  The destruction of wildlife habitat over the years has been appalling.  The deer population is only a fraction of what it was before much of the residential construction along the foothills.  The razing of hills to build housing lots has decimated the fruit and black walnut trees we shared with the animals that used to populate the hillsides.  Using the current hunting rules and regulations, It would take me at least 5 lifetimes with a 100% success rate of hunting each year to harvest as many deer as was displaced by the deleterious environment created by urban development and the destruction of the natural habitat.

It has long been argued that hunters are the first conservationist.  I'm hoping that many of the concerns expressed by local residents are based on a true desire to maintain and protect the integrity of the foothills and the wildlife native to the area.  I hope that we can establish common goals based on public safety and respecting the rights of others to pursue lawful activities on the "Land of Many Uses".

Timothy Jones, Vice Chairman

Los Angeles County Fish and Game Commissioner, 2005-2011        

Time to take back our hunting rights!

While standing and chatting with my hunting buddy at our parked cars along the foothills of the National Forest, embolden local residents stopped to log my license plate number and report my presence to the local sheriff's department.  Less than 15 minutes later a sheriff's deputy arrived.  The female officer indicated that the department received a report that hunters were in the area and requested to see our hunting permits.  Mind you, my buddy and I were standing at our vehicles without weapons visible.  The Sheriff's department was already aware that it is hunting season.  In many places, hunters wear camouflage clothing to mask their appearance from the animals.

Since my buddy and I were simply standing and talking, I informed the deputy that the permits we hold are valid for hunting, not standing and talking on public lands.  She indicated that she wanted to check the permits in the event we went hunting later.  I asked if she stopped individuals standing and talking in the park and request a valid driver's license in the event they decided to drive later.  Requesting my hunting permit when I'm not hunting is just as ridiculous as requesting my driver's license when I'm not driving.  The deputy repeated that she had the responsibility to investigate the incident because of the call into the office.  We provided her with the information requested and she politely acknowledged that she understood why we were less than thrilled with her presence.  She indicated that the department receives many calls from local residents during the hunting season reporting the presence of hunters in the area.  I'd hate to be the resident needing immediate assistant to only find out the deputy was dispatched to investigate the presence of a hunter in the National Forest hunting area during hunting season wearing hunting attire.  Time for communication...

2013-2014 Deer Season is Now Open

Deer camp opens on Thursday, 9/5/13.  It's meet-up time in Cleveland National Forest for the five guys, plus my eight year old son Gabriel, who will be at deer camp this year.  There's David, Jon, Dane, Toby and myself.  I met David and Jon while shooting at the archery tournaments during the off-season.  Both shoot traditional bows.  I enjoy shooting with David and his family.  For that matter, I also enjoy shooting with Jon and his family.  Jon is a very good shot and a fun person.  I reserved a spot at the same campsite we stayed at last year.

I created an organizational chart for this year's deer camp.  Last year was great, but we ended up with lots of the same things.  This was wasteful.  I'd like to assign specific items to each of us so that we don't bring too many of the same things, and not enough of other things. I'll try to insert or attach the final chart to this blog.g.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of last year's deer camp was the food and meals we shared.  David introduced most of us to the Scotch Eggs that Rebecca made for camp.  They were a great fast and efficient breakfast.  You have the hard boiled eggs wrapped in sausage and bread crumbs -- a complete breakfast.  The dinner made by Manuel and Froilan were legendary.  Manuel brought the private wwreserv e wine and Froilan cooked the hell out of the Filet Mignon.&nbspi; The gourmet desert topped off a meal to remember. Ok, but this year we got Toby. Toby is one of the main reasons that I still hunt. We have hunted every year together since we met in 1995-96. Toby can cook...and he can also eat.. but boy can he burn. He watches the Cooking Network as much as Lauryn. I don' t think we need worry about our culinary well being. Toby won't act as though he wants to invole himselc too much, but he can't stand watching things being done incorrectly or at a lower standandard than he is accustomed. He'll pitch in for sure.

Prey or Predator...You Decide

Am I being realistic or pessimistic?  I really do believe that animals only come in two varieties: Prey or Predator.  And since people are animals, that logic applies to us as well.  Perhaps that's why I have such a passion for hunting.  It's not so much the action of overwhelming the prey, but knowing that I am the hunter and in control.  Perhaps that explains why I get so stressed when I am not in control and feel as though I am the prey.  I've been feeling that way for a much to long now.

In nature, prey and predator often live in harmony.  Prey knowing that a safe distance must be maintained.  Predator knowing that prey must remain localized and in abundance for the predator to survive.  I have no desire to dispatch prey because I want to gain notoriety or demonstrate my killing efficiency quotient.  Those that do it for this purpose should experience what's it like when you do not have the advantage of having the only weapon and can become prey instead of predator.  High-fives after shooting an animal at 200-300 yards is a juvenile ritual for those who are too lazy to learn the skills needed to overcome the natural instincts of the prey they stalk.  That's like the wealthy taking advantage of those of us who work hard everyday to just get by...because they can.  They do it from a distance so that they have no real personal involvement.  The man whose confidence and talents are derived from his bank account balance knows damn well that if he gets too close, he may have to face the harsh reality that he is not the man that his wealth has purchased the appearance of him as being.

131024 What Kind of Hunter?

I often wonder just what kind of hunter I am. I watch outdoor shows that characterize the hunter as a guy ready to kill anything breathing. Whereas, I see myself as the guy who is amazed at the survival skills of the prey I stalk and will only kill what I will eat. Am I being a whimp? Should I shoot the deer who does not perceive me as a threat because some misguided animal lover thought it a good idea to feed the animal whenever possible? At this point, the answer is no. I will not shoot an animal corrupted by human ignorance. However, I will attempt to reintroduce the prey/predator concept. I know that my hunting buddies would not hesitate to shoot a trusting animal. I see my role as the animal's guardian and protector. An odd perspective for sure. HoweverN I find myself trying to make sure that all of the requirements for sustaing the animal and its decendants are in place and properly cared for. I would not hesitate to report the poacher . I would try to educate the misguided do-gooder who try to domestcate wild animals. I speak out against those who are rapidly destroying the habitat that the animals need for survival. And I take my long bow and wooden aarows into the field with the hope of harvesting one of these wonderful beast for personal consumption. Yes, I see myself more as the type of hunter represented in Native American traditional lore. I only take from the earth what I need and always give back more. This my way of helping to keep nature in balance for future generations to enjoy.

April 2013...Getting in Shape for 2013-2014 Hunting Season

I searched for 'Hunting Physical Fitness" listing on the Internet.  The search did not produce the articles that I hoped to find.  I hoped to find an outline of an exercise program specifically designed to build the physical fitness needed for successful hunting.  In light of that, I'm continuing with my own program, which is...

Since hunting season is over 4 months away, I'm very low impact.
Target practice at least twice a week.
Shooting at target from approximately 20-25 yards away
Targets are the 6-inch paper plates and 3D Deer target
Stretch before shooting at target.
Run at a very fast pace around the block before taking first shot.
First shot after running around the block is at the 3D Deer target.
Deer target is scored 10-for heart and/or lung shot, 5-for kill zone, -5-for hit but not in kill zone and 0-for a complete miss.
Only one arrow shot at 3D Target
Record score for 3D Target
Next shot - 10 ends of 3 arrows each at 6-inch paper plate target on mounted on a 12x12" foam square from 25 yards.
6-inch target scores: 10-center, 9-inside paper plate, 7-hitting paper plate and 5-hitting foam square.
The running around the corner as fast as you can gets the heart rate higher.
Running around the corner and seeing a deer that you are about to take a shot at during hunting season, both raise your heart rate.
Practice shooting while the heart rate is high.

Records are kept and my goal is to get better over time.