I just ran across an organization of dedicated California hunters who call themselves the: WOLFPACK
This group of hunters whom are headed up by Mr. Angelo Nogara have a mission to put California hunting back on the map, and judging by the wonderful pictures on their site I would say that they are doing a fantastic job and successfully accomplishing that mission. All too often I hear of CA. hunters going out of state to hunt and I think to myself WHY?
California is one of the most beautiful states in the union and the diversity of terrain and wildlife are completely unmatched.
Where else can you go to see landscapes which range from low to high desert and in the same day go ocean fishing and then travel to mountainous terrain which matches anything that Alaska has to offer as far as sheer beauty is concerned!
Go give the Wolfpack a look see and tell them that T. Michael from Native Hunt sent you!
Phone call from potential client: Hey, Im’ lookin’ for a pig hunt how much do you charge? Hunt Coordinator states current prices. WHAT! Thats way too expensive, Joe blow outfitters only charges $$.
Folks, I have said this time and again and I will make the same statement right here and now: You would not even consider hiring an unlicensed contractor to build your Dream Home for you because of all of the obvious reasons such as: License, State Certified Bonding, Liability Insurance, Workers Compensation Insurance, Disability Insurance, Compliance and Funding for State Occupational Safety And Health Standards etc. etc.
There is a very good reason why you also should be very wary of that Cheaply Priced Outfitter to take you and your family out on the Dream Hunt which you have been saving up your hard earned dollars a full three years for. They are most likely devoid of any of the above required Licensing, Bonding and Insurance to be able to offer those kind of cheap prices because if they did possess all of the overhead that a legitimate outfitter has to contend with, they would not be able to offer such low cost hunts and be able to stay in business.
We here at Native Hunt hear the same story so many times about how the client was lured towards a cheaply priced hunt only to find Bubba’ standing at the front gate of a piece of property which he claimed belonged to him. And how they were quietly ushered in and spent the better part of the morning being driven around the place only to see a few animals running scared for their lives, (that is if you even see any animals at all). Then everyone is screamed at to jump out of the truck and start shooting!
Then when all of the shooting has ceased, Bubba’ quickly loads the downed animals and doesn’t even take the time to gut them, he just yells at everybody to get back in the truck fast because the animals are heating up and need to be skinned. They all then beat a hasty retreat out of there, and all the while Mr. Guide is looking worried because everyone present has just committed Felony Trespass and Poaching upon someone else’s property. Property which your illustrious, and un-licensed guide did not even have written permission to be upon, let alone killing any animals there.
Do the research, ask the proper questions, demand to see a copy of the insurance policy which will cover everyones rear ends if someone happens to have an accident during the hunt. Ask for a license number so that you can check with the Department Of Fish And Game to see if any complaints have ever been filed against the Guide which you have chosen.
because: You would not hire an un-licensed contractor to build your DREAM HOME, so likewise do not hire an un-licensed outfitter to take you and your family out upon your DREAM HUNT!
The Guide Sam and Ming Li
Kats First Hog
Starting the year 2010 with a bang!
No pun intended here but we will be featuring a new section in the Native Hunt Blog.
We here at Native Hunt currently have an impressive roster of 10 Professional Hunting Guides working for us who’s experience and knowledge of the wilderness, hunting and the outdoors can be utilized by the readers of our blog.
This new feature will be added to our Hunting Tips section, and will be a completely open forum. This forum will enable you to have full access to over 100 years of collective knowledge gained from these experienced woodsmen.
Please stay tuned and look for: Ask The Guides to be up and available after the first of the year!
Happy Hunting and a very merry Christmas to you all!
Tom Remington over at the Black Bear Blog has some great information about a parasitic invasion in wild game.
When I was a kid back in Pre-Disney Florida way back in the swamps on the outskirts of Orlando, parasites were a big problem.
When I would become infested ie: Hookworm, Roundworm etc. etc. my Mema (Maternal Grandmother) would make me eat a slice of Raw Irish Potatoe each day for about a week to rid me of the worm infestation.
By golly! It worked!
By: T. Michael
The pure Eurasian wild boar genetically is the real and original old world swine! It’s roots can be traced back through several millennia and in fact during pre-historic times there was actually a wild boar which stood nearly 6′ at the shoulders weighing in at almost 2,000 lbs. Man, that would be a lot of pork for the dinner table!
The defensive grouping which you see here in the photo at the side of this page is indicative of their Old World genetic predisposition and wild trait’s. This sort of behavior will not be seen in modern Feral/Domestic swine and is more closely related to an African plains animals defensive posturing.
This particular sounder of Eurasians were being confronted by dogs here, and grouped together like this and also by placing the smaller, younger animals inside the center of the herd they were successful at repelling any attacks from the dogs. And in fact one of the dogs was seriously injured by a hog here and had to be rushed to emergency veterinary care. And that dog was also wearing a protective vest! The ferocity of these animals is by far the most fascinating thing to witness and none of the hogs in this group would have been more than 100 lbs. at the time. Also, just for reference should you find yourself in a similar situation, had there been any large Toothy Boar in this group you would not have seen me waving and smiling on the other side like that. I most likely would have been sh*#tin’ and gittin’ it outa’ there with that boar hot on my tail!
Any experienced hunter of wild boar will tell you that a group of Feral Swine will scatter in several different directions when confronted with danger or facing a predator. This Flight Mode is one of the reasons why Feral/Domestic swine have become so successful at proliferating and increasing their numbers as they have done over the years. They most certainly will Run away to breed another day. And I have been witness to feral sows leaving behind their suckling piglets when confronted and not come back for them at all! And then yours truly here had to rescue those abandoned babies.
The Eurasian wild swine is a 36 chromosome animal while its Domestic and Feral cousins are a 38 chromosome animal. This genetic difference also lends itself to a much different mentality (much more aggressive) than a domestic/feral swine. And while the two can and obviously do interbreed, the resulting offspring will be a genetically mixed litter of piglets ranging from 36, 37 to 38 chromosome animals.
The meat is a darker and rich colored red while being much more flavorful, along with 0% fat marbling as opposed to domestic/feral swine meat. Also, in fine restaurants around the world wild boar meat which comes from animals that have been feeding upon the mast (natural occurring seeds and grains) and in particular: ACORNS, is much sought after and commands a higher dollar value per LB. than any other swine meat. Hank Shaw over at Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook has cooked up some great tasting wild boar for us out at the ranches.
Another difference is the size of the eyeball itself thus hampering their ability to see as clearly as the domestic/feral swine do. Take a close look at how small the eye is in the pictured Eurasian Boar here compared to its feral cousins. I also have personally witnessed domestic/feral swine clearly spotting me stalking them at over 100 yards out. The Eurasian wild swine cannot see very well beyond 25 yards.
Long Snout, Gently Sloping Stop, Crested Ridge Back. Are some of the outward Eurasian wild boar characteristics. These photos were taken at Native Hunt where we have free ranged, pure Eurasian Wild Boar.
There are a lot of trophy animals at the Native Hunt ranches. The discriminating hunter has the opportunity to put a big set of fallow deer antlers on his wall, the boss and horns of a bull bison, the otherworldly curls of a Four-horned (Jacob’s) sheep, and the snarling maw of a big, Eurasian wild boar. But the trophy of a successful Native Hunt adventure goes well beyond the antlers and tusks. All of the animals available for hunting on the Native Hunt ranches also provide great table fare.
Even the big boars are tasty!
The meat of the Eurasian wild boar exceeds any “store-bought” pork you’ll ever taste. The hogs are healthy and fat, but unlike their domesticated cousins, the meat is mostly free of intramuscular fat (not to mention hormone and chemical-free), which provides a healthier meal. One great thing about wild pork is that you can treat it almost as you would domestic meat (although you have to be careful not to dry it out by overcooking).
Then there are the sheep, Corsican, Jacob’s, and Barbadoes. These critters make for great mutton. The animals are well-fed, and relatively sedentary. This lifestyle lends itself to some fairly tender meat, even on a trophy ram. For those who haven’t eaten mutton, its pleasantly unique flavor offers a real treat, and a change from the everyday experience of domestic beef or pork.
The Four-horn, or Jacob's sheep make a unique trophy and good table fare as well!
YOu can’t forget the bison. Buffalo meat is available in most grocery stores these days, and it’s quite popular, but it’s hard to compare the flavors of an animal that’s raised and corn-fattened like any other cow to the meat of an animal fresh off the range. This is what beef probably should be. Of course, even better will be serving the meat with the trophy head and horns mounted on your game room wall… or the bison rug draped across the hearth.
One of my favorite animals on the ranch is the fallow deer, both because they’re such beautiful animals and for the amazing venison they provide. I’ve eaten a lot of different kinds of venison over the years, from native whitetail, blacktail, and mule deer, to elk, to exotics like axis and fallow. I love them all, but of that list, the meat of the fallow deer is hands-down the best I’ve ever eaten (axis comes in real close second). Unlike wild, native venison, the fallow deer is more mildly flavored, but still rich. Cooked rare and served with a hearty red wine (like a nice old vine Zin), fallow deer backstraps are the stuff a carnivore’s dreams are made of.
So far, fallow deer is the best tasting venison I've ever eaten.
There are a lot of great ways to remember the hunt, but one of the best, in my opinion, is at the dining room table!
NOTE: There are a lot of great sites with wild game cooking recipes and techniques all over the Internet. One of our favorites here at Native Hunt is Hank Shaw’s Hunter Angler Gardener Cook blog. Besides the fact that we’ve been fortunate enough to have Hank cook for us here at the ranch, his site is loaded with great info, not only on wild meat, but on other aspects of securing and preparing food from the wilder places… even your own backyard.
A question I hear a lot, both from people interested in coming out here to hunt as well as from folks looking to go check out other states (or even other countries) is, “how hard is it to travel with my firearms?”
The short answer to the question is, “it’s not hard at all.”
But everything has its catches, right? The trick to travelling well and safely with firearms is to make sure and do your research before you go, and then prepare accordingly. Not paying attention to the rules and policies can make for delays, inconveniences, and worse, it can even get you into legal trouble. Here are a few tips to help with your planning. Read the rest of this entry »
Before the live catch
As I lay fast asleep upon the quiet and isolated hillside deep into the enchanted world of dreamland, I began to dream about myself and placing a heart pounding stalk upon a herd of elk. Then suddenly I was awakened from my slumber by a slight crunching noise, and not very far from my head I might add at this point.
And as I slowly opened my eyes and took a quick surveillance of my surroundings I was startled into full awareness by a sight which will forever be indelibly imprinted upon my memory. A real herd of Elk were feeding all around me upon the fresh and bright green grass which was growing from the first set of winter rains here. Here, was high up on Cow Mountain which is situated above Ukiah California. And in particular this spot where I lay down for my midday nap is referred to as 40 acre opening. And what did I have for scent cover or camouflage protection from the extremely acute sense of sight and smell of these huge and wary creatures?
Nothing more than a pair of blue jeans and dull green tee-shirt and my natural earthy odors emanating from my body, and that was it! This Elk herd did not even know that I was even there and laying face up on the ground at their very feet!
As I watch hunters worldwide spend millions of dollars for scent blockers and camouflage clothing, I can’t help but wonder if those large companies which manufacture and sell all of those products are just laughing themselves silly all the way to the bank. Don’t get me wrong though because some of the technology which goes into a lot of those products are very clever and they do work. But, I would like to point out the fact that if you take a look at all of those turn of the century photos of your great grandfathers hunting parties. You will see them all dressed in nothing more than blue jeans, flannel shirts and a drab colored hat of some sort. And pictured there and hanging right behind them will be 2 to 4 big buck deer carcasses per man in their hunting party. So the fact that camouflage and scent blockers had not even been invented yet did not seem to hamper their harvests one single bit.
Lets start with your scent and try to pinpoint just exactly where most of your body scent emanates from, and that would be your pubic region. Your under arm hair and genital hair areas should be shaved clean before you embark upon a serious hunting adventure. This will eliminate more than half of your scent right off the bat.
Also by washing your hunting clothes in a simple Dye Free and Perfume Free detergent like: Tide Free, “which has no U.V. brighteners” And hanging them out to dry in the clean air and sun, and then storing them inside of a sealed plastic bag will produce a set of perfectly scent free hunting garments. Oh! and don’t forget to just simply stay down wind from the highly sensitive noses of the animals which you intend to hunt.
There is a body washing agent which I personally use for each shower and it has proven effective time and again and I would highly recommend that a serious hunter purchase this as his SOLE body cleaning product. And also carry a small bottle of it out into the woods with you for your nightly cleaning and that is:
Birch Hill Happenings, unscented shampoo. Birch Hill Happenings Aromatherapy LLC, 2898 Country Road 103 Barnum, MN. 55707 Phone # (218) 384-9294
Their products are made from pure coconut oil and completely free from Detergents, Perfumes & Additives.
As I stated before, some of the products out on the market definitely are most remarkable at reducing body odors and as far as camouflage is concerned, if it instills a little extra confidence in yourself and your stalking abilities then, more power to you! Just do not go spending a small fortune on these scent killing and camouflaging products when just a few simple home procedures and commercially available products can help you to achieve the same results!
01 iso vocal The dissonant clang of a broken church bell had just invaded the oppressive silence, as two men stood facing each other in the middle of this dusty and single horse town street. Both were awaiting the sun’s zenith which was typically referred to as high noon. There was a very nervous looking time keeper standing nearby and holding an unsteady arm up in the air, and at the end of his quaking fingers dangled a golden pocket watch suspended upon a chain of gold that was handed to him by one of the combatants standing ready to duel. The grizzled warriors, one of medium build with cold steel blue eyes was well weathered and mouthing the stub of an old cigar between his tobacco stained teeth. The other man, quick and cat like in his movements was tall, dark eyed, lean and hawk faced in appearance.
Photo by: Sylvia Wei Wang Riddle
Each of the two men were stone faced and calm in contrast to the tense situation, but both were meeting here in this God forsaken place with a quiet and final purpose. To pit their six gun talents against one another, and to shoot each other dead! Now imagine if you will reading this scene from the script to an “as yet to be released” spaghetti western movie and being asked to write the musical score to it without ever even having seen the film itself. And even more amazing, on such a shoestring budget that you did not have access to a complete orchestra, and that you would have to make do with fill in sounds such as: A rooster’s crow, A man whistling, A train’s whistle, and inexpensive percussion instruments like Pot’s and Pan’s. And also having to recruit the help of an old high school buddy who played this new fangled instrument just recently invented called: An Electric Guitar….. That is just exactly what famed Italian composer Ennio Morricone had to contend with when commissioned to write the musical scores for films such as: The Good The Bad and The Ugly, Fist Full Of Dollars, Once Upon A Time In The West, Two Mules For Sister Sara and countless others (Wikkipedia “Ennio Morricone” for more detail. The son of Liberia and Mario Morricone, who was an accomplished Jazz Trumpeter, Ennio was born on 11/10/28 and wrote his first composition at the tender young age of 6.
Quite obviously a musical prodigy young Ennio went on to graduate from a highly regarded school of music in Italy by age 11. And from there immediately went to work composing music for a living. As I have discussed here in my previous post: Tracking And The Art Of Zen, Read the rest of this entry »
As we followed the dusty and well worn road far back into the wild depths of our ranch, my 4 year old daughter, beautiful and inquisitive just like her mother suddenly exclaimed: “Baba, what are these?”
Looking down at the dry floury ground which gave way to the appearance of something more akin to talcum powder than actual dirt, I closely examined what she had been excitedly pointing to. “Those are a Dung Beetle’s tracks,” I said to her, “wanna’ follow em’ and see what Mr. Beetle has been up to today?”
“Sure,” she replied, and then immediately began the meditative ritual which I had taught to her since she was able to walk and accompany me throughout the ranches.
Close your eyes and take two very deep breaths then hold the last breath until you can’t hold it any longer, then hold it just a little longer than that. Then slowly let the air out of your lungs through your lips which should be formed into the shape of a small “O” just as if you were about to whistle a little tune. After having completed this learned task we both knelt down upon the ground and began to study closely the pin prick impressions of the beetle’s footprints left behind by his busy meanderings.
The first thing which my daughter noticed was that the beetle seemed to stop and turn circles about every three to five of her little steps, or about every four feet. “This is because he is scenting the air,” I explained to her. “The beetle is stopping every so often and trying to catch the scent of something good to eat.”
“What does he eat,” she then asked?
“Well, his main food source is dung, or as you would understand it as ‘Poop’.”
At the suggestion of any creature subsisting off of another animals feces my little girl scrunched up her face and loudly expostulated, “Eeew’ you kidding!”
“No, I am serious. These type of beetles are able to get all of the nutrients and moisture that they need from cow, deer, coyote, pig or whatever animal leaves it’s droppings upon the ground. Every animal’s feces contains little tiny microbes and other small organisms which the dung beetle then extracts from their excrement. There is also enough moisture in those droppings for the beetle so that he never has to take a drink of water as well. Now lets get back to tracking this one and see if we can catch up to him.”
“O.K.,” she said happily. Read the rest of this entry »
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