Calling all Northern California deer hunters--need input

[HuntResearcher]

Hi all, I'm a researcher doing a study on hunter preferences for habitat quality, hunt regulations, and site accessin Northern California.

If you hunted the Sacramento or Feather River in 2019-20 you may have run into my survey crew at a boat launch or a walk-in site at a wildlife area. We talked to over 1100 hunters in person in 2019 and 2020.

Unfortunately, most of those were waterfowl hunters. Our deer and turkey sampling got slammed by the heat, drought, and then eventually COVID, and we did not get as many upland hunters as we wanted.

I'm now trying to fill in those gaps with an online survey. It takes about 15 minutes to do and there's 20 bucks in it for you if you provide your name and address. All data are kept confidential and won't be used for any other purpose. We also have a version where you skip the $20 and don't give any personal info out.

We'll be sharing our results with hunter groups, and especially with CDFW and USFWS in hopes of representing hunters' views on opening up public access at restored habitat sites, and managing the sites for hunters' benefit. If you'd like to help out, check out the links below.

FYI you must be 18 or over, a deer/turkey/upland gamebird hunter, and have hunted actively on *public lands* in northern California at least once in the last 2 years.

thanks for considering it. I'm happy to answer questions downthread if anyone wants to ask.

if you're up for the $20
bit.ly/HunterResearch20

if you don't care about the $20 but you want to stay anonymous
bit.ly/HunterResearch

 

[Braaap]

CA residents only? Or non-residents that hunted CA also (crazy I know)?

 

[HuntResearcher]

You don't have to be a resident as long as you've hunted here. The more important part is "on public lands." If you've just hunted someone's private ranch, no go.

 

[Spotnspook]

I can’t seem to get your link to work but would be happy to fill out the survey if you can get a hyperlink posted.
Hunting related question, what do you think has happened to California’s wild pheasant population? They seem to have disappeared from places I found them for years.

 

[Swayze]

What zone D Zone do you consider the cut off for Northern California?

 

[HuntResearcher]

Whoops, I guess I didn't make the links live. Sorry about that.

bit.ly/HunterResearch20 to get the $20 (give your name/address)

bit.ly/HunterResearch for the private info version (no $20, same questions)

Re: the pheasants, the main explanation I've heard is that so many growers in the Central Valley have switched to orchards from cereal crops. There used to be a lot more wheat oats hay and alfalfa...now everyone wants to be in almonds, walnuts or grapes. The ground beneath an orchard is basically denuded--no grass cover, and often flood-irrigated. Plus they have cut down a lot of the hedgerow to accommodate the machinery and grow all the way out to the edge of the field.

I believe CDFW is studying this in cooperation with Pheasants Forever.

 

[HuntResearcher]

What zone D Zone do you consider the cut off for Northern California?

@Swayze, D7 is in, D8 is out. The San Joaquin River watershed is part of our focal zone, but nothing further south than that.

 

[Spotnspook]

Whoops, I guess I didn't make the links live. Sorry about that.

bit.ly/HunterResearch20 to get the $20 (give your name/address)

bit.ly/HunterResearch for the private info version (no $20, same questions)

Re: the pheasants, the main explanation I've heard is that so many growers in the Central Valley have switched to orchards from cereal crops. There used to be a lot more wheat oats hay and alfalfa...now everyone wants to be in almonds, walnuts or grapes. The ground beneath an orchard is basically denuded--no grass cover, and often flood-irrigated. Plus they have cut down a lot of the hedgerow to accommodate the machinery and grow all the way out to the edge of the field.

I believe CDFW is studying this in cooperation with Pheasants Forever.

Thanks for the reply, makes sense to me. We used to be able to get limits of pheasants no problem but haven’t seen a wild bird in years.
I completed the survey and sent it to some hunting buddies, hopefully it does some good.

 

[JNDEER]

Could you list what specific zones you are looking for that we hunted public land on in 19-20?

 

[HuntResearcher]

Could you list what specific zones you are looking for that we hunted public land on in 19-20?

Sorry, I was unclear. Our earlier study intercepted hunters in the field in 19-20, mostly in C4/D3/D4, plus a bunch of waterfowl sites in the Central Valley and Bay Delta. We then followed up with these hunters by email, but we didn't get as many responses as we wanted from deer and turkey hunters.

So, now, I am looking for deer or upland gamebird hunters who hunted ANYWHERE in NorCal on PUBLIC LANDS in EITHER 2019-20 or 2020-21.

Basically, draw a line across CA at Fresno, and if you hunted public wildlife areas north of the line in the last 2 years, I'd love to hear from you.

thanks for clarifying

bit.ly/HunterResearch20 for those who want to collect the $20

bit.ly/HunterResearch for those who prefer to remain anonymous

 

[Hunt_Jefferson]

I completed your survey. IMO predators have been the biggest impact to hunting success in the two zones I have been hunting pretty consistently for 11 years. Huge increase in the bear, mountain lion, and wolf population. Second biggest impact has been the CA lead-free regulations exacerbated by the pandemic ammo shortage, very hard to find ammo for upland and big game if you didn't already have some or bought a new caliber/gauge firearm.

 

[HuntResearcher]

Thanks, @Hunt_Jefferson. Your comments are right in line with what I heard from deer hunters last season when we were doing interviews. Lots of evidence of cat kills out there. Didn't hear anything about wolves, but our area was further south than where the wolfpacks are. Also lots of folks worried about current & future availability of ammo.

I appreciate you doing the survey. Feel free to send those links to others hunters you know if they'd like to be heard on these issues.

 

[Marble]

I'm think there are several factors affecting deer populations in CA. I've been hunting here my entire life from the X zones to all over B zone. The two most major changes I see in that time span has been the Marijuana industry and predators. My guess is lions, but bears and coyotes would have to have an impact too.

The other factor habitat. Which is oh so important. A combination of landscape change from fire, climate change and logging has all got to have a huge impact on the deer population.

Lastly is the hunters. There are a lot, and a lot that are unsuccessful. I have said for years I would gladly see tags reduced so that less people hunt and better, more quality hunting emerges. But only if DFG really had a plan that made sense. Which I have never seen. And I doubt I ever will. The fish and game commission used to be "hook and bullet" group. Sportsman and hunting are last, if not off, the list of motivating factors the board considers. They may make claims of what they want, but their actions, or lack there of, combined with no public information shared with the public says a lot.

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[87TT]

Ca is not interested in hunting. They do nothing to promote or help hunters. The Dept of Fish and “Wildlife” is a joke.

 

[HuntResearcher]

I'm think there are several factors affecting deer populations in CA. I've been hunting here my entire life from the X zones to all over B zone. The two most major changes I see in that time span has been the Marijuana industry and predators. My guess is lions, but bears and coyotes would have to have an impact too.

The other factor habitat. Which is oh so important. A combination of landscape change from fire, climate change and logging has all got to have a huge impact on the deer population.

Lastly is the hunters. There are a lot, and a lot that are unsuccessful. I have said for years I would gladly see tags reduced so that less people hunt and better, more quality hunting emerges. But only if DFG really had a plan that made sense. Which I have never seen. And I doubt I ever will. The fish and game commission used to be "hook and bullet" group. Sportsman and hunting are last, if not off, the list of motivating factors the board considers. They may make claims of what they want, but their actions, or lack there of, combined with no public information shared with the public says a lot.

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Thanks, @Marble. Our survey mentions landscape/habitat change, predators, and crowding as factors that may reduce hunters success/satisfaction, but we didn't think to include marijuana.

Can you elaborate a little more on how the marijuana industry affects your hunting? Is it the effect on the environment of the grows themselves? the existence of fencing?...or more uncertainty about whether you can safely hunt in a particular place, given the possibility of illegal backcountry grows? I'd love to know more about this.

 

[Hunt_Jefferson]

Thanks, @Marble. Our survey mentions landscape/habitat change, predators, and crowding as factors that may reduce hunters success/satisfaction, but we didn't think to include marijuana.

Can you elaborate a little more on how the marijuana industry affects your hunting? Is it the effect on the environment of the grows themselves? the existence of fencing?...or more uncertainty about whether you can safely hunt in a particular place, given the possibility of illegal backcountry grows? I'd love to know more about this.

Agree, good point Marble about the grows. I would say that its the "illegal" marijuana industry that sets up shop deep in the National Forest, Wilderness areas, or state/BLM land that has the biggest impact to the habitat. They set up in areas with easy access to water so all the fertilizer and chemicals used (along with human waste/garbage) flows right back into the drainages/creeks. Stories of bone piles from poaching anything they come across any time of the year, they don't typically use fences because they just shoot whatever is eating the crops too. Huge wildfire risk from their camps.

They don't give two shits about the environment, animals, or anything besides growing and protecting their crop. Most are illegal aliens so there is no incentive for them to follow any laws because if caught they are getting deported anyways (well maybe not with this current administration). Which makes the CA law about not being able to carry a firearm while bowhunting that much more stupid. I don't bowhunt but I would imagine compliance with that law isn't too high in certain areas.

The Eldorado NF isn't as bad from what I have seen, but Plumas NF and Lassen NF certainly have issues with illegal grows. Obviously Mendocino NF is thick with them.

 

[Hunt_Jefferson]

One last vent while I'm at it, here is what I am looking at for CA resident license/application fees this year. Perhaps I can look into disabled rates because we must be mental to keep paying these year after year. $51.02 for a black bear tag?

2021 - Hunting License (Res) $52.66
2021 - Upland Game Bird Validation $10.54
2021 - Harvest Information Program (HIP) Validation $0.00
2021 - California Duck Validation $23.25
2021 - Deer Tag Drawing Application - 1st Deer (Res) $34.56
2021 - Fundraising Drawing Application - Elk $7.05
2021 - California Duck Stamp $0.00
2021 - Upland Game Bird Stamp $0.00
2021 - Bear Tag (Res) $51.02
2021 - Deer Tag - 2nd Deer (Res) $43.20 (11% success rate)
2021 - Elk Tag Drawing Application (Res) $8.13
2021 - Fishing 52.66
2021 - Fishing Steelhead Report Card 8.13
Total: $291.20

Compared to a state like Idaho which provides a hunting license, fishing license, and 6 actual tags not just an application for $144.60:

Combination - Sportsman's Package $144.60
RESIDENTS ONLY - The Sportsman's Package includes all rights and privileges associated with a Resident Adult Combination License plus tags for deer, elk, bear, mountain lion, wolf, turkey, salmon and steelhead. Archery and muzzleloader are validated on the license. Receipts will be given if tags are unavailable at time of purchase.

 

[Marble]

Thanks, @Marble. Our survey mentions landscape/habitat change, predators, and crowding as factors that may reduce hunters success/satisfaction, but we didn't think to include marijuana.

Can you elaborate a little more on how the marijuana industry affects your hunting? Is it the effect on the environment of the grows themselves? the existence of fencing?...or more uncertainty about whether you can safely hunt in a particular place, given the possibility of illegal backcountry grows? I'd love to know more about this.

It's a dual impact.

The grows are generally remote, whether they are cartel types in the national forest or just a white guy growing on acreage.

Poaching: there are no LE actively at the grow areas and when they are raided, there are carcasses from deer of all types and bear. They do it for food and to also prevent them from destroying crops.

Habitat:

They dry up entire water sheds. People who have historically used a creek to keep under ground wells filled now have to have water trucked in.

This also changes the habitat down stream of the large water use by the growers. It can be from a "medicinal grower" or one of the cartels. Either way, both have impacts.

Chemicals...they use banned Chemicals, or legal chemicals, in large amounts killing everything and anything that comes in contact with them. All animals, bugs and foliage is affected.

LE does not have the resources or support to solve the problem. And the CA legislator cares more about MJ than the environment.

Safety wise, yeah, running into them in the woods has happened but it's not a normal thing.

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[HuntResearcher]

Hi all, I'm a researcher doing a study on hunter preferences for habitat quality, hunt regulations, and site accessin Northern California.

If you hunted the Sacramento or Feather River in 2019-20 you may have run into my survey crew at a boat launch or a walk-in site at a wildlife area. We talked to over 1100 hunters in person in 2019 and 2020.

Unfortunately, most of those were waterfowl hunters. Our deer and turkey sampling got slammed by the heat, drought, and then eventually COVID, and we did not get as many upland hunters as we wanted.

I'm now trying to fill in those gaps with an online survey. It takes about 15 minutes to do and there's 20 bucks in it for you if you provide your name and address. All data are kept confidential and won't be used for any other purpose. We also have a version where you skip the $20 and don't give any personal info out.

We'll be sharing our results with hunter groups, and especially with CDFW and USFWS in hopes of representing hunters' views on opening up public access at restored habitat sites, and managing the sites for hunters' benefit. If you'd like to help out, check out the links below.

FYI you must be 18 or over, a deer/turkey/upland gamebird hunter, and have hunted actively on *public lands* in northern California at least once in the last 2 years.

thanks for considering it. I'm happy to answer questions downthread if anyone wants to ask.

if you're up for the $20
bit.ly/HunterResearch20

if you don't care about the $20 but you want to stay anonymous
bit.ly/HunterResearch

Hi everyone, we are going to keep the survey open for a couple more weeks, and then we'll end our data collection.

If you haven't had a chance to take the survey yet, now's the time!

I'd also appreciate you forwarding the links to anyone you know who might be eligible (18+, hunted public land in N. Calif in last 2 years).

Thank you!

 

[Smithb9841]

Hi everyone, we are going to keep the survey open for a couple more weeks, and then we'll end our data collection.

If you haven't had a chance to take the survey yet, now's the time!

I'd also appreciate you forwarding the links to anyone you know who might be eligible (18+, hunted public land in N. Calif in last 2 years).

Thank you!

Been meaning to respond on this thread, i was wondering are you conducting this study through a University, or through a state agency, or other?