2012 Purple Heart Outdoor Tour Blacktail Deer Hunt Participants

Sgt. 1^st Class Robert C. Shoup

Sgt. 1^st Class Robert C. Shoup is assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 75^th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga., as a Capabilities Development NCO.

 He was born September 06, 1981 in Dallas, Texas. After graduating from St. Michael-Albertville High School in 2001, Shoup joined the Army from St. Michael, Minnesota.

After completion of One Station Unit Training, the Basic Airborne Course and the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program all at Fort Benning, Ga., Shoup was assigned to Company B, 3^d Battalion, 75^th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga. He has served as a Machine Gunner, Machine Gunner Team Leader, Team Leader, Sniper, Sniper Squad Leader, and Squad Leader.

Shoup has conducted 12 combat rotations(totaling 51 months deployed) in support of the War on Terror. He has served in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. His military education includes the Basic Airborne Course, the Ranger Assessment and Selection Course, U.S. Army Ranger Course, Combat Life Savers Course, Combatives Level 1, Jumpmaster Course, Warrior Leader Course, Sniper School, Advanced Leader Course, and Senior Leader Course.

His awards and decorations include the Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, and Parachutists Badge. He has also been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Joint Service  Commendation Medal for Valor, Joint Service  Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Valorous Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal with three oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Combat Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with three Campaign Stars, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with numeral three, Army Service Ribbon and the Overseas Service Ribbon.

Shoup and his wife Samantha have two children, Landon and Connor.

GySgt Shawn Patrick

GySgt Shawn Patrick was born in Lincolnton, NC, a small town in western NC. Shawn graduated high school in 1992, joined the Marine Corps, and entered to boot camp at Parris Island in November of that year.

During his time in the Marine Corps Shawn has served in the infantry, reconnaissance community, and Marine Special Operations Command. He has completed numerous deployments, including one to Iraq and four to Afghanistan.

Shawn is married and expecting a daughter, his first child, at the end of July.

SSgt Erik Heffington

SSgt Heffington was born and raised in Browns Valley California and has been an avid outdoorsmen all his life. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on June 1^st of 2003 at the age of 20. After boot camp he attended the Recon Indoctrination Platoon and was assigned to 2D Force Reconnaissance Company in Camp Lejeune North Carolina.

While at 2D Force Recon SSgt Heffington attended the Basic Reconnaissance Course (BRC), US Army Airborne School, Marine Corps Combatant Dive School, US Army Ranger School, Military Free Fall School and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).  In October 2006 SSgt Heffington was assigned to 2D Marine Special Operations Battalion (2D MSOB) in Camp Lejeune North Carolina where he deployed 3 times in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan).

SSgt Heffington has served over 26 months in a combat zone. His decorations include Navy and Marine Corps gold Parachutist wings, Marine Corps Combat Dive Bubble, Combat Action ribbon with gold Star, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medal and two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation medals with Combat V device  for Valor. SSgt Heffington is currently serving in 2D Marine Special Operations Battalion in Camp Lejeune North Carolina; he serves as the operations chief for the Battalion training cell.

In 2004, SSgt Heffington married the former Amy Hoxworth. They have a son (Wyatt) age 6 and a daughter (Charlotte) age 3.

GySgt Justin Potter

GySgt Justin Potter was born in Leesburg VA, a small town in northwestern VA. Shortly after graduating from high school, in 1998,  he joined the U. S. Marine Corps, and subsequently participated in Parris Island boot camp during January, 1999.

Afghan Cowboy

During his time in the Marine Corps Justin has served in the Reconnaissance community and Marine Special Operations Command. He has completed multiple deployments, including one to Iraq and three to Afghanistan.

Justin is currently married to Keri and they have 2 girls Gracen (5 yrs) and Harper (1 1/2 yrs).

SFC Jonathan Kipp

SFC Jonathan Kipp was born in Va Beach, Virginia and was raised in the Philippines from the age of four until he graduated from high school. He enlisted in the Army and joined the 75th Ranger Regiment in the summer of 2001.

He was initially assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Ranger Battalion in Savannah, GA. During his time in Charlie Company, he served as an Anti-tank Gunner, 240B Machine Gunner, Squad Automatic Rifleman, Team Leader, Squad Leader, and HQ Platoon Sergeant, deploying 9 times – five times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and four times in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).

SFC Kipp’s decorations include Senior parachutist Wings, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Combat Infantryman’s Badge and the Ranger Tab. SFC Kipp has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Star, and the Joint Commendation Medal.

SFC Kipp is currently serving as cadre of the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program (RASP 2), Regimental Special Troops Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment in Ft. Benning, GA.

He is married to the former Kelly Fern. They have been married for 8 years and have three children, Kaley (age 4), Joshua (age 2) and Taylor (age 4 mo.).

NYC Firefighter (retired) Warren Forsyth

Warren Forsyth, 52, is a retired New York City Fire Fighter. Born and raised in
Staten Island New York, Warren joined the FDNY at 21. He worked at Rescue
Company 1, located in Midtown Manhattan. Warren worked countless hours at the
’93 and ’01 World Trade Center attacks as well as many Manhattan fires in his
20+ years of fire fighting. In his retired life, Warren enjoys fishing in the
Florida Keys, hunting in the mountains and motorcycling around America.

The event will begin with a welcome motorcade and Barbecue on Thursday August 23rd, 2012. Several organizations have joined forces to support this event – The Purple Heart Outdoor Tour, The Mule Deer Foundation, The Warrior Watch Riders, The California Outdoor Heritage Association, Cal Waterfowl, The California Deer Association, The Livermore Pleasanton Rod and Gun Club, Field of Dreams and Safari Club International to name a few.

Hunting has been donated and it will take place on local ranches including the Rao Ranch, Fields Ranch, Banke Ranch, N3 Cattle Co., Marciel Ranch, Holm Ranch, Walker Ranch and Koopman Ranch.

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All My Hunts are Trophy Hunts

Here's a classic African trophy mount from my trip to South Africa in July 2007. It hangs in my family room.

When you look up the definition of trophy, you will find something like, “A prize or memento held in remembrance  of winning a competitive event.”

If you do some research, you’ll find various definitions of trophy hunting that go something like this: “Trophy hunting is hunting with the intent of retaining some type of trophy associated with the successful kill of an animal, typically a big game animal.”

Recently I made a claim that I prefer plain hunting to trophy hunting. My companion replied, “That’s because you like to harvest an animal.”

I replied yes, but besides killing the animal, I also like the preparation for the hunt, looking for suitable game, excitement of the stalk, anticipation of the shot, tracking, dressing out, sharing with others, creating food products, eating the meat, observing my animal mounts, etc.

The reason I made the statement about plain vs. trophy hunting was to point out that many people hunt to reach trophy standards created by others. When you hunt by this standard, you pass up opportunities to bag animals because others don’t consider them a trophy – even if you do.

I was pleased with my 2011 muzzleloader buck, a small trophy.

After reflecting a little longer, I replied that the most exciting part of the hunt for me is right after I make the decision to kill something. That’s when my predator adrenaline kicks in – when I realize that the critter I’m looking at is possibly going home with me as my trophy.

Although I wanted to bring home some venison from my 2011 Nevada mule deer hunt, I wasn't inclined to kill one of these small bucks which, stood around about 100 yards from me and my ATV.

There’s a difference between looking at a deer and looking at a deer you intend to shoot. Every deer is an easy target until you decide you want to take it home. Once killing a specific animal becomes your objective, the hunt takes on a new perspective.

There’s a big difference between photographing a deer and shooting at it. I never get nervous while photographing a deer, but shooting a deer is a completely difference experience. And, I get excited every time I shoot an animal. That’s because I only shoot animals that excite me. I guess you could also call them “plain”trophies.

Here' is Lola with one of my most recent trophies. The breast meat is in my fridge and the tail feathers decorate my family room.

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Are Wildlife Management Programs Going Astray?

Traditional wildlife management is based upon an assumption of consumptive use. 

 

With consumptive use as a goal, habitat is managed to produce a healthy wildlife population with some species targeted for harvest. Healthy habitat produces a surplus of the targeted species, the ones desirable for human use. The surplus is available for consumption, with no net loss of the base population. 

This scenario is a win-win situation. More animals overall and also more available for harvest. Since consumption requires killing the animal being consumed, the sacrifice of the individual life of an animal is accepted, but the welfare of the target species, whether it be a herd, flock or family group, is enhanced. 

Tule elk were once on the verge of extinction, but hunters brought them back.

The Endangered Species Act has helped to promote the plight of numerous species which have been or are threatened and endangered to the point that the species could become extinct. But, the philosophy of the endangered species act tends to promote the welfare of each animal as an individual. This is appropriate if a species’ population dwindles to double digits. 

The killing of an individual animal listed as endangered is considered a “take” and it is illegal. That the killing of an individual animal undermines the welfare of a species seems intuitively obvious to any observer, educated in wildlife management or not. 

Unfortunately, there is a counter-intuitive component built into the issue of “take.” Management activities that promote the welfare of the species often require risking death or even  guaranteeing death of one or more individual animals. 

Therefore, the killing of a limited number of individual animals should be allowed when the action taking place ultimately enhances the survival of the species as a whole, but this is not the case. 

You can't rebuild a pond without making a mess.

Most recently, the issue of habitat improvement work related to enhancement of California tiger salamander breeding habitat has come into play. Land stewards who wish to rebuild dams and deepen stock ponds to enhance tiger salamander breeding opportunities are foreclosed from doing do as the issuance of a permit requires that there be no take. This type of conservation strategy is referred to as avoidance or minimization of take. In fact, this strategy can backfire. 

This CTS larvae, along with many others, was found in a recently rebuilt pond.

Brush that provides a sanctuary for Alameda whipsnake and many other species, should be thinned periodically to produce optimum habitat. Burning is often the prefered method, but mechanical clearing, crushing or pruning are other techniques that produces results. 

Alameda whipsnake

Unfortunately, none of these options can currently be used by land stewards for fear that an individual snake will be killed. Under current rules, there are few if any options that will allow a permit necessary to take one animal under these circumstances. 

If this type of thinking creeps into the minds of some traditional wildlife managers and the welfare of an individual animal is raised above the welfare of habitat supporting the species in general, we have a big problem. 

Habitat may not be warm and cuddly, but proper management of the critical habitat for a species must take priority over the welfare of individual animals.

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Conservation Culture Wars

There’s a war going on. It’s a conservation culture war.  Traditionalists believe hunters and fishermen have been major supporters of wildlife and there is plenty of evidence to support that claim. Those who oppose consumptive uses would like to find a way to supplant that financial underpinning for wildlife habitat.

This is nothing new, but there are other wars going on within the conservation community as well. Within the Federal and State Wildlife agencies there are those who believe in “hands on”government  and those who believe in only government oversight of activities that can better be developed by private enterprize.

This battle is typically between those whose comfort lies with relying on the dominance of a big government run by bureaucrats vs those who work in the private sector and believe in the creativity and efficiency that financial rewards can produce.

One example is the ongoing battle between private sector interests (conservation and mitigation banks) versus Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP), which is a big government venture. These entities are so counter to each other that the USFWS has two competing departments within its organization and the two don’t seem to be able to coexist.

In another arena, it appears that the California Department of Fish and Game is about to extinguish the private sector from managing endowment accounts that private continuous funding for Conservation Banks. Eliminating the private sector and NGO from this industry is misguided. There would certainly be growing pains while private enterprize faces the steep learning curve required to set up these programs, there would also be a big payoff.

The use of private parties and NGOs to hold endowment funding for long-term conservation programs which assure the perpetual existance of many species, would minimize the cost to taxpayers and build a conservation network much larger than we can afford government to become.

Currently, big government seems to be winning the war and private enterprize seems to be waning (in both the large and small arenas), but you never know as politics are volatile . Personally I enjoy freedom derrived from being entrepreneurial and independent. Maybe I’m an endangered species.

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COHA: A Huge Agenda for CA Hunters

The California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) held its annual meeting for members last week. The program showed that they are seemingly involved in every facit of California wildlife conservation. A non-profit 501 c4 organization, COHA, has the ability to lobby the state legislature in support of legislation that benefits hunters and fishermen as well as lobby against legislation that damages their members.

Here are a few of the areas where COHA is active:

State

State Legislature: Lobbies in support of and opposition to legislation affecting hunters.

State Resource Agencies: Created the SHARE program creating additional hunting opportunity for California sportsmen. Supports public hunting on Refuges and Wildlife Areas

California Fish and Game Commission: Routinely appears before the F&G Commission on behalf of hunters. Works with F&G Commission subcommittees such as the Al Tausher Committee. 

Federal:

U. S. Congress

Regional:

Willow Creek Mutual Water District – Lambertville, Black Point Sports Club – Sonoma County, Suisun Marsh – Bay/Delta, Grasslands – San Joaquin Valley, Tulare Basin Wildlife Management Area – Southern San Joaquin Valley, Mystic Lake – Riverside County, Klamath Basin

Political Action: COHA raises funds in support of pro-conservation candidates for the California legislature. COHA meets with candidates to develop support for the California Department of Fish and Game for the benefit of hunters and fishermen.

COHA obtains much of its funding via donations from conservation organizations such as the Mule Deer Foundation, California Waterfowl Association, California Deer Association, National Wild Turkey Association, Delta Waterfowl Association and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Funding is also obtained by individual donors, the Outdoor Industry, Hunting and Shooting Clubs.

COHA organizes a few events each year to generate funding without competing with other conservation groups. COHA also lends a hand to other organizations to assist them with fundraising.

COHA plays a private sector role in organizing and promoting the California Legislative Outdoor Sporting Caucus. Activities include a dinner, trap shoot and tours to help educate Caucus members and their staff on hunting related issues of importance.

Here’s a link to the COHA website where you can obtain more details about COHA and find out how you can support their efforts: http://outdoorheritage.org/

COHA staff, director and members posed for a group picture before departing from the Members Meeting last week. (L to R) MDF Regional Director – Randy Morrison, COHA Member and Wilderness Unlimited Manager – Rick Copeland, COHA Vice President for Legislative Affairs - Mark Hennelly, MDF President/CEO and COHA director – Miles Moretti, and COHA Directors of Development – Rick Bulloch and Gretchen Heffler.

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California Hunting Opportunity Under all-out Assault by Humane Society of the US?

This email message just came in from Rick Bullock of the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance. He paints an accurate picture of what’s happening in California. Hunters must take action. Groups like the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) need support from hunters everywhere. California is targeted for action by these anti-hunting groups because it’s the weakest link in the chain. Once they snap the California link, they’ll be off and running.

Hello all, 

I’m writing to bring you up to speed on several important issues COHA staff have worked over the last week, as well as to provide an update on two key committee hearings scheduled for Tuesday morning. 

First, I attended the US Forest Service National Planning Rule meeting in Sacramento on April 6^th to promote and protect hunting opportunity on federal land and was very concerned to learn that “recreation” wasn’t even mentioned in the “guiding principles” for the new plan, which addresses current and future needs of the 155 national forests and 20 grasslands in the National Forest System. Yes, you read this correct, and the plan is for all forest lands in the nation, not just our state.  Additionally, COHA President Bill Gaines attended the California Fish and Game Commission meeting, held in Monterey on April 7^th and 8th, to stymie the Humane Society of the United States’ attempt to disrupt hunting management decisions that are based on the best available scientific data. Specifically the animal rights groups are strongly opposing the mammal hunting regulations that will guide big game hunting through 2012.  It was reported that at the meeting, HSUS and other anti-hunting groups outnumbered COHA and other interested sportsmen by 20 to1.

 Finally, our outdoor heritage will be in the spotlight tomorrow in the state legislature and COHA staff lobbyists Mark Hennelly and Jason Rhine will be there to ensure California’s sportsmen and their conservation groups are represented. We are entering a time when sportsmen must finally grasp that our outdoor traditions are under a full assault from all directions. Below is a snapshot of some, not all, of the bills and hearings Mark and Jason will be covering tomorrow.

The Assembly Water Parks and Wildlife Committee will hear AB 2223 (Nava), which would prohibit the use of lead shot on the Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) Wildlife Areas and public shooting grounds.  The bill is sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States and several environmental groups. The California Outdoor Heritage Alliance is strongly opposed to AB 2223 because it substitutes politics for sound science.

On April 5, 2010, Assembly Member Feuer (D-Los Angeles) amended AB 1810 to require the Attorney General of California to permanently keep and maintain a firearms registry that includes extensive personal information of all firearms purchasers. Under AB 1810, those who purchase a firearm will be required to register that firearm by submitting their name, address, place of birth, phone number, occupation, and sex to the California Department of Justice.  COHA is in opposition to this bill and feels AB 1810 is little more than an extreme invasion of California Sportsmen’s personal privacy.

 Assembly Member Kevin De Leon (D-Los Angeles) has introduced AB 2186 to prohibit a person from owning, purchasing or possessing a firearm for 10 years for violating the state’s “loaded firearms” laws. COHA opposes this legislation because it imposes an overly harsh penalty on hunters who may unwittingly violate loaded firearms laws.

For more information on these bills or other legislation of interest, please visit our website at www.outdoorheritage.org   

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Is Hunting a Sport?

After playing baseball for 25 years I can remember my days in the sun ‑ both of them.

Some high points come to mind… stealing a base and knocking in the game winning run a couple times, but unfortunately there were many more times when I missed fat pitches that came “right down the pipe.”

As a kid, baseball was very important to me. It was one of the ways I defined myself. In sports, athlete’s go for it. They swing for the fence, sometimes connecting and often failing. But in hunting, “going for it” often has unintended consequences.

My first year of deer hunting took place in 1971. I unleashed a rain of arrows on the deer of Lassen County. I finally killed the twelfth buck I shot at. It was not an efficient event, nor was my conduct a standard to follow. I wasn’t thinking about those things. I just wanted to kill a buck. I thought hunting was a sport. Amazingly, I didn’t wound any animals before I finally killed my buck.

A few years later, while hunting in Oregon’s Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge, I shot at a forked horn mule deer. The arrow was on line but fell low, hitting the buck in his left front leg. The sight of him stotting off on three legs with his front leg dangling by a tendon comes to mind.

As vividly as a recall the thrill of my first buck, I also recall my anguish of wounding that forked horn. We have limited ability to control the course of events in the physical world. Going five for five or hitting a home is a great thrill for a baseball player, and killing a nice buck is just as thrilling for the hunter, but once one has wounded an animal the difference between these activities is made much clearer.

Unlike baseball, my archery hunting carries on. I’ll never go five for five again, but I may take a great mule buck with wide antlers. Maybe it will happen this year. I’ll never go back and analyze my swing to figure out why I couldn’t hit more balls over the fence, but I can improve my shooting technique and self control. I can care for my equipment and tune my bow. I can practice to become the best archer I can be.

My archery career is still in full bloom. I can become a better archer and a better hunter, but I must spend time evaluating what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. 

A friend of mine recently discovered his grandfather’s bow, a hand crafted Osage orange wooden long bow. He was excited by the find and committed himself to hunting with it. He has sought out advice from professionals and is preparing to hunt with the primitive weapon. I hope it will be a satisfying hunt for him.

There was a time when I made a similar choice. About 20 years ago, I purchased a long bow and vowed that I would hunt mule deer with it. I remember my first stalk. I came around a large boulder on a Nevada mountain within 15 yards of a modest three‑point buck with pitch‑black, velvet antlers. I drew and released. The arrow sailed several feet over his back as he walked off. I have never felt as defeated as I did at that moment. I had no chance. At fifteen yards, the buck might as well have been 100.

I wasn’t prepared to wait for the ten yard shot, so I hung the primitive bow up, realizing I would never acquire the skill necessary for effective big game hunting with a long bow. If hunting were just a sport, there would have been no reason to give up on the primitive bow.  But,  hunting is not a sport.

You can treat hunting like a sport, but if you do so long enough, you’ll probably agree with me that hunting is a unique activity which has great merit, very personal results and is best practiced with a high level of individual integrity.

That’s why it’s so worthwhile.

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Mule Deer Foundation Supports California’s Hunting Heritage

On April 24th The Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) contributed $15,000 towards protecting the hunting heritage of Californians and also took a seat on the board of directors of the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA). With MDF President, Miles Moretti, on hand as it’s newest director, COHA held a meeting of it’s members at the Quail Point Gun Club.

Caption: Left to right. COHA Director and Delta Waterfowl President - Rob Olsen, COHA President - Bill Gaines, COHA director and MDF President – Miles Moretti, MDF State Chair Rich Fletcher and COHA Director Jim Waters.

During the past few years, these organizations have collaborated on conservation programs while developing a strong working relationship. COHA and MDF  have now sealed the deal - strengthening each organization. Funding from MDF will help pay for the cost of COHA’s legislative programs and Moretti’s experience with wildlife and hunting issues will strengthen COHA’s decision making body. 

MDF is very concerned about political issues affecting California’s wildlife programs. COHA is currently working on key legislation that will protect hunting lands and conservation dollars in the state coffers. Two key legislative efforts that are key for hunters are SB589 and California State Assembly Bill 979.

COHA has been working in the state legislature to pass these bills for several years and this could be the year. SB589 is out of committee with little opposition and will go to a floor vote in the Senate soon. This bill will protect license and tag money by creating additional over site from the hunting community. AB979 will prevent local governments from limiting hunting opportunities on public lands and confirm that over site belongs with the Fish and Game Commission and Department of Fish and Game.

MDF and COHA are working together for the benefit of conservationists in California. The success of both organizations is driven by the passion of outdoorsmen and fueled by sportman’s dollars.  With continued financial and in-kind support for these organizations, hunters we will continue to enjoy diverse and plentiful hunting opportunities in the “Golden” state.

Miles Moretti, Mark Hennelly, Bill Gaines, Jason Rhine, Rich Fletcher and Rick Bullock

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The Mule Deer Foundation supports SB 589

On April 9, 2009, the following letter was sent to the Honorable Fran Pavley, Chair of the California Senate Natural Resouces and Water Committee. 

                 

RE:     SB 589 (Harman) – SUPPORT

 

Dear Senator Pavley:

 

On behalf of The Mule Deer Foundation (MDF), I am writing you to urge your support of SB 589 (Harman), which would provide greater accountability and transparency over the use of hunting license tag and stamp revenues.

 

MDF is a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to conserve mule and blacktail deer and their habitat. MDF believes that hunting license tag and stamp revenue is critical to the preservation and enhancement of habitat for deer and other California wildlife.

 

SB 589 would require that hunting license tag and stamp monies be used for game species conservation and related purposes.  In addition, the bill would require that MDF and other sportsmen’s groups have an opportunity to review and provide comment on proposed projects funded with the monies.

 

It should also be noted that the bill, through account consolidation, improves efficiencies in the use of the monies and also helps ensure that there are sufficient funds available for each big game species, regardless of the number of tags sold for a particular species. SB 589 would also facilitate greater assistance with habitat projects by nonprofits, like MDF, who specialize in game species conservation.

 

Please support SB 589 when it is considered before your committee.

 

Sincerely,

 

Rich Fletcher

State Chair

The Mule Deer Foundation

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Alameda County Hunting Heritage Endangered

This morning, as I read the story in the Tri-Valley Herald (www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald)   about the Koopman Ranch and how the county’s ranching heritage is threatened, I couldn’t help but think that something very important was missing.

Yes, agriculture is dwindling in Alameda County and ranches are disappearing along with wildlife habitat, but often forgotten is the loss of habitat for use by human hunters.

A loss of our hunting heritage will insulate man further from contact with mother earth. Hunting is one of the most compatible uses for open space and wild places. We have very few of those places left in Alameda County. Unfortunately, a large portion of the remaining wild places are owned by agencies that have foreclosed on hunters.

The remaining hunting spaces are more threatened than the kit fox, tiger salamander and red-legged frog. As agencies (primarily East Bay Regional Park District and San Francisco Water Department) close in on consumption of Alameda County’s remaining open spaces, they are signaling a death knell for Alameda County hunters who have worked hand in hand with ranchers to develop and protect wildlife habitat.

Hikers and bikers use open space, but unlike hunters they don’t carry field glasses and sneak through the woods. Bikers speed by, unaware of their surroundings while hikers grunt at the weight of their load intent upon reaching their destination.

Like the mountain lion, human hunters are acutely aware of their surroundings. Both types of hunters are often misunderstood by those who don’t share in their pursuit. Aboriginal tribes appreciated and worshiped the hunter. In our modern world, the venison is not as important, but the characteristics that made those aboriginal hunters valuable to society are just as valid today.

Also like the lion, these hunters depend upon healthy and well-managed deer herds to make their hunting adventures successful. Unlike mountain lions, these hunters are bound by many laws that limit take and insure public safety, laws that are important.

If Alameda County’s rich hunting heritage is to live on, steps must be taken to cultivate a climate in which hunters can survive. That means protecting the remaining large blocks of contiguous habitat and opening up public properties to limited hunting. Or, like the other endangered species, an American culture will disappear from our midst, leaving us all further removed from the outdoors and more susceptible to encroachment upon our remaining wild places.

Once we remove people from the outdoors, the outdoors will be gone forever and nobody will know the difference.

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