Steve Merlo: Saturday looms as ultimate opportunity for bird hunters
| Thursday, Nov 12 2009 04:54 PM
Last Updated Thursday, Nov 12 2009 04:54 PM
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Back in the mid 1970's on a crisp November morning during California's late upland bird season and near my hometown of Buttonwillow, I parked my old pickup truck, grabbed my Model 12 shotgun and headed for a desert catch basin about a half-mile away. There were always some small waterholes around in those days, no matter what time of year, and hunting opportunites were golden throughout the fall. Sneaking up on the pond, I surprised 50 or so tule-loafing mallards and, when the shooting was done, my wonder dog, Blue, eventually presented me with five grain-fattened greenheads.
Hiking back along a milo field, the big Lab bumped a cackling rooster pheasant that flushed wildly from the grain's edge. When the shot boomed out and the gaudy ringneck fell with the dog right on him, a previously unseen covey of quail flushed from almost beneath my feet. I fired twice, then reloaded and fired twice more at the covey stragglers, adding four valley quail to an already mixed bag.
Then, while we hunted up the dead birds, several flocks of doves passed overhead, and with plenty of ammo in my pouch, I began shooting at the steady flights. Within a half-hour, Blue had retrieved my 10-bird limit of doves, along with four quail, five mallards and a pheasant, most taken from a single spot, without moving a lick.
Of course, that lucky day happened a long time ago, but there have been many other excursions where waterfowl, doves, quail, chukars, doves and pheasant, all legal during the late season, have ended up in my daily game bag. On another hunt, a friend actually took a 3-point buck (legally, back then), a mixed limit of valley and mountain quail, several chukars, two gray squirrels, some doves, a duck and a rabbit on an excursion to the Piute Mountains in what is now the D-7 deer hunting zone.
Saturday morning, Nov. 14, marks the opening day of my favorite bird hunting time of the year. Assuming one has all the necessary licenses, tags, stamps and permits, a hunter can now legally take pheasants, ducks, geese, chukar, quail, doves, wild turkey and jacksnipe all in the same day. This means, literally, that during this section of what I call the hunters' season, "if it flies, it dies." Toss in wild pigs, cottontail and gray squirrels, and the pot grows thick with opportunity for both the rifleman and shotgunner to take a "grand slam" -- four or more species in a single day.
Hunters need to start early, hunt hard and spend the daylight hours moving from habitat to habitat to accomplish the feat, but it can and has been done many times. Are you up for it?
Sportsman's Night Reminder
Don't forget the 58th Annual Sportsman's Night on Tuesday evening, Nov. 17, at the Kern County Fairgrounds. Lots of door prizes, guns, wildlife art and other outdoor gear will be given away during the popular event. Tickets remain at $30 per person with the proceeds going to assist many outdoor-oriented organizations.
Highlight of the evening will be the announcement of the Kern Sportsman's Night committee's selection of Sportsman of the Year. This year's deserving husband and wife team are Bill and Betsy Asserson, a couple known for their selfless donations of work and time to a variety of wildlife organizations, including the National Wild Turkey Federation, Jakes and Women in the Outdoors. Among the pair's many noted achievements, Bill has worked as a biologist for the California Department of Fish and Game for more than 47 years.
Women and children are invited, and kids younger than 16 will be given a California Waterfowl Association magazine subscription plus a special prize. A kids-only raffle will make their visit a fun one.
Your donation includes dinner and a chance at winning some terrific prizes, some valued at more than $2,000. Doors open at 5 p.m. for a non-hosted social hour, followed by a catered steak dinner. It's a can't-miss event! For more information, contact Jim Roberts at (661) 805-5766.
Tickets are on sale and can be purchased at the Ammo Dump, Valley Gun, Bob's Bait, Ol'Boy Outdoors, Bear Mountain Sports, 2nd Amendment Sports or Galey's Marine Supply. Leftover tickets, if there are any, can be purchased at the door.
Taft Trout Derby
The annual Taft Trout Derby Kicks will be from 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Complex's Lake Evans. Grand prize for the largest trout will be a cool $1000. Sign-ups will be held Friday evening and Saturday morning at the lake. First-, second- and third-place prizes will be awarded in each of three categories: ages 1-7, 8-13, and 14 and older. Contact the Taft Chamber of Commerce (661) 765-2165 or Bob's Bait Bucket (661) 833-8657 for more information.
