Hunt Results for San Jacinto Wildlife Area, Saturday – 10/27/12

Waterfowl numbers for San Jacinto Wildlife Area dropped off on Saturday with the pre hunter bird average ending up half of what the first two hunting days had produced. Once again Shovelers were the most numerous bird taken, however, Wigeon took over the second spot this week. Tom Trakes, from San Jacinto Wildlife Area, reported that the results for Saturday, 10/27/12 were as follows:

166 adult and 16 junior hunters bagged 111 Northern Shovelers, 58 Wigeon, 37 Cinnamon Teal, 9 Gadwall, 6 Green Wing Teal, 17 Mallards, 32 Pintail, 13 Redhead, 33 Ring Necks, 3 Wood Ducks, 5 Scaup and 24 Ruddy Ducks. There were also 1 Speckled Belly Goose, 1 Aleutian Goose and one Snow Goose brought in on Saturday. There were also 15 coots included in the count on Saturday. This resulted in per hunter average of 2.01 waterfowl. Tom advised that out of 50 reservation cards 35 showed up on time.

San Jacinto is open for waterfowl hunting on Wednesdays and Saturdays only. You can put in for reservations on-line through the DFG Automated License Data System (ALDS). Your reservation request has to be to the ALDS system 17 days in advance to get in on the drawing or you can get in on the daily “sweatline” drawing for the remaining blinds after the reservations are taken care of. Reservation spots are given out starting at 3 AM and the “sweatline” drawing is done after that. The ALDS can be accessed through the DFG web site at the below link –

https://www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/InternetSales/

Don’t forget that all licenses and 1 day, 2 day or season passes must be purchased at a DFG Office or a license agent before your arrive at the refuge. These can be purchased on-line via the ALDS system also, however, you will have to wait for the DFG to mail you’re the actual licenses and passes which can take up to 15 days. If you purchase your license and passes in person at a DFG office or license agent you immediately get them without the wait for the mail. No licenses or passes will be sold at the check stations. You can also show up for an afternoon refill hunt but the last refill is at 2 PM. For more information, contact the staff at San Jacinto at 951-928-0580.

Hunt Results for San Jacinto Wildlife Area, Wednesday – 10/24/12

The second hunt day of waterfowl season at San Jacinto Wildlife Area was very good with many hunters scoring limits or nearly so on the morning shoot. The afternoon shooting was substantially slower. Shovelers were the number one bird taken followed closely by Cinnamon Teal. Tom Trakes, from San Jacinto Wildlife Area, reported that the results for Wednesday, 10/24/12 were as follows:

124 adult and 2 junior hunters checked in with 196 Northern Shovelers, 42 Wigeon, 3 Blue Wing Teal, 2 Bufflehead, 2 Canvasback, 157 Cinnamon Teal, 15 Gadwall, 27 Green Wing Teal, 12 Mallards, 24 Pintail, 17 Redhead, 21 Ring Necks, 1 Wood Duck, 1 Scaup, 4 Black Ducks and 14 Ruddy Ducks. No geese were bagged on Wednesday. 13 coot were also checked in on Wednesday. This worked out to an average harvest of 4.37 waterfowl per hunter. Tom advised that out of 50 reservation holders 24 showed up on time.

San Jacinto is open for waterfowl hunting on Wednesdays and Saturdays only. You can put in for reservations on-line through the DFG Automated License Data System (ALDS). Your reservation request has to be to the ALDS system 17 days in advance to get in on the drawing or you can get in on the daily “sweatline” drawing for the remaining blinds after the reservations are taken care of. Reservation spots are given out starting at 3 AM and the “sweatline” drawing is done after that. The ALDS can be accessed through the DFG web site at the below link –

https://www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/InternetSales/

Don’t forget that all licenses and 1 day, 2 day or season passes must be purchased at a DFG Office or a license agent before your arrive at the refuge. These can be purchased on-line via the ALDS system also, however, you will have to wait for the DFG to mail you’re the actual licenses and passes which can take up to 15 days. If you purchase your license and passes in person at a DFG office or license agent you immediately get them without the wait for the mail. No licenses or passes will be sold at the check stations. You can also show up for an afternoon refill hunt but the last refill is at 2 PM. For more information, contact the staff at San Jacinto at 951-928-0580.

SoCalHunt San Jacinto Hunting Report, 10/24/12

Since I couldn’t make the opener this past Saturday, SoCalHunt ventured out to San Jacinto Wildlife Area to kick off the season with a solo afternoon refill hunt.

From what I had heard of the opener Saturday it was with a little trepidation that I rolled up to the check station right at 10 am, expecting to see a large number of trucks in the check station parking lot. I was pleasantly surprised to see only 6 trucks in the lot and figured a good blind could probably be had with just a short wait.

While I was waiting several hunting parties checked in with their birds and most of them had between 4 and a full limit of 7 ducks, with most of them being closer to limits then not. This bode well for my afternoon hunt and I was optimistic. As hunters checked in the hunters ahead of me on the refill list took the blinds they were vacating and headed out for their afternoon hunt.

About 11 am a party of hunters came in from one of the historically premium blinds with 3 full limits of cinnamon teal. It was my turn on the refill list and decided to give this blind a try. I headed out and by noon I was set up and hunting.

Not 5 minutes after I started a flock of about 10 teal swung in and landed about 80 yards from the blind. I though this was a good sign, however as soon as an adjacent blind opened up on some other birds the teal made a quick exit away from my blind.

I then sat there for nearly 2 hours without a bird coming into range. There was lots of bird activity in the pond my blind was on, just not the right kind of birds, although it did make it interesting to watch them while I waited for the “right kind”.

After a while another blind at the other end of the pond fired at some ducks and several teal I had not seen jumped up from behind some nearby bulrush, with one of them giving me a shot, which I missed.

To make a long story short I didn’t get another shot until about an hour before quitting time and, of course, flubbed that one too. There were a couple of other birds that came by that I could have had shots at, if I had been looking in the right direction when they came by, but it was not to be.

So, for my opener I fired 3 rounds for zero birds. Quite a contrast to what apparently went on in the morning, judging by the straps that came in to the check-in table while I was waiting. Anyway, as usual, the San Jacinto sunset was worth the trip anyway.

So, the way things are working out this year I probably won’t get in as many hunts as last year, although you will see every hunt I do reported here on SoCalHunt. The plan, at least for now, is to hit good old SJ next Wednesday, probably for another afternoon refill. We’ll see how things work out.

Hunt Results for San Jacinto Wildlife Area, Saturday – 10/20/12

The opening day waterfowl count for San Jacinto Wildlife Area was extremely good with a large number of hunters scoring quick limits in the morning. Shovelers were the number one bird on the refuge followed by cinnamon teal. Tom Trakes, from San Jacinto Wildlife Area, reported that the results for Saturday, 10/20/12 were as follows:

170 adult and 27 junior hunters bagged 361 Northern Shovelers, 89 Wigeon, 1 Blue Wing Teal, 177 Cinnamon Teal, 23 Gadwall, 65 Green Wing Teal, 57 Mallards, 1 Merganser, 51 Pintail, 32 Redhead, 20 Ring Necks, 2 Wood Ducks and 15 Ruddy Ducks. In addition there were 5 Speckled Belly geese bagged on Saturday. There were also 25 coots taken on Saturday. This resulted in an average harvest of 4.69 waterfowl per hunter. Tom advised that out of 50 reservation cards 35 showed up on time.

San Jacinto is open for waterfowl hunting on Wednesdays and Saturdays only. You can put in for reservations on-line through the DFG Automated License Data System (ALDS). Your reservation request has to be to the ALDS system 17 days in advance to get in on the drawing or you can get in on the daily “sweatline” drawing for the remaining blinds after the reservations are taken care of. Reservation spots are given out starting at 3 AM and the “sweatline” drawing is done after that. The ALDS can be accessed through the DFG web site at the below link –

https://www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/InternetSales/

Don’t forget that all licenses and 1 day, 2 day or season passes must be purchased at a DFG Office or a license agent before your arrive at the refuge. These can be purchased on-line via the ALDS system also, however, you will have to wait for the DFG to mail you’re the actual licenses and passes which can take up to 15 days. If you purchase your license and passes in person at a DFG office or license agent you immediately get them without the wait for the mail. No licenses or passes will be sold at the check stations. You can also show up for an afternoon refill hunt but the last refill is at 2 PM. For more information, contact the staff at San Jacinto at 951-928-0580.

Good Turn Out for San Jacinto’s Volunteer Work Party 9/29/12

On Saturday, 9/29/12, a group of about 30 to 35 volunteers dispersed throughout the San Jacinto Wildlife Area for the annual blind brush-up day. Tom Trakes, Wildlife Habitat Supervisor reported that this was one of the best turnouts he’s seen for a volunteer work-day. The weather was great and it was another beautiful day at San Jacinto.

With the number of volunteers it didn’t take long for all the blinds at the refuge to get a good going over to prep them for the upcoming season.

After the work the volunteers retired to a local Mexican restaurant for a well-deserved meal.

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen events, SoCalHunt couldn’t attend this work-day (probably the first one I’ve missed in several years) but Tom told me that the water levels in all the areas, with the possible exception of pond 1 and 2, are good and there are already a lot of ducks using the refuge. Tom also told me that marsh X was rebuilt and will be opened again this year. Also, a new blind was built at B-2, which can be utilized as well as the natural cover on the B-2 island. Since I couldn’t make it there’s no pictures to share with you this time (sorry).

Tom advised me that there is one more volunteer opportunity at San Jacinto before the season opens. On Saturday, October 13th, the week before the opener, the Boy Scouts will be doing a work project at San Jacinto starting at 7 am. Tom said there is enough work to do so that if anyone wants to come out and volunteer they can probably lend a hand.

For information on the upcoming Boy Scout work-day at San Jacinto Wildlife Area you can call the refuge office at 951-928-0580 or Tom Trakes at 951-236-3040.