Another Great Turnout for San Jacinto Wildlife Area’s September 18th Volunteer Clean Up / Brush Up Work Day

Roughly 30 volunteers showed up bright and early on Saturday, September 18^th at San Jacinto Wildlife Area check station parking lot for the volunteer clean-up/blind brush-up work day.  The volunteers fanned out across the Wildlife Area to repair, touch up, clean up, and brush up several of the hunting area’s blinds.  Both mobility impaired blinds were redone as well as the F-1, B-3, and A-2 blinds.  Several other blinds were touched up also to prepare them for the season. Flooding of the ponds is well underway and there are already many ducks using the Wildlife Area.    (pictures at the end of the article).

Palm fronds are still needed for the blinds at SJWA.  There are still a few blinds that could use some touching up and there are always repairs to take care of throughout the season.  If you can bring in any palm fronds you can drop them off at San Jacinto almost any time. Just call Tom at 951-236-3040, or the San Jacinto staff at (951) 928-0580, and they’ll make arrangements so you can drop them off.  Please make sure you don’t bring in the type of palm fronds with the thorns on their stalks unless you’re willing to strip off the thorns first. Those things wreak havoc with waders if the thorns aren’t removed.

Tom wanted to be sure to thank Terry Drung who has come out several days between this work day and the last to lend a hand to the short-handed SJ crew on some of the repairs and touch up of the blinds.  Tom told me that the staff situation as San Jacinto should get better soon as the State has hired on a couple more people for SJ and there should be a few more brought on board soon.  Tom advised that their schedule will be changing soon at SJWA and they will be there on the first three Saturdays in October before the season opener.  If anyone would like to volunteer to do a little more work at SJ you can call the numbers above (in the paragraph about palm fronds) and see what you can do if you’re so inclined.

As always, Tom and the crew at San Jacinto would like to give a massive thank you to everyone that came out and worked hard to help get things in ship-shape for the fast-approaching waterfowl season.  This was especially important this year as, although the SJWA Staff positions are finally being filled they have been extremely short-staffed for many months prior.

So, at this point, it looks like the next “official event” at San Jacinto will be opening day on Saturday, October 23^rd.  If you haven’t already tie to get your license, duck validation, federal duck stamp, type “A” day, 2 day, or season pass so you’re all legal and ready to go for the opener.  So, polish up the decoys, get your gear organized, make sure you have your ammo and maybe we’ll see you out there sometime this season.

September 18th Blind Brush-Up Day Coming Soon! – More Palm Fronds Needed at San Jacinto WA

(You may recognize this post from a while back. Rather than re-invent the wheel I”m just changing the date to apply to this coming work day and re-posting.)

Tom Trakes of San Jacinto Wildlife Area is requesting that anyone that has access to palm fronds and would like to get rid of them to drop them off at San Jacinto Wildlife Area.  The palm fronds are needed to brush up the wildlife area’s blinds for the upcoming waterfowl hunting season as well as to have some on hand for repairs to the blinds throughout the season.

With the fantastic turnout at the last blind brush-up day most of the supply of SJ’s palm fronds was used up.  More are needed for the next brush-up volunteer work day to finish the work on September 18th, and for repairs to the blinds as the season progresses.  If you’re bringing palm fronds to SJ you don’t have to wait for the work day, you can make arrangements with Tom to drop them off any time.

If you’d like to help out and attend the next Volunteer Work Day you can find the info here at SoCalHunt.  The more volunteers we have the better as we can get more work done easier with a good turnout.

Reminder – San Jacinto Wildlife Area Volunteer Blind Brush-Up Work Day – Saturday, September 18th, 2021

Anyone who is trimming palm trees and wants to bring them around to San Jacinto to get rid of them, or knows someone who is trimming palm trees and wants to save the fee the dump would charge them, give Tom a call at 951-236-3040 and he’ll make arrangements so you can drop them off. He also wanted me to remind people that they DO NOT want fronds that have the thorns on them.  Don’t bring the wader-rippers but other, non-thorny palm fronds are welcome. The thorn laden fronds are okay to use, however, if you’re willing to strip off the thorns prior to bringing them in.

Thanks in advance for any palm fronds anyone can bring in.

San Jacinto Wildlife Area 2021 Dove Season Opening Day Results

The results for the 2021 dove season opener at San Jacinto Wildlife Area on Wednesday, September 1^st were a bit underwhelming.  By sundown Wednesday 124 hunters had hunted San Jacinto chasing after those little buff-colored birds, resulting in a total of only 40 dove harvested.  The average bag came out to only 0.32 birds per gun.  That was way down from last year’s average of 1.28 birds per hunter.  Typically, SJWA isn’t really known as a dove hot spot, but these results were unexpectedly low even for SJ.  Most hunters, obviously, ended the day with a goose…egg, while few were able to harvest maybe 1 or 2.  So, even for San Jacinto, which is usually fairly slow, it was extremely slow for the dove.  As always, when it comes to dove hunting at San Jacinto, It did give a big group of people a place close to home to at least give it a couple hours to maybe scratch out a birds or two.  This is especially true for those that couldn’t put in a whole day or more to drive down to Niland or Brawley.

San Jacinto is opened for dove hunting until the end of the first half of the dove season on Wednesday, September 15^th.  Friday (September 3^rd) is the last day the waterfowl side of SJ will be opened for dove hunting so, if you want to give the waterfowl side a try for dove hunting you only have today and tomorrow, Thursday, September 2^nd and Friday, September 3^rd to give it a try as I write this.  Also, don’t forget that it’s non-toxic (steel) shot only for all hunting everywhere again this year so don’t mistakenly bring along any lead shot shells.  That’s a big no-no. 

Also, while I’ve got your attention, San Jacinto needs palm fronds to complete brushing up the waterfowl area’s blinds for the duck opener, which is Saturday, October 23^rd.    The next volunteer blind brush-up work day is set for Saturday, September 18^th.   Check the below link for info on the work day and/or for info regarding bringing in some palm fronds any time before the work day.

Reminder – San Jacinto Wildlife Area Volunteer Blind Brush-Up Work Day – Saturday, September 18th, 2021

If you have any questions about either subject or want to make arrangements to drop of some palm fronds contact Tom Trakes at (951) 236-3040 or the SJ Staff at (951) 928-0580.

Reminder – San Jacinto Wildlife Area Volunteer Blind Brush-Up Work Day – Saturday, September 18th, 2021

SoCalHunt already announced this work day, along with the August 14^th work day (which was a great success BTW – thanks for all who came out) but I’m, posting this as a reminder since that announcement was back on July 10^th.

Tom Trakes, from San Jacinto Wildlife Area, advised that the third volunteer work day for the upcoming season at San Jacinto Wildlife Area have been scheduled.  The date is Saturday, September 18^th.  The work days will be primarily for building, repairing and brushing-up blinds and cleaning up the general hunting areas around them.  The SJ Staff is asking that you please comply with current State COVID-19 precautions in force when these dates come up.  Tom advised that volunteers should meet at the check station at 5:30 AM and anyone coming out to volunteer should bring work gloves, sturdy boots or shoes, Shovels, wire cutters, pliers, etc. and waders if you have them.  Some of the ponds may still be flooded.  Also, obviously, the weather will be HOT so bring lots of water, sunscreen & mosquito repellent.

Tom is also requesting that anyone that has access to palm fronds and would like to get rid of them to drop them off at San Jacinto Wildlife Area any time.  The palm fronds are needed to brush up the wildlife area’s blinds for the upcoming waterfowl hunting season as well as to have some on hand for repairs to the blinds throughout the season.  Anyone who is trimming palm trees and wants to bring them around to San Jacinto to get rid of them, or knows someone who is trimming palm trees and wants to save the fee the dump would charge them, give Tom a call at 951-236-3040 and he’ll make arrangements for someone to be there so you can drop them off. He also wanted me to remind people that they DO NOT want fronds that have the thorns on them.  Don’t bring the wader-rippers but other, non-thorny palm fronds are welcome. The thorn laden fronds are okay to use, however, if you’re willing to strip off the thorns prior to bringing them in. 

After the work is done, we will get together at Marcello’s Pizza Restaurant restaurant in Nuevo for a well deserved lunch. (Each person responsible for their own bill).

Hopefully, we’ll have a great turnout so we can get the blinds and hunting area prepped for another waterfowl season.  SJ is very short staffed right now and needs all the help they can get to get ready for the season.  As I always say, the more the merrier (and the less work for each person).

If you have any questions contact Tom Trakes at the San Jacinto headquarters at (951) 236-3040, or the San Jacinto staff at (951) 928-0580.