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Laguna Atascosa Rifle Hunt 2016/17

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    This is why we need to put a stop to the federal government locking up more land. They don't like hunters, they don't really want anyone on their properties, so they shouldn't be allowed to purchase more.

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      Boyd called me Friday spent well over an hour listening to him explain the reasoning behind the helicopter hunts. He did confirm that all future hunts from helicopters were canceled. He stated the USDA has put severe pressure on the refuge on eliminating nilgai due to cattle tick. The problem is my contact in the inside says he's speaking in partial truths and that refuge, especially Marion, have no desire to deal or support hunting on the refuge. I feel after our last conversation he deserves a chance to respond from this latest report

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        Originally posted by chancito1 View Post
        Boyd called me Friday spent well over an hour listening to him explain the reasoning behind the helicopter hunts. He did confirm that all future hunts from helicopters were canceled. He stated the USDA has put severe pressure on the refuge on eliminating nilgai due to cattle tick. The problem is my contact in the inside says he's speaking in partial truths and that refuge, especially Marion, have no desire to deal or support hunting on the refuge. I feel after our last conversation he deserves a chance to respond from this latest report
        Where do you think the lack of desire to deal with hunters comes from? Is it Hunters = more work for them or just anti-hunter?

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          Boyd definitely seems genuine and personable. He always tries hard to sell the reasons why he makes changes that negatively effect the refuge hunting. The other employees at the refuge don't try to hide their opinion of the hunters. However it's been under his watch as the refuge manager that the public hunting and employees attitudes have really gone to crap. If he wanted to make it better or simply go back to what worked for decades before he took over I'm sure he could.

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            Originally posted by chancito1 View Post
            Boyd called me Friday spent well over an hour listening to him explain the reasoning behind the helicopter hunts. He did confirm that all future hunts from helicopters were canceled. He stated the USDA has put severe pressure on the refuge on eliminating nilgai due to cattle tick. The problem is my contact in the inside says he's speaking in partial truths and that refuge, especially Marion, have no desire to deal or support hunting on the refuge. I feel after our last conversation he deserves a chance to respond from this latest report
            So the helicopter hunts are officially cancelled for this year? Can you explain your last sentence some. I'm not following lol

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              Originally posted by ultrastealth View Post
              This is why we need to put a stop to the federal government locking up more land. They don't like hunters, they don't really want anyone on their properties, so they shouldn't be allowed to purchase more.
              Let's keep in mind guys that this is a national wildlife refuge. Not forest service. So all federal government land is not bad. This is strictly one refuge that managers arnt a fan of dealing with hunters. Many other nwrs and government land is very hunter friendly. Don't judge all of them by this one.

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                Originally posted by onthetake View Post
                Boyd definitely seems genuine and personable. He always tries hard to sell the reasons why he makes changes that negatively effect the refuge hunting. The other employees at the refuge don't try to hide their opinion of the hunters. However it's been under his watch as the refuge manager that the public hunting and employees attitudes have really gone to crap. If he wanted to make it better or simply go back to what worked for decades before he took over I'm sure he could.
                This nonsense started about 5 years ago, when Marion came in. I've heard from several internal sources she is not a fan of hunting.

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                  Originally posted by Etxnoodler View Post
                  So the helicopter hunts are officially cancelled for this year? Can you explain your last sentence some. I'm not following lol
                  Boyd told me all future helicopter harvest were canceled. My last sentence was referring to the bad experience that the TBH Hunter had over the weekend with Marion and other refuge personnel. I emailed Boyd about it just waiting for his response

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                    Originally posted by chancito1 View Post
                    Boyd told me all future helicopter harvest were canceled. My last sentence was referring to the bad experience that the TBH Hunter had over the weekend with Marion and other refuge personnel. I emailed Boyd about it just waiting for his response
                    Gotcha. They need to tell her hunters are one of the user groups that use the area and to get over her dislike for them. It's her job

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                      I agree with the fact that you should not judge all government lands based off this one location. NM has an abundance of government lands that offer some outstanding hunting opportunities.
                      As far as Boyd goes, I believe he tells people what they want to hear and not the whole truth they deserve. I asked to speak to him in person and he declined (according to Marion)
                      Boyd spoke very briefly at the hunters orientation. I found it odd that his opening statement began with " I know you guys get the impression we don't like hunters but....)
                      The Federal warden seemed very confident when he mentioned abolishing hunting all together and controlling the game numbers from helicopters. It was obvious Boyd knew there were concerns before addressing the hunters.
                      The lack of desire to deal with hunters is not because of additional work caused by conducting the hunts ( there were at all times multiple volunteers asking for something to do, all of which live onsite in their RVs) but because the majority of them are Nature Nazis.
                      The whole tick thing is a joke. I was told they are targeting the Nilgai because they host the tick and are very nomadic. I was also informed that they are reconstructing 106 and installing culverts throughout strictly for the Ocelots to use as crossings to help prevent their road kill fatalities. It appears the Ocelots are nomadic based off this information, yet no one is shooting them from helicopters.

                      Something I forgot to mention about the hunt in my previous post:
                      Boyd in his brief speech durning orientation mentioned they have conducted "spotty" controlled burns and gave us three locations where. He said the burns were conducted in previous weeks. Like I said in my last post, I covered the majority of units 8,3 & 2. I found multiple areas still smoldering in units 8 & 3 even after the recent rains. These controlled burns were conducted just prior to the hunt, not in the previous weeks. Their mentalities and actions come off as if they want the hunters to fail instead of succeed.
                      I do not want to come off like this is a terrible place, it's not. This refuge has a very unique hunting opportunity. It just needs some new leadership who is willing to focus the opportunities evenly amongst all guests.

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                        By no means is the cattle tick a joke, it's a bad deal. I have a friend down there in the USDA and they were pretty worried. Prior to that outbreak the nilgai issue was never a problem. If you have spent any time around politicians you will quickly see Boyd as one after talking to him. He gets tongue tied because I question him on subjects discussed in private meetimgs. This new administration has been the root of all problems and they know it. He did tell me they have been under intense pressure from the locals so at least we are making some waves

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                          What about taking it above the people at the refuge? It just sucks to know that a place that I cherish is being ruined by a few people. I know in 20 some years I have hunted there the majority of the people I've run into respect the place.

                          It a stark contrast to going dove hunting on public land just down road in the same county and being greeted as a valuable client. Hell the people there remember you from year to year, offer advice on where to go, ask you if you'll be back. I know those hunts are run by a totally different group but I've seen some of them hunt as well.

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                            I'd like to second what JFRITZ06 said. If you get away from others, you will find animals, but it is definitely a tuff hunt. We hunted unit 5 and only had one other hunter on horse island. It was very thick, even the field you can see on aerials is actually 3 ft tall, very thick bunch grass that was very difficult to travel through. We saw about 10 Nilgai there, but getting one out of there would have been an extremely difficult task.

                            One other warning - spending all the time in thick grass and brush - we ended up covered in chiggers. If you stay in the recently burned areas, it is certainly easier to move around and you will most likely not end up with lots of itchey bumps.

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                              According to the tick guy the ticks are a very real issue. Unfortunately the refuge has forbidden any means of dealing with the ticks other than killing off the animals (deer & nilgia) that are known to carry the ticks. That is the reason they raised the deer limit per hunter from 1 buck and 1 doe to 5 per hunter. He said there are options to deal with the ticks but the refuge will not allow any chemicals or treated feed to be used on the refuge. They have treated feed that can be placed out for the animals. The feed gets rid of the ticks on the on the animals that eat it. They also have chemicals that kill the ticks but they aren't even allowed to spray the hunters dead animal heads on refuge property. They have to drive off property to spray heads in a bag. Ridiculous. Typical environmental wacko BS.

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                                It is sad that you have anti-hunters running a National Wildlife Refuge to start with. Hope we can turn this around!

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