Duck Hunting on a Golf Course

Hunter527

Hunter527

Well-Known Member
Apr 3, 2018
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Niland, CA
There is a golf course near my house which has a pond that seems to hold ducks during the winter. I didn't play it last winter, but I can vaguely remember seeing a red headed duck from a distance on the pond a couple years ago, so I am guessing it was either a redhead or a canvasback. First, would a bow-fishing bow be effective for shooting ducks and retrieving them? Also, how would you go about asking permission to hunt on the course? It is on the back nine, so I would be able to hunt first thing in the morning before anyone gets there. I am guessing that the groundskeeper would probably be the best person to ask. On this course you can play the back nine first thing in the morning on weekdays for $30 I believe, would telling them that I would pay the back nine green fee increase my odds of getting permission? If I do get permission, I wouldn't have time to try for a limit of ducks, I would just try to sneak in on a couple or wait for one to swim by and then leave, but since it is so close to my house it would still be worth it.
 
Big Canyon Golf Course in Newport Beach used to have an annual coot shoot to thin out their numbers. It was always a "professional nuisance animal" outfit that they hired to do it though. Too many people found out about it and PETA got involved and they finally had to cancel it (I believe in the late 90s if I recall right) and they ended up going with trained dogs to harass the coots.
 
fish dog said:
Big Canyon Golf Course in Newport Beach used to have an annual coot shoot to thin out their numbers. It was always a "professional nuisance animal" outfit that they hired to do it though. Too many people found out about it and PETA got involved and they finally had to cancel it (I believe in the late 90s if I recall right) and they ended up going with trained dogs to harass the coots.
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Eric,

Conservation shoots for coots were quite common in the 60's, 70's, 80's...I was lucky to be involved in some of those (mostly central Cali)...Crow shoots were common as well...And believe it or not, there was actually a bounty on crows (15 cents per bird).

Mountain lions had a bounty as well...I think it was $65.00 for females & $50.00 for males...It was an era that DFG actually managed predatory birds and animals for the betterment of game animals.

Guzzlers, drinkers, and the introduction of chukar, pheasant, and turkeys made for the best of wing shooting in the country...1000's of pheasant were released thru out the vast farmlands in the state as well.

Many folks don't know that feeding waterfowl on duck clubs was legal here until the early 90's too...The morning flyoff of places like Wister was a sight to behold...1000's upon 1000's of sprig...When feeding was deemed illegal, pintail numbers started heading south (literally & figuratively).

I truly was raised in the heyday of the California dream.

ps...Just think, until the middle 80's, all you had to do is buy a deer tag...You could hunt anywhere in the state and you were only regulated by the hunting dates...We had just as many deer (if not more) and the bucks were just as big.

pss...Pix are from my dad's old hunting club


fish fry 7-21-12 014.JPGfish fry 7-21-12 013.JPGfish fry 7-21-12 021.JPG
 
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ilovesprig said:
Eric,

Conservation shoots for coots were quite common in the 60's, 70's, 80's...I was lucky to be involved in some of those (mostly central Cali)...Crow shoots were common as well...And believe it or not, there was actually a bounty on crows (15 cents per bird).

Mountain lions had a bounty as well...I think it was $65.00 for females & $50.00 for males...It was an era that DFG actually managed predatory birds and animals for the betterment of game animals.

Guzzlers, drinkers, and the introduction of chukar, pheasant, and turkeys made for the best of wing shooting in the country...1000's of pheasant were released thru out the vast farmlands in the state as well.

Many folks don't know that feeding waterfowl on duck clubs was legal here until the early 90's too...The morning flyoff of places like Wister was a sight to behold...1000's upon 1000's of sprig...When feeding was deemed illegal, pintail numbers started heading south (literally & figuratively).

I truly was raised in the heyday of the California dream.

ps...Just think, until the middle 80's, all you had to do is buy a deer tag...You could hunt anywhere in the state and you were only regulated by the hunting dates...We had just as many deer (if not more) and the bucks were just as big.

pss...Pix are from my dad's old hunting club


View attachment 49759View attachment 49760View attachment 49762
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That sounds incredible. When you say pintail numbers headed south literally do you mean they started heading into Mexico rather than wintering here? Do you think in fifty years we’ll look back on these years like we do now on those years?
 
fish dog said:
Big Canyon Golf Course in Newport Beach used to have an annual coot shoot to thin out their numbers. It was always a "professional nuisance animal" outfit that they hired to do it though. Too many people found out about it and PETA got involved and they finally had to cancel it (I believe in the late 90s if I recall right) and they ended up going with trained dogs to harass the coots.
Click to expand...
Now Big Canyon is surrounded by houses. That’s the problem with a few of the courses I’ve been to. Tijeras Creek golf course had a pond loaded with wigeon but sadly its surrounded by houses!
 
Steve, do you remember downtown Indio used to have “pigeon abatement” shoots ? That was the mindset back then . Too many pests you had an organized shoot which safely reduced the problem . Now we are almost considered criminals because we advocate our right to hunt and even buy ammunition ! I too hunted a club when surrounding clubs fed . Looked like tornadoes when their feed trucks went to the feeding zone . We didn’t feed as the regulations required more spacing than we had but the birds liked our ponds after they ate . Better times for sure. Old Quack 49
 
Hunter527 said:
Is that a San Diego course?
Click to expand...

Yes, near Fallbrook...San Diego north county until the early 80's was loaded with ponds, barley fields, and places to shoot ducks, geese, doves, and pheasant...I was so bummed about losing so many places to hunt, I moved to Bishop...Moved back to SD in 1990...Realized it was still a great place to hunt, fish, and hunt.

All these pix were taken off of Hwy 76 and College Blvd near Oceanside in the 70's...The last picture was the last honker we got there...You can see they are starting to break ground for houses... :worried:

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