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Unguided Opening Weekend Hunt for Blacktail Bucks 2024

Currency:USD Category:Hunting Start Price:2,500.00 USD Estimated At:2,500.00 - 7,000.00 USD
Unguided Opening Weekend Hunt for Blacktail Bucks 2024
The University of California Hopland Research and Extension Center is a 5,358 acre property located in the Mayacamas mountains of Mendocino County, roughly two hour's drive North of San Francisco. Owned and operated by U.C. since 1951, the mission of the Center is to carry out a broad spectrum of ecosystem research. As a part of this mission, HREC has been recognized for decades as a center for wildlife research on Columbian Black-tailed deer, and as an integrated part of these studies HREC offers an annual deer hunt that ties into and helps support these activities.

The property is a beautiful mixture of rolling open oak woodlands, chaparral, and annual & perennial grasslands. The property ranges from 600 to 3000 feet in elevation, and is accessed via an extensive network of both maintained all-weather dirt roads and unmaintained four-wheel drive tracks. Spread around the property are various springs and ponds. The surrounding lands constitute a refugium/reservoir of deer to the estimated 500-600 resident blacktails, as HREC is bounded by private ranches, vineyards, and over 45,000 acres of rugged BLM land.

For most of the year, the vast majority of HREC (outside the Headquarters area), is lightly travelled with visitation limited to active researchers, occasional guided hikes and employees maintaining the property and managing a small flock of sheep that graze some of the lower pastures. Then, for a few weekends each year, the public has the chance to participate in very limited access hunts via a lottery,

Our special "Restricted Hunts" are reserved for the last weekend (August 10-12), where only six hunters each weekend get access to the entire property (outside of a no-hunting area around the Headquarters complex) for one day of scouting and three days of hunting.

Opening Restricted Hunt Weekend
8/9: Scouting only
8/10-8/12: Hunting


Included:
Although this is an UNGUIDED hunt, HREC will assist by including:
- One day of pre-hunt scouting including a one-hour orientation with HREC Staff about the property and past hunting information (before opening weekend).
- Three days self-guided hunting (opening weekend).
- Maps showing water sources, contours and satellite imagery of vegetation.
- Access to a skinning-shed, including power hoist, basic cleaning equipment and cooling room
- Participation in active deer research activities
- One deer tag can be filled as part of this package, a second tag may be filled by the same hunter for an additional $500.

Not Included:
California hunting license and deer tag(s). A-Zone deer tags are available over the counter.
No rifle rental is available.
No food is available on the site.
(Note that accommodations, meals and any transport are not included. Hopland is very close, with two hotels, and Ukiah is 25 minutes away with multiple hotels and facilities)

By bidding on one of these very limited Restricted Hunt slots you will not only be able to take advantage of a great and rare opportunity to hunt on HREC, but you will also be helping to fund vital continuing research into California's wildlife and relevant land management practices to ensure our natural resources for future generations.