Central Coast Chapter

17th Annual Ray Azbill Junior Pheasant Hunt
by Larry Smith, Vice President
4/20/09

THE 17th ANNUAL RAY AZBILL JUNIOR PHEASANT HUNT WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL TWO DAY EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE ON FEBRUARY 7th AND 8th ON THE CAMATTA RANCH (LAZY ARROW OUTDOOR ADVENTURES) OFF OF HIGHWAY 58 IN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY EAST OF SANTA MARGARITA.  THE HUNT IS PART OF THE DFG SPECIAL GAME BIRD HERITAGE JUNIOR PHEASANT HUNTING CLINIC AND WAS FULLY SPONSORED BY THE CENTRAL COAST CHAPTER OF THE CALIFORNIA DEER ASSOCIATION. THIS EVENT WAS STARTED 17 YEARS AGO IN HONOR OF RAY AZBILL WHO IS A RETIRED FISH AND GAME WARDEN AND IS A LEGEND IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTY.

DESPITE THE HEAVY RAIN FALL ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY THE CLINIC PUT A TOTAL OF 90 JUNIOR HUNTERS IN THE FIELD DURING THE TWO DAY EVENT AND EACH JUNIOR HUNTER WENT THROUGH SEMINARS WHICH INCLUDED TECHNIQUES OF PHEASANT HUNTING, SHOOTING SKILLS, HUNTER EDUCATION, WILDLIFE LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT.

THE CENTRAL COAST CHAPTER OF THE CALIFORNIA DEER ASSOCIATION PUT TWENTY VOLUNTEERS IN THE FIELD THAT ASSISTED IN PLANTING PHEASANTS IN THE BIRD FIELDS, PUTTING ON A BBQ FOR 150 PEOPLE FOR EACH OF THE TWO DAYS, GIVING CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION, RUNNING THE CALIFORNIA DEER ASSOCIATION BOOTH AND SITTING UP AND CLEANING AFTER THE EVENT WAS OVER.  THE CHAPTER ALSO PROVIDED CDA HATS AND SHIRTS TO ALL JUNIOR HUNTERS AND FAMILY ALONG WITH RAFFLE PRIZES IN WHICH ALL 90 JUNIOR HUNTERS RECEIVED.  THE GRAND PRIZE DURING THE RAFFLE WAS A SHOT GUN FOR EACH OF THE TWO DAYS.

THE EVENT KICKED OFF WITH REGISTRATION STARTING AT 7:00 AM ON BOTH DAYS WHERE EACH OF THE 45 JUNIOR HUNTERS SIGNED IN AND RECEIVED BRIEFING AND INSTRUCTIONS FROM TODD TOGNAZZINI (FISH AND GAME WARDEN).  ALL OF THEM RECEIVED CDA HATS AND SHIRTS DONATED BY THE CALIFORNIA DEER ASSOCIATION.  THE CALIFORNIA DEER ASSOCIATION ALSO DONATED MONEY TO THE CAMATTA RANCH WHO PROVIDED HOT COFFEE, HOT CHOCOLATE, JUICES, AND DONUTS FOR THE VERY COLD AND WET EARLY MORNING REGISTRATIONS.

AFTER REGISTRATION THE JUNIOR HUNTERS WERE DIVIDED UP INTO SIX GROUPS THAT ROTATED EVERY HOUR INTO DIFFERENT CLASSROOMS.  THE SIX CLASSROOMS CONSISTED OF INTRODUCTION AND HANDLING OF MUZZLE LOADERS, LAW ENFOREMENT, ARCHERY, TRAP RANGE AND SHOOTING, GAME BIRD CARE AND HANDLING, AND THE BIRD FIELD.  WHEN IT CAME TIME TO TAKE THE FIELD THE KIDS WERE EAGER TO GET ON WITH IT, RAIN AND ALL.  PHEASANTS IN EACH BIRD FIELD WERE PLANTED BY CALIFORNIA DEER ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERS AND THE KIDS HUNTED BEHIND TRAINED BIRD DOGS.  ONCE THE HUNT WAS OVER EACH HUNTER TOOK PART IN GAME BIRD CARE IN WHICH THEY HAD HANDS ON IN CLEANING AND TAKING PROPER CARE OF THE PHEASANT. 

LUNCH WAS READY TO SERVE AT 2:00 PM AND CONSISTED OF TRI TIP, BEANS, SALAD, FRENCH BREAD AND DESERT. THE CHOW LINE WHICH CONSISTED OF ABOUT 150 INDIVIDUALS FORMED QUICKLY AND LOOKED LIKE IT WENT INTO THE NEXT COUNTY.  THE WAIT WAS WELL WORTH IT WITH NO ONE GOING HOME HUNGRY.  AS USUAL THE BBQ CREW DID A WONDERFUL JOB AND PUT ON A FEED THAT WAS SECOND TO NONE.  AFTER LUNCH THE RAFFLE PRIZES WHERE HANDED OUT BY RYAN SMITH AND PAT FITZMORRIS OF THE CALIFORNIA DEER ASSOCIATION.   EACH HUNTER RECEIVED A RAFFLE PACKAGE CONSISTING OF SEVERAL GIFTS AND A CHANCE AT THE GRAND PRIZE WHICH WAS A CHARLES DALY 12 GAUAGE SHOT GUN.  ON SATURDAY THE WINNER OF THE SHOTGUN WAS ALCIA LIDDLE OF SAN JUAN BAUTISTA AND ON SUNDAY THE WINNER WAS DANIEL PHILLIPS OF ATASCADERO.  AFTER LUNCH AND THE PRESENTATION OF THE RAFFLE PRIZES RYAN SMITH (PRESIDENT OF THE CENTRAL COAST CHAPTER OF THE CALIFORNIA DEER ASSOCIATION) AND PAT FITZMORRIS (FIELD DIRECTOR FOR THE CALIFORNIA DEER ASSOCIATION) GAVE A TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY AND THE MISSION STATEMENT OF THE CDA, ABOUT OUR SUPPORT OF YOUTH HUNT PROGRAMS AND AN UPDATE ABOUT OUR LOCAL DEER AND WILDLIFE PROJECTS WHICH HAVE BEEN COMPLETED SINCE OUR CHAPTER WAS FORMED.  THERE WAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND INTEREST ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA DEER ASSOCIATION WHICH WERE ANSWERED AND RESULTED IN THE SIGNING UP OF SEVERAL NEW MEMBERS. 

HUNTERS THAT FAILED TO HARVEST A BIRD WERE GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE TO GO BACK IN THE FIELD AND TRY THEIR LUCK AGAIN.  THE END RESULT WAS THAT EVERYONE WENT HOME HAVING HARVESTED A PHEASANT. CDA VOLUNTEERS CLEANED UP THE AREA AND GOT READY FOR ANOTHER DAY IN THE FIELD (SUNDAY) IN WHICH ANOTHER 45 EXCITED JUNIOR HUNTERS EAGERLY AWAITED THEIR TURN TO TAKE THE FIELD AND CARRY ON THE HUNTING TRADITION. ISN’T THIS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT?   IF IT ISN’T THEN WE’RE MISSING THE BOAT!