By Horace J. Smith, Lebec

On January 21 I received news from an old hunting friend that Tejon Ranch was suspending all hunting. That news more than ruined my day, it knocked the wind out of me.

I’ve hunted the property for more than 15 years and had begun to consider this very privileged access as one that would never end. After grasping that this awful news might be valid and not a sick joke, I really got the blues.

I knew that events of the past few months [allegations that Tejon Ranch management, not hunters, had illegally killed mountain lions] might lead to some sanctions, but had not considered the possibility of a ban on all hunting so soon.

I began hunting Tejon in 1995 and immediately fell in love. Access to such a large wilderness area only 75 miles from downtown Los Angeles was something I was more than willing to pay for. Although the price is steep, I know many who pay much more in Country Club dues and greens fees.

The rigid Tejon ranch rules— clearly stated each fall season— paralleled and went beyond that in the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Code. I was always aware that there were ranch patrolmen on duty to ensure hunters were obeying DFG and ranch rules. I had the feeling that I was hunting in an environment that was regulated and that hunters in the field had been screened and were responsible and safe.

During my entire hunting experience on the ranch I had only one fleeting encounter with a mountain lion, one short glance as it melted into thick brush and down a canyon. These cats are nocturnal and are rarely encountered in daylight. I have never heard of any other hunters on the ranch who would be willing to risk being banned and turned over to DFG just to shoot a mountain lion.

When I retired in 1999 I anchored all my activities around Tejon Ranch, first buying farm property on the outskirts of Bakersfield and then, a few years ago, buying a home in Lebec. I’m 15 minutes away from some of the best hunting in the state.

This is like having your wife suddenly file for divorce; like your wife saying ‘I don’t love you anymore, we’re through.’ Anyone want to buy a very nice triple wide overlooking Castac Lake?

This is part of the February 03, 2012 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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