California Deer Spring 2014 | Page 13

10 Years of e Tradition Brian Grant, Tejon Ranch Vice President of Ranch Operations, accepts a CDA plaque of appreciation for 10 years of sponsoring the Sharing the Tradition junior hunts. 99+% and the new pig hunts have had a success rate of 90%. As the number of wild pigs increased on the ranch, it had a negative impact on the deer numbers. During the last two years, therefore, the number of juniors hunting deer was changed to five, with the other 10 juniors hunting pigs. The overall reduction in deer hunts on the ranch coupled with an increase in the harvest of pigs is beginning to show an increase in deer numbers. But wheth- er the juniors are hunting deer or pigs, these Sharing the Tradition hunts have turned into an experience of a lifetime for both the juniors and their mentors. In addition to the sponsorship of the hunts by CDA and the Tejon Ranch, other sponsors have added icing on the cake by giving each junior ammunition (Barnes Bullets), binoculars (Alpen Optics), hunting accessories (Hunter’s Specialties), knives (Z-Blade), targets (Birchwood Casey), and this past year, a former mentor/ father (Ryan Olsen) donated a European Skull Mount to each junior. Now 10 years since the first Sharing the Tradition hunts, a number of the juniors who participated in the early hunts are now in their 20s. CDA hopes that their experience at Tejon Ranch has resulted in their continued interest in California’s deer herds. Look for information on the 2014 Sharing the Tradition hunts in the Summer issue of California Deer, or on the CDA website www.caldeer.org. California Deer 13