This will be my last year in the program. There is not enough goods versus bads for me anyways with this program.
The only good thing for me with it is that you can hunt all three seasons. But with hunting out of state now, and helping others with there hunts that doesn't even matter to me anymore.
My biggest gripe with the program is the service hour projects. When I enrolled in the program, the division painted a picture in my head that I have not seen that much of. Telling me that the services would help benefit wildlife and such.
I only done one project out of three that actually had any thing to do with wildlife, and that was handing out pamphlets at Strawberry about the special regulations that were in place for fishing. I stood at the Soldier Creek boat ramp for six hours and handed out these things and bs'd with fisherman about how they did and talked boats with em.The hardest part about it was watching all the fisherman go have there fun when all I could do is stand there on the ramp wishing I could join them.Have boat, will fish!
My second project was blocking 4x4, atv, jeep trails above Union City. The game and fish guy was over an hour late meeting us at our starting point for direction. When he arrived he tried to explain that something came up and he wouldn't be much of any help to us? How wonderful? Oh, he also forgot to hook the trailer with posts before he came up. So we waited another fortyfive minutes for him to get the materials we needed.
But hey, he showed up just before lunch in town that was provided by the mayor of Union. Nice! Just in time for weiners on the bbq.
He explained that we was going to be helping the deer out by keeping out the weekend warriors having a little fun on the weekends. After overhearing a conversation with the mayor and a local of Union City, the truth came out. The mayor was full of happiness because some homeowners would now be getting off his back with the complaints of atv'ers and jeepers above there houses having a little fun that they did not want.
So we basically blocked access to what I believe was public property because the mayor and some people wanted the riding area shut down. Just like the B area in Bountiful. We was pissed and I didn't even want to finish the day. When we was done and our cards were signed the game and fish guy had the nuts to ask us if we wanted to come back next weekend for another closure of access to "help the deer"? We laughed and peeled out. The whole thing was a joke.
My fianl project was cleaning tool sheds at the Lee Kay Center. Oh my hell, I really contributed something to wildlife there. What a @*#&@!# joke! It was coming down to crunch time so I just did it and gritted my teeth. One of the guys with me said that he was cleaning the bathrooms the weekend before! I just stood in awe when he told me that.
I probably looked for 2-2 1/2 months online and makeing calls looking for good projects, and this is all I could muster? Give me a break. All of the good or "beneficial" projects seemed to be during the week or was already filled or was a few hours away and the division wouldn't compensate my travel time. Sorry, but with the gas prices last summer, I couldn't justify it.
One of the projects I called on was to clear weeds and brush on a ranch in Vernon. The desciption played out again that the herd would benefit by this. Sure, ok. To me it seemed that a rancher was going to be getting a few "good hands" for free to help with the chores? So, I called to talk to Mr. BLah about the job and his lovely wife answers and basically said he was busy on the ranch and that she could answer any question I had. I nicely explained that the Division gave me his contact info and that I was suppose to talk to him. She then told me that she has been on that ranch for years and knows everything about it and that I was a "rude ass" for thinking other wise, and that I was a "jerk" because I thought she couldn't help me just because she was a women and hung up on me. I was then ready to get in the pickup and head out to Vernon to b-slap some ranch lady. But I regained my composure and called her back being nice about it expalained to her how I felt how she treated somebody that just wanted to be in contact with her husband for direction so she and "the ranch" could benefit from my grunt work. We then shared some colorful language with one another and ended the conversation with love. Ya, I'm laying on the sarcasm pretty thick. But before I hung up, I was sure to explain to her that I would be in contact with the Division and hopefully have her "precious ranch" removed from the project list. I explained what happened to the Program person at the main office and I was basically blown off. Wow, thanks to the division for standing for the hunter that was trying to help a rancher clean up his place that got treated like dog$hit!
So there you have it. There is my 48 cents worth. There just isn't enough valuable projects out there for the dedicated hunter. Too many of us with to little beneficial projects as far as I can see.
But hey, if you don't want to mow some lawns, paint a building or clean up some private property for a rancher you can always pull out some benjamins and pay your way even more for two tags in three years. As if $180 wasn't enough for two tags? Again don't get me wrong. I was a sucker to hunt all three seasons. But after all the bs I went through, I think I will just stick with a muzzy tag for my gaurantee tag area and smoke em just the same. Maybe I can get lucky and get three in row? You never know.
