County Tentatively Approves Wild Turkey Hunt at Santa Ysabel East Preserve

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors gave tentative approval Wednesday to a two-day, juniors-only wild turkey hunt to be held on Santa Ysabel East Preserve, despite opposition from animal rights activists and other opponents.

The first reading of the ordinance passed 3-2 and will be considered for final approval Jan. 25. It would permit up to 10 supervised youngsters to hunt wild turkeys with a bows and arrows or guns at the preserve on March 17 and 18.

"This is about allowing kids the opportunity, the ones that want to, the ones that choose to, an opportunity where we have an overabundance of turkeys under strict supervision to learn the basics about using a weapon and also hunting,'' said Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who represents Ramona.

The 3,800-acre preserve includes a turkey habitat and may be closed to the public on the hunt days, county staffers said.

The hunters would need licenses, training and supervision, said Bob Fusco, president of the San Diego chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Supervisor Pam Slater-Price and board Vice-Chairman Ron Roberts cast
the dissenting votes, though both said they were not opposed to hunting in
general.

"I don't think it's appropriate for county parks or county preserves to be used for hunting purposes,'' Slater-Price said. "What we should be doing is encouraging those hunting clubs and others who want to pursue hunting, which is a legal activity in the state of California, to do so on state land where hunting is permitted, or on private property which can be permitted if the owner agrees.''

Some public speakers were concerned about hunting on county land.

"I am a hunter. I taught my son to hunt, but not in a public park,'' said Patsy Fritz, of Pauma Valley. "We should not have to fear that guns and hunting will ever be a hazard in our parks.''

Activists with the Animal Protection and Rescue League also objected to
the hunt.

A similar juniors-only hunt was held last March at William Heise Regional Park near Julian. Four of the six youths got a turkey, county staffers said.

—City News Service report.