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Review content:
I have been a member of WU for over 2 years. I am an avid hunter with teenage hunters just starting to hunt.
The Junior Hunter/Mentor program is probably the best thing that they have going for themselves. As any parent knows, your kids listen to & learn better from other adults than from their ""own parents.""
As for the properties... they are leased ranches. Some ranch owners take pride in their properties, and maintain them well. Others just let things fall into disrepair - downed trees across roads, washed out roads, rutted & impassible roads, facilities in disrepair, broken fences & gates, etc. Some have branches & overgrown brush on the roads, so dense that vehicles cannot pass without broken mirrors, dented fenders, scratched paint, or dented roofs! Willow Creek is one such property - that owner is as lazy as they come.
Some of the ranches are so over hunted, there is little wildlife left. Those animals that have remained have become nocturnal. Though WU posts pretty pictures of some fine harvests in their newsletter, you must balance this by the 10,000's of members that utilize their properties. I have hunted over 12 properties, some 5-6 times, for deer, pig, & turkey. I have NEVER taken any game off of one of their ranches!
The membership id numbers currently being issued are in the 41,000's - this does not mean ACTIVE members, just where they are in the sequence.
It should be about habitat, food plot & wildlife management. WU does not have any vested interest in assisting the property owners in maintaining their ranches. WU should enter into long term leases, wherein they create food plots, perform habitat restoration projects, and actively maintain the ranches.
I would gladly go work some weekends on a WU ranch clearing downed trees, planting food plots, restoring grasslands & meadow habitats, assisting in controlled burns, trimming back branches from roads & trails, and spraying round-up on poison oak - if they'd get smart about it.
They have a general membership that is willing to put in some effort if there was some reward - maybe a point preference system for those who put in some personal time maintaining the ranches, giving them points to be redeemed for reservation preferences. Or they could offer hunting during special ""closed periods"" or ""preference days.""
The staff at WU is also not responsive to the needs of it's members. I have a handicapped friend who has a CA Dept. F&G Handicapped Archers exemption, that allows him to hunt with a crossbow during archery season. He is a fellow member of WU. He has written the president of WU a couple of times, asking WU to align it's policies with those of the State of CA. But, the president of WU has never bothered to reply to ANY his inquiries.
WU still maintains a policy of NO CROSSBOWS on any of their properties, for handicapped archers! This policy is discriminatory, myopic, & prevents disabled archers from hunting! My friend cannot take his kids archery hunting, unless he is resigned to tag along without a bow - OOOH, WHAT FUN!
Some ranches have ""live on site"" caretakers or security patrols that are there daily. Some of these guys are hunting too - putting daily pressure on the properties. WU denies this, but I have personally seen the security people take animals - most recently a deer & a pig on 2 different ranches.
What chance do us weekend warriors have if these guys are out there hunting daily, creating hidden private food plots, baiting areas, utilizing game cameras, and setting up personal hunting blinds?
You'll be best off finding a rancher who wants to leash his hunting rights to a small group of guys & pooling your own monies together for the lease. At least you can control the pressure on the lands!
ANY ANIMAL HARVESTED ON A WU PROPERTY WAS LOST - I guarantee you that it did not maintain it's habitat there!
Pros: Good kids mentoring programs
Cons: No animals to harvest!
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