2025 PROJECTS

Junior hunter Blaze (from Bakersfield), joined by his dad,  uncle, and cousin had an awesome cow tule elk hunt on the ranch!  Friday  night the family and volunteers  went to the range where Blaze practiced shooting. On Saturday, with  help from 3 spotters, Blaze and CRF Director Don were able to get on the  elk. Since most of the north unit is grasslands with little or no cover  over 6  inches, that meant hiking in and belly crawling up the ridge to  get into position. Blaze took a 252-yard shot and the elk was down.  Congratulations, great shot! Saturday afternoon was spent cleaning the  elk and scouting for pigs, though none were found. This hunt is  sponsored by RMEF and hosted by CRF at the ranch. 

25 volunteers on Saturday, and 15 on Sunday,  logged over 380 hours to remove barbed wire, hog wire and t-posts from  the old feedlot so  the tule elk would have access to more forage after the Madre Fire and  to prevent their getting tangled in the fence. The elk even came by each  day to check on the progress.  To put some numbers to the work  accomplished – 2.15 miles of fence line were cleared including  approximately 2200 t-posts, 6.36 miles of barbed wire, and 0.92 miles of  hog wire which opened about 80 acres of habitat for the elk!  Thank you  to RMEF and the volunteers who came to improve the habitat for these majestic animals! 

CRF applied for, and successfully received , a $10,000 grant from the San Luis Obispo County Fish & Wildlife Advisory Committee to assist CDFW with Madre Fire recovery efforts including: 

-  Repairing a major leak in the pipeline supplying water from the well pump to the South Chimineas Unit, ensuring a reliable water source for the tule elk and other wildlife.

- Repairing the Carrizo Canyon windmill pump that  burned in the fire to restore water to that water tank and wildlife trough.

-  Purchasing a fire pump to fill wildlife water tanks and suppress small fires to prevent large scale damage to the habitat.                                   - Purchasing fencing supplies to replace fencing lost in the fire. 

As the Madre Fire burned through the ranch, CalFire started working to rehab the roads. They needed culverts for some of the severely eroded sections, but CDFW was unable to get through the State's procurement process quickly.  CRF responded to CDFW's call for help and in less than 24 hours  purchased culverts and had them delivered to the ranch. CalFire's work and these culverts will allow access to areas of  the North Chimineas Unit that hunters and the general public have not  been able to reach for some time due to washouts.  A shout out to Cal  Sierra Pipe in Paso Robles for their quick response.  

The Madre Fire started on July 2 and was contained by July 30.  It burned an estimated 25,000 acres (65%)  of CDFW’s Carrizo Plains Ecological Reserve taking out pipelines, several water tanks,  fences, and other infrastructure.  Although the fire swept through nearly all of the tule elk habitat on the property, 50 elk were sighted  within the burned area soon after. The work CRF completed on the elk pond in April was fortuitous as it not only provided water and a safe haven for the elk, but the pond was also used extensively by firefighting helicopters and trucks filling their tanks to battle the flames.  CRF is committed to helping CDFW replace the damaged infrastructure  and restoring the water system for the wildlife.

After 2 cow elk got tangled and died in the fencing around the old feedlot, getting this fence down became a priority project.  We had a perfect day!  Temps in the 70's and a hardworking crew taking  down some of the barbed wire and hogwire to create clear passage fro the elk.  Thanks to the guys from CRF, RMEF, and the CDFW NRVP volunteer program who came out to help! 

CRF  members Andrea & Donnie Tremper purchased an auction item at our  banquet for a tour and  overnight stay at the Chimineas Ranch for 4  people. They were joined by long-time  friends Nicole & Jerry Missimore. The tour included sightseeing and  photos of the past, present, and future of the ranch and the work CRF  is doing.  Wildlife were scarce during the warm afternoon, but  an evening tour brought out elk, deer, and pigs. CRF director Don  prepared a great dinner and no one left hungry. We enjoyed our time with  them and hope they enjoyed their time on the Chimineas Ranch. 

 The  water system had been down for some time prior to  installing the liner in the elk pond.  The Foundation and Fish and Wildlife staff  worked together to find and fix  a major leak in the pipeline to get water from the pump to the pond and several water troughs.  Now the large cistern is full, overflowing down a  drainage and into the pond.  The elk were back to their favorite watering hole within days. 

Thanks to a $46,000 grant from the Santa Barbara County Fish and Wildlife Commission, CRF was able hire Kinyon Construction to deepen and line the elk pond on the south end of the ranch. The crew spent a week digging out the pond, laying the liner, tucking the ends into a trench to hold it in place, and covering the liner back over with dirt.  This will  keep the water from soaking into the ground, allowing CDFW to pump less water, and providing more water longer into the hot summers for the benefit of the  elk.  This was a great way to start the year and is  one of the largest projects the Foundation has done on the ranch!   The Chimineas Ranch Foundation is truly working to enhance the habitat for the wildlife of the Chimineas Ranch!

What  an amazing junior elk hunt! Four generations of a hunting  family came to support their junior hunter Landon, age 15. After an  early morning, 10 hours, and 12 miles of hiking the hills, CRF Director  Don was able to get Landon on the cow elk. With legs cramping, Landon  made a 300 yd shot and had his first ever elk!  He was stoked! The whole  family and several volunteers helped get the elk back to the truck. The  next day Director Mike led the team looking for pigs.  After several attempts, Landon had his first ever pig! Oh, and did we  mention he had taken his first ever buck just the weekend before?!   Great work Landon!  Thanks to the San Fernando Valley Chapter of RMEF  for sponsoring this hunt. 

Another  awesome junior deer hunt! The 3 hunters,  Bryce                          ( Nipomo), Gwen  (Anderson), and Kenley (Templeton) practiced shooting Friday and  got a backpack full of gifts from A-Z Foundation, Vortex and Turners.  Bryce and Kenley took beautiful 3x3s. Gwen stalked one right at the end  of shoot time, but just missed the shot.  Hopefully she left with great memories  of the hunt. Thanks to all the volunteers and supporters for making this hunt possible and for helping  pass on the hunting tradition to the next generation! 

With a lot of sweat and dogged determination, CRF Board members and CDFW volunteers braved 100 degree temperatures in June to remove the remaining mile of t-posts and coils of barbed wire from the interior of the American Ranch Unit.  Now the elk and other wildlife, and the public hunters, are free to roam the property without getting tangled in wire or running into metal t-posts. Mission accomplished!!

A shout out and huge THANK YOU to Efren Garcia and his crew from Western Tree Service in Santa Maria!  They donated their services to remove two massive trees that were rotten inside and in danger of falling on one of the buildings at the Chimineas headquarters.  Last year's storm caused a third huge tree to fall just missing the building.  Their  work will keep the buildings and the people who work and use the property safe,  

Junior hunter Remyngton and her family came from Bakersfield for CDFW’s Apprentice elk hunt hosted by CRF and RMEF. They hiked for miles but saw no cow elk that weekend.  She and her dad returned and eventually saw some cows but were unable to connect with one. Remyngton, you get an A+ because you never gave up!  Keep up  the good chase and we wish you luck on your next hunt.   Thanks to RMEF and everyone who came out to provide this young hunter and her family a great opportunity on the Chimineas Ranch! 

This year was another huge success for the CDFW Apprentice Deer Hunt!  Logan (age 13), Hunter (age 14), and Ethan (age 12) each took their first ever deer on their first day on the ranch!  And look at those smiles! The kids and dads got to see nearly every sort of critter we have on the ranch! Deer, elk, pigs, a million toads, quail, doves, and coyotes (including a nearly all black one that was absolutely beautiful!) We can’t wait to do it again next year! 

Thanks to the A-Z Foundation and all the folks who came out to help make this a great weekend for the young hunters!

Work continues to remove the fencing from the new property addition to the American Ranch Unit.  Volunteers worked with Directors Steve Adam and Terry Palmisano in 95 degree heat to remove the T-posts from 1 mile of fence line.  That's about 350 T-posts pulled up!  Now there's a clear view across the property.  Just one more mile of T-posts to go!

It's not glamorous, but just like any property, general maintenance always needs to be done.  CRF Directors, Advisory Committee members, and volunteers mowed grass, pulled weeds, trimmed trees, stained the walkway, cleaned the house, and removed debris to keep the beautiful facility ready to welcome visitors.

A large downed tree at the HQs provided an opportunity for a habitat project.  The logs and limbs were cut and used at several troughs on the property. These old cattle troughs are too tall for small wildlife to access. Logs piled up next to the trough create “stairs” for animals to climb to get to the water. Tree limbs were used to create a brushpile near the trough so birds and smaller animals have a place to get shade from the heat and escape predators when they come to quench their thirst.

The volunteers and Director Terry were back out in May to remove the wire from the north side of the new addition to the American Ranch Unit.  In total, they took down and rolled up 8 miles of barbed wire!  Now the elk (pictured) and other wildlife can run freely without having to jump over or get caught up in the fencing.  Still to come - removing the fence posts.  

The 2023 record storms downed trees, washed out roads, and caused landslides, blocking access to much of the Chimineas Ranch.  Work shifted to the American Ranch Unit for the first habitat improvement project of the year. Members of CDFW's Natural Resource Volunteer Program, led by CRF Director Terry started removing barbed wire from a newly acquired 640-acre property.  The removal of wire from the one mile east boundary gives wildlife and public land hunters free access across the new property.  

The final project of the year was the replacement of another trough, this time on the American Ranch Unit. This area is heavily used by elk and pigs and the old trough was unserviceable. CRF purchased a large trough to meet the water needs of the many thirsty animals. Delivery was made with CRF’s heavy duty trailer acquired several years ago. CRF Director Don and CDFW Habitat Assistant Sean worked together to grade the site and install the trough.

Six young women with Troop 1602 Scouts BSA out of Paso Robles showed their girl power by completing a conservation service project on the  Chimineas Ranch.  Together they replaced an old, galvanized cattle trough riddled  with holes with a trough wildlife can easily access.  They removed the  old trough, set the 2,000 pound concrete trough in the  ground, and connected the plumbing. 

The scouts worked hard, learned new  skills, and did a great job!  Retired CDFW Habitat Assistant Joe Lambirth and the Scoutmasters provided the training. CRF Director Terry  Palmisano was on hand to support the project. 

Unnecessary fencing can be a hazard for wildlife when they get tangled in it.  CRF coordinated a volunteer day with CDFW's Natural Resource Volunteer Program to start removing the wire from a 4-strand barbed wire fence on the North Chimineas Unit.  Wildlife use the area  heavily  as evidenced by the well-worn trails crossing  the fence.  Now the elk, pigs, and antelope will have clear access.  Work will continue as there are miles more fence to remove.   

Another fantastic weekend for a junior hunter!  Cole, age 13, had never hunted big game before but calmly filled his cow elk tag in the first hour Saturday morning on the Chimineas Ranch.  Looking on proudly are his father (in the black vest), and two uncles who got him interested  in hunting.  The hunt was sponsored by the San Fernando Valley Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation which provided meals, guides, and  help cleaning the animal.  CRF hosted the group at the ranch headquarters. 

Three  SoCal junior hunters scored big in September at CDFW’s apprentice deer hunt  on the Chimineas! The hunt was sponsored by the A-Z Foundation and  hosted by CRF.  Grace, Jonathon, and Victoria  each took their first ever deer, and they were beauties! Victoria also  took a huge hog and celebrated her 13th birthday while she was there.  The hunters and their families stayed at the ranch HQs and everyone had a great time. Butcher Shop Taxidermy will mount the 3 bucks for the young hunters. Meals and guide  service were provided by A-Z, who also presented camo backpacks with  knives and Vortex binoculars to each hunter.  

Water  had to be turned off to one of the troughs in September when it was  discovered a pipe between the tank and the trough was broken. CRF  Directors Don and Terry repaired the pipe and got water  flowing back into the trough.  With the temperature hovering around 105  degrees that day, if the trough had been a little bigger the wildlife  might have come for a drink and found both directors cooling their heels  in the water! 

The Chimineas Ranch Foundation got a great deal on a much needed John Deere Gator utility vehicle from Cal Coast Machinery in Santa Maria.  In just the first few weeks it was put to good use for  checking water troughs, doing pipeline repairs, removing fences, and taking junior hunters out on their hunts.  

YOUR FUNDRAISING DOLLARS HELPING WILDLIFE!  Funds raised from the Foundation’s February banquet were a huge benefit to the wildlife on the Chimineas Ranch. The well pump for one of the troughs on the south end of the property froze up and needed to be replaced. This was especially critical as the south end of the ranch is much drier than the north side, and this trough has been heavily used for years by a wide variety of animals.

Leaving it dry in the middle of the drought would have been a disaster for the wildlife that have come to depend on that water. Your donations and auction bids allowed CRF to purchase a new pump. Directors Don Copeland and John McGray, with CDFW Habitat Assistant Joe Lambirth, installed the pump, filled the tank, and got water flowing into the trough again. 

Sam Schley, with Santa Barbara Boy Scout Troop 26, completed his Eagle Scout project by designing, constructing, and fund raising for a wildlife guzzler on the Chimineas Ranch.  A guzzler collects rainfall, directs it into a storage tank, and meters the water out into a trough so water is available to wildlife year round.  He requested funding from the Chimineas Ranch Foundation, Santa Barbara County Fish and Wildlife Committee, and San Luis Obispo County Fish and Game Fines Committee.  CDFW provided the tank and trough.

Sam let a group of Boy Scouts and family members in the construction work.   CDFW staff Joe Lambirth and Warden Kevin Hare provided expertise and encouragement.  After working onsite two weekends in January the project is complete, the wildlife have another source of water on the ranch, and Sam completed the fieldwork required to become an Eagle Scout.  Congratulations Sam!