Steve needed to do some watering at their bunk house so we went along to scope out the sporting clay range. The bunk house accommodates 8 people and there is a picnic area adjacent for barbecues, cooking, playing games, or just hanging around the campfire. You can tell that the sporting clay course was created by a life-long hunter. Steve is a licensed instructor and guide and this course has it all. 10 stations simulate the flights of birds from every angle. Targets vary in size and may be combined as doubles. Steve has one station where the clay comes whizzing by your head from behind, one where you shot down at the clay from an elevated platform, and even one where the clay mimics the run of a rabbit. If you are into paintball, the varied terrain of the ranch provides cover as well as open space for skirmishes. Once you have had instruction and lots of practice you can go for the real thing. You can hunt blacktail deer, bear, turkey, quail, dove, coyotes, bobcats, and other small game with Steve as your guide on the 460 acre ranch and 2000 adjacent acres.

For those who would prefer hunting wildlife with a camera you had better bring a lot of film. Cynthia has spotted over 50 species of birds on the ranch. Attracted by the ponds and the healthy environment. Birds and other wildlife are everywhere along the six miles of trails that traverse forest, oak hills, meadows, manzanita and buckbrush and pastures. Four ponds, two creeks and a spring attract migrating waterfowl, and each year brings new visitors.

This was not always the case. 16 years ago when Steve and Cynthia first bought the property it qualified as a true environmental disaster area. Steve worked for the Forest Service and Cynthia was a teacher who loved nature. They were looking for their special place. Little did they realize it would not only present itself as a fixer-upper house, but as fixer-upper land as well. They purchased acreage which included pasture adjacent to Carr Creek and proceeded up the hills on the opposite side of the road. Carr Creek was the equivalent of a landfill dump and the upper acres had been logged and trashed. It was a daunting project, worthy of two dedicated people. They were able to get a grant to reestablish the creek. 50 pickup loads of appliances and garbage had to be removed from the creek bed and the surrounding area before any restoration could even be considered. Then the slow process of re-vegetation and habitat repair could begin. On the upper acreage there was a disaster area of a different sort. The house was an octagonal log cabin affair built by some 'children of the 60's'. Drafts blew through the chinking and the floor had a definite tilt to it, but the basic structure seemed strong and it had its own charm. The land had been logged in the "rape-and-pillage style" we are so accustomed to, and piles of slash were everywhere. Undaunted, the Beck's began the slow process of revitalization. The historic Carr creek ditch had water rights dating back to 1872, but it needed to be preserved, so pipe needed to be laid to protect the water for the ranch as well as the downstream neighbors. This also involved the raising of Homestead pond. The slash had to be removed and then replanting and the healing powers of nature could work their magic. Clover was seeded to attract the deer and other species. In 1993/94 the Beck's were awarded the Goodyear Conservation Award, one of only two given for the whole nation. Living in the two story log cabin, they began construction of the ponds. Each year the trees and bushes grew, planting continued, and the ponds were stocked by Steve, who was learning more and more about the rearing of fish and their habitat needs. The wildlife has returned in abundance to enjoy this place and the mountain lion population attests to that. This is why Steve chose a Rhodesian Ridgeback pup to accompany Cynthia on her hikes. The breed is used in Africa to chase and exhaust lions so that the hunters can kill them. The Beck's have also added on to the cabin and transformed it into a beautiful home, but the kitchen, dining room, and loft bedroom still remain in the original log structure. Given our choice of guestrooms, I chose the loft because the heart of the house still remains here. It's kind of like nesting in a tree.

The next morning at first light I was out and headed for Coyote pond. I didn't want to waste one minute of fishing time and was hooked up on my first cast. Suddenly I felt movement behind me and turned to find I had two horses standing on one side of me and two llamas standing on the other. They seemed to appreciate my efforts and were interested in seeing what I was hauling out of the water. I had expected to see a few deer, but llamas were an unexpected pleasure. I couldn't help but think what great flies you could tie with those eyelashes.

I noticed Steve up the hill so I headed up to see what he as up to this morning. He was headed for the Cabin pond. This is the rearing pond and he needed to feed the hungry inhabitants. 2000 new fish had been recently added to the pond and they were flying through the air to catch the pellets. The surface erupted the minute Steve appeared on the shore and the first pellet landed on the water. Water and silver bodies flashed in the rising sun and there was no question in my mind that here was a place of renewal and vitality. For the novice fisherman or the child on their first fishing trip this pond is the perfect place to start. I am still not sure whether you hook your first fish or he hooks you, but it is the beginning of a lifetime of passion and enjoyment.

Because of their commitments to conservation and education the Beck's find immeasurable pleasure in the faces of children experiencing nature 'up close and personal'. They have gladly offered their camping sites to children's organizations like the Boy Scouts and church groups at no cost, just to give them the opportunity to stop, look, and listen to the plants and animals around them. The lessons learned here determine the future of our planet. When Cynthia walks with me along the trails and we talk about this labor of love surrounding us, I hear her use the word 'respectful' several times. That is the essence of this place. Respect for God's creations and the harmony among them. What an incredible feeling to share with your children.

I am once again awed by the courage and commitment it takes to look at the damage man has inflicted, envision what it can be once again, and then roll up your sleeves and make it happen. Thanks Steve and Cynthia for giving us back this wonderful place. For further information on the Carr Creek Ranch you can visit their website at www.carrcreekranch.com or call 1-530-628-4756.

Previous Articles in the Environmental Stewardship Series:
Beyond Catch and Release
Getting Involved in Your Local Hatchery
Kids, Creeks, and Fish
Hold Onto Your Windmills - The Impossible Dream Comes True

Columnist Joan Carter co-owns, with her husband, Dan Carter's Guide Service.