At two strategic places on the rim of California's San Joaquin Valley, men kneel in gravelike pits. Camouflaged with grass, they await their prey. A stillborn calf lies as bait within inches of each of the earthen blinds. Nearby, other men squat beside a row of four metal cannons, ready to fire weights attached to a 40-ft. by 50-ft. net. Frustrated, they all scan the sky, hoping that the wintry clouds collecting on the horizon do not close in. The 20-lb. Gymnogyps californianus rarely seeks food on stormy days.
The patient hunters are researchers. Their challenging assignment: to begin capturing the...
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