A Zone California deer hunting (Cache Creek Wilderness)

[OregonHunter13]

Hey everyone I am planning a out of state hunt for early season A zone Archery Blacktail. I am looking really hard at the Cache Creek wilderness area I like the idea of backpacking into the wilderness hopefully to get away from a lot of the pressure. I have been scouring google earth and OnX for a good area I would love to glass but I can't tell if this area lends itself to glassing. I am not looking for a specific spot but I would like to know if I am on the right track. Thanks in advance.

 

[Hoghead]

Check pm

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[CApighunter]

Hope you like 105-110 degree heat and rattle snakes. Archery pressure shouldn’t be bad once you get away from the roads.

 

[willfrye027]

Be careful with the heat. Water is a huge issue. When it’s that hot, you can get into serious trouble with dehydration. Doesn’t matter how fit you are

 

[willfrye027]

If I was going to hunt here early, out of state I’d pick somewhere farther north and near the coast

 

[OregonHunter13]

Thanks everyone for the reply's I understand it will be hot but I figure I won't be doing a whole lot of moving just sitting in the shade glassing. Does this area lend itself to glassing and is their enough deer to glass? I also heard that Cache Creek has really high mercury levels and isn't safe to drink the water is this true?

 

[ZRob97]

There’s some nice valleys and areas that glassing should work. Large part of the area is burn scared from fires but it has been a few years to my knowledge. Good luck!

 

[Yoteassasin]

Thanks everyone for the reply's I understand it will be hot but I figure I won't be doing a whole lot of moving just sitting in the shade glassing. Does this area lend itself to glassing and is their enough deer to glass? I also heard that Cache Creek has really high mercury levels and isn't safe to drink the water is this true?

It is Africa hot in there , you had better have a lot of water and or a source . I hunt just to the west and it was 113f by 10am opening day of archery, I drank a gallon of water by noon and was still on the verge of dehydration. You had better be good on glass . They are there if you can find them .
Dont drink water from a tailing pond or leaching out of a mine shaft and you’ll be fine

 

[CApighunter]

Thanks everyone for the reply's I understand it will be hot but I figure I won't be doing a whole lot of moving just sitting in the shade glassing. Does this area lend itself to glassing and is their enough deer to glass? I also heard that Cache Creek has really high mercury levels and isn't safe to drink the water is this true?

The deer don’t do much moving either, most are bedded by 9 am.

 

[Bubblehide]

Ca is not know for its deer numbers, but if your looking for experience, this is a great place to get it. With that said, a person can still do well here.

 

[Moserkr]

Hope you like 105-110 degree heat and rattle snakes. Archery pressure shouldn’t be bad once you get away from the roads.

Dont forget the ticks!!! I hunted A-zone once for the opener, and have hunted cache creek more than a few times for pigs. Opener was horrid - 105* by 9am, 30 ticks an hour, lion tracks all over the creek bottoms. Never seen many deer there. Not exactly a “beautiful” wilderness area. Brown, dry, burned. I live in CA and wouldnt do that to myself again. Personally Id go to the trinity or marble wilderness areas, which Ive never been, but hear its nice - scenery, deer, bear. Watch out for pot growers around cache creek too…

 

[PVHunter]

Reminded me of this -->

 

[Bubba]

Like all the others have said Hot, Dry and fire season is in full effect. Fire season can at times play a huge issues with hunting California. More areas are getting closed and the smoke sometimes makes glassing difficult. Is there a reason for the A-zone and cache creek area? Depending on how far in you go remember with the heat, meat spoilage can happen. You should have other areas as back up. A lot of Country has burned in the last few years in the A-zone. It's very hard to stalk in very dry ground. If your from Oregon you are passing a lot of good high Country that opens for Archery in August.

 

[OregonHunter13]

I understand that their may be better hunting here in Oregon up high but it would be nice to start my season a month and a half early in July.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Cache creek wilderness holds a good deer population. Glassing ability is not terrible but I’d rate it as mediocre, unless it burns again. You need time to get in and find heavily travelled hips and crossings. If you don’t heavily scout the area it will take you 2 or 3 seasons and spending at least a week out there learning the area to be successful in my opinion.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Here’s a deer bed from cache creek area in 2019 I think it was.

They tend to have evening bedding areas and day bedding areas. They will move across surprisingly small stretches feeding at dawn and dusk between the bedding areas. Your best chance is to find beds like this and poop. You won’t find tracks but you will easily find heavily travelled trails with a trained eye for the terrain.

Once you find the bed and trails without bumping deer you’ll need to come up with a game plan and figure out their direction of travel and where they’re stopping to feed. They will feed out in the open on what looks like nothing but dry grass. You can catch them going up on their hind legs pulling acorns and oak leaves down out of trees. They also eat poison oak so don’t dismiss that either.

“Glassing” in my opinion isn’t the best way to hunt this area. You’ll be hard pressed to find beds, trails, and sign by glassing. You may catch deer moving if you’re skilled at it but these are sneaky little coastal deer who know how to evade predators like none other. Buddies and I have had much more success getting in there with them and finding them that way.

 

[OregonHunter13]

Wow beautiful deer. I am planning on going in for a week and camping near a glassing knob and hiking up there every morning and glassing at least for the prime time but then I might walk the brush for a while during the hot part of the day. I do have experience backpacking so I am not worried about the ability to stay out there.

 

[Bubba]

I understand that their may be better hunting here in Oregon up high but it would be nice to start my season a month and a half early in July.

Totally understand make hunting season longer. The Cache Creek Wilderness is a huge area. Glassing in going to be key to finding the bucks. Look for a private message from me.Ill give you some info.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Hope you like 105-110 degree heat and rattle snakes. Archery pressure shouldn’t be bad once you get away from the roads.

Throw in some…read “a ton”…of poison oak as well!

 

[brushape]

I like 40 minutes there and you won’t find me out there that would be miserable hot I don’t think you’ll be able to stay out there a week


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