California Hunters? Where you at?

[Tleek]

Im a newer hunter from Northern California. I grew up on the central coast. I’ve Been buying a license for like 8 years but never took hunting seriously until a couple of years ago. I have been hiking, fishing, etc for a long time. I Bought my first deer tag in 2018 and learned a lot, but didn’t get a deer. I started a new teaching job last August and had a baby in November so more or less took last year off, but I’m hoping to get out quite a bit more this year. Teachers have a great schedule in general, but not quite suited to deer hunting! If may take advantage of thanksgiving break and get out for a few days of bear hunting as well. I’ll be hunting mainly some areas in B6 and B1. Pretty excited!

I also like to get out for day trips and squirrel hunt.

I know new guys probably ruin opportunities for the more experienced folk out there sometimes, sorry, but I’ve got a lot of advice from the forum and locals, and it seems like hunters are generally stoked to chat hunting and help a new guy out. I appreciate it.

 

[drewhill007]

If there's anyone around the East Bay that's willing to take a newbie under their wing tis season I'd love to get out there and be a humble apprentice. Have a background in hiking, camping and alpine climbing, new to hunting.

44 years old, work in healthcare, have every other weekend off and days off during the week.

Scooter,

I may not be the most experienced guy here, but PM me and let's talk. I can help to share some knowledge that I've gained over the past few years trying to teach myself about hunting mule deer.

 

[Scott13]

Just moved here (north of SF) from AZ with my wife (she grew up here), our 4 month old son, and dog. Gonna be in A to learn the ropes here. Never hunted CA so it should be interesting. Beautiful country here for sure, interesting views on some things. Can't beat the weather though, I'll give y'all that.

 

[Flazer]

Im a newer hunter from Northern California. I grew up on the central coast. I’ve Been buying a license for like 8 years but never took hunting seriously until a couple of years ago. I have been hiking, fishing, etc for a long time. I Bought my first deer tag in 2018 and learned a lot, but didn’t get a deer. I started a new teaching job last August and had a baby in November so more or less took last year off, but I’m hoping to get out quite a bit more this year. Teachers have a great schedule in general, but not quite suited to deer hunting! If may take advantage of thanksgiving break and get out for a few days of bear hunting as well. I’ll be hunting mainly some areas in B6 and B1. Pretty excited!

I also like to get out for day trips and squirrel hunt.

I know new guys probably ruin opportunities for the more experienced folk out there sometimes, sorry, but I’ve got a lot of advice from the forum and locals, and it seems like hunters are generally stoked to chat hunting and help a new guy out. I appreciate it.

I feel ya on the baby. Had one in 2019. Basically last fall was a wash. Headed to B zone this year for my first backpack hunt. Trying to evaluate where I can save some weight.

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

 

[P.J.]

I'm a midwesterner, back in Norcal working this year. Since i plan on being here through the first of the year, I'm going to have to do some bowhunting and flyfishing, or I will go crazy.

I've never really cared much about black tails, and never went out of my way to hunt them. BUT, the more exposure I have to these deer, the more I am intrigued by them. I'm primarily a bowhunter, but I do gun hunt back home in Indiana.

I am in the process of figuring out the California regulations, and getting a game plan together.

Currently staying around Santa Rosa--

 

[Where's Bruce?]

South OC resident who prefer to hunt outta state. Not for nuttin' by CA hunting sucks.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

South OC resident who prefer to hunt outta state. Not for nuttin' by CA hunting sucks.

Most guys that I know personally who say “hunting sucks in CA” just honestly suck at hunting.

 

[MeatBuck]

Most guys that I know personally who say “hunting sucks in CA” just honestly suck at hunting.

I look at it like, if I can kill an a zone buck or two every year is killing a mule deer or whitetail even a challenge? Wouldn’t mind finding out someday.

Its been years since I failed to fill a tag because I just sucked at hunting, now sucking at shooting, well that’s another story.
I’ve killed a buck in every different zone that I’ve purchased or drew a tag for here in California so even a change of scenery doesn’t seem to bother me. But since I made the decision to eat as much wild game as possible and not buy beef chicken or pork unless it’s bacon or sliced meat I kinda have to be successful. So as season winds down so do my standards and last weekend it’s watch out sporkies...

 

[Bonehammer]

Sacramento, will be in D-6 this year.

 

[oldskool67]

Bay Area, B zone. Recovering from some serious medical issues, so probably not as much hiking or elevation. But I’m still going out, **** it.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Most guys that I know personally who say “hunting sucks in CA” just honestly suck at hunting.

Most of the cocky, smartass, quick-to-put-down other hunters on the internet are young & dumb scoped gun hunters.



Or maybe you just haven't been anywhere else to realize how much better other areas are. I got to full draw in Alberta, Canada more times in a 12 day hunt than I have in a decade of hunting the western states.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Most of the cocky, smartass, quick-to-put-down other hunters on the internet are young & dumb scoped gun hunters.

View attachment 199690

Or maybe you just haven't been anywhere else to realize how much better other areas are. I got to full draw in Alberta, Canada more times in a 12 day hunt than I have in a decade of hunting the western states.

That that is a lot of really poor assumptions in a couple short sentences. Honestly I’m glad you hunt out of state and think hunting in your home state sucks. One less unsuccessful guy stomping through the woods the better.

 

[dskav]

Bay Area, D zone and A zone

 

[MeatBuck]

Most of the cocky, smartass, quick-to-put-down other hunters on the internet are young & dumb scoped gun hunters.

View attachment 199690

Or maybe you just haven't been anywhere else to realize how much better other areas are. I got to full draw in Alberta, Canada more times in a 12 day hunt than I have in a decade of hunting the western states.

And what do you have to show for your Alberta trip. A few pics of you posing with high dollar camo and a handful of twigs?

There’s an old skateboarding term that was used heavily when I was younger, being from oc maybe your familiar with the term “Poser”. It’s how they described a guy who had all the nice gear but couldn’t ride the board to save his life.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I did pose a little................boy.




Here's deer I passed on cuz they were under 200 and that was my goal.



I showed ya mine. Let's see your biggest California deer. Ya kill it from several hundred yards?

I shot this bear from 22 yards a few minutes from Scott Bar, CA.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Bruce comes to a California thread and starts posting pictures from Alberta, Canada? Weird flex.

Should I post my last seasons Mule Deer from Arizona? Last seasons Whitetails from Minnesota? What about the Elk from Idaho?

There is great hunting all across our great continent... And that includes California Bruce. Nice bear, you look a lot "younger" and happier in that photo

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Bruce comes to a California thread and starts posting pictures from Alberta, Canada? Weird flex.

Should I post my last seasons Mule Deer from Arizona? Last seasons Whitetails from Minnesota? What about the Elk from Idaho?

There is great hunting all across our great continent... And that includes California Bruce. Nice bear, you look a lot "younger" and happier in that photo

I was asked to post the pics...well challenged actually. Good luck with that reading comprehension problem, it's probably as challenging as finding a big buck on public land in Calif.

 

[MeatBuck]

Bruce see avatar photo left of username above.
Also see 2019 fall bear success thread or blacktail bucks thread for some more recent California action. Also tagged out in a zone... nooner thread has last years buck. And there’s a thread for my first bow buck too. Oh and 2020 turkey success thread for my first two bow birds. Check em out.
I post my successes and failures, don’t hide nothin but locations. Do all my big game hunting on public land and turkey hunt my orchards here at home.
I dont spend cash on frivolous items or trips. If I can kill it locally with only cost being a tag and fuel, I do. B zone is as far as I go and that’s because I’m almost guaranteed an opportunity at a bear which yield a more versatile harvest than deer as the fat is good for all sorts of stuff. Plus they’re twice the size.
And by Scott’s bar do you mean on the Klamath river hwy 96 just a few miles from horse creek where I killed my first bear 15 years ago?

 

[Where's Bruce?]

That's the place, near Scott River Road ends. Beautiful country but then, you're almost in Oregon so...



Most of California sucks by comparison whereas up there, deer commit suicide on the road, leaping in front of you before you can part at a trailhead. LOL

The further south you go, the worse it gets. Good luck getting away from hikers, bikers, geocashers, tweekers and other bipeds. In units like D11 & 13 any legal buck is a trophy. I have little interest in small bucks like this one that my partner killed there.



I think it behooves us all to refrain from posting insolent comments and accusations (like calling fellow roksliders you don't know "posers") on this site...it just drags everything down a notch. The simple truth is much of Calif is poorly managed which is why we have so many wildfires, lions and sealions. Bad enforcement, stupid moratoriums with no sunset clauses...ever increasing restrictions on hunters, other states do a much better job. But we can agree to disagree on that sentiment.

 

[MeatBuck]

That's the place, near Scott River Road ends. Beautiful country but then, you're almost in Oregon so...

View attachment 199911

Most of California sucks by comparison whereas up there, deer commit suicide on the road, leaping in front of you before you can part at a trailhead. LOL

The further south you go, the worse it gets. Good luck getting away from hikers, bikers, geocashers, tweekers and other bipeds. In units like D11 & 13 any legal buck is a trophy. I have little interest in small bucks like this one that my partner killed there.

View attachment 199904

I think it behooves us all to refrain from posting insolent comments and accusations (like calling fellow roksliders you don't know "posers") on this site...it just drags everything down a notch. The simple truth is much of Calif is poorly managed which is why we have so many wildfires, lions and sealions. Bad enforcement, stupid moratoriums with no sunset clauses...ever increasing restrictions on hunters, other states do a much better job. But we can agree to disagree on that sentiment.

A trophy is in the eye of the beholder. A full freezer is a trophy to me.