What keeps you from hunting OTC California?

[Trapline]

Wanting to gauge between these, but any other swag add below.

 

[doc holiday13]

You'd have to pay me to hunt in california and that has nothing to do with the fact that its on the opposite side of the USA from me. I refuse to give CA any money due to the states disdain for hunters and outlandish taxes

 

[MattB]

The biggest issue is the poor quality of game (ungulate) management.

 

[87TT]

All of the above plus it's California.

 

[CorbLand]

Cheaper, better options closer to home...

 

[KurtR]

Its california

 

[cmahoney]

It’s my last resort, I get a tag every year but usually don’t hunt because I have a better tag somewhere else.


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[PVHunter]

Where's the [nothing] option? Archery starts in most parts of the state in mid-August (8/19) this year. You can get going right after Independence Day if you're especially fond of sweltering heat, ticks and poison oak. Let's go!

 

[Steve300xcw]

I have to deal with enough californians as it is. Why would I want to actually go there?

 

[amassi]

People don’t know what they don’t know.
We probably have the best bear hunting in the lower 48. No you can’t chase them with hounds or bait but for being able to glass up multiple color phase bears and hunt them you’d be hard pressed to find more opportunity. For most of the bear habitat you could also have a deer tag in your pocket should you run across one you wanted to shoot. I’ve killed deer in 20 states and these don’t taste any better or worse.

 

[Trapline]

A zone which consists of about 1/2 the entire state has a 30% success rate out of 28,000 hunters last year OTC. All Arizona draw hunts averaged 35% for comparison and hunters waiting years building points for units with lower success all over the west. Archery Only OTC tags give you almost the entire state aside from the X zones. Bear also as mentioned above, i have to be missing something.

 

[87TT]

It's still California.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Hell, I live in Ca. and I refuse to hunt here. For all the reason listed at top of topic.

 

[Fowl Play]

To each their own I guess. I lived in California for 6 years for work. And had some pretty amazing hunts. I bought a lifetime hunting license before I left just so I could continue to hunt areas I had put work in to find with good hunting buddies. Is it the best hunting in the west... no. But I still travel for it...

 

[cmahoney]

A zone which consists of about 1/2 the entire state has a 30% success rate out of 28,000 hunters last year OTC. All Arizona draw hunts averaged 35% for comparison and hunters waiting years building points for units with lower success all over the west. Archery Only OTC tags give you almost the entire state aside from the X zones. Bear also as mentioned above, i have to be missing something.

30% success has a lot to do with private property and 2 tags for everyone.


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[RockAndSage]

The OTC zones in Northern California are a good option if you want to be hunting every year - but the OTC zones are also a brutal hunt in forested, manzanita-dense, mostly mountainous country. It's extremely rugged, extremely hot beyond a narrow coastal belt (think 105F in August and September), and these are blacktail, so far less juice for the squeeze. There are very straightforward, very challenging reasons that the success rates are so low in those zones. It would only be worth it to me if I lived in or within a couple of hours of where I wanted to hunt in one of those zones. But I'd also say that if you can get consistent in taking Blacktail, you'll be far better at hunting Muleys otherwise. Especially compared to someone who only gets drawn once every 3-5 years.

Bottom line: definitely worth it if you're reasonably local, or really want to hone your game, but the diminishing returns are pretty steep.

 

[OMF]

It's tough hunting here for many reasons. Rugged terrain, hot, dry climate, and a strong anti hunting vibe all contribute. With that said, I've had some wonderful quail hunting, occasional ok duck hunting, great dove hunts, and some interesting OTC desert mule deer hunts in the southern game management units. I live here so right now it's a convenient choice for me.

I wouldn't travel here to hunt though. And I SURE wouldn't buy a NR big game tag. Mediocre game management practices and the poor attitude by CA DNR towards hunters doesn't warrant it.

 

[Crowmangler]

I heard you have to wear a rainbow safety vest

 

[WKR]

California doesn't have any good hunting. And you have to use special bullets. You should stay home.

 

[OMF]

Hey @Crowmangler and @NorCalBowHuntr916, you're right! I forgot about that - having to use those funny bullets and wearing the rainbow safety vests. Game can see you coming from a mile away and even if you do get a shot those funny non-toxic bullets bounce right off. They ARE non-toxic after all.