Hunting in SoCal

[Ryguy]

Haha yeah not to mention you can just about always see the road in the background of their pix... even just goin to Az for the archery hunt it’s amazing to see how many more animals they have then us here in cali

I typically pack in to get away from roads and everyone else. I did an elk hunt years back as my first backpacking trip and it was eye opening. Didn’t get one but man I learned a lot. If I can see a road that’s not fun. Guess I love misery


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[North]

I live in Wisconsin and I am semi seriously considering moving to CA with the plan being to live within 2 hours of LA in a rural area in a National Forest (looking at Angeles or San Bernardino areas for now). I archery elk hunt in Montana and hunt whitetails with bow and gun here in WI. I have never spot and stalked anything. From reading this it sounds like deer hunting in CA is tough, but I’m curious what the backcountry experience is like in a general sense for hiking/camping etc. Seems like there’s a ton to explore. Crawling with people or easy to find spots that feel remote? What about the bear hunting? How would you rate the overall outdoor experience compared to other western states? Very interested in people’s experiences, thanks!

 

[amassi]

I live in Wisconsin and I am semi seriously considering moving to CA with the plan being to live within 2 hours of LA in a rural area in a National Forest (looking at Angeles or San Bernardino areas for now). I archery elk hunt in Montana and hunt whitetails with bow and gun here in WI. I have never spot and stalked anything. From reading this it sounds like deer hunting in CA is tough, but I’m curious what the backcountry experience is like in a general sense for hiking/camping etc. Seems like there’s a ton to explore. Crawling with people or easy to find spots that feel remote? What about the bear hunting? How would you rate the overall outdoor experience compared to other western states? Very interested in people’s experiences, thanks!

Theres less remote every year unfortunately
Thanks to the interwebs the back country can get pretty crowded and what was otc hunting 5 years ago sells out in the draw. The sierras are some of the prettiest mountains in the us and abound with trails
Some are relatively highways(pct) others never see a footprint. Further, our drought cycle is consistently shrinking range in the backcountry that home deer and drainages unaffected by drought get sucked dry by illegal pot grows but theres plenty of bears and coyotes to go around. Down south has some of the worlds best fishing

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[Block]

I live in Wisconsin and I am semi seriously considering moving to CA with the plan being to live within 2 hours of LA in a rural area in a National Forest (looking at Angeles or San Bernardino areas for now). I archery elk hunt in Montana and hunt whitetails with bow and gun here in WI. I have never spot and stalked anything. From reading this it sounds like deer hunting in CA is tough, but I’m curious what the backcountry experience is like in a general sense for hiking/camping etc. Seems like there’s a ton to explore. Crawling with people or easy to find spots that feel remote? What about the bear hunting? How would you rate the overall outdoor experience compared to other western states? Very interested in people’s experiences, thanks!

You can’t compare deer numbers or antler size to many other western states,,, but it’s not at all hard to get away from people.. put a few miles between any road or trail and you rarely see any sign of humans.. plenty of decent animals if you put in the effort.

 

[kowalski]

Just wondering, but any central coast a zone hunters on the forum?

 

[carpentertanner]

Just wondering, but any central coast a zone hunters on the forum?

What’s “central coast” to you?


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[kowalski]

Monterrey to Santa Barbara

 

[Bubblehide]

Monterrey to Santa Barbara

I hunt pigs regularly somewhere in that area.

 

[Brad922]

This is my first year hunting period, living in southern California my whole life. I can confirm that it isn't easy at least the zone that I'm in (D19)
Especially only being able to go out on the weekends.

 

[carpentertanner]

Monterrey to Santa Barbara

I’m around Ventura


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[Azone]

Just wondering, but any central coast a zone hunters on the forum?

There's a few us floating around. Where abouts are you calling home?

 

[kowalski]

Northern Santa Barbara county

 

[Deplorable77]

I ride the shit out of D11 on dirt dikes year round. There are quite a few deer once you get away from the walk in "Modelo crowds" hunting radius. Its comical to see how many will pack into a few square miles and think the deer will magically roll through their location. You know D11 deer season has opened because every fire road is packed with trucks adorned with chrome trim accessories from pep boys. I've run across a handful of dedicated hunters in the off season who put in the time and effort to scout, and work an area. These are the guys who are filling tags every year . There are deer to be had in SoCal, it's not WI hunting, but it is doable if you're committed.

 

[Block]

I ride the shit out of D11 on dirt dikes year round. There are quite a few deer once you get away from the walk in "Modelo crowds" hunting radius. Its comical to see how many will pack into a few square miles and think the deer will magically roll through their location. You know D11 deer season has opened because every fire road is packed with trucks adorned with chrome trim accessories from pep boys. I've run across a handful of dedicated hunters in the off season who put in the time and effort to scout, and work an area. These are the guys who are filling tags every year . There are deer to be had in SoCal, it's not WI hunting, but it is doable if you're committed.

Sounds like D8.. pretty comical to see how some of the popular “meadows” have overflow parking lots..

 

[Big Ern]

SoCal hunting is super tough. As an example, i did a day hunt yesterday in D11 and did 8 miles with a LOT of elevation changes. It was hot and the flies were everywhere. Didn’t see anything. Oh well, that’s what it’s like out here. Back at it again soon.
I also hunt Wyo every year...as someone else said, big game paradise. A 150+ class buck is doable every year in units that are pretty easy to draw. California hunters do VERY well out there because we are uses to hunting/hiking hard. Unlike the road hunting crowd.

good luck.

 

[Joshwalls22]

D19 buck


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[Fowler530]

D19 buck


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Nice buck!! Congrats!!!

 

[srfdmatty]

D19 buck


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Man you're knocking down the bucks! Nice work! You've had a good year. Congrats on it.

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[krist003]

That's a nice D19 buck there Josh. Good work!

I've lived in southern CA my whole life (Temecula) and one thing is for sure, the amount of deer you see is directly related to how much time you spend in the field. Glass, glass, glass

As has been stated, the farther you get from the roads, the better your chances. There are opportunities all over socal, but you need to be willing to work for it.

 

[JDay23]

I know some time has passed, wanted to revamp the thread maybe spark up a convo. Just got stationed here last month, moved from south carolina. Was just starting to get into bow hunting before i left, was lucky enough to meet some awesome guys with tons of land in the south. Definitely don't have that luxury here LoL. I've done a bunch of research into hunting SoCal areas and it looks like an awesome challenge I'm 100% ready for. Wondering if anyone was looking for an apprentice or even a new friend to show the ropes to? (can also rifle hunt) A friend of mine back in SC mentioned this website and said it was a good starting point with a lot of good dudes on here, figured I'd take a shot, throw up a flag lol