Who wants to tell me about there Yolla Bolly honey hole?

[Blacktail_Packer]

Nobody weird???

Just kidding, but I am hoping for some general information that is more recent than what I’ve been able to find so far. All google turns up is stuff from 2016 and before.

I’m trying to get ahold of F and G to pick the biologist brain as much as possible and will then move to local fire stations. We’re coming from Santa Rosa so unless the general consensus is entry through Covelo isn’t worth it that’s probably where head in.

I’m wondering if water is as bad as it sounds like it was in 14-16 and if cats and bears are as bad as it sounds? Sounds like people thin out around the 5 mile mark and further from trails the better.

Thanks in advance for any info

 

[jfs82]

I've been considering Yolla for this year also, most of the adivce i get from people who live in the area is "take a bear tag." Water can't be as bad after this winter, the whole North half of the state is saturated.

 

[RosinBag]

I have hunted there many years, archery and rifle. I have never had an issue with water. There are plenty of bears, but that is an all the B zones. The YB’s gets hunted hard, but there are bucks to be found.

 

[Blacktail_Packer]

Yolla same as the rest of bzone, heavyvopening weekend then kettle action the rest of season?

 

[Blacktail_Packer]

I've been considering Yolla for this year also, most of the adivce i get from people who live in the area is "take a bear tag." Water can't be as bad after this winter, the whole North half of the state is saturated.

I was thinking the same but, last year or maybe the year before started out looking promising then the rain stopped and the state turned brown again. I just didn’t want to get up there planning to be puddle jumping and land in the Sahara desert.

 

[bitbckt]

I hunt yolly bollies every year. Opening weekend is always a circus. There are a ton of road hunters who aren't going to walk more than 100 yards for a forky. Expect pressure to push the bucks away from the yahoos.

Lots of bear around, but I've never had a "problem" with them - they do their thing, and I do mine. Just don't do anything an overgrown raccoon would be tempted by.

Some years, I pack in water, others I don't. There has been a year or two in the past ten where I had some trouble finding water. I don't think this year will be one of those. I keep a water can in the truck as a safety net.

 

[lif]

You packing in or truck camping?

 

[Blacktail_Packer]

Packing in

 

[CApighunter]

Good to see another Santa Rosa guy on here. Wish I had advice to offer but this will be my first year doing B zone after striking out in D5 the last few years.

 

[Blacktail_Packer]

Yeah I’m hoping to find a semi local spot too this year. My son turns 3 right about the end of b zone general season and I think he’s old enough to start seeing dad bring home animals. I’ve always hinted b zone so by the time meat gets home it’s either in a cooler or cut and packed already either way doesn’t really translate for him yet I don’t think.

 

[Beendare]

My buddy has a cabin in the Yolla Bollys, After what he told me last year....
I would hunt somewhere else. Worst he has ever seen.

..

 

[Sticknstring]

I seen more bear sign up there then ever...if your gunna go shoot a deer, do everyone a favor and fill your bear tag.

 

[Blacktail_Packer]

My buddy has a cabin in the Yolla Bollys, After what he told me last year....
I would hunt somewhere else. Worst he has ever seen.

..

I think last year was rough in general but, my season was short so... but I appreciate it.

I think we’ll probably all get bear tags as that seems to be the general consensus is they are up there and I’m not opposed to eating a bear.

 

[Beendare]

Yolla Bolly's has so many things going against it; Oppressive heat in the summer, almost no water in the last few years [not so this yr], Lions, Bears......My buddy runs cams in there and its the first year he never got a buck on cam. He got more lions and bears- and even then he said it wasn't as many as usual- than he got deer. Personally I would look for an area closer to the coast or further north with better habitat.

Its a crime what the F&G has let the Yolla Bolly's become....as 30 years ago there was a lot of game in there.

..

 

[Blacktail_Packer]

Yolla Bolly's has so many things going against it; Oppressive heat in the summer, almost no water in the last few years [not so this yr], Lions, Bears......My buddy runs cams in there and its the first year he never got a buck on cam. He got more lions and bears- and even then he said it wasn't as many as usual- than he got deer. Personally I would look for an area closer to the coast or further north with better habitat.

Its a crime what the F&G has let the Yolla Bolly's become....as 30 years ago there was a lot of game in there.

..

Sounds like it’s time for a change in the management plan, as I generally agree with everything you just said only about this state in its entirety.

 

[kickemall]

There will be plenty of people in there from any trailhead on opening weekend. The bucks, like everywhere, get much, much spookier after that. If your expecting to walk in and see bucks everywhere because its wilderness your looking in the wrong place. As the season goes on the people will disappear, especially during the week. Some years theres lots of bears and some theres not, totally depends on feed. Its tough hunting but there are bucks and some good ones. They will hold tight in the brush and let you walk right by them unless you damn near step on them. If you have a dog that will jump them you'll do better. The people I know that kill the most and best bucks use horses, dogs and people. Drop people off with dogs then one or two take the horses around and get on stands near where the others will come out. The bucks there also seem to move out with pressure so if your not seeing sign move on. Almost all the trails, at least on the west and north side, get almost no maintenance and can be close to impossible to follow if your not familiar with them. Some of the older burned areas have trails I used years ago and those trails don't exist anymore. A GPS will help. Good luck!

 

[Duckdon83]

I've hunted the Yollies for quite some time and we have seen some great years and seen some poor years. The area I hunt always has water even on a bad year but the lions have slowly become more of an issue. Our group has hunted the area for 30 years and some of the old timers had never seen a mountain lion until the past 6-8 years. Its now become a yearly occurrence! Only thing worse are the Poachers.... Lots of them

 

[Blacktail_Packer]

I've hunted the Yollies for quite some time and we have seen some great years and seen some poor years. The area I hunt always has water even on a bad year but the lions have slowly become more of an issue. Our group has hunted the area for 30 years and some of the old timers had never seen a mountain lion until the past 6-8 years. Its now become a yearly occurrence! Only thing worse are the Poachers.... Lots of them

People pack in to poach?

 

[Duckdon83]

Two years ago we got a later start than normal and where leaving the trailhead about a hour before shoot light. We hike in a ways and set up to glass, as legal light begins we see some movement off in the far distance. As it gets clearer and they get closer we noticed it was a group of three guys on the trail walking back towards the trailhead. As they passed us, at around 200 yards, you could see them packing out three bucks. They were fully processed and in their packs. There is no way they legally shot these bucks during the thirty minutes of opening light and processed them that quickly. So yes, they pack in to poach.

 

[Azone]

I hunted up in the Yolla Bolly one time, years back with one of my dads friends and it was slim pickins. Only legal buck we located in four days was a barely legal spike fork that we watched walk over a ridge. But it was absolutely beautiful country.

A good friend of mine spent a week up there last year and never spotted a buck. This is also one of my friends that can find animals when 95 percent of the people are not. I'm not saying it's not possible to go in there and smoke a giant, but I would not get my hopes too high either. If you bust your ass and get lucky anything is possible.