Advice for D16

[ira00019]

Hello everyone,
This is my first year archery hunting. I’ve been hunting on Camp Pendleton for the past couple weeks. But haven’t had a whole lotta luck. Big downfall to hunting the base is that we can only hunt weekends. Anyways, was wanting to get into hunting during the week in D16/San Diego, but honestly don’t even know where to really start?(location wise) Any advice would be HIGHLY appreciated. I would also like to note that I’m moving out of state this December. So you won’t have to worry about the advice you’d give, since I’d be leaving the state, for future seasons.
-thanks!

 

[Western Traveler1]

Welcome to Hunt Talk forum. You are military? I will give you this. Palomar mountain (find Aguanga Ridge) and Laguna Mountains would be a start. High fire danger up there right now. You can also give F&G in San Diego a call and talk to the deer biologist. The lions share of deer are killed on private (no pun intended). I would think you would have a better chance on Pendleton.
Good luck

 

[ira00019]

Yes sir, I am military. I’ll do some research on those areas. Maybe this year is just a bad year on the base, but a lot of others agree. A close friend of mine whom usually has success hasn’t seen much. I will say that it seems like hunting on the base has become more and more popular. Maybe it’s a “pressure” thing?
Anyways like mentioned earlier, we’re only allowed to hunt on weekends. So I want raise my opportunities at harvesting a deer by hunting during the week in d16. I’ve even considered camping out ?

 

[Western Traveler1]

I responded because I figured you were military when you mentioned Pendleton. Thank you for your service. It is difficult getting area specific info on the internet for bountiful herds in Counties and States overrun with deer. Now maybe someone will prove me wrong and send you a PM with that kind of info. I just happen to know that Unit from hunting it for many years. I think they issue 3000 tags plus doe tags and other special hunts. The harvest is around 8% and includes private property harvest where I am guessing 80-90% of bucks are killed. I have friends that kill on public land pretty much every year. They won’t even tell their friends where they are going. Spots are guarded until there is enough trust that if shown they won’t hunt it without the one giving up the spot. It is absolutely possible to kill deer there. I went 5 years straight on Public land bucks. I would guess half of those 3000 tags get hunted opening weekend of rifle and a bunch never leave their house. Then there are a load of road hunters. What is left are guys putting in a lot of effort scouting, hiking and yes, some are camping. If Randy Botta (the biologist) hasn’t retired maybe he will be more specific. Buy a forest service map and swing by REI in Kearny Mesa. Buy a trail guide for San Diego County. I think one is called “Out and About in San Diego” or “afoot and afield” something like that. Ask them (I would suggest not mentioning you want it to hunt with it). LOL. While you are in Kearny Mesa swing by the F&G office, they are close by. There have been a couple of major burns in recent years. There are some drinkers scattered around in one of the areas I mentioned. The deer like leaves and mast off oaks. It is legal to hunt the public land side of private. I never camped in that Unit as most of it can be reached within a 2 hour drive from the farthest reaches. BTW, Julian connects to the Laguna’s if you go in that way.