HighDesertSage
Well-known member
What does the tail look like? Awesome buck btw..
California blacktails
- Thread starter hunt1up
- Start date
What does the tail look like? Awesome buck btw..
I hunted CA for 24 years until moving to Idaho. I go back to hunt pigs annually with a friend, on a ranch near salinas.
Growing up I hunted unit D3-5, because I lived there. To set anyones expectation that the hunting there was good would be a real mischaracterization. It's no misprint, the single digit success rates. I can tell you that the number of bucks in that zone that are over 3 years old would also be in the single digits, and buck to doe ratios are in the 10-15% range as well. That said the country is beautiful, but not full of deer.
The foothills, which is exclusively private ranches, is where the majority of the deer live.
The majority of deer on the Easter half of the state, except the extreme NE corner, and truely on the E side of the Sierra's, are more Blacktail than Muley, and all are considered mixed per B&C. I believe anything killed W of I-5 is considered a true blacktail. Funny thing about little blacktails, you can kill a 5 year old buck and it can still be a forkey.
Understand, California has not allowed Mt Lions to be hunted for probably 40 years or more. That is not a good thing for deer. California timber industry, like many states, stopped clear cutting a long time ago. When they did log, even in the 80's, they sprayed herbicides to kill all but the replanted trees, so feed sucks.
Bottom line, is I moved for a reason. If you are looking for a different experience, if you can get access to private ground, or just like the scenery, then I recommend it.
I do believe that the B zones and the Trinity wilderness may be one of the better areas, but again, not high populations, and not mule deer of course.
Great state for hogs, and at least 10 years ago, the ducks where great too. Lot's of good trout, bass, and even salmon fishing. I still cringe every time I think about the change from Fish and Game to Fish and Wildlife and with that kind of environment, I am glad I moved.
Growing up I hunted unit D3-5, because I lived there. To set anyones expectation that the hunting there was good would be a real mischaracterization. It's no misprint, the single digit success rates. I can tell you that the number of bucks in that zone that are over 3 years old would also be in the single digits, and buck to doe ratios are in the 10-15% range as well. That said the country is beautiful, but not full of deer.
The foothills, which is exclusively private ranches, is where the majority of the deer live.
The majority of deer on the Easter half of the state, except the extreme NE corner, and truely on the E side of the Sierra's, are more Blacktail than Muley, and all are considered mixed per B&C. I believe anything killed W of I-5 is considered a true blacktail. Funny thing about little blacktails, you can kill a 5 year old buck and it can still be a forkey.
Understand, California has not allowed Mt Lions to be hunted for probably 40 years or more. That is not a good thing for deer. California timber industry, like many states, stopped clear cutting a long time ago. When they did log, even in the 80's, they sprayed herbicides to kill all but the replanted trees, so feed sucks.
Bottom line, is I moved for a reason. If you are looking for a different experience, if you can get access to private ground, or just like the scenery, then I recommend it.
I do believe that the B zones and the Trinity wilderness may be one of the better areas, but again, not high populations, and not mule deer of course.
Great state for hogs, and at least 10 years ago, the ducks where great too. Lot's of good trout, bass, and even salmon fishing. I still cringe every time I think about the change from Fish and Game to Fish and Wildlife and with that kind of environment, I am glad I moved.
jryoung
Well-known member
Prop 117 went into place in 1991, since that time the rate which mountain lions have been killed through depredation has gone up. In the one year true open season 1971-1972 the kills were 118. Then Ronald Reagan (yes that guy) signed a moratorium to end mountain lion hunting which was in place until 1986, there was then a 5 year hunting period until Prop 117 came into law.
I say this, because I think context is critically important. We still hunt lions, DFW kills more lions annually (on average) in the post Prop 117 world than when lion hunting was legal (outside of the bounty program). That said, with a state this size, and geographically diverse there are a host of variables at play.
Bounty Period 1907-1963 12,462
1971-72 Hunting Period 118
Depredation Kills 1964-1990 602
Depredation Kills 1991-2013 2,542
Bighorn Sheep Program 1999-2010 22
Public Safety Kills 1990-2013 144
Other / Unspecified 61
Total 15,951
