HighDesertSage
Well-known member
Jumping in this thread a little late but could not help myself. I'm an East Coast Guy that grew up hunting Whitetails in NH and MA then later on in NC. I moved to the Eastern Sierras for work last summer and tried my hand at Mule Deer/Black Tail hunting this last season and now I'm hooked. Like other guys said above, CA is not typically grouped with the traditional Western States but I would argue it ranks right up there in beauty and opportunities. The availability of species and overall size isn't the same but it is still an absolute great place to hunt.
I hunt the D3-D5 zones (OTC) right in the heart of the Sierras. It’s a pretty cool area because on the Eastern side of the zone you can catch mixed conifers with High Desert Sage brush (Mainly where I hunt) and the Western side is more large conifer forests. From what I have been told, the Mulies favor the east and you are more likely to find the Blacktails on the west. Like anywhere, I encountered fairly heavy pressure from the Jeep/4Wheeler crowd right off the roads but with some walking was able to get miles to myself.
I shot this guy on the 2nd to last weekend of the season and there was a slightly smaller buck about 10 yards behind him. I have not got any scientific verification or opinion but the taxidermist thought he might be a Muley/Blacktail hybrid.
What does the tail look like? Awesome buck btw..