TOTALLY NEW GUY in Paso Robles, CA

Welcome.
My input is that if you are going to teach yourself to hunt, then I suggest to start with small, upland game. Probably rabbit.

If you have someone who is willing to take you out hunting and help you out, then hunt whatever that person wants to hunt.

Hunt what you have access to, and hunt what you actually want to eat.

In CA, the number one challenge is access. There is great habitat here, but very little public land.
If you know someone with a ranch, then that is the best, but if you are going for public land, then Fort Hunter Liggett is the most popular location simply because it is huge. Its technically not public... its "military" and now when you punch a big game tag, they added Military instead just Public and Private as a location option.
To hunt there you must create an account, then do a background check and register your weapons..... its a pain. On top of that, its only open on weekends and holidays, and you never know what sections will be open. That said, people go through all that because its a large area (over 200k acres) mostly raw CA habitat. Liggett is less than an hour drive for you, but I have met folks that have driven all the way from Orange County, ~6hrs to hunt there.

In addition to FHL, there is BLM land east of you, and also national forest in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Monterey counties.
There are a couple spots of state land as well, though they are small.
Here is a land viewer which I find helpful. Its from BLM but also shows state and military properties.

As for species, I usually tell folks to start with cottontail rabbit. You can find rabbit just about anywhere, so access is not too hard. They are easy to kill (shotgun or .22). Easy to clean, and they cook up like chicken.
Note that CCI makes a solid copper .22 which would be CA legal. They group terrible in my gun, but at least they are legal. For shotgun you would need steel shot. I suggest #6
Rabbits also have a rather long season.
Jackrabbits (or as I like to say, JackHares) are legal year around. Hares are a darker meat than rabbits, and a bit stronger flavor, but I have found they can be good with some cooking technique.
Hunting areas are crowded during A zone deer season, so I like to hunt animals that have seasons which allow me to avoid hunting at those times.

Other good options are Quail and dove. Both are excellent table fare.

Pigs and deer are a great hunt, and you have lots of both of them in your area. That said, when hunting big game, you need to have a plan on how to pack out the animal and get it processed. This may also require more equipment (game cart, meat pack, Gambrel....).
There are "pay-to-play" places where you can pay to hunt on a private land hunt. I shot my first pig that way when I was just learning how. Its a way to learn a bit, though I would not call that "hunting".

For small game you just need a vest that has a pouch in the back. Drop in the game and keep on hiking.

The central valley hosts the pacific flyway for waterfowl for ducks and geese. There are plenty of public refuges that you can sign up for on lottery with the DFW. That said, its more involved in that you will likely need to camp in the parking lot of the refuge. You may also end up investing in a game cart for decoys and a beat up bicycle to ride out there.... so its a bit more work.
Note that those same public refuges (some are state and some are federal) often also have Pheasant and Dove hunts.

Walking is probably the best thing you can be doing to prepare yourself.
As for gear, good boots and binoculars are probably my most heavily used hunting equipment. It is worth spending some money on those items. Unfortunately, my gun is used quite a bit less.
Thanks for all the info and encouragement. I used to work in San Jose at a place on Lenfest.
 
Hello All,
I'm a long time sport shooter. Currently shooting SASS. Born and raised near San Francisco Bay Area. Moved to Modesto in 1989, then Paso Robles in 2013. Interested in giving hunting a try, just hope I'm not too old. Hiking almost every day, trying to get back in shape. Not sure where to start? I know there are lots of pigs around here. Should I start with Birds? Small game? I passed my Safety course last year. Have the guns needed. 12 ga, 10/22, 270 Win. Reloading for 20+ years. Open to any experienced advise.
I'm originally from Arkansas and have lived/hunted in several states. I lived in Lodi/Galt area of California for ten years and my opinion is that Ca is very challenging for hunting. You have to build up about five years worth of points to draw a decent public land mule deer hunt. A/B zones are overrun with hunters having no concept of personal space and seemingly ignorant of common hunting ethics. I deer hunted B Zones by hiking into wilderness areas where you will still run into some hunters, although the hunters in the backcountry are a much better crowd as far as ethics and respecting personal space. Deer are sparse and so I chose locations where I would enjoy the scenery regardless of the deer situation. I'm not a bear hunter but saw a lot of bear during my deer hunts in B zone areas of Marble Mts. I could have shot quite a few bear, but only got two deer in eight years of hunting CA. I think hogs and quail are probably your best bet. I greatly enjoyed chukar hunting in Susanville area but you need a good dog (with dog boots) and be prepared for extremely grueling hunts. Chukar are in the rimrock at the top and they wait on you to arrive before chuckling at you when they flush just out of shooting range and down the other side. It makes it that much more rewarding when you finally get a limit. I had a bird dog and joined a hunting club (Comanche Hills) where it made a decent substitute for the real thing while also keeping my dog sharp.
 
Welcome from the bay area. Keep in mind that pig hunting with a guide is typically not much of a hunting experience. I've been hunting a long time and last year I went on my first guided hunt which was for pig in your area. My brother and I went because we wanted some meat and something to do for a day and a half so we had no illusions of it being a real hunting experience. The guide drove us around in a side by side until we found some animals and then we hauled ass in the rig to get above them for our shots. I would never do that with native game but admittedly it was fun and we brought home a lot of meat. Good people but it is about productivity. They're so fast gutting and processing you wouldn't learn much. I'm sure there are outfits that operate differently if you research. Good luck.
 
Welcome from SW NM.
I am a SLOCO ex Pat. Lived most of my life there, AG,Prefumo Cyn,Atascadero, Santa Margarita. Used to be great blacktail, pig, turkey, small game & quail,waterfowl hunting.Excellent fishing was found too. Alas those days are gone,almost. Still a few spots to be found on public lands,lots on private tho. My avatar is pic of Tule cow out past La Panza,LO tag.
 
Hello All,
I'm a long time sport shooter. Currently shooting SASS. Born and raised near San Francisco Bay Area. Moved to Modesto in 1989, then Paso Robles in 2013. Interested in giving hunting a try, just hope I'm not too old. Hiking almost every day, trying to get back in shape. Not sure where to start? I know there are lots of pigs around here. Should I start with Birds? Small game? I passed my Safety course last year. Have the guns needed. 12 ga, 10/22, 270 Win. Reloading for 20+ years. Open to any experienced advise.
Best of luck. I'll be in your neck of the woods in a couple of months for a pig/waterfowl hunt.
 

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