Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Anybody else travel to hunt in CA?

Shot this black tail deer last year in Tehama County, which borders Trinity County. Best California deer I've shot so far.

Nice. I'd say that's... better than the average blacktail.

Jim,

Fort Hunter Liggett. 20 miles west of King City.

RAS,

Thanks!

OK, I know it well. (My Dad was born in San Miguel.) Also hunted the backside of the Fort from Pacific Valley on the coast.

jim

Guys,

I grew up in and still live on the Central Coast of California. In Monterey County, Fort Hunter Ligget has public access, as does the Los Padres National Forest. The better deer hunting is on private ranches, and getting access is hard to do unless you know somebody, or pay pretty steep fees.

Depending on where you hunt, the deer can be classified differently-perhaps blacktails, perhaps Coastal Mule deer, so check that out before you plan the hunt. Wild hogs are all over the place and the hunting for them is pretty good as well. If you are looking at a deer/hog hunt, Monterey County is a good area.

Whether you are hunting hogs or deer in this area, you must use non-lead projectiles as this area of California is in the "condor zone."

Now, in Northern California, I have some property near Lake Shasta, between Redding and Burney, and I am up there all the time. It truly is a beautiful area and I plan to retire there. (As an aside, and no disrepect meant to anybody in other areas of California, but it seems to me the people are just "nicer" up there, at least compared to where I am now.) Deer hunting is okay, bear hunting is very good, and the fishing is awesome, whether you like lakes or stream fishing. Northern California is the place for a deer/bear hunt, and bear season opens with the opener for deer and usually runs until Dec. 31.

There is a ton of public access in the National Forests up there. Deer hunting is okay, espeically if you know where you are going and know the terrain. To the west of Redding is the Trinitys, and the wilderness area there is a hike in area with rough country, but good deer and bear hunting. There is more black bear up there than you can imagine in Shasta, Trinity, and Tehama counties. Most mature bears will run at least 200 pounds or so, with occasional bears going 350-400 plus.

Good luck and have fun!

Manny

I like to go after SoCal hogs ... and they got some big desert Bear down there ....

The "B" zones are known as "The Big Green". and the bear hunting is great, and the Blacktails are there, but hard to hunt. The two deer limit is because of the fact that if the experienced blacktail hunters who score year after year didn't take that extra percentage then the herd would really damage the wintering areas.

I live here, and I know people travel here for the bears. But, I would recommend anywhere else (grin).

Been trying to kill a deer in every state, and California has eluded me so far (tried 3 times in crappy units close to my folks in Southern California). I'll be back soon though.