California Muleys

jbonshooter · Jan 8, 2009

Im a 16 year old who loves to hunt, last year i pulled the junior hunt j12 tag and harvested a very mature 28'' buck with a 6 inch eyeguard i know i was blessed to get the tag. Also last year my father and i took a nice 2x2 on public land in california... d6 to be exact. I've been doing some research on d6, the tag im guaranteed to get, and ive been seeing pictures of some 30'' bucks getting killed out of there. I know its a big zone and the place we generally go is on top of sonora pass, which is the highest elevation in the zone in search of some deer during the early season hunt. i've been hunting there the past 3 years and havent seen a buck over 20''. Does anyone have any ideas on where the big bucks in this zone are hidin?
Thnks

brave52000 · Jan 8, 2009

I live in Sonora, and basically the large bucks in D6 are way over hyped. The large bucks that you most commonly see are the bucks that come out of Yosemite if we get a REALLY early, BIG storm. Other than that some of the lower private land can hold bucks of that caliber.

Those types of deer do exist in both the Carson-Iceberg and Emigrant wilderness areas, but the archery season is your best bet to find them. In order to have success in your quest for a 30+" buck you really need to backpack into to an area, I would say no less than 6 miles from any trailhead, and then its just a matter of glass,glass,glass!

I've been all through both the Emigrant and Carson-Iceberg during archery season backpack hunts, and just so you know 30" bucks are very slim pickens.

jbonshooter · Jan 8, 2009

ya two years ago we went with a friend to the border of yosemite and glassed the cuts and valleys of the roads to see if we could find some deer... and ya its such a huge zone which a lot of it looks like real deer country and you gotta think theres some big bucks hidin

Hardway · Jan 8, 2009

he's no 30 incher but here's my 07 emigrant buck. Backpacked about 6mi in from the trailhead. I've spent the last 10 years looking for a good spot. There are nice deer in d6 but like said earlier, you wont see em till you get away from the road and the main horse trails like Kennedy or Aspen meadows.

"A regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

brave52000 · Jan 8, 2009

LAST EDITED ON Jan-08-09 AT 10:06PM (MST)[p]I wouldn't waste much time around the park boundary's during any early season. The deer that come out of the park spend their summers well within the boundary, and I've seen guys think they have a chance if they hunt the winter areas during the early part of the season, which is a waste of time. The only part of the zone in which early season hunting has the potential to be productive near the park boundary is in the Emigrant, I would say upper Kibbie Ridge thru Huckleberry lake.

Hardway · Jan 8, 2009

brave52000, sent you a pm.

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

jbonshooter · Jan 8, 2009

ya we hiked 6 hours last year from the top of sonora pass and got all the way to the top of the bowl by this lake but its some tough hunting

sageadvice · Jan 8, 2009

Dang Hardway, i forgot how nice that buck is. Dandy!! For a opportunity to hunt every year, get to really know and area, and maybe pull a buck out like that...you bet!!

Joey

Wiszard · Jan 8, 2009

Helluva buck, Hardway!

Steve

Hardway · Jan 9, 2009

Here's the finished product, got him back in Nov.

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

Wiszard · Jan 9, 2009

Nice stickers coming off the right eye guard. Looks good, Hardway.

Steve

Ridn9high · Jan 9, 2009

There is a lot of land to hunt in D6, but also a lot of friggin hunters. You need to get away from the roads when hunting that zone to be consistanly taking bucks. Get yourself a topo map and find areas that have little to no access from vehicles and hunt those areas. Send me a PM and I'll give you some area's to check out since I don't live there anymore and only hunt D4 and X12 when I do come out to hunt deer.

If you are willing to put some miles on your boots and sweat a little, I got a spot or two for ya. Like mentioned above, don't waste your time in the Anderson/Crocker Ridge area before late season or a snow storm. I've done it a few times and it's hot, dry and the deer just weren't there. Did take a decent 3by3 opening weekend one year, but that was the only deer we saw