Best CA deer hunt?

bgh7404jas

bgh7404jas

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LAST EDITED ON Mar-08-09 AT 09:45PM (MST)[p]Where would you guys hunt if you had an Open Zone deer tag in your pocket? My buddy just bought one at a recent dinner now the research begins. Any info will be appriciated. Thanks.
 
A Zone in the middle of the summer on public land where all you see is orange!!

I think a lot of guys would say G3, the Goodale hunt but I also hear that the quality of deer was not seen this year. I'm sure Nickman will chime in here shortly. He knows his stuff in that area. The best hunt would have to be somewhere in the Eastern Sierras later in the year after the snow has moved the deer down.

Steve
 
I'm pretty sure you just trolled a lure that's going to catch you about a half dozen PM's from various guides and outfitters. It would be nice to hear how close i came, thinking probably more than less. lol

Joey
 
Yes he did, Joey!! You live in a good area up North....you never said what area you think would give the best hunt. What do you say Joey?

Steve
 
Steve, i've expressed my opinion on this several times before but being you asked...

I usually hunt 5a when i can get drawn but it's a smallish zone with a very reduced deer herd, believe 5b is better... I hear from some friends that have killed good bucks in other of these "northern X zones" that hunting "can" be great and there can always be the possibility of a huge muley trophy in any of them. It's just tough to draw good tags and without hunting all of them for a couple seasons each, i just can't know which one is the best.

I can say this with some authority, if i had a statewide tag, I'd stay away from the C-zones. :)

Joey
 
+1 on x5b, just east of ravendale in those hills surrounding the alpha fields. Have any of you guys seen the mounts in that little closed down diner. Some real monsters.
 
Your partner should stick to the Northern X zones and some of the late hunts offered up there. Additionally there are some really nice blacktails taken each year...just something to consider. Quite a few of the golden tagholders opt for blackies.

IMO the Cali tags are a bit overpriced when you consider what your $ will get you in other states.
 
Have any
>of you guys seen the
>mounts in that little closed
>down diner. Some real monsters.
>

I tried to go in there one time, but they were closed :)

"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."
 
I was thinking the same thing, Hardway. I just wasn't gonna be the d!ckwad to say anything!!! HaHa j/k.

Steve
 
He had some awesome mounts in that old bar. He would take you back and show them to you if you asked even after the bar had been shut down and just the gas pumps and little store were still open. He told me he had killed most of them in the 40's and 50's.
 
I would look at the Devils Garden real hard with an open Tag.
And the Warners around Eagle Peak and Buck Mountain to the South of the Warners.
Some good deer there.

T
 
Have any
>of you guys seen the
>mounts in that little closed
>down diner. Some real monsters.
>
I tried to go in there one time, but they were closed

You would have to go there to understand. There are only 2 or 3 buildings in the town and one guy owns them all. He lives there by himself and during deer season opens the motel to hunters for 15 to 20 dollars a night. Much better then sleeping in a tent.
 
Kind of crazy- looking for a world class muley in California, but if you insist: M3 or M9 and pray for snow. California offers the biggest blackies in the world. Now, that's smart! Try M11 and don't pull the trigger unless he's 150 BC!

BH1
 
Well, this last weekend I was in Blythe and measured three rifle killed bucks taken from the region (D-12).......so I might be a little tainted now. They were phenomenal bucks that would easily make the B&C minimum (1 awards, two all-time) if the hunter decides to enter them. Definite trophies in ANY western state, IMO.

BOHNTR )))---------->
 
muleys id try g3 or doyle muzzle or maybe devils garden. blacktail i would do m11 up in covelo or if ur good with a bow there is a late archery in covelo as well.
 
I am in X5B every Nov/Dec. Not what it was 10-15 years ago. Is there a great buck or two, maybe.

I've seen some great bucks come outta the Doyle muzzy hunt 3-4 years ago. Much better hunt.

Can't comment on any of the others.
 
There is some booners in the dixie mtn. refuge for sure, with some early snow or real cold weather that doyle hunt is hard to beat..or 5-b? residents....
 
I know real big bucks are few and far between in X5B, but a couple years ago a buddy shot a 32 1/2" 3x5 that grossed 200 1/4" somewhere east of Observation Peak. It had incredible mass!
 
If I had an Open Zone deer tag for CA, I would hunt all of the above mentioned zones from when the first good one opened until the last good one closed! Probably start with an X-5b bowhunt and end it up in G-3 if it took that long to put a monster on the ground.
 
>Well, this last weekend I was
>in Blythe and measured three
>rifle killed bucks taken from
>the region (D-12).......so I might
>be a little tainted now.
> They were phenomenal bucks
>that would easily make the
>B&C minimum (1 awards, two
>all-time) if the hunter decides
>to enter them. Definite
>trophies in ANY western state,
>IMO.
>
>BOHNTR )))---------->

That was my thought also. A buddy from Brawley killed a buck that was 23 yrs old from there. You can't take nothing away from them alfalfa bucks.
 
Chocolate mountains do kick out some good ones each year.


"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
 
I'm a full-time taxidermist in D12. Yes, some toads come out of D12. If you look at the stats D12 is near the top of the list of % 4x4 or better. It's also at the bottom of the list of % harvested. It's a large zone with few deer. The guys who consistantly get big deer are guys who have the time to spend the entire season out there on their quads.
 
Glass-eye/Gator your right.There's only a certain place where these bucks come from. Remember ol' Buck Clemmints held the state archery record for some time. It wouldn't be fair for me to say exacly where these bucks have been taken. D-12 is huge and success is low but there are some big bucks with or with out the quad.
 
I love it every couple of years D-12 kicks out a buck or two. Wait ten minutes and people will forget about D-12 for a few more years. The orginal question was what is the best deer hunt in Cali. After me,everybody say Blacktails!! If B&C tells us anything its this, Cali has more than an occasional big desert buck, it consistently produces book Blackies and if you have a go anywhere tag go for a 150 B&C Blacktail! BH1
 
Yeah, buckhunter1 your right. D12 does suck compared to the rest of the state. And the locals would agree!
 
Wow, nobody mentioned D7. Is it because there are no monsters in that unit? A 269 gross buck is no slouch! I never in my wildest dreams thought that D7 could produce such a fine trophy.
Top 5 hunts for mule deer in Ca
#1. Doyle Muzz
2. M3. With snow you can possibly kill a 200"er
3. X2 Hunt hard and you never can tell what may appear
4. Goodale. Lots of animals but few bucks over 180"s.
5. Anderson Flats. It's all about weather for all of these

Top 5 Blacktail Hunts.
1. Northwestern muzz hunt. You can kill a bone and crotch
2. Covelo Archery, Bucks are rutting
3. Zone B1 general season. Best zone in the state!
4. Zone B2 marble mtn and trinity alps
5. Zone B3
5. Zone B3
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-01-09 AT 07:26AM (MST)[p]>Wow, nobody mentioned D7. Is it
>because there are no monsters
>in that unit? A 269
>gross buck is no slouch!
> I never in my
>wildest dreams thought that D7
>could produce such a fine
>trophy.
> Top 5 hunts for mule
>deer in Ca
> #1. Doyle Muzz
>
> 2. M3.
> With snow you can
>possibly kill a 200"er
> 3. X2
> Hunt hard and
>you never can tell what
>may appear
> 4. Goodale.
>Lots of animals but few
>bucks over 180"s.
> 5. Anderson
>Flats. It's all about
>weather for all of these
>
>
> Top 5 Blacktail Hunts.
>
> 1. Northwestern
>muzz hunt. You can kill
>a bone and crotch
> 2. Covelo
>Archery, Bucks are rutting
> 3. Zone
>B1 general season. Best zone
>in the state!
> 4. Zone
>B2 marble mtn and trinity
>alps
> 5. Zone
>B3
> 5. Zone
>B3

Hey, no big deal but your #1 and #2 choice for muleys are the same hunt...
mike
 
IF I COULD HUNT ANYWHERE...IN CALIFORNA...."LONG BELL REFUGE"!!!
JUST NEED TO ASK THE WARDENS FOR PERMISSION 1ST!
M3 WITH HEAVY SNOW...HAVE FUN!

Rackmaster
 
>G-3, the gooddale hunt is the
>best mule deer hunt in
>the state!

Was.


"The value of any trophy from the field depends not on its size but on the magnitude of the effort expended in its pursuit." ~ Aldo Leopold
 
> CAelknuts, was your buddy in
>the Huntin Fool with that
>buck?

Sorry to be so late with a reply, but yes, he was. That buck is a 5x3 that gross scored 200 2/8ths. It has outstanding mass, and is a very heavy weight set of horns. 32 1/2" spread. I'll be out in that same general area this coming week, antelope hunting with my son.

If I had an open zone tag, I'd hunt M3, then M9, then M11 in terms of 'best' quality opportunity. Truth be told, I'd most likely be hunting all of those units, one after another until I killed a buck.
 
Ya G-3 is the best one I have had. Got a 30 incher last year and now going back again as my daughter was drawn this year. Anyone else get one?
 

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