Combo trips- bonus Game?

[sageadvice]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-11-08 AT 01:18PM (MST)[p]In keeping up with the sucessful multi-tasking general Calif citizen, us sportsman have learned that sometimes one trip afield can often mean hunting or fishing for several different critters.

I have made many trips like this. stripers/ducks-pheasents on the delta, trout/ducks Eagle Lake, Honkers/trout Almanor, quail/hogs livermore hills, ducks/perch SF bay, deer/chucker Elko, and many others.

My grandpa kept a nice older aluminum hulled wood boat moored for convienient purpose at a delta resort. Come pheasent season, we knew where a couple pheasent clubs were that held large drives. Grandpa would sometimes drop me on the levie to inspect where these drives were taking place. We would then go up or down river, anchor up, and cast our lines where we hoped to pass shoot the escaping roosters that flew over the levie, across the water, and many times within our gun range. The keeper stripers and catfish caught while waiting were a nice bonus!

Let's hear about one or some of your favorites.
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[Hardway]

Sometimes when we go to Colorado for deer we stop in Nevada. Does that count

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

 

[sageadvice]

Ah, No! Not quite what i had in mind Hardway but i got to admitt, that's pretty funny.

 

[rookieray]

During our back country bow hunt this year in the Ansel Adams wilderness we were able to arrow a few grouse. They sure taste good roasted on a camp fire, especially compared to MRE's.

 

[Califelkslayer]

Not sure if waterfowl/upland game count but one of my best alltime pheasant hunts was while duck hntin. Lower Yolo bypass, water rising and we were sculling ducks. Got out on a island to pee, approx 200 yards long by 75 yards wide. Jumped a group of birds and they flew to the other end of the island. Worked back and forth once and had 8 roosters. Came back the next day and did it again. Closest land was over 3/4 mile away and they would just fly over the water and turn back to the island. Were over 150 birds on that island. We picked up so many decoys floating out of the bypass into the river we almost sunk the boat that day.

Always hit that area when the bypass flooded. Sometimes the tree lines looked lke Christmas trees with brown and red ornaments. Only flooded twice in my time before pheasant season was over though.

 

[Cali4x4]

Try adding your grouse to a mountainhouse freeze dried meal. MMM good

 

[nickman]

We do the "Blast and Cast" thing for doves and ducks on the Owens river. Fishing for big Browns and popping a few dove is a major hoot.

 

[sageadvice]

nickman, nothing like a good dove shoot. I love wild pheasent and quail hunting and have enjoyed many super days afield shared with friends and superb dogs, but a dove shoot, where it's just you and the birds where they just keep comming so that your barrel gets and stays hot and you can't hardly load shells fast enough, is truly wonderful.

Now, that Owens river country, that's a trip that i've heard of since young but have not ever made it that way. Sounds like you got that area down pretty good. Our Browns in Almanor are good ones but not usually of the size that they get in your country. Oh well... Here's to many more great days afield! Cheers!

joey

 

[YukonDall]

ITS A GREAT IDEA, I ALWAYS TRY TO COMBO IF POSSIBLE. I SHOT A HUGE DOUBLE SHOVEL CARIBOU ON A DALL SHEEP HUNT IN THE YUKON THIS WAY.......YD.

 

[sageadvice]

YD, There's no nickel and dime stuff going on there. Just goes to show how one can best take advantage of already being there. Sounds like you had a great time and a way cool hunt. Congrats!

I got to thinking that Montana sells a combo Tag for several different critters. Never hunted there myself. Anyone of you made that trip and filled them all? That's also got to be a nice hit.

joey

 

[YukonDall]

NO SAGE....THATS ONLY ONE REASON I BOOKED WITH THIS FELLA. THE BOU TAG WAS $10 BUCKS, AND HE DIDN'T CHARGE A DIME FOR THE CARIBOU KILL. SAW GRIZ ALL DAY, BUT HE CHARGED AND EXTRA 5 GRAND FOR THE GRIZ. HAD A WOLF TAG, & A BLACK BEAR TAG TOO...REALLY A COOL HUNT......YD.

 

[sageadvice]

YD, Sounds awsome! Maybe if i didn't fish so much or many different places i could afford to save up for a hunt like that. That hunt you describe, gotta be most guys idea of the perfect dream hunt!

Thanks, joey

 

[YukonDall]

HEY SAGE, SPEAKING OF FISHING.....WHAT THE HECK HAS HAPPENED TO THE KING SALMON IN THE SAC RIVER ?? I HEAR 75% ON THE KINGS HAVE DISAPEARED........YD.

 

[sageadvice]

YD, Other than a yearly float trip during the Caddis hatch in March through the Redding Fly shop, i don't really fish the Sac too much. You're asking the wrong guy. Others here though would be much better informed to answer your good question. How about it guys, what up with the Salmon in the Sac?

Joey

 

[eelgrass]

YD, Kings are hurtin' real bad on the Klamath too. I just heard the other day there will be no early salmon season this year off shore to protect the Klamath fish. And my buddy just bought a nice ocean boat this winter. Dang the luck, I get seasick anyway. LOL!

I used to take my scull boat (for waterfowl hunting) and fishing pole to Eagle Lake and Almanor. Also to Big Lake and some of the reservoirs over by Alturas.

Eel

 

[sageadvice]

Eel, kinda off topic but talking about skull boats, not for me by the way, too small, reminds me too much of a coffin. Yikes!

Anyway, while bankfishing the West Shore of Almanor this late fall, a guy put in with a skull boat that was completely loaded down with bags of huge Snow Geese decoys, or so i thought. We chatted while he was getting ready to take off and he told me that they were actually Swan deeks. Said that nothing works better for ducks. The real Swans disturb the bottom a lot. He said that when ducks see the Swan deeks, No messing around, they put the feed bag on and come in on a string. New to me anyway, but makes cense.

I do have one place on the Almanor shoreline that i have fished while holding my shotgun for honkers. Last 2 out of 3 times we got big birds and nice fish. Those are good days for me!

 

[larrbo]

Living in Northern California gives up alot of opportunities to hunt and fish. I spend most of my time fishing the Sac River and the Lake Almanor area.
Hunting deer in the foothills has been good for me, and I have done backpack hunting trips into the Trinity Alps Wilderness. Until a few years ago I hunted ducks about 60 days every season. Throw in spring turkey hunting, dove, quail and pheasant, we have a pretty good thing up here.
I finally drew my Antelope tag in Lassen a few years ago, still waiting for Elk. I should draw X5b this year for deer, I have max points.