Lost Coast Blacktail

[highsierra]

Anyone on here have any first hand experience hunting blacktail along the Lost Coast/King Range in B-4? If so, I would love to hear about your experiences...positive and negative.

Thanks in advance!
-HS

 

[Rie bread]

Not hunting but sea fished that section of coast. Some notes:

Lots of Poison oak and ticks
Cool driftwood hippy houses to sleep in
Several streams for fresh water
Realistically at no point are you more than a long day hike out if you kill in the center of the hike.

I’m unfamiliar with the inland access but I’d imagine following any of the fresh water streams would lead to some deer trails. My friend and I have this as one of the two areas I’d come back to hunt as a now NR. We both saw deer but didn’t see bucks. Typical. Steep hiking up into the forest from the coast. But that par for the course

Lots of shuttle services between the rental heads. Bring an ocean pole for fishing!

 

[eelgrass]

I live on the border of B-4 but I've never hunted it, but Rie bread is correct if you come from the ocean side. Hunt as late in the season as you can because the last week is usually the best. Private property used to be the ticket but now even they struggle. Deer numbers are down. B-4 has an advantage if you're not into real hot weather hunting.

I duck and goose hunted on a couple ranches that are in B-4 zone and have seen some deer but was not allowed to hunt them. They were afraid I might hit a cow. And some of the bulls needed to be shot, IMO.

 

[Tradarc]

I’ve hunted for twentyish years. You better be in shape! Plan on getting poison oak. If not from the plant, from deer if you have success. I haven’t had a tick issue. If your in the shade, deer flies are horrible. If you hunt from the beach, it’s 4k feet up to a glassing point. If you hunt from the top, it’s 3k feet down to water. It is very hot on top where the bucks are. Fog cools things down on the beach, but is generally too thick to see any thing. Fog stops at about 1k feet.

I took a kid in his early twenties out there one day. He was in good shape and he said he would never go back.

I have killed a good number of bucks out there. Nothing much for size is out there (antlers or meat). Killed my first four point out there. Seven miles to pack him out on beach sand sucks! Yes, he was on the top.

It has been getting lots of pressure on the north side. Expect six to twenty vehicles at the trailhead. Pushing 50 I’m about done hunting there. I have a love/hate relationship. Provided years worth of food, but lots of sore feet and scratching.

 

[Snoopdogg]

I could see why you have a love/hate with it.

 

[ryno_19]

Tough hunting and the access points with more glass able terrain have lots of pressure. Cool landscape to hunt but better blacktail hunting inland.

 

[DeerHunter53]

Hunted it out of Shelter Cove for years. Tough country like they said sea level up to 4k. Some areas are straight up and down. Sometimes you can see the deer you want to go after but realize if you shot him you wouldn't be able to get to him unless you use a helicopter

 

[bullskin]

I am not familiar with much of the country there, but I have been surprised to see how many people collect at the trailheads that I have visited during hunting season--especially where packers can turn a horse trailer around. The areas with a lot of blown down timber can discourage those with horses, so it may pay to focus your efforts there. Also, bring a bear tag because you will see more bruins than bucks.