New hunter looking for advice on California spots

tryptaview

Member
Messages
44
Hey guys new to this forum and hunting in general technically. As a kid i was obsessed with hunting and dreamed about it everyday. I even sat in my room an practiced on an elk bugle and turkey call in preparation for the first hunt. Well my parent's were very much against hunting and guns in general so a dream eventually faded away. fast forward 15 years and the purchasing of a CVA Wolf inline muzzle loader has rekindled that old passion. The new issue is all the red tape involved in just acquiring a tag and finding a location. I'm looking for advice as to a good first hunt, hoping for nothing in particular but something to get the feet wet. I live in the high desert of southern Cali about 90 minutes from Los Angeles. What should i be even applying for tag wise? locations? Literature or sites to get caught up on laws, technique, etc. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

PS: hopefully it isn't against the rules but i'll post this in general also. please let me know if that is frowned upon.
 
Download this app and start reading. It lays out all big game zones, seasons for all game, maps, and regulations for each species to get started. As well as draw results (how many points for premium zones) I don’t have much info about Southern California, but I’d say pick one zone close to you that you can hunt every year while building points and learn that zone. Then pick an x zone that you can hunt every few years so that you can go back and learn it instead of waiting for a zone that take 6 or more points that your not going to be able to get to know. That’s what I’d recommended anyway. Also get out as much as you can learn the area and what the animals do different times of the year.

 
Download this app and start reading. It lays out all big game zones, seasons for all game, maps, and regulations for each species to get started. As well as draw results (how many points for premium zones) I don’t have much info about Southern California, but I’d say pick one zone close to you that you can hunt every year while building points and learn that zone. Then pick an x zone that you can hunt every few years so that you can go back and learn it instead of waiting for a zone that take 6 or more points that your not going to be able to get to know. That’s what I’d recommended anyway. Also get out as much as you can learn the area and what the animals do different times of the year.

Awesome thank you so much!
 
Download this app and start reading. It lays out all big game zones, seasons for all game, maps, and regulations for each species to get started. As well as draw results (how many points for premium zones) I don’t have much info about Southern California, but I’d say pick one zone close to you that you can hunt every year while building points and learn that zone. Then pick an x zone that you can hunt every few years so that you can go back and learn it instead of waiting for a zone that take 6 or more points that your not going to be able to get to know. That’s what I’d recommended anyway. Also get out as much as you can learn the area and what the animals do different times of the year.

Well... I cant download it without an iphone!
 
Where do you live ?




 
It's called High Desert? Just kidding. There is some great guided hunts not far from you, or you can decide if you want to spend weeks in the mountains, wearing out some boots. It really depends on what you're looking to do.

hwy
 
Your town doesn't have a name??
haha sorry i'm so used to just calling it "high desert". Apple valley its in between big bear to the east, palmdale/lancaster to the west, barstow/ to the north and sanbernardino to the south (approximations)
 
It's called High Desert? Just kidding. There is some great guided hunts not far from you, or you can decide if you want to spend weeks in the mountains, wearing out some boots. It really depends on what you're looking to do.

hwy
i want to do it myself. even if i don't find anything for years or have to stalk a single animal for months on and off i'm willing. I just don't think it would be the same guided but i could be wrong.
 
You are in the heart of desert bighorn sheep country......although you will very likely never draw a tag but the Society for The Conservation of Bighorn Sheep is very active in your area and seriously look into joining and becoming active with them an BGG maintanance and construction.....lots of great sportsman from your area to get to know and learn areas from.....those guzzlers are for deer too and you will learn alot about the wildlife and hunting opportunities in your area....

 
You are in the heart of desert bighorn sheep country......although you will very likely never draw a tag but the Society for The Conservation of Bighorn Sheep is very active in your area and seriously look into joining and becoming active with them an BGG maintanance and construction.....lots of great sportsman from your area to get to know and learn areas from.....those guzzlers are for deer too and you will learn alot about the wildlife and hunting opportunities in your area....


Some sound advice right here.
 
You are in the heart of desert bighorn sheep country......although you will very likely never draw a tag but the Society for The Conservation of Bighorn Sheep is very active in your area and seriously look into joining and becoming active with them an BGG maintanance and construction.....lots of great sportsman from your area to get to know and learn areas from.....those guzzlers are for deer too and you will learn alot about the wildlife and hunting opportunities in your area....

That sounds like a great idea. I was looking into them and saw a story about how the big horns have been dying from a pathogen brought on by feral cattle that are also damaging public lands and attacking hikers. Who would i contact about possibly hunting the feral bulls since they obviously need some management like varmints? I doubt i would need a tag and it would get my feet wet in the tracking and exploring the area
 
That sounds like a great idea. I was looking into them and saw a story about how the big horns have been dying from a pathogen brought on by feral cattle that are also damaging public lands and attacking hikers. Who would i contact about possibly hunting the feral bulls since they obviously need some management like varmints? I doubt i would need a tag and it would get my feet wet in the tracking and exploring the area

Cattle don't spread pneumonia to wild sheep, domestic sheep do.

I think technically those feral cattle still belong to someone and it could land you in pretty hot water shooting one.
 
It seems like you want to get out and hunt. While I live in CA I rarely hunt in CA it’s a cost benefit thing. There are many resources on the Ca wildlife website. I’m surprised that wasn’t shared when you got your hunter safety certification. Assuming you have the hunter safety card that’s all you need to apply out of state as a start look into Colorado hunting there application deadline is April 7th. Utah is another state to look into. It their app period has passed.

There are not many muzzleloader specific hunts in Ca and using one in a rifle season puts you at a disadvantage. Know the rules and regulations before venturing out. Maybe find a mentor.

Become proficient with your weapon of choice and get a tag and spend time in the field . Go to YouTube and look up field dressing your game etc.

In general There’s higher deer densities in the north part of the state. The B zones and C zones have decent success rates but they are a long drive from SoCal.

good luck we all started somewhere so just do your home work and spend time in the field.
 
i want to do it myself. even if i don't find anything for years or have to stalk a single animal for months on and off i'm willing. I just don't think it would be the same guided but i could be wrong.

I think Homer gave you some great advice! learn your area and the other areas people hunt, from people that hunt them. The California Deer Association may be another good one. They usually have dinners where you can meet people as well.

I think your area may be tough to draw, so you'll have to look at other options. I haven't spent much time down there since college, but you can buy an A zone tag, and hunt from about Santa Barbara to Napa. Not great success rates or much BLM ground, but its a chance to get out.

I'm sure there are better zones down south, I just haven't hunted them.

Good luck
 
Cattle don't spread pneumonia to wild sheep, domestic sheep do.

I think technically those feral cattle still belong to someone and it could land you in pretty hot water shooting one.
Good point. Ill just stick to gathering more info and hiking around until i pull a tag
 
wild cattle damaging public land and attacking hikers???

Where exactly is this going on??
I looked up the desert big horn sheep and its one of the first things that popped up. A bunch of feral cattle wandering public land damaging the ecosystem. Guess some ppl got charged at while hiking.
 
It seems like you want to get out and hunt. While I live in CA I rarely hunt in CA it’s a cost benefit thing. There are many resources on the Ca wildlife website. I’m surprised that wasn’t shared when you got your hunter safety certification. Assuming you have the hunter safety card that’s all you need to apply out of state as a start look into Colorado hunting there application deadline is April 7th. Utah is another state to look into. It their app period has passed.

There are not many muzzleloader specific hunts in Ca and using one in a rifle season puts you at a disadvantage. Know the rules and regulations before venturing out. Maybe find a mentor.

Become proficient with your weapon of choice and get a tag and spend time in the field . Go to YouTube and look up field dressing your game etc.

In general There’s higher deer densities in the north part of the state. The B zones and C zones have decent success rates but they are a long drive from SoCal.

good luck we all started somewhere so just do your home work and spend time in the field.
Appreciate the advice. I got the online part of the hunter cert but i still need to do the in person part. Had an appointment but it was cancelled during this whole covid19 thing. I might have to just spend this year prepping and exploring then try next year
 
Appreciate the advice. I got the online part of the hunter cert but i still need to do the in person part. Had an appointment but it was cancelled during this whole covid19 thing. I might have to just spend this year prepping and exploring then try next year
Take North Carolina, Nevada, or Texas' online class. Due to Covid 19 you don't have to do a follow-up
 
Al
Alrite thanks to you i got my hunting license! Thanks! Not that its gonna do me much good for a while the way things are going haha
Apply, apply, apply.
Nevada, Oregon and soon Arizona will open or are open to apply for tags. Even if you can't hunt this year, still apply and get points. For anything and everything that you are even remotely interested in.
 
I’d skip Oregon unless you want to hunt hard and dodge other hunters all day. It takes at least a couple of points to get a decent deer zone and you need to learn the country no matter where you go. I can’t recommend Oregon. Nevada yes, and you have time to apply there. AZ is good but it’s a lot farther and your just starting out.

look at Nevada and out in for units with easy draw odds. And put in for cow elk there it’s under subscribed and you will have an easier time getting a tag there than in CA for cow elk. Same is true for antelope.
 
Apply, apply, apply.
Nevada, Oregon and soon Arizona will open or are open to apply for tags. Even if you can't hunt this year, still apply and get points. For anything and everything that you are even remotely interested in.
So if i apply and get the tag do i just deny it or not use it to build points or am i stuck with it as soon as i get it?
 
I’d skip Oregon unless you want to hunt hard and dodge other hunters all day. It takes at least a couple of points to get a decent deer zone and you need to learn the country no matter where you go. I can’t recommend Oregon. Nevada yes, and you have time to apply there. AZ is good but it’s a lot farther and your just starting out.

look at Nevada and out in for units with easy draw odds. And put in for cow elk there it’s under subscribed and you will have an easier time getting a tag there than in CA for cow elk. Same is true for antelope.
Appreciate the tip
 
So if i apply and get the tag do i just deny it or not use it to build points or am i stuck with it as soon as i get it?

is this a serious question??...the point in all this is to GET THE TAG....building points is just a means to GET THE TAG...so...if you GET THE TAG...use it to hunt
 
Homer is right again. Get out in the hills and start hunting.
IF, you want to hunt the "better" zones in the state, you can draw a tag and build points at the same time. I would definitely start applying out of state as well.
But, if you look at the state hunting regulations, I don't think there is a zone with a 0% success rate. So there is always a chance! Happy Easter and good luck.
 
is this a serious question??...the point in all this is to GET THE TAG....building points is just a means to GET THE TAG...so...if you GET THE TAG...use it to hunt
Didnt mean to ruffle your feathers buddy. I just didnt understand how the points work. I didnt know if your points reset after you draw a tag or if they keep building
 
Homer is right again. Get out in the hills and start hunting.
IF, you want to hunt the "better" zones in the state, you can draw a tag and build points at the same time. I would definitely start applying out of state as well.
But, if you look at the state hunting regulations, I don't think there is a zone with a 0% success rate. So there is always a chance! Happy Easter and good luck.
Thanks man happy Easter!
 
is this a serious question??...the point in all this is to GET THE TAG....building points is just a means to GET THE TAG...so...if you GET THE TAG...use it to hunt
Ok i think i get it. You earn seperate points for each species applied for. If you dont draw your first choice you get a point but you still might pull a tag just not preference. You lose all your points if you pull a premium tag you applied for. Does the accumulation of points put you higher up on the list or do you get more entries into the draw per point?
 
90% of the tags go to the people with the most points, so for all intensive purposes no one with one point would draw a tag before someone with two points and so on. The other 10% are completely random so everyone has the same chance at them regardless of points, but remember it’s only 10%. For deer my suggestion to you would be to put in for a difficult to draw unit as my first choice (probably an X zone), then an area hat doesn’t fill up during the drawing (either an A, B, or D zone), you will have little chance of drawing an X tag but will get a point if you don’t draw, but will still get to go hunting with your second choice tag. You can also get a second deer tag if you want to check out two different areas, these are not part of the main draw and can only be used in zones that don’t fill up in the main draw.

As far as antelope, elk or sheep there are very few tags for any of these so they all take max or near max points to draw in the 90% pool, so just pick a unit and go for it, the odds will be long but somebody will draw the tags, and if not you will gain a point. You will be at the bottom of the points pool though so realize there are thousands of people in front of you, if really want to hunt them (elk and antelope at least) tags are much easier to get in other states.

Feel free to PM me if you have questions on specific draw strategies, I would be happy to help. Always good to see new hunters coming up. Especially in California.

Mark,
 
Ok i think i get it. You earn seperate points for each species applied for. If you dont draw your first choice you get a point but you still might pull a tag just not preference. You lose all your points if you pull a premium tag you applied for. Does the accumulation of points put you higher up on the list or do you get more entries into the draw per point?
In California, Oregon, Arizona, Colorado and I believe Wyoming if you don't draw your first choice you still get a point and a tag. If you draw a your first choice you lose your points.

In Nevada and Utah if you draw your any of your choices you'll lose your points.
 
Anyone one here hunt the Bodie area of X-12 Your thoughts? Know when I drew Nevada not sure now you got the square of your points as chances in the draw and if drawn lost all points. So if ten points a 100 chances and 5 points 25 chances. When I drew had about five points.
 
Last edited:
Anyone one here hunt the Bodie area of X-12 Your thoughts? Know when I drew Nevada not sure now you got the square of your points as chances in the draw and if drawn lost all points. So if ten points a 100 chances and 5 points 25 chances. When I drew had about five points.
Nevada squares points
 
To be clear on Nevada's draw system. You get 100 chances in the hat to draw a low number. It's a low number that gets you drawn for your hunt. A very unlucky person can have a ton of points and still not draw a low enough number to get his tag. So it only really boils down to having more tickets in the barrel for that ONE low number. You can draw #1 with only one chance in the barrel, not likely but could happen.
 
Anyone one here hunt the Bodie area of X-12 Your thoughts? Know when I drew Nevada not sure now you got the square of your points as chances in the draw and if drawn lost all points. So if ten points a 100 chances and 5 points 25 chances.


I think it would actually be 101 and 26 chances...not that that is a big difference but you get "1" for the current year....then the additional chances because of your scared points..
 
To be clear on Nevada's draw system. You get 100 chances in the hat to draw a low number. It's a low number that gets you drawn for your hunt. A very unlucky person can have a ton of points and still not draw a low enough number to get his tag. So it only really boils down to having more tickets in the barrel for that ONE low number. You can draw #1 with only one chance in the barrel, not likely but could happen.

are you drunk?
 

Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos

California Guides & Outfitters

Western Wildlife Adventures

Offering some fine Blacktail Deer hunting, Wild Pig hunts, Turkey hunts and Waterfowl hunts.

Urge 2 Hunt

We offer the top private land hunts in all of California, for blacktail deer, elk, pigs, bison and turkeys.

G & J Outdoors

Offering Tule elk hunts for bulls and cows on a 17,000 acre Ranch in Laytonville, CA with 100% success.

Back
Top Bottom