beating a dead horse - seeking feedback in D13

[wyorob]

Hate to beat a dead horse but I would love to pick someone's brain who has experience in D13. Hunted A32 last year, and had some ideas about D13 while I was working the A32/D13 border about 12 miles in on foot.

This year I put my foot down and decided I'm going to hunt my backyard (D15). Well, after about a week's worth of cumulative hunting the san mateo wilderness during the archery season, I ended up succumbing to heatstroke and getting medevac'd out. At the wife's (always the wiser half) wise recommendation, I'm going north again to slightly cooler/better places, where I'm more familiar (at least with A32, first time in D13)

Not asking for honeyholes, I have a lot of miles on my boots along the sespe river and hours invested into maps, would just like to get some feedback on some areas to help narrow down my list of places to check out Not looking for wallhangers, happy just to put some meat in the freezer to cancel out that whole helicopter rescue blackmark on the season.

It's lower elevation, but those ridges north of sespe river along the southern border looked like they ought to have a little buck or two in them, particularly going up the canyons once you get near the hotsprings trail and deeper along the river? Saw over a dozen does/fawns working the A32 side last year and my thought process is that someone has to be coming down out the ridges to put the coals to mama in the fall? Worth? Waste? Anyone have any insight?

 

[longbowhunter2]

Hate to beat a dead horse but I would love to pick someone's brain who has experience in D13. Hunted A32 last year, and had some ideas about D13 while I was working the A32/D13 border about 12 miles in on foot.

This year I put my foot down and decided I'm going to hunt my backyard (D15). Well, after about a week's worth of cumulative hunting the san mateo wilderness during the archery season, I ended up succumbing to heatstroke and getting medevac'd out. At the wife's (always the wiser half) wise recommendation, I'm going north again to slightly cooler/better places, where I'm more familiar (at least with A32, first time in D13)

Not asking for honeyholes, I have a lot of miles on my boots along the sespe river and hours invested into maps, would just like to get some feedback on some areas to help narrow down my list of places to check out Not looking for wallhangers, happy just to put some meat in the freezer to cancel out that whole helicopter rescue blackmark on the season.

It's lower elevation, but those ridges north of sespe river along the southern border looked like they ought to have a little buck or two in them, particularly going up the canyons once you get near the hotsprings trail and deeper along the river? Saw over a dozen does/fawns working the A32 side last year and my thought process is that someone has to be coming down out the ridges to put the coals to mama in the fall? Worth? Waste? Anyone have any insight?

Wyorob
I am not familiar with your area.
So no help there. Did you get a chance to read the post under big game. How do you see so many deer
And Hunting muley public land so can.
And many more.
Trying to find deer is a trial and error.
However by understanding deer habitat, it doesn't matter what the locating is. But what does matter is what density of deer in an area, and can it support the population.
I have had many discussions with DFW wildlife biologist.
Main point under stand were deer would most likely be.
Bedding areas, Transition from bedding to feeding areas. The condition of the weather, wind, moon phase., In windy weather look for punch bowls, ravines, canyons were protected from wind and sun.
If wind is west to east. Look north east facing hills.
Look for green manzanita, and other green feeding areas.
If your seeing does stick with them with out spooking them. With the rut bucks will show up.

 

[wyorob]

Wyorob
I am not familiar with your area.
So no help there. Did you get a chance to read the post under big game. How do you see so many deer
And Hunting muley public land so can.
And many more.
Trying to find deer is a trial and error.
However by understanding deer habitat, it doesn't matter what the locating is. But what does matter is what density of deer in an area, and can it support the population.
I have had many discussions with DFW wildlife biologist.
Main point under stand were deer would most likely be.
Bedding areas, Transition from bedding to feeding areas. The condition of the weather, wind, moon phase., In windy weather look for punch bowls, ravines, canyons were protected from wind and sun.
If wind is west to east. Look north east facing hills.
Look for green manzanita, and other green feeding areas.
If your seeing does stick with them with out spooking them. With the rut bucks will show up.

Thanks. Been lurking for years and love that thread. I got all the boxes checked for the areas on my list, only thing left to do is go get my deer!

 

[SteveHazard]

Way down around close to Sespe Hot Springs? Where the bighorns are? Probably a good area but you have to ask yourself if you'd want to pack something out of there by yourself.

 

[ilovesprig]

PM sent

 

[wyorob]

Way down around close to Sespe Hot Springs? Where the bighorns are? Probably a good area but you have to ask yourself if you'd want to pack something out of there by yourself.

That's more or less where I'm at in my thinking as well.

I packed a doe out of the south hills of the sespe near that area last year, was doable but definitely depends on the temperatures of the day.

At this point I think I'm trying to decide between working the peaks and ridges surrounding cottonwood/sunset/dutchman camps or hoofing it in about 8 miles or so along the sespe and climbing the hills on the north side.

I'll be hunting during the week, so I might not run into the usual 2stroke folk noise up in the camps, and of course the wilderness area is always desolate during the week that far in and off trail. I've never been up into the camps or hills around them though, and haven't heard much about them.

Last year I saw a couple fellas packing out a couple bucks on horseback along the sespe trail, but have no idea just how far they were in there. Could be doable on foot, could be terrible haha.

 

[Aeon]

@wyorob lets hear the med-evac story!

 

[wyorob]

@wyorob lets hear the med-evac story!

It's not much to tell.

Was archery hunting D15, had been in there all over the san mateo wilderness all summer. Scouted up some resident does in bluewater, and had my eye on a spot deep. Said spot was right out of a subdivision, but the road to that subdivision was a gated "smarmy bastard only" type road. 10 miles from gate to actual subdivision, so not an option to just hike in from the gate.

Anyway, pushed in from Fisherman's all the way up, about 10 miles or so. There's pools of water in bluewater year round to filter and drink from, if you trust your water gear. Had plenty of water, plenty of food. Because it's a pain in the ass to get a camping permit for there (gotta put in at least a week in advance) and during the summer my plans are written in Jello due to my job, it was just a (long) day trip. Got up where I wanted to be, saw lots of deer sign, but it ended up being over 100 degrees that day.

Anyway, I was hurting going back down. Ran out of water on the way up, so had no water until I got to Bluewater. Collapsed once on the way down about a mile from the pool I was fixin to refill at. Laid there for awhile, debating whether or not I was gonna have to hit the SOS on my InReach. The shame of having to do that gave me the strength to get up and stagger to the puddle. Spent about an hour drinking and refilling water at the puddle. Felt a lot better. Started trudging back to fisherman's, but kept collapsing. Every time I would lay there for awhile, then claw myself up, and trudge on a bit more. Finally got to the point where I was having a hard time fighting to keep conscious. Collapsed one last time, and reached for the Inreach. Punched the SOS and called for rescue.

The first chopper they sent didn't have a winch, and there ain't nowhere to land in that godawful hellhole. It circled awhile and then left, I had no idea what was going on, just laying there wondering if it was real or not. After it left I thought it was a hallucination, and figured that was then end and got comfortable as could be. Just before dusk a second chopper came in and lowered a sheriff from the rescue team by winch. They picked me up and choppered me back to the farmer airstrip between the trailhead and temecula. Rescue team said they got there just in time. Said I was white as a ghost when they got there. Of course, they searched my pack to make sure it wasn't drugs/illegal activity type event. Found nothing, were real polite and even commented that based on their search they were surprised I had to call - seemed like a well prepared kit.

Anyway, ambulance takes me from farmer airstrip to hospital I think in murietta, where they did the standard bloodwork and iv's and my somewhat concerned wife met me there.

We were all surprised it happened. I train HARD year round, specifically for heat and the hunt. Sometimes the outdoors will surprise even the best of us.

That event may or may not have impact on my hesitation to backpack balls deep into the Sespe along sespe creek again this year, even though it's a much more mild area by comparison. Been looking at the higher elevations of D15 trying top find some Timber. Google earth scouting so far makes Piru creek area look decent. Leaving tomorrow for a few days, either to bomb in along the Sespe around I think Willett area, rather than go all the way out to Sespe hot springs; or try to get lucky along the ridges above Piru creek.

From what I've heard, being outside the wilderness in that area a guy is just as likely to get shot by other hunters than shoot a deer. I hunt the wilderness in the sierras when I can draw it and never have any of those types of issues, but right now I have a OTC tag in my hand to fill. Hoping to make the best of the situation and get some meat in the freezer.

 

[TaftHunter]

Sit and glass till your eyes burn man!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[longbowhunter2]

This almost happen to me two years ago. Hike down 400 ft, at 45 degree incline. Then trying to hike through wild Rose, and poisen oak. No deer trails. Thick and brushy. Heat of the day. Did not bring enough water.
Heat exhaustion. Lucky for me Doc was with me. We hike straight back up. And I barely made it.lucky for me I had 2 gallons of water in the truck.
That was a first for me.
That has never happen to me.
It was good you had that SOS.
In our minds. We don't think it can happen to us. As rule I don't like hiking in the heat any more.
If I do it isn't far. Or I have plenty of water. But we can never carry enough water.
I want let everyone know.
If the smart phone is out of service.
It will still connect on 911 via satellite.

 

[Smokey58]

Hell of story WyoRob, heat and distance got the better of you. No shame there, lesson for everybody who pushes themselves in the same circumstances and environment

 

[Aeon]

I want let everyone know.
If the smart phone is out of service.
It will still connect on 911 via satellite.

100% negative on your cell talking to satellite, no smart phone has the ability to msg or call via sat. They can recive gps signals but thats recive only.

To get a 911 msg out in a area that has zero cell coverage you must have a sat phone or one of the sat enabled devices like spot

 

[longbowhunter2]

100% negative on your cell talking to satellite, no smart phone has the ability to msg or call via sat. They can recive gps signals but thats recive only.

To get a 911 msg out in a area that has zero cell coverage you must have a sat phone or one of the sat enabled devices like spot

Aeon
I stand corrected. You are right.
But my post is not totally wrong.
Not satellite but roaming network.
911 will connect to other carriers.
Thus the link
https://www.scienceabc.com/innovati...cy-calls-when-theres-no-network-coverage.html
However to your point smart phone can not connect to satellite.
If the zone is dead no Bueno.

 

[SteveHazard]

You can get to the Sespe Hot Springs area from Mutau Flat also. However if there is an area in D13 that one would be likely to get dehydrated or heatstroke it's the 8 mile death march back out along Johnson ridge. No water, no shade, and close to 3000 or more in elevation gain. If you go from that direction I would leave a water cache or two or three for coming back up.

Last time I was there it was hot enough that I opted to hike out along Sespe even though I think it was more then twice the distance. I made the mistake of not refilling my water from the Hot Springs Creek (didn't want warm water) and started to run out by Corrtiel Flat. I thought I'd be able to just run down to the Sespe right there but it was too brushy right there and had to suffer a bit over the next ridge to where I could get to the river. Something I learned right there... snack bars taste horrid when your dehydrated. I forced myself to eat a couple bites because I knew I needed something but that's all I could tolerate. I tend to carry snacks with a bit more moisture in them now because of that.

 

[longbowhunter2]

Apples, tangerine, bananas.
Keeps you hydrated.
Heavy or solid food will dehydrate you more.

 

[longbowhunter2]

Apples, tangerine, bananas.
Keeps you hydrated.
Heavy or solid food will dehydrate you more.

 

[longbowhunter2]

A really good fruit , in the high desert is the prickly pear cactus.
Red cactus apples.
When it turns red. It is ripe.
I use two small sharp knifes.
Skin off the skin with stickers.
Eat it, and spit out the seeds. A good
Hydration fruit. Plus it's good for
Diabetes. Lots of vitamin c.
Prickly pear cactus is edible.
I recommend cooking it.
Peal off the skin option to burn it off.
Cut it into small squares. Cook it up.
On pinch.,
Same for yucca. When in season.
Stem and flowers are edible.
Barrel cactus on survival situation.
Remove the skin and stickers.
Cut it into squares. Chew it to obtain the juice. Spit out the fiber. Good
Way to keep you alive.