A new guys journey to find a 2022 hunting spot: Intro and Volume 1

[MasonP]

Oh man..Larry eats coyotes...they are in the K9 Family...(dog)

So what would one do with it? It feels strange to shoot and just let it lay there dead

 

[TrapLine]

Skin it out or leave it where it lies. Those dogs are eating the other tasty animals in the unit. Remove the predators and the game animals numbers will improve.

landscape and views work

 

[MasonP]

You'll want to keep your rain gear separate from your down/puffy/packable jackets. Sounds like you have a good jacket but you can add a rain jacket to your system if the weather turns bad. Rain jackets also make a terrific windbreaker if you need added warmth.

PS: Hunting after a rain storm can be great. The animals are cold and want to move around, dry off, get some food and warm up.

My jacket now is more lightweight, so I’ll have to get a puffy packable one as well as a rain coat. I’ll have to look around online for a good one

 

[MasonP]

Skin it out or leave it where it lies. Those dogs are eating the other tasty animals in the unit. Remove the predators and the game animals numbers will improve.

landscape and views work

Thank you. I’ll make sure to pack my rifle any time I go out now.

 

[longbowhunter2]

Mason

couple of more tips, about safety
always let someone know where you are going , time leaving and time returning.
look into a safety beacon in the future.
take survival woods training, it will come in handy.
learn alternate navigation technics. good gps, good compass,
carry a first aid kit.
hunting is knowing the area you will hunt. get to know the valleys, and mountains like the back of your hand.
when scouting as others have mentioned, walk less just sit and watch. best movement of critters is early morning and late afternoon. during the middle of a hot day
most critters are staying cool, and laying down or in their dens.
during raining or cold days critters will move all day. especially after a rain.
study animal tracks, keep pic of it on your phone or other device.
take pics of tracks and scat and study it. before the invention of game cameras we had to rely on deer tracks, and scat.

 

[MasonP]

Mason

couple of more tips, about safety
always let someone know where you are going , time leaving and time returning.
look into a safety beacon in the future.
take survival woods training, it will come in handy.
learn alternate navigation technics. good gps, good compass,
carry a first aid kit.
hunting is knowing the area you will hunt. get to know the valleys, and mountains like the back of your hand.
when scouting as others have mentioned, walk less just sit and watch. best movement of critters is early morning and late afternoon. during the middle of a hot day
most critters are staying cool, and laying down or in their dens.
during raining or cold days critters will move all day. especially after a rain.
study animal tracks, keep pic of it on your phone or other device.
take pics of tracks and scat and study it. before the invention of game cameras we had to rely on deer tracks, and scat.

I’m taking a course coming up regarding basic wilderness survival, it’s a short 4 hours and focuses more on backpacking, but it’s the starter course for a few others I plan on taking, map+compass backcountry navigation, wilderness first aid, and a 3 season survival skills course. My GF get my start and end points as well as ETA to each, and a time to call the wardens if I haven’t been heard from.

I think my last spot isn’t that great, I searched around for it online since I got back and apparently it is a VERY popular hiking spot, strange that I saw nobody out there, but it seems it gets a ton of hikers and people on social media. I will keep exploring and make sure I sit more, thanks!

 

[HortoTheSlayer]

Thanks for the tips!
I wasn’t aware we could hunt coyotes in CA. Are they good eats? I’d hate to hunt and have it go to waste.

I have a few pictures from my last outing but it was more of just the landscape and the views

Nothing goes to waste in the wild..lots of critters would turn it into dinner..as trapline mentioned they hammer our deer and Turkey populations. You can also practice your field dressing skills on the yotes and maybe even keep the pelt..they should have some nice winter coats on them this time of year.

 

[JakeSCH]

Nothing goes to waste in the wild..lots of critters would turn it into dinner..as trapline mentioned they hammer our deer and Turkey populations. You can also practice your field dressing skills on the yotes and maybe even keep the pelt..they should have some nice winter coats on them this time of year.

Yeah, you can think of it as doing our part saving the condors from extinction. LOL

 

[MasonP]

A couple photos from that outing. Headed to an outdoor/wilderness survival course this Thursday up in Malibu. But first, a stop for new boots and a rain jacket with this supposed super storm headed for us this week.

 

[Geappetto Hunts]

Hey y’all,
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Mason, I’m 29, and I’m new here (you can even find me in the newbie section)

So, here’s the deal. I’m trying to hunt. Which means I need a spot to hunt in (or a few spots). Problem is, I don’t have any spots. I don’t have any family who hunts, and the last person in my family to spend considerable time outdoors was in a time when it was just called “out” because the concept of doors hadn’t quite been invented yet.

With no family or friends who hunt, I wandered into the good ol outdoors on my own. I bought a good 35L day pack, put some snacks, fire, clothes, water, and a first aid kit in it, and off I went into the D15 area.

Here’s how it went…

I used my downtime at work and a week of free OnX to map out my route. I was focused on finding water, any kind of standing water that animals would consider drinking from. I found what I thought was going to be flowing water, in a state without any water, in the middle of a drought. Day of, I wake up long before the sun, put on my fancy new merino wool base layers, some Khul pants, a pair of $20 hiking boots I took off my dads hands for the low price of free, and drove an hour to a spot in CNF.

Within 10 minutes I knew, I messed up. The city had blocked off an entrance to the forest that I planned on using. No biggie, backtrack a little and find another way in. Well, turns out that flowing body of water I thought I spotted, was high and dry, overgrown by so many plants that I would have needed a chainsaw to get through.

Shit.gif

Go back to the car, open up OnX and AllTrails and see what I can do to salvage the day. New goal: see some type of 4 legged animal moving ANYWHERE. If I can see an animal, I know water is somewhat close and can begin narrowing it down more.

Proceed to walk 6 miles around D15, without seeing…well anything living. Not even a bird. I got on a ridge about 700 feet above my original intended path and knew it would have been a bust anyway. What I thought was a sloping saddle was actually a valley between two VERY steep mountains. Even if I did see something that I could shoot during season, it would be nearly impossible to retrieve and the animal falling down into that valley would ruin all the meat.

Turns out this scouting thing (especially right after the deer season ends) is a lot tougher than I expected.

Overall, I had a good day in the forest though, can’t complain.

What I got: A good workout, a blister (f***ing $20 boots…), and most importantly, to field test my gear and myself. I learned the ins and outs of my new pack, got a first hand look of the landscape seen only on maps (which helps me better understand Topo maps), and saw a dog on my way home.

What I didn’t get: A look at wildlife, a sunburn, a glimpse of water.

I may head into D11 next, as I live about equidistant between D11 and D15. I feel D11 can also have more of the…”forest” feel that I was also changing, with CNF feeling more like a desert than a forest.

Hey Mason,
Welcome to SCH. This site contributes a lot of information that you can pick from. There are great folk here that also are willing to give some good advice/insight. Main thing I learned is you have to get boots on the ground. Escouting is good but you have to put yourself in the areas you are eyeing to get an idea of the layout. It's not always what it seems from you phone. Here's an old Kumeyaay secret- go to DFG website and look up "hunting tips" for D15. That's your starting point. Next is driving out to the areas and putting in some work. Good luck Brotha.

Cheers!

 

[MasonP]

Hey Mason,
Welcome to SCH. This site contributes a lot of information that you can pick from. There are great folk here that also are willing to give some good advice/insight. Main thing I learned is you have to get boots on the ground. Escouting is good but you have to put yourself in the areas you are eyeing to get an idea of the layout. It's not always what it seems from you phone. Here's an old Kumeyaay secret- go to DFG website and look up "hunting tips" for D15. That's your starting point. Next is driving out to the areas and putting in some work. Good luck Brotha.

Cheers!

Thanks! I have the PDFs that DFW puts out regarding their "tips" for the area, I have the D11, 13, 15 and 16 ones, just to get a feel for the areas. D15 and its stupid low success rate is not boding well, but it is somewhat close, so I will still check it out a few more times. D11 is closer, so Ill also be putting some scout time in there as well

 

[Geappetto Hunts]

Thanks! I have the PDFs that DFW puts out regarding their "tips" for the area, I have the D11, 13, 15 and 16 ones, just to get a feel for the areas. D15 and its stupid low success rate is not boding well, but it is somewhat close, so I will still check it out a few more times. D11 is closer, so Ill also be putting some scout time in there as well

You're on the right path. Now go get some new boots! Haha buy once - cry once

 

[MasonP]

You're on the right path. Now go get some new boots! Haha buy once - cry once

The plan is to pick some up wednesday...this week is a 96 hour work week (please, just end my misery, kill me now). However, all that OT means Ill be able to get some REAL nice boots and a good rain jacket before thursdays outing

 

[Snake Charmer]

Boots and optics. Spend the most you can afford. Buy once cry once. Bad boots and optics will cripple you and let you down. $300 for a pair of boots should not be out of the question if you can swing it. $1000 for glass if you can, Think Swarovski or Leica, if out of your budget use them as a benckmark as to what good glass should be and shop for something comparable. Also get a tripod to mount the optics on so you can sit and glass every bush and shady spot in the unit. I think you will be surprised as to what you find once you sit still and pick apart every bushy hillside. try to use the sun at your back in early morning and late afternoon. The animals are there you just need to slow down and find them. It's not like going to the zoo and looking at the animal pens

 

[OPAH]

Mason you could be in a good area and not see a thing, did you look for sign? tracks and droppings to start and the road suggestion is not a bad one. Mulleys as rugged and tough as they are and Bear will zigzag back and forth across the roads, in the steeper terrain they will walk the roads. drive find some fresh or fresher tracks and / or scat, then Park find an advantage above the tracks and glass glass and when you think you have glassed enough glass some more.
Remember when glassing you are not looking for a deer or bear (well maybe the Bear) your looking for a flicker of the sun off of the antlers, ears swatting fly's away, MOVMENT, deer paths.
you can cover way more glassing than down in the brush you will also see way more.

 

[MasonP]

Mason you could be in a good area and not see a thing, did you look for sign? tracks and droppings to start and the road suggestion is not a bad one. Mulleys as rugged and tough as they are and Bear will zigzag back and forth across the roads, in the steeper terrain they will walk the roads. drive find some fresh or fresher tracks and / or scat, then Park find an advantage above the tracks and glass glass and when you think you have glassed enough glass some more.
Remember when glassing you are not looking for a deer or bear (well maybe the Bear) your looking for a flicker of the sun off of the antlers, ears swatting fly's away, MOVMENT, deer paths.
you can cover way more glassing than down in the brush you will also see way more.

I was looking for sign, but as I found afterwards, the area I was in is apparently used by half the state for day hikes, so much so that even birds werent around. Was a cool spot to hike, but what sounds like a rough spot to hunt. Live and learn, read my maps better, and back out on Thursday

 

[HortoTheSlayer]

I've been running $60 big 5 special Magnum boots for the last 3 years and put some miles on them and they have held up nicely..drink the koolaid if you want about the pricey boots but my suggestion is just find something that's comfortable..

 

[HortoTheSlayer]

I also don't kill shit so what do I know..could be the boots..carry on..

 

[MasonP]

I also don't kill shit so what do I know..could be the boots..carry on..

I plan on doing more than just hunting in them. The GF and I are gunna be camping, and I do a lot of hiking as well, so theyll sort of do double duty

 

[longbowhunter2]

Mason, buy the best you can , it's important boots are comfortable. And slowly break them in. The pricy boots are more light weight. My first pair were from Kmart. Lasted me 20 years. They were comfortable. Just a little heavy. Yet I killed deer every year. Do the best you can in gear. Then save up for better stuff as you go.