D15 Love

[xjon]

Also good luck and its great that you are seeing the bucks. This was the first buck i saw since general season started. Got lucky with this one. I was getting tired from all the hiking and failed hunts. I would have taken a forky if one popped up. Sounds like you are doing good. Keep at it.

I go to santiago to practice also. Probably have met you there. Cool bunch of guys there. Rather shoot there than mile square.

 

[Bowman]

Thanks kingslug but you need to learn to pm instead of broadcasting your hunting area.
You should edit and take out all those names.

X2 DON'T BROADCAST ON THE FORUM.there will be a million guys showing up

 

[KingSlug]

X2 DON'T BROADCAST ON THE FORUM.there will be a million guys showing up

I totally don't understand the level of secrecy that everyone is so hung up on. I the area I mentioned is the area mentioned in the D15 DFG guided for the area. You can cruise the area with google maps.

https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=83188

I have been out six times hunting, at least double that scouting. Sure I park on pavement or a dirt road but from there its at least a 4 mile hike with 20 lbs, usually up hill with the only saving grace that its down coming out. Hunting I have probably tripled the mileage and upped the pack weight. In all my scouting/hunting I have only seen one other hunter from afar on a distant ridge during scouting season.

D15 only had ~3.5% success rate, the land is up and down and extremely brushy. If you are a lazy hunter read this post and want to hunt the area your welcome to try, D15 always has unused tags, but its a hard area to hunt. I am actually looking to start mountain biking more next year to up my scouting area.

 

[xjon]

There are respectful and non-respectful hunters. I know the exact area you are talking about and yes, it's tough and hardly anyone goes there. I was introduced there by my buddy. I've always respected the area as my buddy's. I scout the area pre season and report to my buddy what I see. I also met another hunter there and I keep in touch with him. Another cool guy. So now, including you, I know of 4 that hunts there but thats not the problem. It is actually a good thing (explain later).

The problem are the non-respectful hunters. Which is what one might be inviting when one broadcasts a spot. The hunters who are abrasive, littering, guns displayed at the trailhead type. I can and have done what I just mentioned but not at your spot though. The issue with your spot like other areas in orange county is that you don't start at the national forest. It is actually a county park which has plenty of non-hunter activity which includes hiking and mountain biking. Most of those people are sierra clubbers which wants our type gone. So my fear is that these "problem hunters" just might cause attention which could shut down "our" entrance to the national forest.

It's not that I don't want more people there. Respectful hunters by the numbers are great. I wish there was more of us which could show the general public that we are not just "killers" looking for blood. I've introduced new and experienced hunters to my other spot. I pay it forward but I know most of these people and know their personality. They won't cast a bad light on our kind out in the hills.

I hope you understand my explanation. I don't know if it's the same as others but this is how I feel and reason for the secrecy. BTW, I have had the sheriff department team including a helicopter called out on us there one time. Long story, but bottom line is that the neighborhood does keep a good watch and report what is happening in those hills. I would be very sad when the day comes that our access has been denied and we can no longer enjoy our forest as hunters.

Also congrats at your spot, King! Kudos to that mountain biker who helped you also.

 

[ilovesprig]

Loose lips, sinks ships......Just sayin'

Congrats to you both for learning to HUNT.....Total respect for you both as well.

 

[xjon]

Loose lips, sinks ships......Just sayin'

Took me an hour to explain myself and you just sum it up like that. Damn that's good. Thats wisdom.

 

[Bowman]

I had lots of primo areas shut down for that exact reason. Now these areas are land lock. And parking any where near would be ticket and towed away.

 

[Bowman]

One area was gated because people were shooting every thing including glass bottles. Now there is broken glass every where.,trash, debris,, and junk. And it's not hunters that did this. Most hunters are very respectful.

 

[turkeyman 85]

Don't underestimate people. I hunt D15, I usually park my truck far from my good spots and hike in. Just ask revo on here. People find out and the don't care they will get to your spot and hike in all the way just to turn around at 10am and go back to the trucks for lunch. I've been hunting d15 since I was a young teenager. And it being thick limits the areas to hunt. So hunt able chunks will get over ran with hunters if the find out there are multiple bucks. Now if you don't care like me I tell people about it. My whole thing is that most hunters won't see what I can. Or know what I know. So when it comes to opening day it comes down to just seeing them first. Which the area you are hunting is a tough spot in the zone physically. So I like your style. Hope you scored and you keep it going.