Hello there, just another D16 local and novice hunter.
I have a few questions that a dozen hours of reading and speaking to government employees could not answer.
I’ve been looking into a unit of BLM land in the northeastern corner of D16 bordering D19. I believe it’s designated as the Beauty Mountain Wilderness Study Area and it’s east of the San Felipe Wilderness Study Area Oak Grove unit.
It seems like a perfect area on OnX (plenty of creeks, springs, drainages, oaks and brush etc., gets pretty steep and dense in the corner), and the lack of road access for a large portion of the unit is a plus.
I can’t find any info on whether or not this unit is legal to hunt with a rifle, so I was wondering if any of you could shed any light.
On top of that, what the heck is the difference between a wildlife area (WA) and a wilderness study area (WSA) I ask because I noticed that both are BLM, but I can only find regulations for the WA and not for the WSA. In particular, the San Felipe WA and SF hills WSA border each other, but I was only able to find deer regs for the WA (archery only west of S-2, turkey and small game permitted with shotgun, rifles only east of S-2, no firearms permitted south of 78, closed from sometime in spring to early fall). This doesn’t specify whether or not I can use a rifle for non-game mammals/furbearers, specifically coyote. As for the Hills WSA, do the same rules apply? It seems pretty dry and featureless in the WSA, but I’m sure I could find a dog or two there. Basically, can I use a rifle to hunt coyote on any BLM land including WA’s and WSA’s? Can I use a rifle to hunt deer on the SF Hills WSA?
lastly, I was wondering if anyone could offer me advice on how to get started scouting the D16 portion of CNF. I’m going to buy the CNF atlas to start.
aside from that, I read somewhere that recreational shooting was prohibited on BLM due to risks of wildfire. Is this for a specific period of time, and are there BLM unit specific restrictions for firearms?
In areas that only permit the use of rifles/shotguns/archery (whatever it may be), does this mean I can’t carry a sidearm for personal protection?
I apologize for the questions, but I feel like I’m in a pinball machine being bounced from agency to agency and office to office trying to figure out these regs.
I have a few questions that a dozen hours of reading and speaking to government employees could not answer.
I’ve been looking into a unit of BLM land in the northeastern corner of D16 bordering D19. I believe it’s designated as the Beauty Mountain Wilderness Study Area and it’s east of the San Felipe Wilderness Study Area Oak Grove unit.
It seems like a perfect area on OnX (plenty of creeks, springs, drainages, oaks and brush etc., gets pretty steep and dense in the corner), and the lack of road access for a large portion of the unit is a plus.
I can’t find any info on whether or not this unit is legal to hunt with a rifle, so I was wondering if any of you could shed any light.
On top of that, what the heck is the difference between a wildlife area (WA) and a wilderness study area (WSA) I ask because I noticed that both are BLM, but I can only find regulations for the WA and not for the WSA. In particular, the San Felipe WA and SF hills WSA border each other, but I was only able to find deer regs for the WA (archery only west of S-2, turkey and small game permitted with shotgun, rifles only east of S-2, no firearms permitted south of 78, closed from sometime in spring to early fall). This doesn’t specify whether or not I can use a rifle for non-game mammals/furbearers, specifically coyote. As for the Hills WSA, do the same rules apply? It seems pretty dry and featureless in the WSA, but I’m sure I could find a dog or two there. Basically, can I use a rifle to hunt coyote on any BLM land including WA’s and WSA’s? Can I use a rifle to hunt deer on the SF Hills WSA?
lastly, I was wondering if anyone could offer me advice on how to get started scouting the D16 portion of CNF. I’m going to buy the CNF atlas to start.
aside from that, I read somewhere that recreational shooting was prohibited on BLM due to risks of wildfire. Is this for a specific period of time, and are there BLM unit specific restrictions for firearms?
In areas that only permit the use of rifles/shotguns/archery (whatever it may be), does this mean I can’t carry a sidearm for personal protection?
I apologize for the questions, but I feel like I’m in a pinball machine being bounced from agency to agency and office to office trying to figure out these regs.