School me on hunting San Jacinto CA...moving there next month.

[mazilla]

Like the title says, I'll be suddenly moving to San Jacinto from San Diego and I'd like to get a little more info on hunting the area if I could...feel free to PM me if need be. I'm not looking for your spot just a general FYI as to what is actually available, hunting the reservation(if poss), and whatever general info you want to share that could be helpful to a new resident. I can always fall back to SD/IV if need be as I scout it out in the future but it sure would be nice to get a hunt in down the street in short order. ;D


I see the duck ponds, I saw the "upland game hunting area" there near Lake Perris(curious as to what is actually available there, besides rabbit) and I imagine the mountains there would provide some opportunity for deer although I don't know if it can be hunted. I'm wondering if there are opportunities for quail, pheasant, dove?


Thanks in advance!

 

[El Matavenados]

I believe they open the areas at the refuge there for dove hunting. I've hunted ducks at the refuge a few times. Some of the areas (including, but not limited to the E blinds) are too deep to wade, and you will need your dog to retrieve the birds. There are lots of complaints about skybusters (surprise, surprise), people shooting early (surprise, surprise), etc. Tom, the guy that runs the blind lottery, is super nice, and super helpful. He will point you to the good hunting areas.

A good way to get to know it is to attend the work parties that they do out there a couple times a year (next one may be in August?). Some guys that work in the area head there early, hunt until 8 or 9, then go off to work. Wish we had a place like that around San Diego!

 

[uplandfam]

I actually broke down and hunted parris area you are talking about last year. Got some dove saw some quail and a few pheasants. It's kinda small but worth a few hours the duck area is ok as well. But for everything else drive back to where you know. I've been hunting cleavland. Forrest for the past week on and off and it has some potential. I drive 200 miles to hunt so like most of so cal drive.

 

[8SteelTown]

IMHO - I'm not a big fan of the Lake Perris section. Dove opener is a nightmare with tons of hunters and tons of skeeto's. I've seen a pheasant or two that'll come across every once in a while that escaped from the bird club nearby. Heard that area was steady on duck the last 2 years, but only a few guys got their limit. Very heavy hunter presence there. If you stay to the East area down by Lamb's Canyon, just be careful... lots of indian land scattered around. Welcome to Riverside County hunting bud... an experience few understand and even fewer envy. Gotta learn the art of "urban hunting"!

 

[stikbrandon]

X2 what 8steel said!

Me and him have mastered the art of urban hunting shoot me a pm and we can hook up for the dove opener

 

[mazilla]

X2 what 8steel said!

Me and him have mastered the art of urban hunting shoot me a pm and we can hook up for the dove opener

Thank you for the offer! The 1st is actually my birthday and I have a long standing tradition of shooting IV with all my hunting buddies, we make reservations/plans the year before. With this year being my first living out of town it's important to me that I not break tradition...hard enough moving away from all your friends as is.


I actually lived in Riverside for 20 years before moving to SD but I wasn't much of a hunter back then. I moved to SD and took up hunting as much as I could get. I've since been able to recruit a few of my Riverside friends into the hunting scene but they hunt in SD with me...looks like that will continue to be the go-to plan until I can link up with some of you IE diehard killers.

 

[RedRiderF26]

I live right on the border of san jacinto. Havent been out hunting yet but july 1st is coming up fast ! Im gonna go to the local ranger station at the base of the mountain before going up to idyllwild to ask about hunting spots up there.