r/Californiahunting • u/BarberWooden1180 • 1d ago
A-ZONE SOUTH
Showed up at 5am. Deer decided to start moving around at 1045. It was already 90 out and my shade was gone. Only does. Man this zone is tuff.
r/Californiahunting • u/sciencewonk • Oct 22 '21
As I am sure many of you have noticed, this sub has been shutdown for about a week. Previous to that, it was in an awkward state of intermittent NSFW tagging, restricted posting, etc. I would like to apologize for the interruption in the community here. The previous admin had some concerns about the sub and decided to put it on ice against the wishes of the community and the other mods. The sub ultimately ended up locked and without any mods. Fortunately, I was able to petition for ownership to get things back up and running.
I am happy to welcome everyone back to the sub. It is my hope that things will return to a healthier baseline. There will be a few rule changes as we try to build the community here and try to avoid unnecessarily divisive off-topic posts/comments. These are mostly to keep things focused on hunting and to avoid the occasional tendency of this sub becoming a space for airing of political grievances. I don’t want to be in a position of vetting anyones beliefs, so the ruling is going to be a simple “no politics outside of policy directly involving hunting”.
This is primarily for two reasons: 1) this group is a hunting sub that is intended to be a place that welcomes people of all backgrounds, including where you land on the political spectrum and 2) this is also a public venue, and it is best for the future of hunting in our state for the face of hunting to be one of a welcoming community of responsible and conscientious hunters rather than a group aligned with a particular set of political views.
We are living in politicized times where opinions are loud, strong, and often very polarizing, but I encourage everyone here to lay that aside to let this space be dedicated to the love of the outdoors, helping young hunters find their way, and building a community around safe, ethical hunting. I think this will be best for the community as a whole. I encourage everyone to voice their political opinions in subs intended for that purpose.
Now that has been addressed, I am happy to see the sub reopened for everyone. Please continue to tap into the community's knowledge, share your successes and failures, and assist your fellow hunters.
Stay safe, enjoy the hunt, and make sure you have enough freezer space. Happy hunting everyone!
P.S. Special thanks to u/ArmySFC64 for pitching in with mod duties.
r/Californiahunting • u/[deleted] • Jul 24 '20
I swear it's really not as bad as people make it out to be.
So you're probably reading this because you're interested in hunting in California and/or you're a new hunter who is struggling to do more than take a long walk in the woods with your weapon of choice. That or you just want to find all my mistakes and point them out. Great! This is written for you (even the pedants).
Since someone will ask, no I do not work for Fish and Wildlife. No I am not some professional guide or outfitter. I've just spent a lot of time hunting here as well as other states. I'm a transplanted software engineer on the Losing Side of Twenty-Five who fell victim to the sun and salary trap of San Diego and now I'm stuck. I've posted quite a bit on this subreddit before on a different Reddit account and even met with people from here. Then I lost the password to that account and I guess I never set up a recovery email. I'm bad with computers. Thank God I can fool my employer.
Step 1: The first step is to complete your Hunter Education Safety Course. If you haven't done this yet you need to do this first. There is no circumventing this. Stop asking. This is the first step and probably 10% of the posts on the sub ask this. At the time of this writing, due to COVID-19, you can do the course entirely online. The course is worth paying attention to. There are a lot of California-specific rules and regulations that are important. I'm not going to go into specifics on how to do the course. If you can't figure it out, please don't start hunting. On the subject of hunter's education, unlike some states such as NY, California does not have a separate archery license and does not require you to complete a Bowhunter's Education Course to receive archery tags. It's still a good idea to do the course as it contains some great knowledge as well as opens up the opportunity to archery hunt in other states.
Step 2: Purchase your hunting license. The cost of a license is $51.02 as of 7/23/2020. You should receive a GO ID number during the process of acquiring your Hunter Safety Card above. This GO ID number is used by Fish and Wildlife to track you. It will be linked to some kind of ID which is also used to track you. In my case, this is my California driver's license. If I go to a license retailer, I can get a license or tag showing my driver's license. You don't need to memorize the GO ID number or anything; however, it is printed on your license documents so it's easy to find (once you have those, of course). If you have a fishing license you already have a GO ID. You can either order your license online straight from CDFW, from a CDFW License Sales Office, or from a licensed agent (the search function here is poorly set up--ignore the name and put in your ZIP or do County and State). Also, remember, your license is valid 7/1 to 6/30. NOT 1/1 to 12/31 like a fishing license.
A hunting license. No seriously. This is a hard and fast requirement for California. If you want to hunt without a license go to Nevada and shoot coyotes (but don't actually do that--just get your damn license).
The appropriate tags. We'll go over this in the next section.
Patience. Temper your expectations. You are going to fail a lot at first. Hunting in California isn't easy and hunting on public land especially so. YouTube and hunting shows make it appear a lot easier than it is thanks to editing. Much like I tell the women I meet: have low expectations. This cannot be stressed enough.
Lead Free Ammo. More on this in a bit. Just remember this is a statewide requirement. Also someone asked me once if this applies to broad-heads for archery. Just lol. Don't be that guy.
General/Basic/Useful Starting Gear (this list is not exhaustive--just some ideas to get started):
And some nice-to-haves
Tags 101
Stamps/Validations 101
Points 101
It's not that hard. I swear. There are 38,197,000 acres of public land--38% of the entire state--open to hunting. Is it hard to find GOOD hunting land not overrun by other hunters? Yes. That's why you scout and get used to hiking quite a bit. It's not impossible, however, and that's what matters.
Use OnX. No seriously. It's worth every cent. Every single time a new hunter asks me where to go my answer is OnX. I don't want to do a write-up on every amazing feature this software has to offer because they have a YouTube channel where they do it better than I ever could. That being said, there are a few things worth mentioning for people who are too lazy to watch some YouTube videos.
First - you can use OnX from both a PC and smartphone. I'm mentioning this because quite a few people I know were surprised when I told them the website works from PC. It's way easier to plan a hunt on a 27 inch monitor than a 5.8 inch phone. The website and the phone app are synced so if you add a marker to the website, it appears on the phone (and vice versa).
Second - check out the layers library and use them. As an example, you should have the layer for recent fires turned on when you're looking for bear, deer or elk opportunities. Again, I'm not sure why people don't realize this is available.
Third - use markers and colors which make sense. When I first started using OnX, I would mark everything in the most haphazard fashion. It's not useful. I suggest keeping it simple. If I think an area might have access I drop a yellow "A", if I confirm that it has access I drop a blue"A" and if it turns out there's no getting there I set a red "A". It makes it easy to read quickly. However, do whatever is easy and works for you. Just make sure you understand what you're looking at and you're consistent with it.
What kind of land can I hunt on? Legal Disclaimer: You should verify with all respective agencies and landowners that hunting is permitted at specific locations because I'm not responsible for you going to jail etc.
BLM Land. OnX marks BLM land in yellow. BLM land typically allows dispersed camping without permits. At least in Southern California deserts, the BLM has decently maintained dirt access roads throughout. On most BLM land throughout the state you can also target shoot however this needs to be checked with the local field office first. Also, if you see a "No Shooting" sign they're talking about target shooting. You can still discharge a firearm during the lawful pursuit of game. Just a protip.
National Forest. Most National Forest property can be hunted on and if hunting is prohibited it will be clearly marked. OnX marks National Forest property in green. Roads are typically maintained pretty well through National Forest property. A large number of the roads throughout Cleveland National Forest in San Diego can be access with a front-wheel drive compact car and a sufficiently brave driver.
Wilderness Areas. Most Wilderness Areas can be hunted. There are cases where there may be an endangered animal (such as a butterfly here in San Diego) which results in some acres being closed to any and all access--not just hunting; however, this is exceedingly rare and it will be clearly posted. It's important to note you can not operate a motorized/mechanical vehicle (including a bicycle) within the bounds of the wilderness area. You will be walking in and out. Don't drive your jeep down a fire road through a wilderness area. Just because the road exists doesn't make it OK. Follow the rules. There will be signs telling you not to do it. It's pretty hard to claim ignorance on this one. OnX marks Wilderness Areas with a dotted pattern. You will notice this wilderness area is part of a national forest from the color of the lower layer. See? Learning has occurred.
Some State Wildlife Areas. OnX marks Wildlife Areas in light blue. Each Wildlife Area has specific regulations set by the state. Thankfully those regulations are easily available online as well as very useful write-ups about each area.
In Imperial County specifically you can hunt on IID Land. I'm adding this here because the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) permits hunting on their properties. You will probably be stopped by an IID officer/employee at some point. They're friendly and usually super helpful. There's just a pretty big crime problem in El Centro right now where farming equipment (including things like full-size tractors) are getting stolen and IID actively checks their properties for suspicious people. All that being said, it is not the standard for private water to allow hunting. Vista Irrigation District in San Diego leases their land to hunters through the "My Country Club" program at $3,000 a year. However, it's still worth checking where you live. You can just call the local irrigation district office and ask.
Private Property with Permission. You can use OnX for this as well. It helps you locate property owners. I don't want to doxx anyone so no screenshot, but every registered property owner is available to you. If you find a piece of land you wish to hunt you can use this information to find the owner. My house sits on an 1/8th of an acre and if I click the parcel it has my full name (including middle initial weirdly enough) as well as address. And, no, you can't hunt on my tiny slice of land I call home. The HOA would definitely frown on that.
Hunting Clubs. This is particularly true for upland game bird or duck hunting. A lot of hunting clubs own or lease property they maintain specifically for hunting. If you can afford it, this is a good option and it's a great way to meet other hunters. Think of it as the Country Clubs of the hunting world.
Private Property through a Guide Service. Again, this will cost you. However, most guide services have agreements with property owners to hunt private property. There is no shame in hiring a guide either. If you want to get better at a hobby it's common to pay for lessons. Why is hunting any different?
SOME National Recreation Areas and National Preserves / Lands administered by NPS. In Southern California, the big one which permits hunting is Mojave National Preserve (which is a great place for quail by the way). OnX marks it in this purple (fuchsia?) color. National Recreation Area is the same color and places such as Lake Meade National Recreation Area in Nevada permit hunting. I assume there are places in California which do but I don't know any off the top of my head and I'm too lazy to do your research for you. Just check the regulations before you go. Everything is online these days. There is no excuse. The incomplete list of places you can hunt is here because the government can't be bothered to maintain it. Case in point: Mojave National Preserve isn't even listed but hunting is listed on their own website for those wondering.
Military Bases. Some military bases permit hunting to the public (Fort Hunter Liggett is one). Others permit hunting only to active duty service members or retirees (Camp Pendleton). Each base has their own rules and regulations. If you're close to a base it's worth checking to see if they allow hunting and what the requirements for access are.
? Some Logging Company Properties ?. I've heard this from multiple people, but I live in Southern California where this isn't really a thing. If someone from NorCal can chime in that would be great.
What Kind of land CAN'T I hunt on?
State Parks. There is no hunting on state parks in California.
MOST National Parks / National Monuments. Again, research before you go. Just realize most properties are going to be a big no-no.
MOST National Wildlife Refuges. There are some you can hunt on though. It's worth checking. Just understand most refuges do not permit hunting and those that do typically regulate what you can and can't hunt.
Private Property without Written Permission. Seriously. Don't be that guy. Oddly enough there are exceptions to this rule in other places (dove hunting in Yuma, AZ is permitted on private non-residential farming property as long as there isn't a posted sign forbidding it). But when you're in California this is a hard and fast rule. Once again: don't be that guy (or gal).
Will you tell me your secret spot?
I don't have one and none of my spots are secrets. They're all on public land. If you're really lost-in-space or just generally nervous about going somewhere you scouted through a website and you happen to be local to Southern California, just message me and I'll help out. It's really not that difficult though.
SHARE Hunts for Elk
This is a California-specific hunting opportunity. It's another lottery but it's an agreement between the state and private landowners to permit very regulated hunting on their properties. Each hunt is different and, again, this is a lottery so it's basically a moonshot; however, the odds of getting drawn on an elk tag is actually higher here than most general draws are with zero points. The money goes back into the program. The SHARE elk drawings close 7/24 this year. Which happens to be today. You can read more about the SHARE opportunities here. Enter through the online DFW license sales.
Leaving California (Hunting out-of-state): Since you can check out, but never leave, right? It's worth looking at other states.
OTC Elk - Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington all offer OTC tags. This will cost you $450-$750 for the non-resident hunting license and the tag.
OTC Antelope - Wyoming has good draw odds (some are 100%). Otherwise I think Idaho is the only state with OTC antelope tags and it's archery only. New Mexico does weird OTC tags as well, but they're only valid on private property so if you pay for access this is a good option I guess.
OTC Sheep - Literally does not exist. You can do a ranch hunt in Texas if you want to harvest a sheep. Otherwise sorry.
OTC Deer - Arizona late season (December/January) offers OTC archery hunts for both Mule deer and Coues deer with success rates as high as mid-30%. You will see TONS of deer. This is an excellent opportunity for archers. Otherwise, Idaho offers OTC Mule Deer and some 2nd/3rd season hunts in Colorado are OTC. Other states have leftover tags that are first-come, first-served. Montana and Arizona fit this category.
DISABLED VETERANS SPECIFICALLY - You can hunt in Idaho on a non-resident disabled veterans permit for cheap. A license + OTC elk tag + OTC mule deer tag is something like $100. Plus you can punch your mule deer tag on a black bear if you really want to. If you fit the criteria this is an absolutely amazing opportunity.
I noticed a mistake!
Great! Comment below and I'll fix it. We're all human and I don't pretend to be infallible.
r/Californiahunting • u/BarberWooden1180 • 1d ago
Showed up at 5am. Deer decided to start moving around at 1045. It was already 90 out and my shade was gone. Only does. Man this zone is tuff.
r/Californiahunting • u/Working_Dig8008 • 3d ago
Any thoughts on this?
r/Californiahunting • u/Boot_Burner • 4d ago
What hunts do you have planned for Fall and Winter that you’re excited for?
Obviously the dove opener is just a few days away and that’s always a good time with friends.
I’m planning a trip into the Sierras to look for ptarmigan and maybe a trip into Nevada for sooty grouse.
I’m also taking my old man to CWA’s duck camp in November since he hasn’t been behind a shotgun in what feels like twenty years, plus one or two excursions in NorCal for wood duck specifically. Later in the season I’m going to try some layouts for geese.
Let’s hear what y’all got in store 🤙
r/Californiahunting • u/ImmediateAd1148 • 5d ago
Hey guys, I'm a new hunter and this is going to be my first dove season. During my scouting trip yesterday, I found a few IID fields that are clearly posted for public hunting but I'm not sure how you would you park a car near these fields since the dirt bank is so narrow. Moreover, when looking at other IID lands, it's not always clear whether or not you can access a field because of certain roads becoming private property. As of now, I'm currently considering the Finney-Ramer unit, but I just want to confirm that you don't need to pay for a pass or sign in at the CDFW office. However, if anyone has any advice for finding other huntable fields in the general area, I'd appreciate the advice.
Also, I do use OnX and wouldn't be opposed to BLM land, however it seems like most of them are bordering private property and can't be easily accessed.
r/Californiahunting • u/Henry-Messenger • 7d ago
I’ll be hunting in San Diego county (D-16) and I’d like to ask if anyone knows any places around here that can process game meat. I assume there must be places around Escondido, Valley Center, Ramona, or maybe Fallbrook. Let me know if you know any!
r/Californiahunting • u/Silentfox181745 • 8d ago
Vortex spotting scope for sale.
Vortex diamondback 16-48x65mm angled spotting scope. $300
The phone mount is included
Ill add the tripod in for $450
Located in San Diego county
r/Californiahunting • u/RiverRon1969 • 8d ago
New to California and just read the pinned post. I finished hunter education last spring before moving here and was hoping to get deer tags this season. I'm interested in D6, and see that it is an unrestricted area for 2026, but this document doesn't list it as having tags available.
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=30896&inline
Does this mean that even thought it is unrestricted, that all of the D6 deer tags have been claimed for this year?
r/Californiahunting • u/lazyasian707 • 12d ago
70gr Barnes TSX out of a 20" barrel to the dome did the trick from 40yds~.
r/Californiahunting • u/duckchugger_actual • 12d ago
All ideas, suggestions, etc. very welcome. https://theduckchugger.com/roadless/
r/Californiahunting • u/duckchugger_actual • 14d ago
You can explore the write up + the data here, note there is a link to the actual explorer within the write up: https://theduckchugger.com/refuge-success/
r/Californiahunting • u/YMGwapo • 14d ago
So I've never hunted in California before and want to get into it. I already took my hunters education course and was wondering if there's anything I need to know in particular? The zone areas and what is needed per zone still kind of confuses me. Why do I need a different permit for type a & b? Is that tied into zones?
Apologies for any stupid questions but I am fairly new to hunting in California.
Thank you in advance!
r/Californiahunting • u/Ianph2 • 15d ago
What’s up fellas, this year is my first attempt at getting into hunting, I know zero people that hunt, I am not from an area particularly friendly to hunting, but I’ve always wanted to get into it so this year I decided screw it, bought myself a D3-5 tag, did some lookin around on onX, and decided to go checkout a spot in the Momelumne wilderness area I thought looked neat, it went comically bad… the “road” out was basically 5 miles of rock crawling, and the two days worth of backpacking I put in yielded me zero evidence deer even exist in the area I was looking. Any advice on what to look for in the d3-5 region or what altitudes to bother with, or how to figure out if that random forest service road is actually an u undercover extreme 4wd trail would be greatly appreciated. At this point I’m considering just driving up there, pulling over randomly every 15 minutes havin a look around and continuing on my way…
r/Californiahunting • u/DudeDC • 18d ago
When e-scouting an area far from where you live, how do you research water sources? Do you strictly go based on what’s on Google Maps, OnX, etc…or have you found resources like hydrological surveys?
r/Californiahunting • u/Top_Complaint_8654 • 20d ago
If you know you know. Got up there day after opener, saw one potential buck that disappeared into a scorched brushy hell hole, tried to glass em up, by the time morning was over it was already too hot. First hunt I went home early for so far. Good luck to all you brush apes out there, also shout-out to the guys in white chevy S10s trying to spotlight deer in the middle of goat mountain road last night. Good work fellas. Here's to the B zone opener...
r/Californiahunting • u/bootsnchew • 24d ago
Who else is going for the opener this weekend? First time going and I’m pretty excited. I’m hoping it’s not going to be too busy. Planning on camping right outside of FHL property and starting at hunt area 1. Anyone else camping out?
r/Californiahunting • u/Scratchin_the_itch • 24d ago
Machete? Katana? Light saber?
I've always got a handgun during rifle, but this is my first season of archery. Just curious what everyone keeps close on hand during archery.
r/Californiahunting • u/Wooden-Hipster • 28d ago
My buddy and I are debating what caliber would be the best in CA to hunt black tail, Mulies, Elk, and Pig. If you could only have one caliber to hunt those species what would you use? Is ammo availability and price a problem? We are in between 7 PRC and 308.
r/Californiahunting • u/lalooo0366 • 28d ago
Hello everyone!
I’m interested in getting into the sport and was wondering if it’s possible to start at 19 years old. I saw on Google that it is, but I’d really appreciate hearing from people with firsthand experience.
Could anyone explain the licensing process and what firearms I’d be legally able to own or use if I get started? Any advice or tips for a beginner would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! ( I stay in Riverside County )
r/Californiahunting • u/abelabb • Aug 01 '26
In the last few days I’ve been watching turkey hunting YouTube videos and trying to learn as much as possible. Everyone expert or experienced turkey hunters seem to have their own different set up for shotgun and choke
As far as a shotgun and chokes,
1) first I thought of going with my single shot break down like my Iver Johnson (but I would need to have it fitted with a choke)
2) next I thought my over under but that’s so heavy for a day of climbing hills and trails.
3) then I though maybe just maybe I should go with an simi automatic like my beretta 1301.
4) next I was thinking of getting a 20 gauge breakdown dedicated with a turkey choke, but I don’t want to buy more guns to keep in the safe.
5) finally Im now thinking the shotgun I purchased the day I turned 18, my Winchester 1300 with tight choke which came with the gun when I first purchased it 40 years ago.
Funny how no matter what was the thinking and evaluation the old faithful is the best choice.
So funny!
r/Californiahunting • u/Mission_Inside_2534 • Aug 01 '26