The most underrated deer hunt in CA?

highsierra

highsierra

Active Member
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Everyone always seems to want to know what the best hunt in CA is. Usually this conversation leads to some sort of an exchange involving the preference point dependent PREMIUM (X, G, & M) zones...and then someone predictably adding the cliché, "Zone (fill in the blank) isn't what it used to be...etc. etc. "

How 'bout we take this a different direction...discussing what you think is/are the MOST UNDERRATED deer hunt(s) in CA!

I would be very interested in hearing about hunt zones that don't require years of banking points to draw that can still provide a quality deer hunting experience. Obviously, the "best experience" can be argued citing many different criteria....such as amount of public land opportunity, scenery, hunter pressure, deer density/age class, etc. Could it be the A and B zones with their early openers and ample deers numbers? Or, could it be a C-zone with the spectacular scenery of the Shasta region? Maybe it's a certain D-zone with a designated wilderness area that provides a low hunter density experience? Or, maybe its a zone that simply is convienient to access from your home which ultimately provideds more days in the field?

I cant wait to hear what you all have to say....Fire away! -HS
 
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There are some crusty, old bucks in the d zones. Pretty darn good age class on the winter range most years. Super long season with a nice early opener some bucks still in velvet.. I keep saying if I put as much effort into my local D zone as I do into my out of state hunts…or maybe held off on the first forky that walks by 🙄

Same with a zone for that matter
 
Moe said:
B zone, specifically the N Comifornia wilderness areas. Or D 3-5, underhunted, otc, lots of high country hunting.
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Prior to killing my G3 buck last year one of my largest CA bucks was harvested on public land in D5. It’s still one of my favorite places to hunt as it is only a few minutes away from where I work. Over the years, I’ve killed numerous bucks in this place.
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chrisamx said:
Only hunted 4 different, dismal zones, so I cant help. I will say that I live in and hunt primarily d13, which I will say, just might be the worst zone in all of CA.
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Sounds like a great challenge to me! Maybe someday, I’ll have to give it a try.
 
highsierra said:
Well there’s 10,000 hunters here in my home zone (D-6) so it definitely sounds like a step in the right direction! Oh, the solitude…
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People who have tags for d11 and d15 can hunt there as well. Those three zones are bread and butter for DFG
 
Californias deer hunting will never recover because of this thread. ;)High Sierra I think you live near where I grew up! Love those old lava plugs!
 
ridgetops said:
Nothing like blowing up a unit with a thread like this . 👍
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I really don’t think you understand what the discussion is supposed to center around… All the zones that nobody wants to put in for as a first choice! Or… Maybe I’m way off base and because of this thread A-zone tags will for the first time in history sell out this year…lol.
 
Rie bread said:
A0 tag most underrated
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I like your thinking! Back when I was a youngster, you could get an AO tag and hunt pretty much anywhere in the state. I would put in for X9…. This is prior to it being broken up into all of its present day subcomponents… and if for some reason I didn’t draw, I just got an archery tag and hunted there anyways. Although you can’t hunt the x-zones with an AO tag anymore, it still does provide you the opportunity to hunt multiple different zones that you wouldn’t be able to with a rifle tag
 
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highsierra said:
I like your thinking! Back when I was a youngster, you could get an AO tag and hunt pretty much anywhere in the state. I would put in for X9…. This is prior to it being broken up into all of its present day subcomponents… and if for some reason I didn’t draw, I just got an archery tag and hunted there anyways. Although you can’t hunt the x-zones with an AO tag anymore, it still does provide you the opportunity to hunt multiple different zones that you wouldn’t be able to with a rifle tag
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Not to mention you can get spitting distance to those coveted X tags… up where it’s nice and cool.
 
willfry got that right, you need to be very dedicated in A with ticks , flies, rattlers, and 90 degrees at 6pm, and there is something like 60,000 tags. there is many places to get away but that heat is a lot more danger es than cold, and it takes people out every year it seems.
 
wildfin said:
willfry got that right, you need to be very dedicated in A with ticks , flies, rattlers, and 90 degrees at 6pm, and there is something like 60,000 tags. there is many places to get away but that heat is a lot more danger es than cold, and it takes people out every year it seems.
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Absolutely. There are places where you just cannot go because if you killed a deer in there, you might die packing it out.

One such place we hunted as dumb college students. About 9 miles in and the trialhead was about 2000ft higher than where you hunt... uphill pack out. Backpack hunt with some strategically placed water caches and budget gear. My buddy killed his first buck on opening day in the middle of a heat wave..115F highs!

The three of us realized we were in deep trouble. That afternoon. Loaded up that deer, as much water as we could carry, and made the 9 mile hike out once the sun set. Even had a water cache half way and still barely made it out. At one point my buddy said “you’re leaking water! Check your camel back for a leak!!” Nope, it was just sweat dripping down on the trail.

Great adventures and small bucks are definitely possible in CA.
 
D 12 ?,,,have not hunted it since the the deer were in velvet during the only season,, which was rifle.

My Dad hunted it for years here are a few of his photos plus me and my older brother as a kid in D 12.

Any body now what it is like now days?

Hunting the real desert is a fun challenge.

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Castnshoot said:
D 12 ?,,,have not hunted it since the the deer were in velvet during the only season,, which was rifle.

My Dad hunted it for years here are a few of his photos plus me and my older brother as a kid in D 12.

Any body now what it is like now days?

Hunting the real desert is a fun challenge.

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It's a premium hunt now......
 
wildfin said:
willfry got that right, you need to be very dedicated in A with ticks , flies, rattlers, and 90 degrees at 6pm, and there is something like 60,000 tags. there is many places to get away but that heat is a lot more danger es than cold, and it takes people out every year it seems.
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Don’t forget the forests of poison oak, giant groups of hunters shooting anything legal and smoke from the summer fires! Still my favorite time of year and zone to hunt.
 
Castnshoot said:
D 12 ?,,,have not hunted it since the the deer were in velvet during the only season,, which was rifle.

My Dad hunted it for years here are a few of his photos plus me and my older brother as a kid in D 12.

Any body now what it is like now days?

Hunting the real desert is a fun challenge.

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Cool pictures! That double eye guard buck is a great!
 
willfrye027 said:
Pretty sure A zone is bigger than most of the US states i am not too worried about it. But now you have me wondering if there is some super secret magical zone in CA with huge bucks that I don’t know about?!
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I get where you're coming from and most of the zones mentioned are either so huge or so hard to hunt that their mention on this list is not a big deal... A zone being a perfect example, there have been one or two hunts mentioned that have made me cringe a bit.
 
The most under rated? The one people don’t put the work into to learn and find big deer.

There are 3 -5 point zones that kick out 150-170 deer every year. It takes time unfortunately . I have been lucky to have a group of friends that are cycling through a zone either with the tag or assisting the others. I’ll probably end up overpaying for the tag by 2 points when I draw it just due to schedule.
 
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Castnshoot said:
D 12 ?,,,have not hunted it since the the deer were in velvet during the only season,, which was rifle.

My Dad hunted it for years here are a few of his photos plus me and my older brother as a kid in D 12.

Any body now what it is like now days?

Hunting the real desert is a fun challenge.

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great bucks! d12 hold giants but they are few and far between!
 
highsierra said:
Well there’s 10,000 hunters here in my home zone (D-6) so it definitely sounds like a step in the right direction! Oh, the solitude…
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Grew up hunting the same area...6er that is. I dont even think about how many hunters, where I go I dont see many people or deer. When I do see a few hunters they dont stick around for very long, the discouragement must overwhelm them. When I do see deer its usually a good one. Ill usually hunt the same 1/2 mile radius for a couple days strait... I know what Ive seen there and what Ive messed up on... They are smart.....leave tracks so I know they are there. I get out smarted most times, but have managed to get the drop on a few good ones over the years.
 
My neighborhood. Seems like every grower shoots a few deer, and the hunt extends well into the rut. And after dark. No licenses required, or nothin'.:mad:
 

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