California season is over...big bucks are out!

[hat creek]

This past season I hunted a nice 15 acre plot not too far from my home way up here in extreme Northern California, Humboldt County. Well, the six times I was out I did see two smaller forked horns (no shots available), but just knew there were bigger bucks around. Well, now that the season is over....I was out yesterday just looking around and yes, there are bigger bucks out and about. One was a nice three point, big body with a nice heavy rack. The dandy was last evening....got to within 35 yards of him. He was a hawg....5 points on one side, four on the other and he had to weigh 150-160 pounds...just wandering around looking for does. I'm going back tonight to see if I can get a few pics. It's a little frustrating that California deems it okay to have a muzzle loader rut season, but not a traditional bow late season.

[Ragnarok Forge]

Hey Hat Creek,

Can't you just hunt hawgs instead? They would make a nice surrogate for the deer.

[Thumper Dunker]

All I seen this year was fawns and moms and one tiny forky that still had spots. But I see some real nice bucks yote hunting each year . Im with you hat creek California is wacked the way they run thier deer hunts.

[JC]

So you mean the only time you can hunt with a bow is during the bow season...you can't hunt with a bow during muzzle loading/gun season? That's completely messed up...I'd have to move.

[snag]

That's the way it is for most western states. I like it because I don't want to hunt with smoke guns in the field too. It's quiet and you don't have to worry about someone shooting your way.

[hat creek]

JC....I hunt during the rifle season with a bow, it's allowed in CA. But, I was talking about a late season hunt that is a "draw" hunt for muzzle loading rifles. It is the only time you can hunt in the rut. I contacted Fish and Game and asked how to go about getting a primitive late season bow hunt. They basically shined me off.

[lpcjon2]

Jersey is pretty much the same you can
t hunt bow in any other season.

[JC]

Originally posted by snag:
That's the way it is for most western states. I like it because I don't want to hunt with smoke guns in the field too. It's quiet and you don't have to worry about someone shooting your way.

Snag, but when your bow season is over, you're done...and guys around you get to keep hunting with guns. I don't care for being in the woods with trigger happy gun hunters either but our bow season only lasts a month so I'd just shrivel up and die if I couldn't hunt with my bow during the rest of our seasons here. It doesn't make sense that you shouldn't be able to use a bow during any of the other seasons...I can't see any justification for not allowing a bowhunter his intentional handicap.

[Matt D.]

JC, the way California works is your deer tag is for a specific hunt in a specific area, unlike many other states where your deer tag lets you hunt all the different hunts.

[JC]

Matt, I understand that portion...just not why they wouldn't let a guy with a bow hunt during a muzzle-loading hunt if he had the appropriate muzzle-loading tag. It's not like he'd be "cheating" by using a more primitive weapon. As long as he adhered to all the other rules for that hunt I just can't understand why they wouldn't let him hunt with anything legal that is more primitive than the intended weapon.

[DesertDude]

That's one of the reasons I'm moving to Texas. I can hunt deer from oct-feb, then turkey,pigs and exotic's the rest of the time.

[steadman]

JC that's a question a lot of us western hunters ask every year. Here in UT it boils down to $$. If I spend a lot I can hunt deer in all 3 seasons, I can hunt with a bow during the rifle hunt, but not the muzzleloader. It's messed up out here. Keep the stories coming about the whitetails and hogs, it's what gets a lot of us through the down time.

[BTH]

You can hunt with your bow from archery opener to General closer in California. I wouldn't hunt public land with my bow during General Season. Eureka is up in the high B Zones...General season just ended up there a week or two ago. General Season generally closes right before the rut starts. I hadn't heard of the muzzleloader rut hunts (I don't have a smokepole so I don't pay attention) but it must be after General season closes. It is messed up that most of our deer seasons in California close prior to the rut, with the exception of a few limited special draw hunts, which is what that muzzleloader hunt is. With deer season over on the ranch I've been up there hog hunting...lots of fun.