SoCal opener..first for me

[Jimikinz]

Well, archery deer opened here in sunny (and hot...90+!) san diego.  This is my first year trying to kill a deer, and I'm handicapping myself even further by making myself do it from the ground with a longbow!...but my first hunt was a ton of fun.  I thought I'd share some of my new excitement with you all.  I'm hooked now!

I went to an area I've been scouting and got in at dark to wait.  I never saw any deer on the trail I was watching, but I did get to see a bunch of turkeys scratching around.(so I'll be going back for that when it opens in a few weeks)
I sat for a few hours and then got bored and started walking.  I found some good sign in a few new areas and had a blast.  

On the way out,  I saw two does bedded by a creek, and tried to put on a stalk in the extra-dry and crunchy conditions, but only managed to get about 60 yards away before they busted me.  But what a rush!  I can't wait until next week!

Thanks for all the help on here...I'm looking foreward to learninga lot and hunting hard this year.

Jim

[Chaser]

Sounds like a blast! Best of luck with the following week and those turkeys.

[Chris Surtees]

Best of luck to you this year. Sounds like you had a great first hunt  

[beachbowhunter]

Welcome to San Diego Jim!  Good timing, this is our first ever fall season for turkeys! Were you in Palomar or Mt. Laguna?

[DesertDude]

Good luck.  I have been hunting in San Diego since 1987.  it's a blast.........

[Chad Panattoni]

Good luck,Ive never hunted in san diego.only as far south as temecula.have fun

[Apex Predator]

That is so cool!  I'm excited for you.

[redant 60/65]

Good luck Jim I've lived in San Diego County. most of my life, and the early deer season is always a little tuff, but the later one is much better.  

[Jimikinz]

I was up by ramona where the cleveland comes down that way.  I don't think there are any "secret spots" around here, but I have yet to see another truck up there either scouting or hunting, so it's pretty encouraging.  It's probably not that great an area,  but I'm still just trying to keep out of everyone's way...up in laguna a palomar, there are stands all over the place, so I don't want to step on anybody's set-up.

[Stinger]

Have fun.  If you end up at Palomar keep a watch out for the cats.  I also understand that Camp Pendelton has a good herd of coastal mulies, but don't know the rules concerning hunting on the base.  Back in the day my dad and brother used to go out to San Clemente Island and hunt the Spanish goats.

[BowHuntingFool]

Sounds like you had a excellent hunt! Keep at it and have fun!

[Jimikinz]

Well,

I went at it again yesterday.  Same area.  I'm starting to think there are not many deer up there, and it's about 100 freaking degrees, so that kind of throws me off too.  My rationalle was that hunting water would be a good choice, and that's what I did, but I'm not seeing a lot of sign, and no deer this last trip.

I did find this really cool spring that ran through a little granite gully with maples and oaks and lots of green stuff, but only a couple deer tracks around it.  There were, however, a bunch of the old mortar holes form native american acorn grinding.  That kind of stuff really gets me stoked, so I spent an hour or so looking around to see if I could find any arrowheads...but could not.

How do you guys hunt this hot weather?
Do they move out of these lower elevations during hot weather?
Do they bad all day?  Try to find shade?

I'm gonna keep this up as a chronicle of my bumbling attempts at killing a deer, so that I might learn fromn you all!!

[redant 60/65]

Jim as I said earler It's stuff hunting the early season in southern Ca. and we have had the moon out, most of the animals move and feed at night when it's hot. It sounds like you have found a pretty good area. Keep it in mind for later in the year. Good luck.  

[Roadkill]

check Camp Pendleton for opportu ites.  i took several deer while stationed there.
We just ended our season two weeks ago-yep 100 degrees is a witch.  I wear knee pads and move so slowly.  Bino every overhanging branch, and staying near water seems the best tactic.  You simply must find some sign and concentration of tracks.  Hunting randomly, while scenic, is not productive on a regular basis....

[Hot Hap]

Good luck! Hap

[Chad Panattoni]

Jim I hunt in the inland empire, and its the same kind of thing.....HOT! Just keep plugin away at it and enjoy your self.God bless you

[non-typical]

There used to be a 40 acre saddle of national forest land near what we called the wier at the headwaters of Pauma Creek at the north end of lower Doane Valley on Palomar. You could park at Doane pond parking area and walk in following the trails. You will need to find the area on a map and be sure of your boundaries because you have the Baptist Camp on one side, state park on the other but it was a good place, especially in hot weather because of the water source. Over the years we took several nice deer there as well as the east and west mesa areas of Cuyamaca where the old Milk Ranch bordered the national forest.

[PASQUINELL]

If you want to travel a bit north, I shot 2 nice blacktails and missed a ton in Angeles National Forrest around West Covina area. Lived in LaMirada/Garden Grove 20 years. Dont know how the fires were this year though. Watch out for the rattlers, they were all over the place. Good Luck!

[Jimikinz]

Thanks for the help and advise.  I'll put it to good use.  

I'm off to Mexico for a week starting Monday in my annual pilgrimage to spear some giant tuna (This is the freediver's version of these trophy Elk hunts I read about around here...mucho time in the water and holding off for something huge)so I'll resume the hunting the follwing week.  

I'll put some pics up ofthe spearfishing too, if you're interested.

[Jimikinz]

Well,

Its been a few weeks, but I'm back from mexico and I've driven up the hill and hunted a few more times.  I'm seeing deer, just never when I'm sitting...a bunch of does and one really nice buck yesterday.  

It seems like they are bedded on the same hillside every time I go, but once I see them, there is NO way to spot-and-stalk with all the deadfall and crunchy oak leaf carpet.  I've made three ground blinds to cover this little saddle at the top of the hillside that has a few trails coming in, but I have yet to see a deer walking.

I assume that they leave the beds and move up the trails to feed, but maybe i'm too close to the beds (probably 200yds)?  Or maybe I just need to put in more time.  Anyway, it's a blast, and I'm looking foreward to the late season to open next week so I can get back up there.  Any of you Souther Cali guys seeing deer in the daylight?

Here is a pic of the small tuan that I arrowed in Mexico...so you can see what freediving is all about.