Where to Hunt in so california

BillyTheKid, Good point on most of it.This is what I know. As for ADC planes doing flybys, and the coyotes laying down I think is true maybe. I have been on a few ADC hunts using a plane, I have never seen a coyote lay down. Not to say it does not happen just never seen it. Most places in Cal, only see a gov plane work the country once or twice a year,that's it. Way too much country and very few planes to cover the state. With gov cut backs even fewer dollars for gas etc. I cant tell you why numbers are down, are they really down? Some places I hunt are full of coyotes,the most I have ever killed in years. I will tell you that what has brought the population way up in cal, is doing away with traps. When trapping was outlawed coyote numbers sored. What really hurts calling is having people calling and educating coyotes when they miss the shot or screw up the stand. But then again we all have to learn sometime. Just my two cents.
 
TheDogHunter2 nice response. I don't totally agree, but thanks.

I have dealt with the ADC myself a few times. That's how I found out about some coyotes laying down when they hear a low flying plane. It don't take a plane to many times to knock down the coyote population on a ranch. I not sure the ADC hunts public land, all I seen them hunt were ranches.

Yes, coyote numbers are really down in parts of alifornia and Nevada, you may have some hot spots but that's not the norm nowadays. I've personally seen what's happened with the coyote population over the years in Southern California, Nevada and even some places in New Mexico.

Most people don't care anything about coyotes anyway, that's part of the problem. Someone that's hunted coyotes for years has seen the populations go down and down. You just can't explain that to others that have not seen it.

I've hunted coyotes in California for a long time, know alot of old time coyote hunters in the southern part of the state. They have told me the populations are way down and way down in parts of Nevada. I belonged to a predator hunting club in southern California that had 8 or 9 competition hunts a year, these guys knew were to go for numbers of animals but that don't happen anymore.

I believe we are the problem, to many predator hunters out there. To many houses being built and coyotes being shot during breeding season are just part of the problem. Do coyotes grow on trees? I don't think so.
 
The prolonged extreme drought in the southwest probably has more to do with numbers than anything else. It compounds any of these other issues that also exist.A good healthy and abundant prey base does more for subsequent coyote and other predators populations than is often recognized.
 
BillyTheKid I think we are both on the same page. I don't know about flying the plane on public land just private. When flying the plane with two or three guys on the ground on quads almost nothing gets away. This is a proficient way to kill and it gets the job done. I hate it it is pure killing in the most ugly way. The shooter in the plane uses a shot gun using steel shot,yes steel. This really handicaps the shooter. I hate when people make the rules that don't have a clue on whats going on.They wont to stay environmentally friendly. This puts the pilot and the shooter at great risk, they really have to get close to make Killing shots. It will make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end if you saw what they do in a plane. Get low to make the shot and pull up to miss the next hill. I have nothing but respect for most pilots they will make pass after pass until the coyote is dead they leave no wounded animals to suffer.
 
you guys are all smoking crack. I live in so cal and where i hunt rabbit there are so many coyote i hear them EVERY time I go and i'll be slaughtering all I can this spring. Way too many coyote not enough rabbit! I see dozens of rabbit kills and hundreds of droppings in a place thats maybe 1 square mile or less.

up in mammoth lakes this year i got into coyote a number of times and i wasn't even hunting. no matter where in california I get into coyote if i'm there for a week and i'm not even hunting them.

all of you are driving way too far from los angeles. There is excellent hunting in all of the local national forest. The problem is that its VERY rough country so get some good boots and man up for some serious hiking with no trails. this is rifle slung on back and scrambling on all 4 kinds of stuff. I ruined 3 pairs of cheap boots they just fell apart I had to buy some 200 dollars one to hold up to the abuse.

legaly you can hunt in any national forest but look at that national forest website for any restrictions. All of los angeles county is illegal to use rifles its shotgun only. Other then that rifles are fine for hunting you do not have to go past highway 58 to discharge rifles as long as you are hunting. NO PLINKING WITH RIFLES. Infact not only can you use rifles you could use a 30-06 or whatever you want. You can hunt in the hills behind orange county and riverside and all the local mountains . it is cleavland national forest behind oc and can be accessed by a number of dirt roads but they are subject to closure which is perfect so you can hike way back there and set up close to the road and not worry about some yuppy coming along and blowing your stand. You can hunt deer up there but they only pull like 300 tags a year for that zone ! its super rough so no one hunts it . those coyote have never heard a call in their life and there are tons of them going down into the city to get big and fat every night.

watch out for the lead zone though. Bascialy on the mtn high side of the 15 is lead free and the big bear side no restrictions.

make sure your legal and expect to be stopped. Game wardens or police stop me all the time and i'm always legal so its no worries. yuppies always call the cops when they see some guy with a gun, they have no idea its legal.

the basic rules are no hunting within 100 yards of a road, trail , or structure.

get a map and get out there. You can easily find all the national forest info online.

I'm hunting 15 minutes from the city and i'm mowing down rabbits(only if you have a dog or you'll walk all day and see nothing)and quail. The coyote prints and scatt suggest they are running in large packs of 10 or more and I tell you its going to be a blood fest this year. I saw a guy there calling bobcat last time and the game warden stopped him and then me. No problems the warden just wanted to know where i got such a neat old gun when he saw my ithaca and he couldn't believe i had seen 6 rabbits and it was only 9 am and i had some in the game bag. I've never seen so many quail. one time i just had my 22lr but i got into some quail about to bed for the night i guess. There was literaly 30-40 of them and i could have killed them with a rock. My buddy who turned me on to this spot said he saw a fox there. I also see tracks of deer, bear, and mountain lion every single time I go. its the only water in the area.

CA is in a drought but I'm obsessed with the weather channel and actualy SOUTHERN california (not the desert part) got an above average amount of rain last year and rabbit population was excellent. The rest of the state is so dry its insane, all my favorite high sierra fishing spots are too low to fish. Still got into a bunch of dogs in the summer up there.They came through camp and tried to eat my beagle. My buddy ruger yelled at them and they took off haha.

remember that during the red flag fire warnings there is no hunting but calling in hurricane force wind sucks anyways and in general all animals hold tight to cover in such conditions.

Good luck! Spend less time and money driving and more time calling and practicing your shooting and its going to pay off way more then driving to mars searching for a magic honey hole that doesn't exist.

I will give up my spot if someone can turn me onto some place close with alot of jack rabbit and its ok if its shotgun only. Maybe even trade spots with someone for another good cottontail/quail spot. Thinking there must be good hunting on the east side of the mountains right where it transitions from forest to desert. Usualy rabbit like to live in these areas. Since i have a good spot I don't bother to scout anymore. The chapparel is insane thick though and a spot that is easier to walk could be nice.

the best coyote populations are on the edge of the national forest , the closer you can be to trashcans and peoples pets and legaly hunt the better. Trash coyote like the one in my avatar are big fat and stupid. Everyone is driving to mars and going right by them cuz they don't know its legal to hunt.

good luck!
 
Last edited:
Grizz here.
The animals are out there... When you here them howl on every other stand...There out there. The more I think about it, the more I realize the problem is mostly due to hunting pressure, with a few other things thrown in the mix. Last year was outstanding! Nov hunt my team killed 15 coyote 7
bobcat. Dec hunt 7 coyotes 4 bobcat. This season was the slowest I can remember. I think Triple Deuce is on to something. When the huntings slow in the Mojave, you have to be creative about where you hunt. It's legal to hunt Nat Forest. I'm not shure about night hunting, you have to check the regs. But there are coyotes above the 4000 foot mark where the pines are. Grizz. (I like Mars)
 
Quote:
TrippleDuce660


On crack? The last time I checked I have a crack. On crack no way.



I'm sitting on my crack. Do you type standing up?
 
Going east out of Bakersfield on hwy. 178, lots of side roads going up into the hills & its public land. Plenty of dogs and ground squirrels for taking, least it was in 2000 when I lived there. Should have a 4wd also for many of those trails to the upper hills.
 
Correct, 178,Lake Isabella area, some good spots over there.
Carrizo Plains on the west side. On further theres the Los Padres forest with TONS AND TONS of grey fox, cats and coyotes.
Lots of open farm land in between that you can hunt,farmers dont like coyotes over that way( Wasco, Corcoran,etc) lots of cattle and sheep get ate over there.

Foothills of the Sierras, get blm maps and you will see lots of public land up there.
Lots of places to hunt in Kalifornia, but yeah, be mindfull of yuppies out there,theyll call the law every time on ya.
 
Quote:
Going east out of Bakersfield on hwy. 178, lots of side roads going up into the hills & its public land. Plenty of dogs and ground squirrels for taking, least it was in 2000 when I lived there. Should have a 4wd also for many of those trails to the upper hills.



I have been intersted in checking this area out. I was thinking of heading up rancheria road into the greenhorn mountains. cool to know there are some ground squirrels out there, i don't know any spots with ground squirrels. I was wondering if there was any jacks or cottons out there. Seems like the lower area with the rolling oak hills would be prime for calling from what i can see on google earth. If it doesn't work out can always go trout fishing!
 
Back
Top