166

[sbrady]

Hey guys. Well, I'm thinking about going to the 166 this Friday. I have no idea where to even begin. Can anyone point me in some sort of a direction, without giving away your secret spot(s). If anyone wants to join me, let me know! Thanks for the help. - Sean

 

[EvBouret]

Check out the Caliente Mntn Range

 

[sbrady]

Thanks for the tip! - Sean

 

[easymoney]

Highway 166 has very limited entry points and there is really not much in the way of access to pig hunting at all. Deer, quail and varmints are the main fare here, with upland game the big draw. It is very brushy, and from that side of the Caliente Mts there is very limited access. The bulk of the land along hwy 166 is private ranches.
The points of access are well marked along the road and you will have to park there in the parking area and hike in. The only drive access is at Rockfront Ranch and it is limited to upland game and there is also a season quota of hunters allowed in. Today the road would not be passable by even 4x4 as the river is running.
If you are looking to walk around and look for pigs try behind Lake Cachuma in the Los Padres or take your chances in the Carrizo Plains where it will be park and walk as the dirt roads are gumbo right now.
Or if you are really serious about getting a wild pig, book in at Tejon Ranch, it is all wild and there is plenty of space as well as pigs...

You do not list where you are from, but I assume you are from down south, and the best hunting is with guides on private ranches, an average success rate is around 80-100%.
Do a back search on this site and you will find loads of info on this topic...

 

[CAjackrabbitWCP]

You could also try miranda pines as a point of access, but as easymoney stated that area is not very well known for pigs. I am not for sure on this but I think that there is a very primitive ridgeline road that goes all the way from Figeroa to Miranda pines. I think one of my dad's buddies used to trap bobcats along it back in the day.
Going up there is quite the wilderness experience so be prepared not very much help back in there once you get in. You probably won't see a soul back there unless you run across people who aren't supposed to be back there growing certain things, if you know what I mean. Caliente is known to produce some bucks during deer season though, but your best bet would be to walk you a$$ off over on Carrizo and you might get lucky.

CAjackrabbitWCP

 

[easymoney]

As jackrabbit said, it is tough.
During rifle deer season, there are literally vehicles on every road and turnout along hiway 166. Miranda Pines has gotten to be a big destination for the road hunters from Santa Maria or LA.
The pigs are mainly on the private ranches(where the food and water is abundent), that you will drive by on the way to the very limited access points to the National Forest(where food and water are not so abundent).
The Carrizo Plain National Monument is HUGE and you might see pigs, deer or elk. But, then again, you might not.
We should have a poll done of hunters, who have hunted this area and see how many have honestly even seen wild pigs. Add up the time and money spent, to really see if it is worth it...

 

[sbrady]

Well guys, thank you for all of the great info.... sounds like *If* I go out that way, I'll probably hit up the Carrizo Plain National Monument.... once again, thanks! - Sean

 

[josevillanueva]

I was thinking about going there to scout but due to school i am going to have to wait a little bit. Tell me how everything goes and good luck out there. if u realy want to get them i suggest you get far away from the roads as possible. My buddy and i are planning to take an ATV sometime this month so we can go where no man has gone. Well Good Luck!!

 

[easymoney]

If you intend to take an ATV into this area, be forwarned that you will only be allowed to ride on the roads, same as other vehicles. There are no special OHV areas here, the closest is the Hungry Valley area near Gorman.
"so we can go where no man has gone. " In order to do this, you must use your legs...

 

[MJB]

You could use a Mt. bike

 

[easymoney]

Yes, one could use a moutain bike, but most of the roads mentioned in this post, like Miranda Pines Rd are very steep.

 

[billrob]

I was at Carrizo a couple of weeks ago.
Saw Elk and signs of pigs but no pigs.
The local rancher told me they are few and far between lately.
but I was on the Rte 58 side North of the 166.

Saw trails tracks rooting but no pigs or fresh dung,scat,poop,crap

 

[easymoney]

That would be the usual experience of those coming here to hunt...
Like I said before, I would love to see a poll of hunters, who have come here and actually seen wild pigs on this public land, let alone those who have scored...
Always seems like more and more people coming every year, so someone is spreading the word, that there is lots of game to be had.

 

[billrob]

Yea Easy,
Its wishful thinking!
Everybody wants a chance to hunt and the thought of free hunting the way it was meant to be lures folks to go (me too).
Just for the heck of it I looked up the figures for California where I have lived off and on from 1970-Present and the figures from Pennsylvania where I hunted as a kid.

California has 4 times the land 3 times the poulation 36 mil and only 1/3rd as many hunters a little over 250,000 combined as Pennsylvania population 12 mil with 750,000 adult over 1,000,000 combined hunting licenses.
But since the enviroweenies control every level of State Government and get all the media attention we have very little power to upgrade conditions in our State beginning with proper forestry which improves gamelands, re-stocking turkeys which you 've been lied to about they were here and are not exotic. Look how much they are getting for a pig tag on top of hunting license and all other tags when pig isn't even a game animal.

It is a tough way to live and now I can see why so many people just go out of State to hunt. Just the thought of given them more money to piss away probably aid for the jehadists or some crap that has nothing to do with Fish and Game but they are putting the breaks on that with the CWD scare

 

[johnnywalker]

The best place to hunt pigs off of highway 166 is up around twin rocks. It has been a few months since I talked to anyone, but a herd of pigs was spotted up there at that time. It is in the national forest, but you'll probably want to get a map so you know where the boundaries are. There is a piece of private property right in the middle of that area. Unfortunately, the bad part is normally you would enter through Rock Front Ranch and take the jeep trail up there, but the foresty service has the road closed due to the rain. There is are some grassy areas with ponds up there. There is another trail head a few miles before rock front and you should be able to hike in on the adobe trail, maybe. The only other public land I know of out there is the Chimineas Unit of the Carrizo Plains, but it is closed to hunting until September. I'm not sure where you live, but if you want to stop by I have five different maps of that area on the walls of the office.

 

[easymoney]

billrob,
I was be fascitous, because the word always seems to get out about seeing game at "no longer secret spot X", then the race is on.
But, if there were an actual count of done of game seen, taken, money spent, miles driven, it might be a real eye opener for those expecting to have a successful hunt.

 

[billrob]

The North Chimineas unit is where I was 2 weeks ago its open no fresh sign of pigs.

Saw lots of little prarie dogs and burrows 4 other hunters a herd of elk too!
Don't know yet (I haven't checked) if varmints are allowed to be hunted there or with what.

I was thinking marlin 795 22LR with 60 grain SSS Snipers and maybe a small barska scope.

Don't even know if you can use 22's for hunting anymore my luck I'll run into a pig with the 22LR in hand.

Do you think 10 60 grainers equal 600 grains if administered throught the eyes and ears? I'd probably lose a leg or two huh?

I wonder if that action could be rechambered/rebarreled to 223?

 

[larrysogla]

The Chimeneas Unit is more tightly controlled than the Carrizo Plains N.M. I believe that rabbit and deer hunting are not allowed in the Chimeneas Unit per agreement with the land donor, the California Conservancy????? Only big game hunting allowed is wild pig hunting as I remember in the DFG news on the Chimeneas Unit. The North Chimeneas Unit has no creek or river system. I do not know if it has springs or guzzlers. With the absence of permanent water sources, the hogs will be transient. It will be the lucky hunter who stumbles on a pig traveling across the North Chimeneas Unit to the nearby ranches for water stock tanks. The South Chimeneas Unit has the flowing Cuyama River cutting across it, but hunting is not allowed in the South Chimeneas Unit due to proximity to the ranches and the Highway 166. The South Chimeneas Unit is very small compared to the 14,000(approximate) acre North Chimeneas Unit. 'Nuff said.

 

[billrob]

Thanks all, it gives me a better picture of things. If its too good to be true....
Shame the lower unit isn't open to archery only
I have occassional claims to attend to up there in Bakersfield and Shafter so from here to those areas and back the gas and mileage is covered as a company expense and I just pick up the tab for the overage.
Thanks for the info above I did speak with a biologist up there from region 3 who said he was going to do a fly over the area but last time I called he hadn't been up yet due to the weather.
It seems that your right they are transient. I did see a pig highway there going from public land to the private ranch accross the road. The rancher was putting up signs to comply with DFG because he is going PLM this year for elk. he told me he used to see em in a herd of about 60 or so all the time until lately.
The other hunters I saw said they haven't killed one there for about 6 months now.
Oh well maybe Los Padres if I go pig huntin I'll see turkeys and visa versa.
One thing for certain I'll see other hunters and thats not a bad thing hunters are generally pretty nice people. It's the antis and enviros that scare me.

Heck if I was 20 years younger and single I'd probably go to Pozo Saloon listen to music and chase cowgirls instead.

 

[easymoney]

Yeah,
Most of were hoping that the Chimenas was going to be open for all hunting.