Anybody hunted Stockdale Mountain?

[theseacow]

I've never been, and wanted to check this place out. I saw the warning on this website about the private land being easy to cross into and people getting in trouble. Anybody have any details? Anybody been there? Anybody have gps coordinates they can share on the public areas? any general knowledge about hunting there or anything at all?

Let me know...

thanks

 

[Common Sense]

Been at least 15 years since I've been there. It is a desolate waste-land surrounded by lush private property. I was deer hunting, and on the long drive to public access, you had to drive slow for fear of running over the numerous deer. Once you arrive, nothing. Of course I was there in mid-August and 100 plus weather; going after piggies in cooler weather might be possible. If you go, be sure you know where you are at.

 

[theseacow]

Thanks for the reply...
15 years is quite some time ago, and I've heard they had a big fire since then that changed alot of things. Are there any maps available of this place? Any signs or landmarks that I can follow? Otherwise, I won't be sure of where I'm at.

Any more info?

Thanks

 

[larrysogla]

Stockdale Mountain as I remember from an article in HOG HUNTER magazine correcting a previous article on the same magazine was sold to private ownership a few short years ago. Just to be sure since I could be wrong, call the Bureau of Land Management to confirm the status of Stockdale Mountain. Also bring a BLM map & a GPS if it is still in public ownership & you decide to go. There have been several posts in here that the landowner & the Game Warden are just eager to pounce on unsuspecting straying hunters. Good Luck. God Bless. larrysogla.

 

[manteca3]

I think that the Hollister BLM office will send you a cheesy map and if you call them, they can tell you some info over the phone, like whether or not it is still open.
We got stuck in a two wheel drive pickup on the dirt section of the road a few years ago. We were out there in March. It was beautiful green everywhere and had rained quite a bit that year. We saw 5 or 6 deer and almost killed some wild turkey running across the road. Seems like the best time to hunt this area is when the road is the worst. It turns into gumbo mud!
Someone also told me that the game warden gave them a blast of sh*t about where he shot the pig, saying that it was on the private side. The hunter told him to go look at where the gut pile was, but was too tired to even think about hiking back there after carrying this pig out. The story goes that he lost the pig. I forget the name of the warden for that area, but my source (pig guide out of Paso Robles) said that he was a fine piece of work.
I finally got out there in the drier part of the year and it was desolate as previously stated. No sign of water anywhere. We hiked in to the highest part and had a look see, but did not go in to the boundary of the private, where I was advised to set up an ambush.
If you get out there send us a report.

manteca3

 

[GUNNER5569]

THIS IS A BAD AREA IT COST ME 2500.00 AND 3 YEARS PROBATION AND 1 DAY IN SELINAS MY BEST ADVISE IS STAY AWAY THE LAND OWNER WILL SITE YOU EVEN IF YOU ARE ON BLM OR IN THE PARKING AREA AND THE DA WILL CHARGE YOU IF YOU STILL GO LET ME KNOW HOW MUCH IT IS NOW MINE WAS ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO

 

[larrysogla]

WOW!!!!!!.....no idea it was that bad............jeeperrsss.

 

[theseacow]

Originally posted by GUNNER5569@Apr 12 2005, 05:13 PM
THIS IS A BAD AREA IT COST ME 2500.00 AND 3 YEARS PROBATION AND 1 DAY IN SELINAS MY BEST ADVISE IS STAY AWAY THE LAND OWNER WILL SITE YOU EVEN IF YOU ARE ON BLM OR IN THE PARKING AREA AND THE DA WILL CHARGE YOU IF YOU STILL GO LET ME KNOW HOW MUCH IT IS NOW MINE WAS ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO

holy crap!

details? i wanna hear the story!

 

[larrysogla]

Yep!!!!..........very interested in how the scenario unfolded & concluded. Thanks. larrysogla.

 

[larrysogla]

Could it be that California Hog Hunter Magazine is correct in that Stockdale Mt. was actually sold to private ownership a few short years ago??????

 

[HOGHUNTER714]

I would like to hear this story as well...In my big game hunting maps it shows portions of Stockdale that are all open to the public....

 

[larrysogla]

If indeed Stockdale Mt. was sold to private ownership & the out of date BLM maps still show it as public land, then doesn't the new owner have an obligation to post signs as such that the sale to private ownership has been accomplished & the public is no longer welcome. Without that sign & with all the obsolete maps that our cash strapped BLM is putting out, that looks & smells like illegal ENTRAPMENT to me by the new owner. Lawyers are just so expensive that is why nobody is taking pictures of the absence of signs to that effect & the obsolete BLM maps to a courtcase suing that new owner for illegal entrapment. Sigh!!! All these jumping thru hoops that we as hunters have to endure not counting the legal traps that all these property owners set out there as if it was a game of "GOTCHA". 'Nuff said.

 

[BLASTMASTER]

What we need is a group of volunteer surveyors for these situations.

 

[manteca3]

Maybe a call to BLM, Hollister Resource Office would confirm the property status. I remember seeing other BLM parcels in the area around Parkfield, but they did not have any public access.

manteca3

 

[GUNNER5569]

OK HERE IT IS IT WAS IN MAY IT RAINED THE DAY BEFORE AND MY NEFEW AND HIS BOSS WENT WITH ME WE LAFT AT 400AM AND WE HAD OUR MAPS IN HAND FOLLOWED THE MAPS TO THE RD THAT GOES DOWN TO STOCKDALE MT AS WE TURNED ONTO THE ROAD WE SEE SIGNS POSTED EVERY WHERE THAT THE PROPERTY ON BOTH SIDES ARE PRIVATE SO WE STAY ON THE ROAD DIDNT EVEN STOP FOR A PEE THE ROAD WAS A MESS VERY MUDDY AND WE SLIPPED AND SLID ALL THE WAY TO THE PARKING AREA WHITCH IS VERY WELL MAKED WITH A 4X8 SIGN THAT SAY BLM STOCKDALE MT PARKING AREA AS I WAS SLIDING TO A STOP WE SEE ANOTHER TRUCK COMING IN WE GET OUT BUT THE MUD IS SO BAD WE CANT EVEN WALK SO WE DECIDE IT ISNT WORTH ITAS WE START TO GET IN THE TRUCK THE GUY IN THE OTHER TRUCK PULLS UP AND ASK MY NEFEWS BOSS FOR ID I TOLD HIM WHY DO YOU WANT TO SEE HIS ID HE SAID YOU ARE TRESSPASSING I OWN THIS ROAD AND ALL THE PROPERTY AROUND IT I TOLD HIM HE WAS A LIAR IT WAS ON THE MAP AS A PUBLIC ROAD AND POINTED TO THE SIGN THAT SAID IT WAS BLM LAND HE SAID HE HAD CALLED THE SHIRRIFF AND WE COULD ARGUE WITH HIM SO I SET IN THE TRUCK FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES THEN HE CAME TO THE TRUCK AND SAID THE SHERRIFF COULD NOT MAKE IT IN AND WANTED US TO MEET AT THE BLACKTOP ROAD WHEN WE GOT THERE THE SHERRIFF SIAD THAT MR KESSLER WAS A DEPUTIZED LAND OWNER AND WAS FILLING THE COMPLAINT HIMSELF AND HE WAS THERE TO WRITE THE CITATION AND KEEP THE PEACE NOTHING MORE WE WOULD HAVE TO GO TO COURT SO WHEN WE WENT TO COURT THE JUDGE SAID THAT IF WE PLED NOT GUILTY AND LOST WE COULD GET 3000 DOLLAR FINE AND UP TO 3 YEARS IN JAIL OR WE COULD TALK TO THE DA AND PLED OUR CASE TO HIM SO WE DID HE SAID HE KNOW WE ARE PROBALLY INNOSENT BUT KESSLER ALWAYS MAKES A GOOD CAES AND WIN ESPEISALLY SENCE HE LIVE HER AND PAY TAXES HERE SO HE OFFERED US A DEAL 2500 AND 3 YEARS PROBATION WE CALLED OUR ATTORNY AND HE SIAD BETTER TAKE IT IT WILL PROBALLY COST MORE TO FIGHT IT SO WE DID NOW I WISHED WE WOULD HAVE FOUGHT IT IT ALSO COSTED ME MY CCW FOR 5 YEARS AND NOW I HAVE A MISSTERMEANER ON MY RECORD I THINK THIS IS A TRAP HE HAS SET UP SO HE COULD BUY THE PROPERTY FROM BLM WHEN I CALL BLM ABOUT A MONTH AGO THEY SAID IT WAS STILL BLM PROPERTY BUT THEY DIDNT RECOMMEND GOING THERE SO THATS THE STORY DIRTY POOL ANY WAY YOU LOOK AT IT VERN

 

[theseacow]

Wow. you got screwed! (the caps lock key really shows that j/k)

That case is completely rediculous, and the situation can't really be still screwed up like that. It is listed as public BLM land, and would be entrapment like stated earlier, otherwise. There has to be a ton of people going there, based on the website alone. Look at laguna mountain and other central cal BLM areas, they are packed with people, and largly because of the internet (thats how i found out about the place). This nonsense can't still be going on, I just can't see it. If it is, it is truly amazing.

I must find out more, because maybe someday is trying to hide something out there, like perhaps pigs moved in the area, and they want it all to themselves? who knows.

It really sucks about your case tho. At least your lucky enough to even have ccw here in CA.

-theseacow

 

[Freedivr2]

I've got a couple friends in Parkfield, and I've heard the same thing, stay away from Kesslers property, he's had no shortage of people who've truly trespassed on it and doesn't hesitate to call the Sherriff. BTW, those pigs on his property that are hunted privately mean $$ to him so of course he's out there "protecting his own interests".

Fact is, many believe he's protecting a little MORE than his own interests, including the fact that there's about a pretty notable 50-100 yard discrepency between the access enterance to the Stockdale Mtn. area (at the end of the road) and the BLM boundry. Reason........makes it a lot harder hike in and out to Stockdale.

Last I'd heard, Stockdale is still BLM. But I wouldn't hunt it. Tough area to hunt, and there's the Kessler factor.......

 

[larrysogla]

Needs some nosy, investigative reporter to get to the bottom of this(interview on record of BLM officers, Sheriff & D.A.). Other than that it will be expensive as no Attorney will take the case on a contingency basis like a car accident victim or hospital malpractice case. The lawyers would ask for upfront fees($5,000) to take this case to court on an entrapment case & to gain easement to Stockdale Mt.

 

[Iceman14X]

Hey peeple. I'm just discovering this thread in 2025. Any changes or updates to this BLM property and it's access points?
With the advent of OnX Hunt, I figure this kinda stuff goes away or gets worse. Perhaps the BLM will grow a pair and stand on the ground with hunters for access. They loose money when the don't back us up.