Anyone want to get a North Cal pig hunt together?

[shaginator]

Shooter44: 152/I-5/Idria Rd route is indeed less direct but still faster. On the other hand, 25 to J-1 to New Idria Rd. is more scenic and probably takes about 45 min. longer.

 

[Speckmisser]

Hi Shooter,

Shaggy's pretty dead on.  The quality of the road is going to be pretty similar either way, but hitting Panoche Rd from 25 is going to take significantly longer.  

I go up from Union City, and generally prefer to head out to I-5, then hit Little Panoche Rd at the Shields exit (same exit you'd take to Mendota) instead of going all the way down to Panoche Rd.  Little Panoche Rd is paved all the way out, but it does seem to go on forever.  It ties into Panoche Rd, where you would want to hang a left to get down to New Idria.  Even if you go down to Panoche Rd, the unpaved section isn't really bad at all, especially now that everything's dry.  Just bumpy.

From San Jose, even though you're already well south of my starting point, you'll probably still have an easier drive going out 152 to the interstate.  But like Shaggy said, the route through 25 and Panoche Rd is plenty scenic, if you like that sort of thing.  LOTS OF COWS.

 

[tkm127]

Hey.........Me and my buddy may be interested too. Been hunting at Fort Hunter Liggett with no luck. Could use some advice .and some hunting buddies...Have any more information on when and where? Sounds like fun.....................................

 

[yotegetter]

tkm127,

Welcome to JHP! You're more than welcomed to come along with your buddy. The more the merrier.

It looks like we're going the June 1st weekend. Although I'll be heading up there May 31st.

Do we have a definite meeting spot? Who else is going friday?

 

[bubba]

I'll head up there friday on 31st.  Lets just get past the "ghost town" and find a good spot thereafter.

 

[yotegetter]

I'll probably be getting there friday around noon. We could meet in Idria or the "ghost town". We still have a month so we can think about the meeting spot and get reports from Rocketman and the others planning on scouting the place.

 

[Rocketman]

Just heading out the door for Maui for a week, be back next Thurs. nite. Still planning on going down there Fri. May 3 for a looksee. If I have time between umbrella drinks I'll try to check the board. Take care.
Aloha
Ed

 

[yotegetter]

I got an email from BigDog and he's unable to post. He'll be joining us as well

 

[Rocketman]

Heading down to Clear creek early Sat. morning scouting. If anyone else is around, look for the guy in the beige toyota 4X4 with grey campershell. I'll be out San Carlos Peak area checking out Pig Valley.

 

[Big Bubba Daddy]

Wow, I'm really excited about how this is all coming together.  I have a buddy from Seattle who will be coming down to join us as well.  I think he plans on hunting with a big 44 pistol he has a scope on.  Now all we need is a blackpowder guy and we will have all the bases covered :smile-big-blue:

I will be heading down sometime next week to do some scouting, I'll keep you all posted.

 

[Speckmisser]

Tell ya what, Big Bubba Daddy... If I can make it, I'll bring the Hawken .50 cal.  How's that?  

It does sound like fun.  If I've "worked off" the Tejon hunt, I'll try and make it down for at least a day or two.  

 

[Rocketman]

Just got back from the wilds of clear creek. Went scouting out the road to San Carlos Peak. Got as far as the San Carlos mines site. Very narrow road, it's marked as a trail. I have an old toyota 4X4 and a few spots were narrow for me, off camber too for some excitement. I did'nt drive any farther cuz I'm not as fearless when I'm alone. Lots of dirt bikes in the area, they were running an enduro. Could see down into what I think is pig valley from there but it looks like a long hike. Beautiful green terrain with trees and grass. A quad would be very usefull.
Big Bubba Daddy, if you are going down there this week, email me and I'll see if I can give you more details.
BTW, saw 4 deer, and lots of quail, cottontails, and doves.
Ed

 

[bubba]

Rocketman, did you see any goats?

 

[Rocketman]

No goats, but I didn't go out that far. The area he is talking about is farther out the main road towards Spanish Lake.

 

[dogtrainer]

Today I reached the heart of Pig Valley and the miner's cabin.  However, the cabin is collapsed.  This structure was built with a flat roof and the wood had a very weathered appearance.  It seemed to have been built from sturdy dimensional lumber.

I started my walked into Pig Valley by using a road that skirts the lake.  However, after passing the lake I decided to bushwhack it to the valley.  I did not see any pigs on this trip.

I also meet Kay and Kenny from the Futures Foundation.  They actually ran out to the road trying to flag me down as I entered Idira.  Their first utterances were that I was not allowed there and who was I?  I told them I was going to hunt pigs on BML land and then I asked them: Well who are you?  They finally introduced themselves (as I did) and stated they lived there and where part of the Futures Foundation.  I asked them how was the water and they said it was OK.

 

[Rancho Loco]

<font face=arial size=1><blockquote><hr noshade size=1> I asked them how was the water and they said it was OK.

<hr noshade size=1></blockquote></font>

:rofl

Whoa.

 

[Big Bubba Daddy]

DogTrainer:  What is the Furtures Foundation? and are we going to run into any ressistance from them come June1?

 

[dogtrainer]

Big Bubby Daddy

I do not know what the Futures Foundation's mission is but I do not think they will be a problem for the June 1 hunt.

I only stopped to see what they wanted because they looked like they might need some help.  Once they learned what my intentions were they backed off stating that the road through town was public access.  Just before I finished talking to them I asked them if they would give me a tour of the town (on my way out) and they said yes; however, I did not see anyone on the way out.

One of the keys to the June 1 hunt would be to make sure (as is reasonably possible) the land you want to hunt is BLM land or private land with permission granted.  I hiked (for about a mile) the jeep trail that enters pig valley from the east and that trail was little used, wide, and has been graded by a machine.  It looks too good to be BLM land.  Nevertheless, the views (glassing opportunities) to the north were very good.

I hiked back to my vehicle from the jeep trail via the 3200-foot contour line on a cattle trail.  The trail is well used and cuts a nice path through the brush.  The cattle trail exits the brush just as you encountered a 10-foot tall man made berm.  The location of this berm would be the northern edge of the Creek Pit.  Creek Pit is located northeast a third of a mile from the lake.

If you could get hold of up to date BLM maps with contour lines and boundary markings it would easier to figure out what land is public and what land is private.

I took a few pictures of Pig Valley and will try to post them.

 

[Bishop]

Big Bubba Daddy,
Check the post on "New Idria".  It talks about the Futures Foundation.  Some kind of drug rehab group.

 

[dogtrainer]

I emailed Bowhunting Fool about the collapsed structure I came upon and he says it is not the miner's cabin as you can not see the town of Idria from the miner's cabin.  He also said the miner's cabin is still standing.