Bear Valley/Indian Valley/Cache Creek

[bux-n-dux]

Hey Y'all-

Well having decided not to head to FHL this weekend, my dad and I headed up to the Indian Valley area. Not much pig sign at all around the lake, but the pigs are definitely down in Bear Valley, hugging the rims of the canyon. Unfortunately it is all privately owned ranches, but, yes, there is a rancher who will charge a trespass fee and let you hunt. Only thing is it's a daily fee, and from what my cousin told my it's on the nieghborhood of 200 dollars. However, TONS of sign along Bear Valley road on both sides near the creek and treeline.

Indian Valley area had almost no sign at all. I walked quite a bit and found some old rooting areas and a few tracks, but nothing recent. We did find a nice place to camp and really enjoyed ourselves. Pigs seem to go where the food is and there just didn't seem to be much in they way of food up there.

Saturday we took a ride in the jeep and found a really nice area. We had to cross a swollen part of the creek to get there but we made it. A small meadow with springs running through it and oaks all around. I was certain I heard some pigs in there but couldn't see them. The meadow was all freshly rooted ands there were lots of tracks. We walked around a bit and glassed the scrub surrounding the meadow but couldn't see anything. There was a big flock of band-tailed pigeons flying around too. 30 or 40 of them, the most I have ever seen. Upon entering this area anice bobcat ran across the road in front of the truck. There was also a ton of quail down here, so the cat was definitely looking for lunch. A really nice area and my dad and I both agreed it would be worth considering for deer season.

From there we climbed up to the snow line and saw some great country but had to turn around at one point, the snow was too deep and I didn't have chains My jeep actually got stuck (the first time that has ever happened) and we had to dig it out. Needless to say no pig sign up here.

Well, I hope you guys got some oinkers down at FHL I didn't get one but had a great time with my dad and found some nice spots in the forest. FHL will be the next trip for me. Below are some pix of the creek and the snow and our camp.

Give 'em Hell!!!!!!


bux-n-dux

 

[bux-n-dux]

The snow

 

[bux-n-dux]

More snow

 

[ksberry209]

Glad you made it out. I was stuck in the office all weekend. Did you camp in a designated camp ground or did you make your own?

 

[bux-n-dux]

My dad digging us out

 

[bux-n-dux]

We found an area with just a fire ring and made our own camp. There are plenty of places to make your own camp up there, camps were everywhere and unfortunately so was alot of trash and shot-up items.

our camp

 

[Live2hunt]

Great to hear you guys had a great time. I recognize the swollen creek you crossed and your camp. I've camped at your camp many times and crossed that creek close to 400-500 times. That area is packed during deer season. I have not gone back there for deer in the last 5 years. I do like the fishing in that angle of the lake though.



L2H

 

[bux-n-dux]

L2H-

Damn....I thought I was the first to cross that creek!!!! Actually I had driven across it before as well, although not 400 times. I once did it in a '63 Nova wagon!!!

Yes my cousin stopped hunting deer in there for the same reason....I pretty much stopped hunting A zone altogether but have been able to find some spots that are not too crowded. Mostly I hunt B zone though. I could tell the area got heavy use by all the garbage that was around. One could open an ammo factory with all the spent casings that are laying around that camp.

 

[bpnclark]

Thanks for the info. Still snow there! There is probably more on the way this week.

Are there still shot-up/abandoned cars in the area? I haven't been there in 2 years. I remember seeing some down little trails and wondering "how did they ever get a car back here!"

 

[Davidw100]

Yeah that camp spot is were We had lunch. Thick stuff up there.

 

[DanV]

Looks like the creek at the north end of IVR a mile or so above the bridge . That entire area is like a shooting gallery from spring to late fall , plus just loaded with snakes then also ! I avoid that place like the plague except for the winter months , if you can drive in , you will most likely have company . Best to walk in where trucks , SUV's and such can't make it for best success !

 

[el_vaquero]

Nice..some of those shots look like part of Tejon. I love that place...

 

[Taylor31]

Nice pics. I used to work for one of those ranches in Bear Valley, and that area is crawlin with hogs for 200 a day it would be well worth it. When I was working there I didnt know of any one doing tresspass fees, do you know the name of the rancher?

 

[SacFireJT]

Thanks for the info!

 

[bux-n-dux]

Well we saw one abandoned car......didn't get close enough to see if it was shot up or not but judging by the condition of the rest of the area, I'll bet it was shot to hell. I don't know the name of the rancher in question as i got the info second hand, but something to that nature was mentioned in this forum recently and it was a friend of my cousins who spoke to the rancher a couple of years ago. And I never hunt A zone on opening weekend or during weekends at all......I'm well schooled in the A zone crowds in and around MNF. Took a year or two, but I got the message...lol....

Give 'Em Hell,

bux-n-dux