Camp Roberts this weekend - my nephew's first hunt

[old bowhunter]

All - first of all, thanks for a great site. While I just "joined", I have been reading posts from internet searches for a couple of years now. Seems like a great bunch of hunters! When I have some time I'll post my "new guy" intro on the site. The net/net though is that I've been a bowhunter for over 20 years, chasing everything from bears to rabbits. This weekend I am taking my 14 year old nephew on his first hunt ever at Camp Roberts.

He will be using my Weatherby 30-06. I have done extensive "scouting" via topos and aerial photos, but have not stepped foot on the property yet. I've hunted pigs at Tejon and on Maui, so I've got a pretty good idea of the challenges as well as tactics.

I'm wondering if any of you can give me some quality advice as to where to hunt, how to avoid other hunters if possible, etc. Any info you have would be useful. I saw an old email thread from JHO, and tried to email the author but it got kicked back undeliverable. I've heard that hunting the barley field fence is productive, and I assume that's the area near East Perimeter road at 1a/1b? I've also looked ate area 4 in the thicker stuff, just south of the river. The map indicates several water areas, but the aerial photos indicate most are dry...I've also been told that area 5 up Hare Canyon road is worth scouting for bedded pigs on the north facing ridges? I plan to post him on a point and go into the canyon to drive pigs his way if needed. My father in law will stay with him if I do that.

If this were your nephew's first hunt, and you wanted it to be challenging and rewarding, without having to deal with a lot of road hunters, where would you go?

I will be heading up on Friday with my toy hauler trailer, and will be in the Camp Roberts rv park until Monday. My father in law will accompany me, and we will meet my brother and two nephews. My brother has never hunted either, and has decided to take my 12 year old nephew "rabbit hunting" with shotguns we chase pigs. "Bonus Points" if you can help me send my brother someplace safe and out of everyone's way, where he might actrually see a critter.

Thanks for your help guys!

Rob

 

[mike_cook82]

roberts

ive been to camp roberts too many times to count. i go up there every couple of months to train. i turn it into a scouting trip though. the 3 places ive seen pigs are at area 5. the barley field, and on north side of the river right as you are approaching the explosives range. if you go in camp roberts and go straight and then take a right at the end, youll drive for about 2 miles or so and youll see a sign that says "sherwood forest" take a right on that dirt road and it will eventually run you right into the river. the other side of this river (it will be very low so it is easily walkable) is where ive seen the majority of my pig sightings at camp roberts. There are some small hills and quite a few wooded areas that contain a few pigs. this would be my first spot. the barley field is near where we train at for squad leaders and ive had a few almost walk into our concertina wire early in the morning. ive never seen a pig after 9am though. and my personal experience is that area 5 is some of the most spread out and hardest to cover terrain that CR offers. there are so many damn ground squirrel holes there, its a miracle i ever return from there without broken legs. i wouldnt take a youngster out there unless he was going to post up on a hill under a tree first thing at light. i have seen 2 pigs out there and weve hit another with a humvee 2 years ago. its good hunting and if you need more info just PM me.

 

[w8_liftr]

I do most of my hunting at Roberts as well. Lots of tank and jeep trails all over, makes it easy to get around, but hard to get away from others.

Most of the pigs do come from area 5, few from the other areas. Remember CR is non-lead. Available game to hunt is listed on the schedule and Check Station staff will defer to that list. For this weekend, the schedule says pig hunting and no mention of jack rabbits.
Hunting and Fishing - Camp Roberts

It's a tough hunt, but that builds character. It's a nice place to visit and can be a real test of one's patience.

 

[old bowhunter]

Gentlemen - thank you both for your valuable input!

Mike - from your description and the topo maps, for area 5 I think I know where you are referring. I may PM you for more detail. I really appreciate the help! I have a lot of experience bowhunting deer and bear in Northern California (it was zone C4 the last time I hunted up there) as well as x9a and x9b. I've also got boot leather experience pig, pheasant and Axis deer hunting in Maui, and elk and mule deer in Colorado. Plus a fair amount of fly fishing experience in the Sierras. I'd be happy to reciprocate info.

W8_lftr - that is a great catch about the rabbit hunting. I think you are correct, there isn't any this weekend. I just emailed my brother. I owe you one! Same offer of reciprocity of info, I just prefer to PM for certain areas rather than post.

 

[w8_liftr]

OB:

I grew up hunting roberts and now do it as my primary hunt, since I can afford to take time off during that time. I've seen pigs 3 times, but have seen plenty of tracks and once in awhile fresh dung.

If you try area 5, get up to the top of one of the ridges and glass. Bring the best optics you have. You will need them.

 

[mike_cook82]

Old bowhunter,
i have a partner up there as we speak that is an instructor giving out some training and i use him as a scout when im not up there. There is an area that the GIANT satellite communication tower sits on a hill. Ive trained there in the past and dont know the exact area name or even how to get there. hopefully he will forward more info as the day goes on. anyway if you can find that on the map and figure out how to get there, it would probably be rewarding for you. he sent me a picture text this morning of 10 youngster crossing a small riverbed. they look like ants in the pic. but where there are little ones, there are big parents somewhere. give it a shot and drop me a PM if you need more info.

 

[Live2hunt]

Old bowhunter,
i have a partner up there as we speak that is an instructor giving out some training and i use him as a scout when im not up there. There is an area that the GIANT satellite communication tower sits on a hill. Ive trained there in the past and dont know the exact area name or even how to get there. hopefully he will forward more info as the day goes on. anyway if you can find that on the map and figure out how to get there, it would probably be rewarding for you. he sent me a picture text this morning of 10 youngster crossing a small riverbed. they look like ants in the pic. but where there are little ones, there are big parents somewhere. give it a shot and drop me a PM if you need more info.

No hunting 2km radius around SATCOM.
http://www.calguard.ca.gov/CpRbts/Documents/HF map 2008.pdf

 

[old bowhunter]

Mike - thanks for the PM. You are THE MAN! My son just turned 1 year old last Friday and I can't wait to introduce him the outdoors. I've got a lot of "bootleather and sweat" knowledge that I'm more than happy to share with you when the time comes.

I'll let you all know how the weekend ends up!

 

[mike_cook82]

No worries bowhunter. i was referring to the area east of SATCOM, not the actual ridge itself. it is in all actuality probably 2 miles away from it. anything i can do to help. ill be up there for 3 weeks in july for training and ill turn it into a scouting trip! i'll pass on more info as it becomes available.

 

[old bowhunter]

NET/NET Hunting report: Logistically, I was Charlie Brown the whole weekend, as nothing went right, beginning with a very late start on Friday, not one but TWO blown trailer tires, necessitating a camp out in the Costco Parking lot overnight in Santa Maria, missing Saturday morning, only to arrive in 90+ degree weather around 1pm on Sat.... I'll spare the rest of the gory details of my experience (I had three 1st time hunters plus my father in-law who has only big game hunted about 4 times... hurding cats with a squirt gun would have been easier!), except to say that by Monday morning, after approx 160 hunters on Saturday and approx 85 on Sunday, only one pig - a 160lb boar - had been killed. On the bright side, I was able to get my nephew into bow range, while still hunting ravines, of 2 different cow elk, 2 different mule deer doe, plus he saw a little muley buck at 120 yards, 2 hen turkey with young, and a rattler and a gopher snake! Given the circumstances, I think that's not too bad! He also got to see the dead boar, which was taken along the river in area 4 around 8am on Sunday by a novice hunter (poor guy wasn't prepaired to field dress it even?!)

So here is the "Scouting Report" for Camp Roberts: all of the reservoirs have water. The Nacimiento is running too deep/fast to cross for most, even with chest waders. Last year parts of area 3 and 4 evidently were closed due to pipeline or ? construction, so there are more pigs there - spread out - than in recent years. I found many rooting areas, but they were all at least 2 weeks old, when the ground was wet from the recent rains. I did find fresh sign and wallows in one of the ponds, but was unable to hunt Monday morning when I'm SURE the old boar showed up...Contrary to what I've heard about past years, it appears that the pigs are spread out, and can be found in the deeper ravines that have green vegitation. Until water supplies dry up, I predict the hunting is going to be tough there.

My advice if you go is to bring your snake chaps, invest in some Technu (now called Ivarest) poison oak wash, and till hunt the darkest, nastiest ravines you can find! Or try and hunt one of the smaller, more remote reservoirs, but bring mosquito repellent and hunt with the wind.

That's it for now from Old Bowhunter. Shoot straight boys!

 

[k_rad]

Thanks for the report! Sounds like you had a great bonding time with family and got to see all of the things you can't shoot! HAHAHA