New hunters, need some guidance!

[battlehatch]

Hi, my name is Joe and I'm pretty new to hunting. My roommate and I have just gotten our safety course and licences and our looking for some good spots to hunt around the Sonoma County area. So far we have been to Cow Mountain and this weekend we plan on hiking around Mendo Natl. Forest. We are interested in hogs and/or varmint hunting. I have been reading alot lately and I'm getting a little discouraged in that most of what I read states that successful hunts are done on private ranches. I just don't have the disposable income yet to afford such an adventure. I'm 26 and my roommate is 19, we are both have excellent firearms handling and marksmanship skills. Either one of us can consistently shatter clays out to 300yds. Anyway, we are looking for some guidance, tips, hunts, anything that might be interesting to a couple low rent fellas like us! Thanks.

 

[BDB]

Welcome aboard.

Unfortunately I don't have any real good news for you in regards to hogs. MNF and other public land you want to access up there will be pretty scarce on hogs. I have hunted the souther end of MNF for deer for the last 5 years. I have never even seen a track or droppings, though folks have told me they do cross through there on occasion. Predators should be much easier in that area, I have seen yotes quite a few times while deer hunting.

Your best bet for pigs if you cannot (or will not) pay-to-play is to knock on doors and/or talk to people. You need to gain access to private land to have much of a chance to shoot a hog with a rifle in your neck of the woods. Good luck, its a never ending battle for us hog hunters without private land to hunt.

 

[battlehatch]

Thanks. You mentioned 'yotes, I'd love to hunt coyotes. Any tips for that or is Mendo a good place?

 

[BDB]

In MNF I have seen deer, turkeys, bear, yotes, jacks and cotton tails and squirrells. I wouldn't hold your breath for a pig though. Get on in there and put some time on the ground with a .22 and see what you can find. I'm not up there much or I'd offer to meet up with you some time for a hunt. I won't be getting an A zone deer tag this year (for the first time) so I doubt I will set foot there this year.

I will tell you A-zone rifle in there is a mad house!!! Get way off the roads and wear orange. Horse mountain area is good as is the boarder between A and B zone (check the maps). I used to hunt out of the Deer Valley campgroud every year (for deer). Lots of meadows, trails and roads near there there for rabbits and squirrels.

Hang around the site and you'll find that there are people that hunt that general area you can talk with and probably meet up with. That is what I did a few years back and met some folks from this site up there for a hunt or two.

Your best bet for all hunting though is to start talking to people and get access to some private land in the area. Easier said that done though!!!!

 

[scottymack]

For Pigs also check around on BLM land a weekend trip to Willits is a good place for pig or the Cache Creek area for BLM North of HWY 20 is a good spot. Other than that try Tehama County, and as said knock and talk. i have hunted ranches in that area and ahd pretty good success of hunting.