New to Hunting, new to the site

[coolbreez]

I hunted once about 10 years ago, guided wild pig, in Central CA. It was great fun. I would like to try backpack hunting for deer or Elk in California. I am a total novice obviously, but would like to experience the great outdoors hiking/hunting. Most information available on this website and the Fish and Game department seem to be several years old.
Any suggestion where to begin my research for some up-to-date information?
Thanks in advance,
CB

 

[KaliHunter]

Hi,

I'm in the same boat as you, a rookie, except that I haven't even gone on my first hunt yet. Wild hog was always my primary interest for my first hunt and I'm leaning towards a guided hunt, just need to settle on a guide I guess.

But I'm also really interested in Elk hunting. I'm trying to figure out what "administrative" stuff needs to be done... I know if you want to hunt Elk in California, you have to buy a draw tag. But beyond that, I don't know what exactly to get.

Is choosing a zone just a matter of doing some research and deciding where you'd like to hunt? And what about choosing between antlerless, spike, bull, and either-sex. How do people choose?

In case it's helpful, here's a link to the 2016 CA Big Game Digest.

There's a lot in there, just trying to wrap my mind around what a lot of it actually says.

 

[Bigolwiggler]

Well, like a lot of us , I dont spend a LOT of time here in the "off season" , but I still check in. I wish that you guys had gotten more replies as we need to keep new hunters coming into the fold.
I can help you with some things that I know and help you through the tag/point process, its not that hard once you understand it. June 2nd is the deadline so be sure that you understand them by then.
I would be willing to give advice and answer questions for you .
I know that when I started big game hunting, it took me 7 years to get my 1st buck ! I really had no one to teach me except LOTS of boot leather.
I have learned a few things since then and am happy with my success rate. I deer hunt yearly and put in for Elk and speed got. Was drawn for (ca.) elk twice and goat once over the past 15 yrs.
So let me PM you guys my email addy. I dont check/reply to my email daily so be patient.

BOW

 

[outdoorsman35]

to rookies

i have hunted a lot for deer and elk. one thing you have to consider is you are going to have a lot of meat. you can't really waste it. it is most important not to sacrifice a living pure animal for sport. in my opinion. so, if you really like venison and you realize that the meat is a lot healthier than most of the crap you will have to buy at the store then you are in the right hunting. i am not a big trophy hunter. to each his own. so, for elk, there is so much meat you have to plan to pack it out. if you hunt with a vehicle then that is one thing otherwise you will have to have a horse or be in tremendous shape. it is really an obstacle.

my best advice is to hunt where you live or close as possible. out of state tags are expensive. unless you have a lot of money. the best success either comes from doing your homework, paying big money, or having a friend with private land. i just do my homework. i pretty much know every square inch of public land where i live and the out of state tags i buy are in areas i know which have a high success rate and high probability of drawing and i have hiked a lot.

if you are in my zone i can help. if not, i suggest you map out every square inch of public land that is huntable. sometimes you will find land that nobody knows about or is just recently purchased. then scout every square inch. know where the game is and where they move and when. what they eat. pattern them. know how they use the terrain. they conserve energy, they have habits. then know where the hunters will be and how the game will react. it's not rocket surgery.

my best advice is to find a spot with a high probability of game as close as possible to you that no one is going to hike to because it would take too much effort or they are not in shape enough. and they wouldn't want to pack a deer out. pack an ultralight gear, get the absolute best binoculars that you can buy and go camping for as long as possible deep in the country. over time you will learn everything how the country works. by observing. the crows will even talk. you will learn a lot. your hearing will be sharp. you will notice any movement immediately. you won't smell like a city person. game will trust your scent.

 

[mochosla]

Well, I'm somewhat new to hunting although I have harvested a few pigs and one buck and had elk tag soup last year. I will try my luck with elk again this year but I'm paying a guide for a cow in Utah. It is well worth it for me. As for California elk hunting, good luck. It will be many years before you draw a tag. And once you do, they are $$$ over $400 this year. But I will totally pay for it if I got it. If you are interested in a guided hog hunt, hit me up and I will give you the name of my guide. Great guy, lots of pigs. If you can shoot, you will get one for sure. Deer in California is hard to get but not impossible. Like outdoorsman35 said, you have to put in the time. It is lot's of fun and I love eating what I harvest. BTW, for deer, I keep the meat in iced water for 3 days, rinsing it each day and adding ice, and it removes the game flavor 100%. Also, I avoid shooting deer with high caliber riffles. It destroys a lot of the meat and it bothers me to see that happening. 22 250 or .223 works great.

Good luck and be ready for a lot of work, but great satisfaction.