Report on FHL

[Bill in SD]

Hi, I was planning on hunting FHL this weekend.  I am going to leave San Diego at 7pm, on Friday and arrive early Saturday morning (8 plus hour drive).  Can I get onto the base after midnight? I was thinking of sleeping in my truck the first night.  And can I check in for a hunt zone Saturday morning (and if so what are the hours to do so?), or do I need to check in on Friday?

I do have the yearly FHL permit, and have registration, license, insurance, hunting license, pig tags.

And how has the hunting been in the rifle units?  Any recommendations ?  

Oh, and yes, I will listen to the base report this Wednesday.
Thanks
Bill

 

[Fubar]

Bill The guard shack is open 24 hours a day. When you get there you can go to the campground and get a couple of hours sleep.
Check in time Saturday starts around 5 or 5:30. You can find out on the recording. They have been updating the recording on Thursdays so check the dates when you call or you may be listening to last weeks recording.
I dont know what areas are open so I cant really tell you where to go. 29 has been good for pigs.
I heard we may get some rain Thursday and Friday so be careful as the roads there are bad when we get some weather. 29 may be a good bet if it rains as it is a walk in area.                      Fubar

 

[Bill in SD]

Fubar, thanks for the information, and that answers my question regarding "whether to drive the honda civic or my nissan 4x4 truck".......

Unit 29 is archery and/or shotgun only, right?  I am bringing my wife and it is her first hunt and she will be toting a rifle.

Would you suggest some places that are open for rifle hunting?
Thanks
Bill

 

[grtwythunter]

Bill-
  I haven't hunted there in a few years, but used to see quite a few pigs in areas 7 and 24. 29 is shotgun/archery/muzzleloader only. Good luck.     Scott

 

[SDHNTR]

Bill,
You may be able to get an extra hour or so of sleep than you think.  I make it form the PB area of San Diego to King City in just under 6 hrs.  You should be able to make it to FHL in 7 easy.

 

[Bill in SD]

SDHNTR, man that is flying!!!  It is almost 400 miles from San Diego to FHL.  What I am dreading is the traffic.  I am going to hit the San Diego traffic head on, by the 805/5 crunch at 6 pm, however I'll miss the worst of the LA traffic.

Hey, I lived in PB for about 9 years.  The last place I lived was on Emerald Street, by Cass Street bar and grill. I recently got married and just bought a house in La Mesa.  I could not afford a modest house at over $450 grand.

PB was my old snail trail hunting grounds.  

Do you hunt the East County for deer, in the Lagunas, or Palomar Mountains?
Thanks and take care
Bill

 

[m57jager]

Bill in SD,
We're going up Friday morning for the weekend, Be in a black Jeep Grand Cherokee.  Good Luck, and pray for rain brother.  

 

[Bill in SD]

m57jager, I'll be driving my white nissan 4x4.  I am not sure what unit I'll be hunting.  It will depend on what is open and what is available Saturday morning.  I wonder if they will be open on Monday, since it is a holiday?

Take care and say howdee if we cross paths.
Bill

 

[m57jager]

Bill in SD,
They said that they would be open on Monday.
See ya out there.  Good Luck!!!!
 

 

[sdbowyer]

Hey SDHNTR,

I do that trip from PB in 6 hours too!  Only stop for gas.    

 

[bohunter7]

anyone going up with a bow? Im going from San diego in march. this will be my first time at fhl. any sugestions or help? Id be very gratful, Ill let you know what happens. Several of my friends are going with rifles too, ill fill ya in.

 

[Fubar]

Anyone do any good at Hunter Liggett this last weekend Feb 16 &17 ?  See any pigs? Much rain?               Fubar

 

[Bill in SD]

M57jager, how did you do?  There were two black Grand Cherokees out there this weekend.  I drove by a camp with a black Grand Cherokee headed back to my camp on Saturday.  

I was pretty tired out driving all the way from San Diego.  I got in at about 1:30 am, so it only took me about 7 hours to drive up.

SDBoyer and SDHntr, Yes, it would be easy to drive up in 6 hours from San Diego before or after rush hour.  My wife got off of work at 6 pm and we got slammed in Friday traffic in San Diego and in LA and it delayed me at least an hour or so.  What time of day or night do you guys leave to drive 6 hours from San Diego to FHL?

I know there was a pig taken in 29.    Units 29, 30, and 10/13 were real popular.

Most guys were road hunting.  There do not seem to be a lot of pigs on the base, and they are very scattered.

It did rain all Saturday night and my wife and I saw lots of elk and deer on Sunday.  It was a real treat.  And there were more quail than you could shake a stick at!!!!

Overall, I had a great time.  We drove back the long way, down the Naciemento-Ferguson Road to the coast and stopped and watched the Elephant Seals just North of San Simeon, then drove to Paso Robles and back home.  

Lots of driving no pigs, but a great time.  And for $70 each for the year, the price can't be beat?

Bill

 

[Bill in SD]

Oh, and the Hacienda was sure a treat.  Good food and really cheap prices and in an old style hacienda to boot.  

I'm sure I'll make another trip back there in the next few weeks.

Bill

 

[sdbowyer]

Bill, I've only made it that fast by getting up way before rush hour to beat the LA traffic.  Tell me more about the Hacienda, like how much per night?  Did the wife hunt with you or did she stay at the Hacienda?  I'd like to bring mine if possible one of these times but have only camped and I'm curious if its somewhere she could hang out.

 

[m57jager]

Bill in SD

Might of seen you drive by once near the campground.  We started in 29 and put in about 10+ miles.  As we were walking out we heard 2 hunters shoot 5 times.  The old man couldn't walk well anymore due to an lower leg injury that he postponed going to the doctors for in fear that he might not be able to hunt.  Went to 24, saw deer, bobcat, bull elk over on 20(adjacent to 24) and some fresh rooting, but no pigs.  I agree, base doesn't seem to hold very many pigs.  Had a blast anyway, of course.  Good luck to you next time.
   

 

[wavesfr]

The pigs there probably scattered. Probably out & about feeding in the barley fields. There's also plenty of other water sources. Probably better in spring when everything is green. More food on the base then. Or summer when you can ambush at the water holes. There are pigs there though. I've never stayedat the hacienda Myself. We we're going to one time. I think it's like 20 bucks & 30 bucks. But i've heard the rooms are pretty nice. Since I don't have a wife I pay 5 bucks & sleep in the dirt lol. Also that area where the pool is. There are showers in there you can use.You pay a dollar per person & can use the pool showers sauna weight room all that stuff. So thats something else for ya to know for next time

 

[Bill in SD]

Sdbowyer, we did not stay at the Hacienda.  We had lunch there three days.  And the lunch was great and the prices were cheap.  We looked over at the motel rooms adacent to the Hacienda.  I did not think that you could actually stay in the Hacienda itself.  And the rooms looked OK, but we did not check them out.  It looked like maybe one person was staying there.

I asked my wife if she would like to stay in the room and she said she prefered to camp.  

My wife hunted with me.  She was sporting her new 308 compact rifle.

It sounds like the lodging is good. I don't know if it would be a good place to hang out.  Probably very, very boring.  However, if she wanted to watch tv (not sure of the channel selection), or wanted to read a book or just have some peace and quiet, then that would be the ticket.

Wavesfr, yes we camped in the dirt for $5 per night.  

There is a building with a pool(pool is closed now), weight room, exercise room with showers and they have not been charging people since September 11.  

Sdbowyer, that is something else your wife could do, go to the exercise room, weight room.  There are bicycle machines and other stuff.  There is a movie theater on base as well. I am not sure if they were showing movies now.

Bill

 

[SDHNTR]

Bill,
I ususally try to leave SD about 9 am.  LA traffic is always iffy but I ususally seem to miss it.  If you have to leave during rush hour its best to go the hwy 15 to 10 to 210 to 5 route.

 

[Bill in SD]

SDHNTR, 9 am is a good time to leave.  I had to wait until after 6 pm for my wife.  

Thanks for the advice.  I did take the 210 to the 57 to the 5 on the way home and had no problems driving back yesterday.  

Bll