Hunting in CA?? (San Jose, Sacramento, San Mateo: lease, to buy, law)

[APW5]

My husband and son are avid hunters (yes, as in deer, elk, bear, etc). CA does not strike me as the hunting type of state but apparently there are places and, from the website of CA Fish & Game, it seems pretty great. We will possibly be moving to the SV area and would like some information on what the hunting is really like up north.
(Please no hate on the replies - I know, I know, I know....but to each his own).

Thanks!

[sonarrat]

There is some hunting in the area.. the trick is that it can only be done on private land, not in public wilderness. So you'd have little choice but to go with a company like Native Hunt which owns a large amount of acreage nearby for hunting, unless you can work out a land lease or have the millions to buy a large tract of acreage in, say, an elk zone like southeastern Monterey County.

[DMenscha]

National Forest land in CA is probably your best bet.

[Sunnnee]

Good luck! Make sure you move up north. Native Hunt is great, if your traveling South for a nice Pig Hunt. This state don't like Hunters too much and animal activists will b--- the entire time about how you abuse and misuse animals, when they have no clue on how Hunters actually manage better (key word: Manage) wildlife then they do.

Here are some places you can try (get your pocket book out and be prepared to travel)

California Hunting for Black tail Deer and Black Bear - Cottrell Ranch
California Hunting, CALHUNT - California Hunting Hot Spots
Northern California Blacktail Deer Hunting Guide Service - Private Land - California Blacktail Deer Hunting Guide - Fall River Black Tail Deer Hunting Guide
Wild Pig Hunting - California - Rifle and Bowhunting - Coalinga, CA (out in the middle of nowhere...trust me)

Sign up for Native Hunt Newletters because they always have specials and every year California we host the Sportsman's Expo. The Sacramento show is the better of the 2 (other is in San Mateo, CA)

Sacramento CA : International Sportsmen

Good Luck! Not like going in your backyard and shooting a deer....boyfriend is from South Carolina.

Sunnnee

[SickOfCalifornia]

You gotta go up north, and it's regulated like crazy. This is not a gun friendly state. I had friends who got massive fines and all guns registered confiscated for 10 years for shooting cans miles out in the desert where there was nothing but dirt as far as the eye could see. Up in Ukiah and farther north you can do some mild hunting, but nothing like in other parts of the country. Huge bummer, but true.

[calisnuffy]

My friends hunt pigs south of San Jose, thats probably your closest hunting option.

[TurcoLoco]

The only thing guys hunt in So Cal is cougar. God knows there are bunch of cougars in this neck of the woods.

[ferretkona]

I have hunted deer in Angeles Crest, Big Bear and Wrightwood. My father in law and I hunt deer and bear in Yosemite valley. I have got lots of deer near Lake Tahoe and Lake Amador. You can get a doe or spike tag for the coast area A.

[SickOfCalifornia]

Where do you hunt pigs near San Jose - I'd love to know!

There are so many hiking trails around the Bay Area with posted mountain lion warning signs. The idea that you can't even hike with a weapon in the rare case there is a problem is just awful.

[calisnuffy]

Originally Posted by SickOfCalifornia

Where do you hunt pigs near San Jose - I'd love to know!

There are so many hiking trails around the Bay Area with posted mountain lion warning signs. The idea that you can't even hike with a weapon in the rare case there is a problem is just awful.

BLM land around hollister offers hunting opportunity, my neighbor would bring back ferral pigs(boar) and we would get sausages