CA D5 zone???

[RyanSoNorCal]

Not asking for anyone’s prime spots but just looking for some direction for public access in D5. In-laws bought a cabin in Arnold and looking to use as starting point this upcoming season. Thanks!

 

[2rocky]

Stanislaus National Forest - Maps & Publications

Your best bet is to check out the map looking for end of the road trailheads and trails in roadless areas. Spend your summer checking those out Is the tag 5-7?

 

[jryoung]

Most of D5 is in the Eldorado, the Stan is about the southern 1/4.

50 and 88 give people a lot of access to the area so you're going to have competition just about anywhere there is road access. So much of the west slope is dense and thick though, so a lot of deer just sit tight during the day.

Eldorado - Home

Eldorado - Home

www.fs.usda.gov

 

[RyanSoNorCal]

Most of D5 is in the Eldorado, the Stan is about the southern 1/4.

50 and 88 give people a lot of access to the area so you're going to have competition just about anywhere there is road access. So much of the west slope is dense and thick though, so a lot of deer just sit tight during the day.

Eldorado - Home

Eldorado - Home

www.fs.usda.gov

Much appreciated. Do you know anything on access from HWY 4?

 

[RyanSoNorCal]

Stanislaus National Forest - Maps & Publications

Your best bet is to check out the map looking for end of the road trailheads and trails in roadless areas. Spend your summer checking those out Is the tag 5-7?

D3-5

 

[SO7mm]

Much appreciated. Do you know anything on access from HWY 4?

We have a family place in Dorrington. I've never got too into the hunting in that area but there is plenty of access and I'm sure opportunities if you put in your time. Are you rifle or archery? It get's really crowded during rifle season. I would not be afraid to use the Onx around the towns and subdivisions. Like a lot of CA there seems to be a lot more deer around the golf courses and homes than up on the mountain. There are a lot of closed logging/forestry roads in the area that I would think would be worth a try. There's a ranger station in Hathaway Pines that has a map of closed roads.

 

[RyanSoNorCal]

We have a family place in Dorrington. I've never got too into the hunting in that area but there is plenty of access and I'm sure opportunities if you put in your time. Are you rifle or archery? It get's really crowded during rifle season. I would not be afraid to use the Onx around the towns and subdivisions. Like a lot of CA there seems to be a lot more deer around the golf courses and homes than up on the mountain. There are a lot of closed logging/forestry roads in the area that I would think would be worth a try. There's a ranger station in Hathaway Pines that has a map of closed roads.

Thanks again!

 

[RyanSoNorCal]

Thanks again!

Last thing. Much bear activity around there? I’ve hunted bear in Trinity Lake B zone but would love to try closer to home.

 

[C17loadclear]

I grew up in Arnold ( white pines) and hunted a lot up off black springs rd and 7n09. Archery is tough as those black tails can be hard to pattern. Gun season is a zoo but what i did was look for areas that the deer will gravitate toward when the shooting starts.

I was home a few years ago and went up and checked out my old hunting spots and it looked pretty much the same.

if you want more details pm me and maybe I can help you out.

good luck!!

 

[SO7mm]

Last thing. Much bear activity around there? I’ve hunted bear in Trinity Lake B zone but would love to try closer to home.

Worth having the tag if you're spending time up there. Fishing is good as well.

 

[lastlight]

Last thing. Much bear activity around there? I’ve hunted bear in Trinity Lake B zone but would love to try closer to home.

It is not an exaggeration to say one can see a small army of bears in D3-5, 6 on a backpacking trip May-September. October/November they get tricky to find.

 

[brnsvllyjohn]

There are a lot of bears in most of the Sierras. I deer hunt a lot more than I bear hunt and I typically will not shoot a bear early in a deer hunt. You will see bears in archery season and the first couple of weeks of deer season if you find the food supply. Early they seem to be around berries and most berries are near water sources. As the year goes on they typically change to acorns. The acorn crop some years is great and other years not good at all. This is just my experience and others may have a different take. Last year we saw a couple of bears in rifle season but decided not to pursue them. They are a LOT of work and if I shoot one I am heading home to process it and have Fish and Wildlife pull a tooth. Taking it to Fish and Wildlife is of course a requirement.
I used to hunt D 5 a lot more than I do now. I now hunt D 4 and D 3 the most. That is just based on the type of area I like to hunt and not necessarily the number of hunters or deer. What works best for our group is to learn an area well and figure out how to hunt it. I doubt where we hunt holds more deer than some other areas it is just what we like and where we have success.

A quick example of where I took my buck last year. Deer also really like acorns and berries. I found an area that had a couple of huge flocks of band tailed pigeons feeding on acorns. The trails were covered in acorns. I did not see that many deer tracks but I was convinced that if I stuck with it there had to be deer near those canyons where the pigeons were. On the third day I found a lone buck and my hunt was over. Find the food and you might find game.

 

[Hunting101]

Hi everyone, does anyone know of anyone that has any D5 tags that they won’t be able to use before the end of season? I’ve hunted there several times and want to take a buddy who’s about to have a baby for a last trip. Of course would pay for them. Please let me know it would be greatly appreciated and willing to drive to get them. Thanks and good luck!

 

[RyanSoNorCal]

Hi everyone, does anyone know of anyone that has any D5 tags that they won’t be able to use before the end of season? I’ve hunted there several times and want to take a buddy who’s about to have a baby for a last trip. Of course would pay for them. Please let me know it would be greatly appreciated and willing to drive to get them. Thanks and good luck!

I don’t they’re transferable on any occasion

 

[Hunting101]

I don’t they’re transferable on any occasion

I called the fish and game office and spoke to someone there who said as long as you are not exceeding your 2 tags you can. Appreciate the response either way. Didn’t count on them being sold out but should have expected it with Covid and everyone working from home.

 

[SO7mm]

I called the fish and game office and spoke to someone there who said as long as you are not exceeding your 2 tags you can. Appreciate the response either way. Didn’t count on them being sold out but should have expected it with Covid and everyone working from home.

That's a surprise to me. I would never have guessed transferring tags is possible.

 

[mariano742]

Anyone seeing deer up high near Lake Tahoe in D5?

 

[Moserkr]

Anyone seeing deer up high near Lake Tahoe in D5?

Careful where you hunt near tahoe. There are firearm restrictions in some areas of the forest. As far as up high goes, there are deer up there, but not near as many as you find in the lower foothills. High country in the OTC sierra units, especially d3-5, is a very hard hunt. Beautiful, but very hard. More like a hunting experience. Read some regulations, watch the weather, and go for it.