Huntin' Fool
Well-known member
Going to miss it this year unless I can fill my sheep tag at least a week before rifle ends Sept 24.
California A zone - Anybody hunt it?
- Thread starter Huntin' Fool
- Start date
Kylemadsen7
New member
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2017
- Messages
- 5
I logged 7 days of the A zone archery. Found plenty of does, but only 1 buck and that was 30 minutes before shooting time ended and no way I could get to him in time with no wind to cover the sound. The plan was to come back and find him the next couple times, and of course we couldn't. On the last day of the season I ventured a slightly different way and found a nice more secluded spot with tons of fresh sign, so I at least learned more about the area for when it opens again on the 12th. I had to switch spots from where I started the season on opening day because all I was seeing was elk haha. Once I get more time off I'll likely check out B zone too, as I have an AO tag.
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uncle sage
Member
I cut my teeth bumping along the ranch roads during daily evening hunts with my Dad. He was a meat hunter exclusively who cared little how large the rack was but more importantly how the buck tasted. His Son was a different sort and early on not hunting yet, i was his ace deer spotter and seldom successful gate opener, indeed noticed and liked how the deer with bigger horns were...Bigger! Starting at 10, took my first one, then yearly shot my share along with some of my relatives too. i didn't, couldn't pass the shot when someone with authority behind me said, "i'll tag it, you take em". That's just how it was being lucky, being a hunt crazy kid, and born into a wonderful family with a large working farm and cattle ranch smack in the middle of A zone, just east of Mt. Diablo.
Soon though, i learned that the killing was too easy, it was the going hunting that i really liked. Naturally, i sought out the bigger bucks with limited success and had to hear of my best friends at school telling me of the big bucks that they had already shot that season and be happy for them because they were my friends. Then at family get togethers, i sought out to listen to the older family friends and uncle's who were grouped up and gabbing away about old hunts, new guns, big bucks, and the guys who really got after it during years past. I loved it all and by the time i was ready for high school, i had a bunch of decent blackies under my belt and about then had became a "serious" or at least "addicted", buck hunter.lol That was 50 years ago, pause, 5,0 years, and i was not alone. There seemed to be a bunch of serious buck hunters growing up about the same time in that general area of Livermore back then, lots of nice ranches in the area, lots of hunting Families. There were some hard hunting SOB's there, some still are, and i'm proud to associate with and say that some of those guys have been and still are, life long friends.
In that area i speak of, all the hills and country surrounding Livermore, there is no public land that i know of so you need to know somebody someway, somehow, or go poaching which is done by a few from often to rarely, but is certainly not recommended and frowned upon even back then. Though my Grandfather never turned away a Hunter who asked permission to hunt, It's now harder but not impossible finding a place that has not been hunted to death either by man or predator which are many. The herds have suffered in that area. Not to say that hunting has stopped or that a guy with keys can't take a good buck, he can, but there are just not the deer and deer hunting there that there used to be. What else is new? Most of the remaining guys i'm in contact with down there won't shoot a buck unless he's a monster and even then he might pass on him in hopes he'll breed another crop like himself. Things change.
If you do find a place to hunt, it can be done, scout it, walk it, learn it's deer and name the bucks you see. I used to have my opening morning buck picked out long ahead of opening morning and though i can't say i took the picked out buck each opening day every year, i can say that i usually did get that buck or took one of the best bucks available on the Ranch each opening day for quite a few years there. After hanging him at the ranch house and getting the heart to Grandma, him all cleaned, i'd have the sweet super fresh deer heart and eggs my grandma knew she was going to be making for me and then i'd work on getting him down to my other Grandparents who lived in town with Grandpa no longer hunting but still with good teeth and craving the meat. That was first day of the season, late 60's thru some of the eighties when most of the ranch became a estate and sold. A nice little run i had on opening day of the season there for a good long while. I knew where my target buck was going to be from long hrs of scouting, shooting him was the easy part.
You will find more success not asking to hunt opening weekend. Most places that occasionally do give permission, save opening week for family. Ask to hunt mid season or later. Be open and willing. A foot in the door...
Funny but might as well skip over the next 5 weeks or so of hunting. Somehow, i managed to hunt every day, some morning hunts, but almost every evening hunt. I'd go alone on foot, hike miles and miles or go planned with Uncles, Dad, Grandpa. I loved hunting with Grandpa by ourselves in his old army jeep, he's love to see me shoot but he had no desire to shoot a deer. When a bit older in my 20's, i took friends, lots of guys shot their first deer with me. Usually, i knew the general area where a decent buck lived and we'd spot n stalk him to within easy range. Big country, sharp eyes, cheap glasses, long stalks, and shots under 200 yards usually did the trick. I wasn't interested in taking any of those buck because i knew that no matter how well i thought i knew the deer within that 2 by 6 mile top and sides of a small mountain range i had to hunt, there were bigger and better bucks going to magically appear with the females during that last week of the season. That's when i figured to punch my second tag. They always showed and i usually took the best buck of the season off the ranch at that time. Sadly but gladly, much of the best hunting on my Grandfathers Ranch is now No Hunting, East Bay Regional Park.
Much of what went on then is the very same as what's going on now. The best is if you can somehow manage to get the keys and permission to hunt a good piece of cover and habitat rich property. Even good property now is not likely to produce 100 deer sightings a evening hunt like back then but it's hunting the same. Knock on doors, being honest or offering something of value as a gift or maybe later to trade is a good place to start, you don't ever know what might have come your way if you don't dig around and ask. Good Luck!
Soon though, i learned that the killing was too easy, it was the going hunting that i really liked. Naturally, i sought out the bigger bucks with limited success and had to hear of my best friends at school telling me of the big bucks that they had already shot that season and be happy for them because they were my friends. Then at family get togethers, i sought out to listen to the older family friends and uncle's who were grouped up and gabbing away about old hunts, new guns, big bucks, and the guys who really got after it during years past. I loved it all and by the time i was ready for high school, i had a bunch of decent blackies under my belt and about then had became a "serious" or at least "addicted", buck hunter.lol That was 50 years ago, pause, 5,0 years, and i was not alone. There seemed to be a bunch of serious buck hunters growing up about the same time in that general area of Livermore back then, lots of nice ranches in the area, lots of hunting Families. There were some hard hunting SOB's there, some still are, and i'm proud to associate with and say that some of those guys have been and still are, life long friends.
In that area i speak of, all the hills and country surrounding Livermore, there is no public land that i know of so you need to know somebody someway, somehow, or go poaching which is done by a few from often to rarely, but is certainly not recommended and frowned upon even back then. Though my Grandfather never turned away a Hunter who asked permission to hunt, It's now harder but not impossible finding a place that has not been hunted to death either by man or predator which are many. The herds have suffered in that area. Not to say that hunting has stopped or that a guy with keys can't take a good buck, he can, but there are just not the deer and deer hunting there that there used to be. What else is new? Most of the remaining guys i'm in contact with down there won't shoot a buck unless he's a monster and even then he might pass on him in hopes he'll breed another crop like himself. Things change.
If you do find a place to hunt, it can be done, scout it, walk it, learn it's deer and name the bucks you see. I used to have my opening morning buck picked out long ahead of opening morning and though i can't say i took the picked out buck each opening day every year, i can say that i usually did get that buck or took one of the best bucks available on the Ranch each opening day for quite a few years there. After hanging him at the ranch house and getting the heart to Grandma, him all cleaned, i'd have the sweet super fresh deer heart and eggs my grandma knew she was going to be making for me and then i'd work on getting him down to my other Grandparents who lived in town with Grandpa no longer hunting but still with good teeth and craving the meat. That was first day of the season, late 60's thru some of the eighties when most of the ranch became a estate and sold. A nice little run i had on opening day of the season there for a good long while. I knew where my target buck was going to be from long hrs of scouting, shooting him was the easy part.
You will find more success not asking to hunt opening weekend. Most places that occasionally do give permission, save opening week for family. Ask to hunt mid season or later. Be open and willing. A foot in the door...
Funny but might as well skip over the next 5 weeks or so of hunting. Somehow, i managed to hunt every day, some morning hunts, but almost every evening hunt. I'd go alone on foot, hike miles and miles or go planned with Uncles, Dad, Grandpa. I loved hunting with Grandpa by ourselves in his old army jeep, he's love to see me shoot but he had no desire to shoot a deer. When a bit older in my 20's, i took friends, lots of guys shot their first deer with me. Usually, i knew the general area where a decent buck lived and we'd spot n stalk him to within easy range. Big country, sharp eyes, cheap glasses, long stalks, and shots under 200 yards usually did the trick. I wasn't interested in taking any of those buck because i knew that no matter how well i thought i knew the deer within that 2 by 6 mile top and sides of a small mountain range i had to hunt, there were bigger and better bucks going to magically appear with the females during that last week of the season. That's when i figured to punch my second tag. They always showed and i usually took the best buck of the season off the ranch at that time. Sadly but gladly, much of the best hunting on my Grandfathers Ranch is now No Hunting, East Bay Regional Park.
Much of what went on then is the very same as what's going on now. The best is if you can somehow manage to get the keys and permission to hunt a good piece of cover and habitat rich property. Even good property now is not likely to produce 100 deer sightings a evening hunt like back then but it's hunting the same. Knock on doors, being honest or offering something of value as a gift or maybe later to trade is a good place to start, you don't ever know what might have come your way if you don't dig around and ask. Good Luck!
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Huntin' Fool
Well-known member
2019 seasons A zone Archery July 13 - Aug - 4 Rifle Aug 10 - Sept 22
I'm planning on being there Aug 10th!
I'm planning on being there Aug 10th!
cahunter805
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 27, 2014
- Messages
- 2,554
I’ll be checking trail cams next weekend. Can’t wait to see what bucks are around this year.
Huntin' Fool
Well-known member
Any reports?
lastlight
Well-known member
Cant wait for Aug 10th, Ive been scouting my usual spots (public land) and the same old buck is still there from last year. Ive never had a target buck before, but since he eluded me last year numerous times and is still in the same drainage I am really determined to chase him again. Ive been hunting Azone hard for 8 years and filled my tags each year and this is not the widest buck Ive seen but the best. Perfectly symmetrical 4x4 with eye guards, they dont come that way down here often....
