SoCal desert Muley,Split eye guards!!!

[HuntWYODon]

Muleys,
The Chocolates are in D12 South side of 10 frwy. Have make sure you aren't in the bombing range though.
I hunted D12 once just for a weeked. Trying to locate guzzlers out there. Saw bighorns but no deer. Saw one set of large deer tracks in a wash that I followed for awhile . Like CC's Dad's idea about raking the wash. I know the feed in the agraculture fields at night and head back to hills in a.m.. People have been shooting them in private fields lately.
They have javalina on the Ca. side there now too... Won't find them listed as a game animal by Ca. F&G though...

 

[Muleys 24/7]

Drew the bighorn tag in 2002, first year for pts. in Ca. Can't draw a dang Tule elk tag with max pts. though !

That's some luck you got there! Sounds like you have a busy season coming up. About the CA bighorn...... what zone did you draw and were you succsessful in filling your tag?

 

[HuntWYODon]

bigshot,
It's great to hear somebody that hunts the same places I grew up hunting and have hunted for 40 yrs..
I've packed into San Gorgonia wilderness many times. Used to be able to get right up on the bighorns there, until they started a hunt there in 1996 I think it was...Got some great pics and had some printed in Sheep Conservation Mag. I shot my bighorn there. A lot of bears in there too. Have seen blonde, brown and black phases there and once one that looked almost redish brown. If you have been up to the North Fork falls, you can see all the claw marks in the alder trees. I have killed a few bucks in there but only two were nice. All have big eyegaurd genetics in there. I used to pack in at Fish Creek after work and walk all night up to the saddle and though my bag down, sleep then get up and either hike up to 10,000 ft. Ridge/Toothpick Forest and hunt or go down back side and hunt. Seen some nice bucks in velvet during the archery hunt on back side. Always wanted to hunt it all the way down to Whitewater and have someone pick me up. Never diid. Anyway. Great reading all of your guy's posts !

 

[HuntWYODon]

Hey Muleys,
I drew San Gorgonio Wilderness in 2002. First yr. for pts. and 3 times as many people put in to get pts. Shot my ram Jan. 2003. He was 163 in. Needed 168 in. to make book but I've never been into that. Yeah, had some good luck this year. If I draw 12B late in Az. I'll cr@p ! Drew in in 2001.

 

[HuntWYODon]

Graylight,
Where abouts do you hunt in So. Cal ?
I hunted D14 for 30 yrs. straight (even back when it was D11 which incompased D19).
I moved to San Diego area and have only hunted it a few times since. I don't like hunting D16 around here much.
a lot of brush in most areas. I like getting an A22 tag as second tag though. Great split season and can hunt to end of Dec.

 

[HuntWYODon]

bigshot,
Don't know if it's the same mount they have in Mill Creek Ranger Sta. now but they had one in there way back when I lived in Redlands that somebody shot in San Gorgonio Wilderness that was pretty nice. A buck I shot in there around 1996 ??? Can't remember, had the same genetics. Same rack. It may have been offspring from mine ??? Oh, and yes, the ladies in there are definitly tree huggers...

 

[Muleys 24/7]

Hey Muleys,
I drew San Gorgonio Wilderness in 2002. First yr. for pts. and 3 times as many people put in to get pts. Shot my ram Jan. 2003. He was 163 in. Needed 168 in. to make book but I've never been into that. Yeah, had some good luck this year. I've I draw 12B late in Az. I'll cr@p ! Drew in in 2001.

Yea, who cares about the book.Sounds like you got a great ram, pics? That's my most desired tag I want to draw here in cali and in the san gorgonio wilderness too!I've never talked to anyone that has drawn, until now. With only 2 tags per year, and me not having even close to the max point pool, I'm gonna need lots of luck for it to ever happen.

 

[HuntWYODon]

If I can figure out how to post pics I will. I think I was able to copy and pastes pics on here last year when I tried.
I'd probably have max 12 pts., I think 13 if unsuccessful this yr., if I hadn't drawn in 2002. Still have max pts. for elk and loper. Like you wanting to draw the bighorn tag, I know want to draw a dang tule elk tag ! I've killed bulls in Az,Ut,Wy and Co. but to get one in Ca... Do live close to D14/San G ? I grew up in Redlands and was in the San Bernardino Nat. Forest every min. I could be.
I almost got a D14 for my 2nd tag this yr. because my friend has a cabin in Big Bear that I have free use of. The forest boundry by Sugarloaf is about 150 yds from cabin. I got another A22 tag instead. Spreads the seasons out longer if you know what I mean.

 

[HuntWYODon]

Muleys,
I can't get the pic to paste. I can email it. I don't even remember how to send a PM on here... Haven't been on this forum for a yr. !

 

[Muleys 24/7]

Yea, I live in the IE, I have been hunting D-14 and D-16 for quite a few years now, got bucks from both, have hunted D-12 as well. I'm real fimliar with the San bernandino forest, I'm up there all the time, so much I should live there. If work was more steady I'd buy a small cabin in a heart beat.

 

[Muleys 24/7]

Muleys,
I can't get the pic to paste. I can email it. I don't even remember how to send a PM on here... Haven't been on this forum for a yr. !

The PM/ notifications box is at the very top of the page. I'll send you my email address.

 

[HuntWYODon]

Sent emails and PM. Thanks !

 

[Muleys 24/7]

Sent emails and PM. Thanks !

Got'em, what a dream hunt!

Repiled to your yahoo email, thanks

 

[HuntWYODon]

You draw , I'll guide and give you my friends rate. $00.000 !
I'll even say 100 % kill ( not book though)
I hope you draw it next year , before I get too old !

 

[Muleys 24/7]

You draw , I'll guide and give you my friends rate. $00.000 !
I'll even say 100 % kill ( not book though)
I hope you draw it next year , before I get too old !

Thanks, Hopefully next year is the year, I even bought a bunch of the raffle tickets too! Time will tell

 

[HuntWYODon]

Yeah , probably better odds with the raffle ticket than the draw...I bought my son 5 for bigorn and 5 each for elk,deer and loper for me. I put in for raffle at the Sportsmans Convention in Salt Lake 2009 for a bunch of hunts. I drew one of 2 tags for for Book Cliffs Roadless elk hunt. My buddy lives in Moab and has mules and goes into the Book's all the time. He was with me there. After I drew he couldn't believe it. There were tons of out of state people there just for that reason. Somebody has to win ! Unbelievable though !
Got close with antelope in Ca. this year. 1st alternate.

 

[bigshot]

bigshot,
It's great to hear somebody that hunts the same places I grew up hunting and have hunted for 40 yrs..
I've packed into San Gorgonia wilderness many times. Used to be able to get right up on the bighorns there, until they started a hunt there in 1996 I think it was...Got some great pics and had some printed in Sheep Conservation Mag. I shot my bighorn there. A lot of bears in there too. Have seen blonde, brown and black phases there and once one that looked almost redish brown. If you have been up to the North Fork falls, you can see all the claw marks in the alder trees. I have killed a few bucks in there but only two were nice. All have big eyegaurd genetics in there. I used to pack in at Fish Creek after work and walk all night up to the saddle and though my bag down, sleep then get up and either hike up to 10,000 ft. Ridge/Toothpick Forest and hunt or go down back side and hunt. Seen some nice bucks in velvet during the archery hunt on back side. Always wanted to hunt it all the way down to Whitewater and have someone pick me up. Never diid. Anyway. Great reading all of your guy's posts !

Hey HuntWYODon,
I've been hunting the San Berdoos since I was old enough to drive. Our hunting party has taken a few trophies, especially since the fires hit approximately seven years ago. I'd sure like to see that trophy you took in the Wilderness area that you believe might be related to the buck in the Ranger Station. I'm going to get a picture of that buck this week and post it on here. I'm very familiar with fish creek area and Sugerloaf Mtn. We hike into the Wilderness from the south east end, and yes, I agree there is, "Mucho," bears.

 

[Muleys 24/7]

Bigshot, Here's a pic of that wilderness buck in the ranger station, He's up pretty high so this is the best pic I have of it

heres a pic of the cat they have in there too

 

[bigshot]

Thats him!! Thanks Muley, look at the girth of his neck!! Largest bodied buck from southern Cali, I ever seen.

 

[HuntWYODon]

bigshot,
That's the same buck that's been in there for a loooong time.
I know it's related to mine. I'll take a pic and try to post it. I got mine in Whitewater canyon/river above North Fork Falls.
Sometimes you could catch them migrating after a good snow in Nov.. I got another nice buck in there prior to that one.He was a 4x4 with nice eyegaurds. I was hunting with a taxidermist that scored for the Ca. record book. I think Ca. bucks had to score 125 in. to make it. Mine scored 118 in. He aged him at 7 1/2 yrs. His was on his way down. His antlers showed it. Had a 4 pt. but 4 crab pts..I felt kind of bad shooting him. I was way down low with a doe and a fawn. A happy little family. LOL ! I think he was too old to migrate up and down anymore. well worn teeth also.The other buck had 5 in. eyegaurds.Every buck I took out of there had big ones. I'll take a pic of the other ones rack. The mount I had done on the first one looks like crap. A different taxidermist was hunting with us that I didn't know. He wanted to do it. It was cheep back then but no where near the other guy's quality. I have 3 friends in Ca. and one in Wy. that are taxidermist. I know a lot of secrets the use. You can stretch a cape a couple inches easy. Or even use a bigger cape. My one friend put huge necks on all my mounts. I think I actually have a pic of the buck that looks like that one on my work pc here. I'll find it. Thanks for showing me ! I have been in Mill Creek Sta. for about 6 yrs.The ram on the avatar is the one I shot in San Gorgonio Wilderness in 2003.