Backcountry D7
- Thread starter Shaun
- Start date
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
I've hunted D7 since before it was called that ...used to be called Late or Inland Season.Taken a ton of deer out of there. My family started hunting the area in 1940. I was last there in 2003, after I retired in 2000 and moved here to Colorado. I've always hunted the eastern part of D7, coming in from Mammoth. Over the years the hunting has declined for a number of reasons. I my opinion a lot of the decline has been the habitat. In the late 40's the Forest Service stopped permitting sheep in the backcountry. The meadows started to fill in with pines and the forage started to decline. I have pictures I took in the 50"s and when compared to today, it is totally different. There are also more lions and coyotes. Just my take from 50 years of hunting backcountry D7.
Bitterroot Bulls
Veteran member
CC, I don't mean to hijack the thread, but:
I don't know if the encroachment of trees there was from the lack of grazing or not. They have studied that same phenomena extensively here in the Northern Rockies. they found the biggest factor was aggressive fire suppression. The old vs. new pictures are amazing. The other result of this over-suppression, was that now our fires are catastrophic and nearly impossible to suppress, due to the increased fuel loads.
Back to the OP's thread, I am curious to see how this thread turns out, one of my hunting partners is from Northern CA, and he says the hunting is better than one might expect.
I don't know if the encroachment of trees there was from the lack of grazing or not. They have studied that same phenomena extensively here in the Northern Rockies. they found the biggest factor was aggressive fire suppression. The old vs. new pictures are amazing. The other result of this over-suppression, was that now our fires are catastrophic and nearly impossible to suppress, due to the increased fuel loads.
Back to the OP's thread, I am curious to see how this thread turns out, one of my hunting partners is from Northern CA, and he says the hunting is better than one might expect.
Drhorsepower
Veteran member
D7 is more southern Cali. And no the hunting ca SUCKS. Need not apply. Spread the word BB. Don't waste time or money in this state. What part of northern Cali does your friend live?
Going to d7 is a little far for me! I'd be interested if there are any opportunitys in c zones for a backcountry hunt. Something I can put in for as a second choice and still build points. Oh I mean I don't build points in Cali, it's a waste of time and money I forgot!
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
The D7 area that I've hunted for 50 years has had only one or two fires I know of. Only one was very large and most of it was not in D7. I don't call Mammoth Mountain north of Bishop Southern California! Most of the area I always hunted is at or above timberline. The areas that were traditionally grazing area for the sheep were a lower altitudes and had a lot more brush and meadows, which is the winter range for this area. I've seen a lot of the old camps they used. It is all now wilderness and there are virtually no trails here and the country is really rugged. Most of the normal D7 hunting pressure comes from the western side of the Sierras and is lower elevation with lots of ranches. You don't need any points to get a D7 tag.
- Jan 7, 2012
- 243
- 0
CC that's the area I am looking to pack into but from the Edison lake side. The mammoth area is the normal zone I hunt but it is a draw I pull that tag about every other year as a crow flys mammoth is only 60 miles from me but is close to a 5 hour drive. I would love to see those pictures. I will pm you
mav_7mm
New Member
I never hunted D7 myself but I had a few friends pull some nice critters out of there.
Northern Cali is better than a lot of people think. I lived around the D3-5 area and I saw some monster bucks out of there. The cougar population throughout the state is ridiculous. My dad tells my brother and I about times when the deer herds at our ranch in Southern Monterey County were to the point where you looked into the fields and picked which one you wanted. The years that I started to hunt, it was to the point where if I saw horns I was moving. Now the population has picked up and this last summer I even saw two four-points.
Northern Cali is better than a lot of people think. I lived around the D3-5 area and I saw some monster bucks out of there. The cougar population throughout the state is ridiculous. My dad tells my brother and I about times when the deer herds at our ranch in Southern Monterey County were to the point where you looked into the fields and picked which one you wanted. The years that I started to hunt, it was to the point where if I saw horns I was moving. Now the population has picked up and this last summer I even saw two four-points.
Grantbvfd
Active Member
The cougar population throughout the state is flatout ridiculous! In the past 10 years I'd say deer populations have dropped 50% and probably more than that. I've gone from filling two tags a year, to waiting 3 years to fill a tag with a buck over 3 years old.
It seems I kill more coyotes a year than I ever used to hear of seeing. These predator are just out of control. The end of last year a wolf entered the northern part of the state.
Drhorsepower
Veteran member
California is a predator sanctuary. If I am resurrected as a mountain lion, I'm asking the lord to put me in California! It is utopia for those guys.
Grantbvfd
Active Member
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
I am a 4 generation Californio and this is the reason I left when I retired 12 years ago!!!
sjsmallfield
Veteran member
Drhorsepower
Veteran member
Heck that didn't stop me! I do live within rock throwing distance to the California border though. I run my dog up there and sometimes pee into Cali standing on Nevada side.
mav_7mm
New Member
Ha ha Like you guys I got out when I could. In years past I was lucky to see one coyote a week, this winter when I was there pig hunting I saw 5-6 a day! each day about half were different than the day before. Ridiculous is right!!!
H3Dad
New Member
Hunt blacktails in Ca. Go out of state for mule deer. It may or may not be worth applying for deer in Ca. it just depends on want species.