Anyone else here hunt our little Southern Californian, Blacktail cousins, the pacific hybrid? They aren't much antler wise but fun to hunt while you're waiting for the fall hunts... Here's one from a while back...
Pacific Hybrids... Anyone hunt them?
- Thread starter Graylight
- Start date
Muleys 24/7
Veteran member
I am not intimately familiar with specific lines, however, it is basically from around Monterey to the South, along the coast to San Diego. The Southern portion of A zone, D-19, parts of D-11, D-15 and D-16... If you hunt San Diego, you're most likely hunting hybrids... Like I said, I am not the authority on the actual lines, however, there is no book category for these little deer... Either way, I find them just as smart and challenging to hunt as any other species or sub-species!
Muleys 24/7
Veteran member
Maybe I've gotten a couple then.....out of D-16, I was always told they were blacktails?? Either way that's a nice 3x3 you got there.Was that one taken on public land?
True Blacktails are further to the North of us... I have been thinking about putting a high country Trinity alps hunt together for them in August someday, too much to do, so little time...
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Jon Boy
Active Member
That's what I always called them! Have heard both ways that there is an actual mixed species, but don't have a clue whats true!
bigshot
Very Active Member
bigshot
Very Active Member
Hey Grey light, that is a nice buck, did you ever get him scored. Looks like he would make the Cali archery book.
I rough scored him, he's about 134 gross, 130 net... He's one of my better local bucks... Just thought I'd ask if any of you boy's on this forum chase hybrids around? I wouldn't think there's too many of us on here but you never know...
Kevin Root
Very Active Member
The Pacific Hybrid according to the deer boundaries map set by the California Bowmen Hunters Big Game Club Record book falls where I live. Most of the hunting I'm able to do close to me in that zone is with a camera only unless I pay for a hunting lease on some pretty nice private lands. I've seen some nice Pacific Hybrid bucks hiking on the public no hunt zones though. It's mostly private land or county and state parks where I live. Most if all of the land by me is private land other than some BLM, military bases and a bit of National forest further down south. I've hunted some of the public but mostly just for quail.
That is a nice buck Graylight. Well done!
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
Lived in the LA area most of my life (58 years until I retired 12 years ago) and never heard the southern cal coastal deer call hybrids. I have hunted the Ventura/Ojai area for years (Sespe, Frazier Park and Apache Canyon) and have taken some pretty good bucks out of there. Never scored any, but based on what I know now, several would score 160. I have also found sheds that were as big (mass, ht & width) as any we get here in the Colo. Hunting the early season used to be a really tough proposition. Season opened in August and usually it was hot as hell. Lots of steep brushy country, you had to be a dedicated deer hunter!!
During WWII my Dad bought 10 acres in Malibu (right above Paradise Cove) and we lived there for a couple of years. Lots of deer there. I have a mount of a buck my Dad shot in 1945 the is a 5x5, heavy beamed nice buck. Weighed 169# of meat at the butcher as I remember. This deer had hair over 1" long. Dad told me a large ranch between us and Santa Monica brought in a bunch of muleys from Utah and turned them loose. Unfortunately in 1948 Dad sold the property because we couldn't get any water, even after drilling 2 or 3 wells. I'll see if I can get a picture or 2 and post them .
During WWII my Dad bought 10 acres in Malibu (right above Paradise Cove) and we lived there for a couple of years. Lots of deer there. I have a mount of a buck my Dad shot in 1945 the is a 5x5, heavy beamed nice buck. Weighed 169# of meat at the butcher as I remember. This deer had hair over 1" long. Dad told me a large ranch between us and Santa Monica brought in a bunch of muleys from Utah and turned them loose. Unfortunately in 1948 Dad sold the property because we couldn't get any water, even after drilling 2 or 3 wells. I'll see if I can get a picture or 2 and post them .
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
Kevin Root
Very Active Member
The below map is what I've seen as well and read on deer distribution in California. I got it off the CA fish and game site below. I'm not a biologist but I've heard one can tell the six recognized subspecies by the tail patterns as well. I'd imagine where "hybrid" term is coming from is the interbreeding diversity that goes on between the deer.
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/deer.html
Pretty cool history and nice buck Colorado Cowboy. 10 acres in Malibu from 1945-1948. I'm sure the scenery has changed a bit since your family had the place. I'd hate to imagine what that same 10 acres goes for in todays market, even with the resent downturn in the market.
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Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
It was a great piece of land. Don't even want to think about living there now....probably couldn't even afford to pay the taxes on it!!
Kevin Root
Very Active Member
I can only imagine what it looked like back then. It surely was a whole lot more pristine and rural in those days. Hearing the history about it for me is sure cool though.
Thats a beautiful hybrid Graylight. Here are a couple from the past two years. Both taken in San Diego County using a bow.
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bigshot
Very Active Member
I used to hunt Malibu quit a bit, but stopped when they divided the archery (Zone A31-A32) Zones. A31 is much closer and there is some great hunting there too. When I did hunt Malibu we hunted around Puerco Canyon and behind Pepperdine University. Its been over ten years since I've hunted that area. I heard a Movie directer bought the access road and property where we used to hunt and its now heavily posted. I saw bucks in the 28 inch wide class!!
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HuntWYODon
Very Active Member
The zones you mentioned are Calfornia Mule deer and Southern Mule deer. Further south in D12 and D17 they are called Burro Mule deer. Blacktails usually start from nortern L.A. county coastal all the way into Or. and Wa.. Where you get the cross over hybrids is east of the mtns. along hwy 5 going north. It's splittin hairs but Calif. defines 7 different types of deer. All are based on the black pattern on their tail. Muleys 24/7 and bigshot, your D14,D116,D19 and D15 are all specified as Southern Mule deer. No blacktails anywhere in those zones or D11 which if I remember correcty are specified as California Mule deer . No, Im not a game biologist. Just studied when I was a youngin.
I just noticed there was another page with the species map posted. What a dork ! Should go past 1st page huh ? Give me a brake, I just turned senior citizen on the 13th.
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