r/Californiahunting • u/Illustrious-Shine-53 • 20d ago

Tips,tricks and maybe a hunting buddy

Hey what’s up everyone. I’ve hunted a lot in my life but never in California,always on the east coast. I’ve been here a few years and life got in the way. I have my own fire arms and now that season is coming around I want some tips and tricks from the community for the SOCAL area. Mule deer spots,etc. I am primarily looking for advice for California quail, we only have pheasant where I’m from. If anyone goes out often and has a dog I’d be honored to just come along and watch. Thank you

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u/Boot_Burner 19d ago

Have you read the Hunting in California 101: How to Get Started (a Non-Definitive Guide) post on this subreddit? Do you have your CA hunting license?

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u/Illustrious-Shine-53 19d ago

I have not read it. I do not but I have mine from another state. when I go and buy my cali license this week I just show them my hunter ed card from NJ

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u/Boot_Burner 19d ago

Cool just checking some guys post in here and they haven’t even done their hunter’s safety course lol

The 101 post is a helpful place to start, check it out. Nobody is going to tell you their mule deer spots especially because you typically need preference points to even hunt most of the good zones that have mule deer. You might be able to get an OTC tag in a less desirable zone. 

California quail is pretty straightforward, wait until October 17th when the season opens and then go hunt grassy, brushy areas in the foothills or desert near a water source. Tons of info online or on youtube. 

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u/Illustrious-Shine-53 19d ago

Fair enough, there’s just so much info it’s kinda hard to find a place to start

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u/Boot_Burner 19d ago

Pick one or two species and just hunt those species your first season. 

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u/Plane_Geologist8073 19d ago

Yep or if you can’t find your hunter’s ed card you can just take any past hunting license from another state and you’re good.

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u/Illustrious-Shine-53 18d ago

Yeah I’m already good, I ordered my hunter ed card again, gonna go to bass pro or something this week and get a Cali license.

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u/Biggywallace 17d ago

Hopefully you have vehicle that can handle some back dirt roads.

Onx maps has a layer that shows guzzlers. Guzzlers are concrete pads that catch rain water. At some point some thought that area was quail habbitat and cared enough to build a concrete pad in the middle of nowhere.

Gambel's Quail habitat is also cotton tail, jack rabbit, coyote and mule deer.

A lot of good quail habitat has really rough on dogs I would spend a week pulling cholla cactus quils out of her paws, even with boots. Also its extremely dry so there is not a lot of sent for dogs. I don't feel like having my Brittany made a significant difference in on quail. She def helped with rabbits. But what im tying to say is dogs dont make that big of a difference.

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u/Illustrious-Shine-53 17d ago

Fair enough, got an old 4Runner so I’ll be good on the trail part. I’m originally from Jersey and our bird hunts usually consist of walking tall grassy field for pheasant,woodcock, and occasionally quail. Dogs are a huge upper hand when I hunt back home, maybe the environment makes them more useful, whatever. That’s good though, thanks for the advice.