Question Deer Hunting Solo advice in D3-5 (first time)

[Helrios]

I tried as hard as I could to find a mentor for this first time hunter but to no avail. I'm now determined to simply do it solo. I know it's a bad idea but I want to minimize the risks as best as I can. I will have a GPS device with satellite call and text function. I will bring at least two (maybe three?) days worth of water even if my plan is to simply to a day hunt. Got my license, tags, and rifle (with lead free bullets).

My biggest worries right are these two things:

Bears - I intend to bring bear spray for protection but is there anything else I can do to minimize the risk?

Crazy hill people - is it true that there are crazy hill people armed to the teeth that may ambush me for "trespassing" on their land? Planning to hunt in El Dorado and Stanislaus National Forests.

Any other advice to minimize the risks? Please and thanks.

 

[Yoteassasin]

Bears are more scared of you that you are of them . Bear spray or a side arm while hunting in ca Is laughable
Hunting solo is normal .

 

[NapalmCheese]

Bears - I hunt that area. I've seen plenty of bear activity but the only bears I ever saw while I was moving were hauling ass in the other direction.

Crazy hill people - they exist, when I find a random trailer/camper/hut on what is supposed to be public property I usually go around or approach with caution. I'm obviously armed, carrying a rifle or a shotgun, and haven't yet had a bad interaction. The only time I've been shot at was during turkey season in A zone on BLM.

GPS device with sat call and text - they can be useful, but you're going to have problems getting satellite to work in plenty of areas. Deep canyons, heavy canopy, etc. can cause issues.

Two or three days worth of water - if you carry that much water you're not going to be getting far enough from the truck to get lost; it's a lot of weight.

Remember, if you shoot a deer or bear, you have to get it back to the truck. Maybe you're an Olympic athlete in peak physical condition but hauling 30+ pounds of dead meat, antlers (and all of your other stuff and maybe the hide) after dark up a steep canyon that seemed sketchy-but-easy on your way down in the morning is difficult.

There's lots of forest roads and everyone is using OnX and Google Maps to find good looking areas, don't be surprised if you're not as alone as you think.

 

[couragewolf]

It’s not just crazy hill people other deer hunters are trigger happy morons. Wear some bright orange.

Also mirror what this guy says you need to be prepared to haul some meat around. The smart people gut it where it lands. I’ve seen a guy quarter and bag the deer right then and there with a sawzall but I’ve always had to string it up.

don’t pierce the bladder!!
Get a butt-out they’re handy.

 

[Helrios]

Thank you for your sound advice. It makes me a little more confident going at it alone.

 

[abillionbakedbeans]

- Blaze Orange
- Let someone know where you are going and approximate return date (also can leave info sheet on car dash)
- Bears aren’t really a problem in CA, this isn’t Alaska.
- bring less water and a way to filter if there is water access in your hunting area

 

[couragewolf]

Thank you for your sound advice. It makes me a little more confident going at it alone.

The first time I went out I was sort of young, and very interested in the idea of how invisible I could become(deer hunting was a testing ground for a lot of beyond deer hunting skill/lore curiosity for me).


I literally had some FUD about 30 yards away from me sort of creep up on my hide staring directly at me and after a few minutes of staring at me he slowly starts to point his rifle at me so I yell "I'm a F-ing human ".

I have no idea what the hell this guy thought I was, but my conclusion from this experience was these idiots in the woods will just point a gun at something if they don't know what it is and I'm probably lucky I didn't get shot.

Not saying anything like this will happen to you, but the bright orange beanie is now a permanent mainstay of my woods hunting season attire.

 

[Yoteassasin]

Any one that wears blaze orange in CA big game hunting is asking to get shot .
If you think a color will stop a trigger happy moron you are wrong . Learn how to hunt away from idiots .
All blaze orange will do in insure that you will be looked at through a rifle scope to figure out what you are .

 

[couragewolf]

Any one that wears blaze orange in CA big game hunting is asking to get shot .
If you think a color will stop a trigger happy moron you are wrong . Learn how to hunt away from idiots .
All blaze orange will do in insure that you will be looked at through a rifle scope to figure out what you are .

I'm gonna be honest if there is an area where I think people are going to try and knowingly shoot me if they see me I'm probably not going to go to that area on my leisure time and try to have fun there.

 

[Vtec44]

I backpack and hunt often by myself and there are some basic safety rules that I always follow. I always carry a side arm when hunting.

1. Always make sure to let people know about your travel plans in case of an emergency.
2. Electronic devices will fail so try to reduce your dependence on them.
3. Rule of three and prioritize your pack for it (3 hours before you die without a shelter, 3 days before you die without water, 3 weeks before you die without food)
4. Primitive fire making, shelter building, and navigation skills are critical. Be proficient because when you need is when it is most difficult to do them.


Your mileage may vary. Stay safe.

 

[R2THET]

I would echo what others have mentioned with shelter, water, and being fit enough for the pack out if you’re lucky to tag out. Hunted D3-5 for years. Lots of other hunters out there. Of course the farther in you go - less pressure. Never had an issue with a bear aside from the few times I’ve glassed them without a bear tag. Might be a good idea to snag one just in case the opportunity comes up. Be vigilant about the weather. One of my trips in D3 it went from blue skies to rain and then snow and didn’t let up for days.

Also get up there and scout. If you can’t get boots on the ground spend some time on onX and have some waypoint/POIs marked so at least you have a game plan. At the very least some points to glass. You may already be doing this but get out there with the rifle and practice shooting prone on your pack or bipod etc. at distance.

Rokslide is another awesome resource as well.

Good luck this season.

 

[Deleted member 16735]

If those are your main worries I think you should be doing several backpacking trips over the summer before you go hunting. The main hazards are boring simple things like planning your trip around fresh water and having fitness to carry 50-100 lbs on your back. For instance last summer I was backpacking out near mammoth and with 6 miles to go rolled my ankle real bad stepping down off of a rock, I knew I had to just keep moving so I limped out as fast as I could before it started swelling, made it back to the car and couldn't walk for several weeks. Luckily not broken but if I were further out it would have been a real emergency. The hunting part is going to be your last priority.