Hunting Season

VermillionPearlGirl · Mon Oct 14, 2013 11:41 am

Thought it would be kind of deserted up in Angeles this weekend with people maybe confused about the closure, but boy was I wrong. Completely forgot it's October. There was Pickup after Pickup after Suburban of guys in camo and neon orange.

Now, I'm not judging or anything. I've never had anything but pleasant encounters with hunters (well actually, there was one really weird encounter once with these two crossbow guys...), but my question is -- where is the good hunting? So I can avoid it

I know most hunters are very responsible sportsmen, but if I can stay out of their stray bullet way, I'm more than happy to do so.

I was surprised to see so many people in the high country because personally I've never seen a deer in the high country (sample size of one!), but I guess with middle-high being burnt it changes the equation?

I remember driving down Glendora Mountain Road before and it looking like it had been invaded by the military, with sentinels every couple hundred feet lining the road way. But where else do people go? What are the best/most popular spots? And what's likely to be less popular with this crowd?

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 12:54 pm

All I can recommend is to get a cheap blaze orange vest or shirt (and/or hat). I got a zip-front fleece at Turner's Outdoorsman for $15. I hope others chime in, because I'd like to know the answer to your question too. I was near Mt Disappointment yesterday and heard a half dozen rifle shots. Spooky when the hills reflect the noise and you can't tell where they're coming from.

One would *think* hunters would stay away from popular hiking trails. But this is LA.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 12:55 pm

Yeah, it's fall, and the hunters are out. There are deer out there although not a lot. I'm not so sure hunting near a heavily populated area like Los Angeles is a good idea, but it's legal.

I wish there were a way for hikers to know about it -- like signs posted during deer season at the trail head. I guess you could go to the California Dept. of Fish & Wildlife website, but good luck on figuring out all the zones, seasons, and types of hunts* if you're a non hunter.

I guess the best idea is to wear bright colors in the fall -- not a bad idea year round I suppose.

HJ

*This past weekend all I saw were bow hunters, for example.

VermillionPearlGirl · Mon Oct 14, 2013 12:56 pm

Bill Riley/Dissapointment/San Gabriel Peak is a regular hike of mine (I often do it weekly), and during previous hunting seasons I've always heard a lot of shots around there.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 12:57 pm

cougarmagic wrote: ↑One would *think* hunters would stay away from popular hiking trails.

Um, good luck with that. I'm not sure that the hunters would know the popular hiking trails any more than a hiker would know where the popular hunting areas are.

But, hey, no big deal, right? I mean, what's the worst that could happen?

HJ

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 12:58 pm

VermillionPearlGirl wrote: ↑Bill Riley.

What's Bill Riley? Do you mean Bailey Canyon?

HJ

VermillionPearlGirl · Post by **VermillionPearlGirl** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 1:04 pm

Bill Riley is that trail to Mount Disappointment...
http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/34 ... -118.10281
I learned that on this board a couple months ago from Matt Maxon

And to be fair, I can't even think of one story of a hiker being shot by a hunter in Angeles. Most "people being shot by hunter" stories I've heard are people who are hunting with that person. I believe most people are very careful and obviously they're usually shooting at something specific not like wildly into the forest.

That being said, I'm still perfectly willing to get out of their way in order to help

longcut · Post by **longcut** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 1:13 pm

A lot of outdoor apparel is very brightly colored. this time of year always makes me consider buying into this stuff more. Sounds like a good excuse to go shopping!! I mean, who could argue with it when it could save your life right?

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 1:23 pm

Oh, OK. I just never knew it was the Bill Riley trail. I wonder who Bill Riley was?

HJ

Post by **Sean** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 1:57 pm

Popular hunting spots are where deer hang out. Water and food sources. Bedding grounds, if you can find them. Avoid taking animal trails to such locations if you're scared of being shot. Look for deer droppings to see if they frequent the paths. The risk of being shot by a hunter is historically practically nonexistent. Wearing non-camo colors might alert them to your presence, if you're close enough to their hunting ground. Some people prefer to gossip super loudly so that everyone on the mountain can hear them.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 6:24 pm

I recommend that people talk loudly about how hunting should be made illegal and all firearms should be confiscated. It may not keep you from getting shot, but I can rest assured nothing will be aimed my way.

HJ

yobtaf · Post by **yobtaf** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 6:46 pm

shoot back...

tracker · Post by **tracker** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 7:51 pm

I guess the Game Warden should chime in here:
The popular hunting seasons that cause those noticeable crowds are fairly consistent from year to year. Some are set calendar dates, some are referenced to weekend days.
>Dove: 9/1 to 9/15, then 11/9 to 12/23- Nationwide. Dove is a migratory bird so the Feds set the season. It hasn't changed since the '40's.
>general (rifle) deer: second Saturday in October to the second Sunday in November. (5 weekends) This is the season for LA, Orange, San Berdoo, and the eastern part of Ventura county. SB closes a week earlier.
>Bear:Opens on the same day as general deer. It closes toward the end of December or when 1700 bears have been taken Statewide. Some counties have no season. Dogs can't be used now.
>Quail: Third Saturday in October to the last Sunday in January - Statewide
>Wild Pig:Year-round, statewide. There is no season on pigs. They aren't as established in the SGM as the rest of the state but they are starting to show here and there.

Those are the bigger seasons with noticeable participation. There are a lot of smaller, less popular hunts involving archery, falconry, jr. hunters, etc. There is one more worth mentioning because we are in LA:
Poaching: 24/7/365. All species, genders, and ages. No limits or restrictions. No licenses, tags, or citizenship required. Certain fees, forfeiture of equipment, and/or loss of personal freedoms may be imposed without warning.

I'd be happy to answer specific questions if anyone has them.

RichardK · Post by **RichardK** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 8:57 pm

Sean wrote: ↑The risk of being shot by a hunter is historically practically nonexistent.

It's like winning the lottery. It happens only to a select few.

"On National Forest lands in 2002 and 2003, two Appalachian Trail hikers were shot by hunters who thought they were shooting at deer. Both hikers suffered serious injuries; both hunters were prosecuted."

- Appalachian Trail Conservancy

"SUBLIMITY, Ore. -- A 20-year-old hiker was killed after being accidentally shot by a hunter near Silver Creek Falls Friday night, police said."

- KING5.com, October 22, 2011

"A hunter mistook a Virginia college student for a deer and fired, killing her and injuring a companion "

- BackPacker.com, October, 2011

"A 54-year-old hiker was accidentally shot and killed by 14-year-old hunter on the Sauk Mountain Trail on Saturday."

- Washington Trails Association, August 4, 2008

"Flatwoods, La. - A turkey hunter from Rapides Parish faces a charge of negligent injury, after investigators say he accidentally shot a hiker in Natchitoches Parish."

- Fox8Live.com, April 27, 2012

"A deer hunter was found not guilty of manslaughter after a hiker was killed by a stray bullet in 2006, rekindling the debate over land use."

- TheStar.com, Ontario, Canada, November 6, 2006

And finally this from the High Country News (Colorado), May 29, 2006

Shooting at hikers is perfectly legal

My family and I almost became collateral damage at the end of a pleasant hike through Colorado's Roosevelt National Forest. We were walking on a trail north of the small town of Lyons, when bullets suddenly peppered the trees behind our backs. My 8-year-old son, in tears, flattened himself into the dirt, and though my wife screamed "hikers! hikers!" at the shooters, the bullets kept coming. But here's the real shock: While the shooters were undoubtedly careless and stupid, it was legal for them to fire their guns in our direction.

tracker · Post by **tracker** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 10:25 pm

A long time ago I learned a phrase in history class; "Yellow Journalism". It seems the concept is still alive and well; and quite enhanced by the power of the internet and search engines.

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 10:46 pm

There were bow hunters walking around Marshall Canyon early in the morning yesterday (Sunday, Oct. 13) The park boundary is fairly high up the ridge. Hopefully, they weren't hunting in the county park.

tracker · Post by **tracker** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 11:00 pm

Mike P wrote: ↑There were bow hunters walking around Marshall Canyon early in the morning yesterday (Sunday, Oct. 13) The park boundary is fairly high up the ridge. Hopefully, they weren't hunting in the county park.

Thanx. I'll pass that on to my guy in Duarte.

Post by **Sean** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 6:47 am

RichardK wrote: ↑It's like winning the lottery. It happens only to a select few.

More like getting struck by lightning, I'd say. Lots of people win the lottery in comparison.

Another tip: If you're afraid of being shot by a hunter, don't leave California. According to my research (five minutes on Google), the last Californian shot by a hunter was moseying through some brush in Oregon.

tracker · Post by **tracker** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 9:11 am

I should probably chime in here again:
In the past 21 years that I can account for, only one incident in the SGM's has been discovered where a person was mistakenly shot by a hunter.
I'm not counting incidents involving bird hunters. They tend to pepper themselves on a pretty regular basis.
It was tragic and very preventable. Long story short: The victim was a hunter, wearing full cammo, (including a hood and face mask), crawling on his hands and knees in thick shaded brush, and 75 yards from a well-driven dirt road (7N22) on a Saturday morning during rifle deer and bear season. I was about 300 yards away and heard the shots.
You decide......
There have been several reports of hunters injuring or nearly injuring people but after a good investigation, none has panned out as having happened as initially reported.
Again, you decide....... I might add - If you don't believe in hunting, refrain from a threatening expression of your opinion to a hunter; or threatening him or his vehicle.
I wouldn't be an objective investigator if I don't admit there may have been hunter-related casualties that were never discovered, reported, or solved. Still, the danger of being a victim from a hunter's weapon just isn't what many think it is.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 9:17 am

tracker wrote: ↑ The popular hunting seasons that cause those noticeable crowds are fairly consistent from year to year. Some are set calendar dates, some are referenced to weekend days.
>Dove: 9/1 to 9/15, then 11/9 to 12/23- Nationwide. Dove is a migratory bird so the Feds set the season. It hasn't changed since the '40's.
>general (rifle) deer: second Saturday in October to the second Sunday in November. (5 weekends) This is the season for LA, Orange, San Berdoo, and the eastern part of Ventura county. SB closes a week earlier.
>Bear:Opens on the same day as general deer. It closes toward the end of December or when 1700 bears have been taken Statewide. Some counties have no season. Dogs can't be used now.
>Quail: Third Saturday in October to the last Sunday in January - Statewide
>Wild Pig:Year-round, statewide. There is no season on pigs. They aren't as established in the SGM as the rest of the state but they are starting to show here and there.

Thank you! That's the most concise information I've seen to date. Trying to read through X zones and whatnot on the DFW site is not for the feint of heart (although it probably is ultimately navigable; I just got a little intimidated -- but it certainly isn't something accessible quickly)

HJ

VermillionPearlGirl · Tue Oct 15, 2013 12:18 pm

I didn't know they could hunt bears. That makes more sense for some of the confusing places I saw hunters last weekend.

Sigh, I'm thinking of moving to Oregon and I know my likelihood of being shot there goes up exponentially.... But I used to spend summers in South Carolina and people would just shoot their guns off there because it was Tuesday so hopefully that's prepared me

Thanks for the info!

Post by **HikeUp** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 12:47 pm

Just hope they know their gun safety rules...

Rule 1: keep your booger hook off the bang switch until you're ready to fire

tracker · Post by **tracker** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 2:51 pm

VermillionPearlGirl wrote: ↑I didn't know they could hunt bears. That makes more sense for some of the confusing places I saw hunters last weekend.

Last weekend was not a typical opening day. A lot of the campgrounds and day-use areas were closed so hunters had to change their routines.
Very few bears are taken in the ANF. The reported (legal) sport take is about 3 to 12 a year. Cars and property owners kill more bears than hunters do. Commuters take their share of deer too.

BrownMtnBob · Post by **BrownMtnBob** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 6:27 pm

They're not "hunters"....use the correct terminology. They are "small di$*ed chumps".

Post by **Taco** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 6:59 pm

Hunters have small dishes? I don't have any dishes... then again I don't hunt anymore.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 7:37 pm

Serving size: One Vienna sausage?

HJ

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 11:50 pm

tracker wrote: ↑
Mike P wrote: ↑There were bow hunters walking around Marshall Canyon early in the morning yesterday (Sunday, Oct. 13) The park boundary is fairly high up the ridge. Hopefully, they weren't hunting in the county park.
Thanx. I'll pass that on to my guy in Duarte.

Thx, tracker, for looking into that...

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 8:44 am

HikeUp wrote: ↑Rule 1: keep your booger hook off the bang switch until you're ready to fire

The really critical rule: Make a positive ID on what you're shooting at. If you can't see it clearly, don't pull the trigger.

HJ

simonov · Post by **simonov** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 4:41 pm

HikeUp wrote: ↑Just hope they know their gun safety rules...

Rule 1: keep your booger hook off the bang switch until you're ready to fire

Ackshully, that's Rule #3.

Post by **Hikin_Jim** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 7:54 pm

And what pray tell are the other two?

HJ