Caribou Gear Tarp

Calif Draw results are posted.

I got another point, and a A31 tag as second choice. I'll prob get an AO tag later as well.
 
No elk, sheep, or antelope for me either. It's my first season so I wasn't expecting it.

I've got two deer tags for Zone B and D3-5.
 
Nothing but some b zone tags for me but my brother drew likely tables archery antelope!!! Going scouting this coming weekend.
 
Both my son and I got skunked for everything. As this was our first year with 0 pts, I expected as much. Gotta start somewhere. They say I get a second one time chance at unfilled zones. Currently, the open units are:
AO
A
B
D3-5
D6
D7
D8
D10
D11
D13
D14
D15
D16
D19
A32
Ventura/Los Angeles Late Season Archery Either-Sex

We have yet to venture into Archery, so only looking to rifle hunt. So AO and A32 are out. I'm in Southern CA so I guess there are a bunch of units open down here. Thanks for any help for some noobs.
 
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Both my son and I got skunked for everything. As this was our first year with 0 pts, I expected as much. Gotta start somewhere. They say I get a second one time chance at unfilled zones.

It's not a second chance or a one time, they've been on sale since April. You only try and draw for a premium tag (first choice, first tag) there are thousands of unrestricted tags for which you can purchase 2 at any time. You can also buy a restricted tag at anytime so long as you don't have a premium tag or premium draw pending. Finally, you can have a restricted tag as your first and you can buy a second on the first business day after August 1st.
 
You can also buy a restricted tag at anytime so long as you don't have a premium tag or premium draw pending. Finally, you can have a restricted tag as your first and you can buy a second on the first business day after August 1st.

I'm sorry, but I'm confused(really new to this. Bird hunting is so easy comparatively). What constitutes a "restricted tag"? What is a premium tag? Do you mean I can buy a tag for say D17(which CADFW does not show as available on their site)OTC as long as I did not draw one? Sorry for the very basic questions.
 
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Like usual, more points for Elk, Sheep, Antelope.

Got my A22 tag, so will have a chance to put some meat in the freezer, then it's up to Idaho for OTC archery Elk.
 
Truly blessed, drew the best Antelope tag in the state (Lassen). Drew my third choice Deer so I still keep those points.
 
I'm sorry, but I'm confused(really new to this. Bird hunting is so easy comparatively). What constitutes a "restricted tag"? What is a premium tag? Do you mean I can buy a tag for say D17(which CADFW does not show as available on their site)OTC as long as I did not draw one? Sorry for the very basic questions.


If you look in the regs it will list which units are premium, and give you some valuable info. You should start there
 

http://www.eregulations.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/18CABG-LR2.pdf Page 15 has what are premium zones, tags that are restricted, etc. will go on sale Aug 1st, the rest are able to pickup or order today from the website.

Check the map of deer zones and find one to hunt. When I moved to Kalistan I knew local SD as well as had gone trout fishing once in the D zones and that was where I started. Boots on the ground is how you find deer out here, but know that most folks have years if not decades into their areas and few consistently kill older bucks. Good luck.
 
GABearclaw said, "know that most folks have years if not decades into their areas and few consistently kill older bucks. Good luck. "


Yeah, well said! +1

i'm one of those older guys that have been blessed to have hunted most of our Northern zones yet not really done that well. Mostly, i don't like to hunt trails though i know where some good ones are. It takes a different kind of guy that can sit on a trail daily and patiently wait figuring that sooner or later their good buck is going to come thru. Often in these Northern heavy timber country units, those guys who can sit do much better than the guys, like myself, who gets bored and soon thinks there may be a buck just over that next rise and i have to go find him.

Some here know that i'm disabled. Lucky enough, i can still walk a bit, enough to take care of my household, but not enough to get off the road much or drag a deer uphill, walk over a ridge for a look see. I always wondered if my years of buying chances at a Calif desert sheep and Elk, if i would ever draw before i was too old or broken down to even think of going on such a hunt? I always said to myself that the cost of applying, buying a lic too, was money well spent and that my chances of actually drawing were little better than nil, yet i always applied for everything going back to the early 80's. Now, sitting with the Max of 16 points for both sheep and Elk, my chances are getting better each year that passes but the reality of myself being physically fit enough to be going if drawn, much diminishes. Kinda sucks but it's a reality for some of us if lucky enough to get old.

This X-1 hunt will be my last X zone hunt. After this "public land open sage and lava bed country Muley hunt", i'll be putting First choice "C" zone local and at least be sure to hunt bucks every year as long as i'm here. Go get them guys, Good Luck on your hunts!
 
I'm sorry, but I'm confused(really new to this. Bird hunting is so easy comparatively). What constitutes a "restricted tag"? What is a premium tag? Do you mean I can buy a tag for say D17(which CADFW does not show as available on their site)OTC as long as I did not draw one? Sorry for the very basic questions.


According to the booklet D 17 sells out in the first drawing. The booklet also indicates no one even got a D 17 tag as second choice. (page 22). When you checked the website those tags listed are what you can buy. If you did not draw a premium tag you can purchase a restricted tag now, if you drew a premium tag you have to wait until August. Restricted tags are listed on page 31. The restricted units are the deer units that sell out before a certain date. Putting restrictions on those tags prevents people from buying 2 before someone else has an opportunity to buy 1.
the restricted tags you listed are.
B
D6
D14
D16
Basically those tags sell out sooner than others but if you do not have either a restricted tag or a premium tag you can buy one now.
I have a premium tag so I cannot buy a restricted tag until August. I however will buy a D3-5 soon, those are not restricted.
 
According to the booklet D 17 sells out in the first drawing. The booklet also indicates no one even got a D 17 tag as second choice. (page 22). When you checked the website those tags listed are what you can buy. If you did not draw a premium tag you can purchase a restricted tag now, if you drew a premium tag you have to wait until August. Restricted tags are listed on page 31. The restricted units are the deer units that sell out before a certain date. Putting restrictions on those tags prevents people from buying 2 before someone else has an opportunity to buy 1.
the restricted tags you listed are.
B
D6
D14
D16
Basically those tags sell out sooner than others but if you do not have either a restricted tag or a premium tag you can buy one now.
I have a premium tag so I cannot buy a restricted tag until August. I however will buy a D3-5 soon, those are not restricted.


So I get it now. While technically it is all in there, the way they "explain" it, it is NOT very clear. Clear maybe if you've been hunting in this state for years, or you really know the ins/outs of the Western points game. I'm still learning. GFC, GoHunt.com is an entire website devoted to trying to figure out draw stragedy with extreamly complex alglorythms crunching the numbers state by state. So you can not say it is a simple system like bird/small game is.

Both my son and I struck out on our 1st and 2nd draws. I now realize we get the chance to pick our 1st and 2nd tags from that unit list I posted before anyone else who did get at least one of their draw choices does. We chose D16(1st) and A(2nd) for both he and I. We have two pretty big chunks of ground to stomp around in...maybe not good choices ;-) I'm continuing to narrow them down with OnX and Earth and will plan a few scouting trips. I also applied for a DFW Wildlife area hunt up West of the central valley(it'll be an A tag) though I fear that will be very crowded hunt, as that area gets a ton of traffic I understand. Oh and we have to draw it too...lol. Doubt that will happen.

Thanks to anyone who gave input, but to just say in essence "read the f'ing manual" is not really helpful. I'm very good with car mechanics, and when a noob mechanic ask me a question on a fourm, I go out of my way to explain the best I can despite my years of experience and their extreamly simple question. But that's just me.
 
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HuntCA one thing others do not understand is your second choice in the drawing is a waste of ink if you put in a zone that fills with first choice applicants. Say you put X9a and then X9b. Both are full before they get to your second choice since ALL first choice applicants go first. Your second choice can get you a tag that does not fill with first choice applicants but does fill on the drawing day. Like a C tag. My wife however only got a C tag once in 9 years of trying as a second choice. She eventually drew an X tag so she now has zero points. I never bother putting a premium tag as second choice I just list my D3-5 tag and that is what I get when I don't draw an X tag. Your second choice is based on a random draw and points don't do you any good. My wife as an example with 4 to 8 points (5 years) didn't draw a C tag when you can get a C tag with 0 points as a first choice. On some years half of the C tags are awarded to hunters who list it as a second choice
 

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