Varmint Hunting SoCal

[SavageMan2506]

Anyone know of a place in Southern California where I can hunt coyotes and squirrels and the like? Needs to be within 45 minutes of Ventura County. Thanks and happy hunting

[quilbilly]

You will have to be in Los Padres NF. I used to hunt in the canyons behind the mountains above Ojai but I don't even know if the roads into the Sespe Creek country are even available anymore. There were a lot of coyotes and even large bear in the wilderness area that covers the ridges above Ojai before it became a condor sanctuary. It was there that I saw a huge black bear run down a healthy adult doe on open ground giving me an example of how fast back bear can move. Ask at the Forest Service ranger station for that section of the national forest. We have a member of the board here who lives in Ojai as I recall. Hopefully he can help you.

[Baja_Traveler]

Everyone I know leaves Southern California to hunt varmints - they mostly head up to Utah, over to Arizona or Northern California for the squirrels. They are always talking about 5-600 round weekends at the range. They usually shoot so much, so fast that they bring several rifles to swap out to keep barrels cool enough to touch. Cant get that kind of shooting in this part of the state...

[quilbilly]

Having thought on this a little more, the upper Sespe drainage would be good for coyote. Having said that, it is chapparel country and a shotgun with steel (no lead in Ca.) BBB or T goose loads would be good since the brush is thick. For things like ground squirrels, the nearest is over the mountains toward the San Joaquin Valley unless you know a rancher.

[SavageMan2506]

Thanks quilbilly, I may have to go up there and see if I can bag a dog soon

[SavageMan2506]

Thanks baja traveler. But I don't have that opt n. Bump

[quilbilly]

This thread makes me take many trips down memory lane. I got my first deer on top of the ridge near of Hines Peak in the Topa Topa Range above Ojai and Santa Paula. If you have a topo map, a spring is shown right behind Hines Peak. There was a delightful camp at that spring which we called "Ladybug" since tens of thousands of the insects would gather there during the early deer season. Plenty of water used to come from that spring but who knows now with the drought. That is serious bear country up there. Can't tell if it is part of the condor refuge or now or if access is closed and we used to hike in from the Sespe Creek side. The view at sunrise or sunset from the ridge above the camp is extraordinary and you often hang right above the fog layer off the ocean.
P.S. - If you happen to pick up a new Los Padres NF map at the ranger station, drop me a PM if that Ladybug camp is still on it. I have a 1972 NF map here that shows it. Just curious.