December 28, 2019 by Mike
The heat in the San Rafael Mountains will beat down on you after 10:00 a.m. It will probably be unseasonably hot or windy when you finally get your days off to hunt. This is what you wanted. Right here on the edge of your comfort zone you grow into the type of hunter you’d like to be.
The A zone for deer in California runs from Monterrey County to the southern most part of Ventura County. It is the largest deer hunting zone in California. The success rate for both private and public land is 22%. Pismo Adventures is well above a 50% success rate each year. A patient hunter willing to put in the time and stay calm when an opportunity presents itself will have an even better chance.
So keep your workout regiment: running, hiking, biking, yoga. Shoot your rifle or bow as often as you can. I like to hold my bow each day. The heft alone make me smile. There is not a shooting range nearby, so I practice most of my shot routine and breathing.
Choose gear that will help you go up and down the mountain. A hat to keep the sun out of your eyes and boots that keep your feet protected are a plus. Walk in the boots a lot so that the leather forms to your foot. Have a good sharp knife to take apart your buck when you are successful. A blade that takes sharpening is good, but not so soft in goes dull after slicing through the deer knuckles a couple of times. I like the sharpeners that use a pinch point to run down the blade and squeezes the metal together to sharpen the edge.
I love these San Rafael Mountains. I’ve hunted them with my father and grandfather. I now walk these same mountains with my son. They have a special magic because they haven’t changed much in a thousand years. Glass up a buck with ten minutes left of shooting light. You can hear Pacha Mama whisper your strand in her web of life.
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