11 replies to this topic

[Mayhem]

I went up to Cherry lake/Penny Pines Wed and stayed for a few days hunting deer. First off I saw an awsome 4x4 buck in Sonora on my way to Tuolumne City. So I'm thinking "this is going to be great! unfortunately the deer around Sonora are local year round herds that are pretty much peoples pets.I get up to cherry valley camp grounds set up camp to find there is next to no one there just 4 or 5 groups.We go hunting the area for next few days we see very few hunters and even less deer. I saw one Doe that leapt out in front me. I saw very few deer tracks and even less fresh deer signs (tracks droppings ext). I saw for more bear signs then anything else with one nice 350-400 pound beer that eventually got bagged (I wasn't hunting bear and did not have a tag). Even saw alot of Lion tracks in the area. Hopefully as soon as we get some wet weather things will pick up.Unfortunately I recked my truck 8( and I have a $1000 deductible so I may be out for the season.

[45Colt]

Mayhem,sorry to hear about your truck.Know about how long your truck will be down ?No beer to hunt ? Try SaveMart,or Richland on Whitmore.(If it's Richland anymore)Got plenty of beer to hunt. Sorry, couldn't resist it.Too bad a storm didn't take place.Might try up past Greeley Hill.(bear)Should be some local deer there.Don't know if anyone got that bear near the old hard rock mine yet.May you have a much better week.

[Mayhem]

Na we only had odouls and mic ultra light.If your talking the rock quarry near jawbone creek ya he got nailed.Truck is going to be down for at least 2 weeks, I was hoping on getting out on my birthday weekend (oct 11,12) but 1k is going to hurt and I may not be able to pay until the wed after my birthday.

[Desert Fox]

Same here! lot's of bear but no buck. Hopefully my luck will change when D-14 open. By the way, sorry to hear about your truck.

[Slix]

Aw man sorry to hear about that I would invite you with us but oct 11 that weekend im going to be out of town. What happend to the truck? I was always wondering about cherry lake this season. Plenty of bear everywhere it seems. Dont have my tag or no hounds to go chasin them. Will be going back up past strawberry maybe try eagle meadow one more time. lots of hunters but who knows tried our luck once and succeeded hopefully we can pull another one out of our sleeve. let me know if you want to hitch a ride anytime besides that weekend maybe we can squeeze you in.

[Shoot-it]

Me and Tim thumper had the same luck hunting around twain hart and long barn. I did notice a lot of Berry's on the magnazita I wonder if the bears are up high to. Tim has a tag and we called a lot and nothing ever came in.

[sertshark]

I've been all over the Cherry Lake area, and it is tough. It's one of those things. I have quite a few friends that have driven to the lake and shot deer practically at the dam. Yet, I have friends that stay their a week and don't see squat. I saw a lot of bear tracks around there this year. I saw a mountain lion this year there also. I even hit that "rock" area by jawbone very hard. I ran into a couple of Forest Service workers, and they said they have barely even heard gunshots so far. It was nice because I have not run into many hunters out there, but I have not seen any shootable deer. I've probably been out there 8 or 9 times this year (scouting or hunting). I will bet you anything those deer are pretty nocturnal. I had a set of night vision goggles earlier this year, and I could not believe the deer we saw out and about in the middle of the night. It was only in Jamestown, but still, I couldn't believe how active they were at night.I also saw a nice four pointer in Sonora a few weeks ago. He was at the end of the overpass, near the Standard cut-off. Right next to the stinkin' highway. I had to pull over to check him out. I thought about heading up to Eagle Meadow also. I hate to battle the crowds, but there are deer there. I have a couple of friends that have already shot deer there. I've actually never been in there, but I may give it a shot. Either there, or Herring Creek (haven't been there either). Maybe even tomorrow. I think if we get a storm, their may still end up more hunters than deer. It's like the deer and the hunters are both waiting for it...

[lilwes278]

Before moving up here I hunted Cherry alot but over the last few years the brush had grown too thick. You couldn't see more than about 50 feet in some places, and in other places the brush had overgrown the roads. Yes, they do send work crews up there to do a little trimming but that's on the main roads usually. There are back roads that I used to drive down that now would be tricky on a dirtbike, not to mention one road that has completely overgrown and if it wasn't for the forest service marker you wouldn't even know it existed. My largest California buck came from that area but you really have to have luck on your side because you can't glass or stalk anything.Here's a pic of one of the roads I'm talking about (taken in 2006 and yes, that IS a road):Luckily we were in my buddy's beater truck and he didn't care too much about the paint:Here's a pic of his truck & myself overlooking Cherry Lake (only spot my cell phone got reception):

[sertshark]

You are so right about the place being overgrown. It is very hard to find areas to glass. It's why everyone road hunts around that whole area. I really dislike road hunting. Between that and deer "drives" that's how we did it and I'm sure that's why I never had any luck. I spent the entire last year dedicating myself to learning as much as I can about mule deer and how big bucks are taken. I'd say most of what I've learned does not apply to the areas I usually hunt (well, dang!). Those pics of that truck make me laugh (and cry) because I get new scratches (on my new, black Duramax) every time I'm out. That's kinda why I've been trying to use the ATV when I can.With all the brush and cover, it makes you think a deer would have to be pretty stupid to get shot around there. Ha Ha. Hope to find a stupid one with three points

[Ed Lacy]

Mayhem. Sorry to hear about the truck, what did you do to it? And were you up there with your dad? Ed

[Mayhem]

Mayhem. Sorry to hear about the truck, what did you do to it? And were you up there with your dad? Ed

Ya I was up there with my Dad. We had a great time "Camping with Guns" as he likes to put it.As far as the truck goes lets just say I have real bad luck with non-vehicular inanimate objects. To date I have never hit another vehicle (knocks on wood) guess it help when you can get out of the way LOL.

Here's a pic of his truck & myself overlooking Cherry Lake (only spot my cell phone got reception):

Thats got to be hells mountian LOL.

[lilwes278]

Thats got to be hells mountian LOL.

Road 2N05, IIRC. I shot a nice buck and my brother-in-law missed an even bigger one on the same day within a few miles of there during the 2005 season.