Jacks in San Bernardino area

[Jaeger]

Hello all,

I'm new to this forum and to hunting. I would realy appreciate any help on hunting info for upland game in SoCal. Better said, I plan on going for Jacks at the end of April in San Bernardino area, and any info about good places will be appreciated. I read all of the posts in the upland forum, and I learned a lot. Thank you all for sharing your experience and knowledge.

[Pasco]

Jaeger, welcome aboard. I hate to see a new guy's inquiry go unanswered, with a signature like yours I hope you get some response. The best reason to hunt is one's kids, in my opinion.

As for the jacks, I see them all over, I&#39;ve seen them above Redlands, around 6000 feet, near Lake Arrowhead, near Palm Springs, around Barstow, Mojave, all over desert areas. Take I15, I40, I10, or any number of others and get a few good maps (BLM) and go for a long walk with your son and your gun. There are some shotgun only areas so bear that in mind. Not very specific info, but just drive &#39;til it looks right, you&#39;ll find your spots. Good luck. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif

[Jaeger]

Thanks Pasco. I was about to give up on getting any feedback from any of the guys here. I got me some good BLM maps and I read all the Upland forum posts, now I have a very good ideea where to go and look for rabbits.

[Maverick]

here is one I shot in the San Bern Mountaina near Coyote Flats off Coxey Truck Trail

[Jaeger]

Nice bunny Maverick.
Is it allowed to use solid projectiles in that area? If yes, I would like to try my new 22LR on those bunnies.

[Marty]

Yes. You are permitted to use solid projectiles while hunting on forest lands. The area noted is within the San Bernardino NF. Note, target shooting is limited to designated areas within the SBNF. Shooting conditions, approval, and locations may be obtained from the SBNF Ranger Stations. I think the closest is at Big Pine Flat, just south of Coxey.

[beastslayer]

Anyone know if its ok to hunt jacks in Angeles National Forest? If so, if 22LR is allowed. The regulation is a bit confusing.

Jaeger -- How&#39;s your hunt for jacks in San Bernardino? It&#39;s a tradition in JHO that once you&#39;ve been helped with you query, you are somehow "obligated" to share the experience.

Maverick -- Nice jack. What caliber is your revolver? And at what distance did you take your jack. Was that a head-shot?

[Maverick]

44mag, about 15 yards and yes it was a head shot.. look at the shadow on the ground. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif

[beastslayer]

Nice shot Maverick!

Didn&#39;t notice notice the sun shining through the shadow of the jack, lol.

[Jaeger]

beastslayer - I will be going this Saturday to Baldy Messa to try my luck on Jacks. If I&#39;ll manage to get any, you bet I&#39;ll be posting pictures of my first hunt in SoCal. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif

[beastslayer]

Jaeger - Good luck! What gun will you be using? Maverick inspired me that a revolver or pistol can be a more challenging tool for the harvest.

Pictures and stories too. Unless the story such that the jacks are just too many that it will be begging you to shoot them.

[taziwac]

You can take your 22 up the Angeles National Forest, but only in some areas. Here&#39;s the link http://www.jesseshunting.com/images/L-A-CO...ot-map-1994.jpg (http://www.jesseshunting.com/images/L-A-CO-shoot-map-1994.jpg)

The map is big, so it may take a while to load, but it&#39;s current. I bought the map from the ANF office a few months back and it&#39;s the same. Good luck! If you decide to go up, give me a hollah. I may join you, if you don&#39;t mind the company.

[beastslayer]

taziwac -- awesome map. thanks a million! i&#39;ll sure do. are you planning to use a 22 rifle or a pistol/revolver?

am inclined to use a pistol but I have to practice first so as not to embarrass myself. last time I can hit a steel-plate standard size target at 30 yards. i think the new competency level if you&#39;ll hunt jacks will be hitting a tea-cup bulls-eye at same distance. let&#39;s ask maverick.

[taziwac]

I&#39;ll most likely use a 22lr rifle, since I don&#39;t have a pistol. I&#39;m wide open. Keep me in the loop and let me know if you wanna swing it. If it fits around soccer schedules etc, I may roll. For those interested, there&#39;s a thread going in the Varmint Hunters forum where folks are talking about heading up to Carrizo this weekend.

That raises an interesting question. Are jackrabbits varmints or small game? My gut tells me both, but just wondering what y&#39;all think.

[Jaeger]

Hi All http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif

I went for Jacks last Saturday in Baldy Messa area (Baldy Messa Rd south until it becomes a dirt road and crosses the power lines), but I didn&#39;t have any luck.
I hunted the hills around the Baldy Messa road and I&#39;ve seen a few jacks bigger than a big fat cat, but to far away for shotgun shots (area is shotgun only).
What I noticed, was that the area is too woody (manzanita bushes and thick vegetation), thus no open spaces for taking out running rabbits. I think that I should have gone farther north in the desert (still on Baldy Messa road but towards the desert not the mountains) where the vegetation is sparse.
While hunting for jacks, I spooked a few coveys of quail (10 – 15 birds in a covey) and single quails as well. It was very tempting to take a few down but I refrained myself. Next time I’ll try the northern area of Baldy Messa. If you guys know a better area around Baldy Messa or the Eastern side of I15 where I might have more luck on bunnies I would appreciate the hint.

[Bishop]

There&#39;s quite a few around Coxey Meadows, and it&#39;s Natl Forest, so rifles are alright.

[Marty]

If you push north on Baldy Mesa, you run out of forest land and into houses and private property. You could try east of Hesperia and Victorville.

[D-Zone]

Hey Taziwac and Beastslayer, if you guys don&#39;t mind the company, i&#39;ll like to tag along to go and get some Jacks. Let me know. Go Lakers!

[D-Zone]

In LA County you can&#39;t use Rifle or Pistol to take Rabbits. am i right? I guess it will be Shotgun only for me. I wanted to use my .357 to!

[beastslayer]

Maverick -- Are you sure that was a recent picture? I got a deer tag for D14 and went scouting at the top of Big Bear/Fawnskin area. Got lucky and saw a two-pointer in velvet and tried to go to Coyote Flats. Reached as far as Jackrabbit Spring (it is a misnomer, no jacks there). Turned back as it was several miles of recent burn that no jack will likely survive or outrun.

taziwac -- went scouting at LANF. it is in sorry state. plastics and graffiti all over. it&#39;s a shame! yes, and no rifle is permitted. someone said here, it&#39;s a bow and shotgun area only.

newbie -- can you tolerate a Zen hunter -- or simply a nut case? i will not shoot if I&#39;ll disturb some birds doing a courtship dance.

[Maverick]

That was taken last year in quail season .. It was after the old fire in coyote flats. I do not believe that the old fire burned through Coxey Trk trail.. what you are seeing is burned area from the Willow fire of 97? I believe..

[Maverick]

I will be trying for some cotton tails, jack and coyote this weekend. Bright and early Saturday morning.. Most likely I will head to the same spot but I may try to Clarks Ranch. With the lack of rain the rabbits will be thin but I bet there will be a lot of really hunger yotes. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif

[MapMan]

Hey Maverick,

You are right about the Old Fire not reaching into Coxey Meadows area. It was the Willow Fire.........

Are you hunting solo on Saturday? I might be free to go?...............

Take care.

[beastslayer]

Maverick - Right! Go for coyote. Saw one crossing the road right in-front of the Adventure Center. Some city-slicker of a yote - lol.

Good luck. Post some pics. And, thanks for revealing your honey hole.

[Greg]

Hey Mapman or any other willing participants,

I&#39;ll chase some varmits with you. I&#39;ve been out scouting for some new quail spots with my dog and I have noticed quite a few Jacks running around. I&#39;ll probably go out this friday and saturday to see what kind of trouble I can get into.
I&#39;m thinking coxey meadows or the baldy mesa/Oak hills area.

If anyone is interested let me know.

[MapMan]

Hi Greg,

Thanks for the offer but I have to work this Friday, and I already have plans for Saturday. Sure would like to go with you to either place sometime.....send me a pm with you number.

I am off next Friday. Possibly get together then? Keep in touch, and I would like to see that dog of yours now that he is all grown up. Last time I saw him was when he was a youngster at the trainer in Hesperia. Lets try to do a hunt or two together again this year. I am still off every other Friday, and I can be in the Cajon Pass/Oak Hills area in about 20 minutes so some late afternoon hunts after work are possible as well.

If you do get out this weekend let me know how it went.... http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif

[Qbn Hunter]

Mavrick,

If I am not mistaken behind you in the you are holding the jack,is some sort of camp ground. I went quail hunting there a couple of yeas ago and say some birds. How was the hunting there last season?

[Maverick]

Yes that is Horsesprings camp ground. I drove through and there was no one in it.As far as the hunting was it wasn&#39;t good at all for the quail. It needs to rain really good for a couple of years.

[scr83jp]

For all rabbit and hare hunters the animals are crepuscular ie they feed at dawn & dusk and are most active at those times.We&#39;ve got about a dozen cottontails feeding on our rear lawn along with 2 dozen valley quail.According to Matthews and guides I spoke to at Raahauges Shooting Sports Fair there are good numbers of quail and chukar this year.Last year there were lots of chukar and quail at the Mojave mismanaged Preserve.