My uncle and I have a Blacktail hunt scheduled for next August in the Zenia area. Outfitter recommends we fly into either Garberville or Rhonerville.
Rhonerville looks easier but we’re worried about fog.
We’ll be in my uncle’s turbo 182 and he has mtn flying experience.
Anybody familiar with the area?

I would plan on Garberville, less chance of fog there compared to Rhonerville in my experience.

I probably have 25 plus landings at Garberville. Easy. When hunting be aware that there are lots of grows in the area. Those folks are very protective of their crop.

NOTAM says the airport is closed.
Anybody know anything?
Thanks for the input btw guys.

They are getting ready to do some improvements, and are doing some boring on the runway. Should be re-opened shortly. Should be a decent option for you in August if they are not working on it.

We are entering the design phase of a runway rehabilitation project and it is time to get underway with a subsurface investigation at the Garberville Airport. Due to the location of the borings, the runway and taxiway (hence airport) will have to be closed, a NOTAM will be issued, and runway closure crosses placed.

CFOT wrote:They are getting ready to do some improvements, and are doing some boring on the runway. Should be re-opened shortly. Should be a decent option for you in August if they are not working on it.

We are entering the design phase of a runway rehabilitation project and it is time to get underway with a subsurface investigation at the Garberville Airport. Due to the location of the borings, the runway and taxiway (hence airport) will have to be closed, a NOTAM will be issued, and runway closure crosses placed.

Thanks CFOT

Hop over to Shelter Cove if conditions allow. Beautiful spot, and you're likely to see more black tail on the air strip than you will out hunting.

CFOT wrote:Hop over to Shelter Cove if conditions allow. Beautiful spot, and you're likely to see more black tail on the air strip than you will out hunting.

We might try that.
My luck so far this year has been pretty thin. Better chance of killing one with the plane than my bow [emoji849]

Nothing wrong with killing a critter with a vehicle. Fair chase and all. Plus, they are already tenderized.

albravo wrote:Nothing wrong with killing a critter with a vehicle. Fair chase and all. Plus, they are already tenderized.

My plane was damaged back in May.
Just brought her home Monday.
I don’t ever want a repeat!
Damned things are too hard to fix.

I fly out of Garberville (O16) and it's closed now. They started the repaving project in July, ran into some problems (requiring $), and now it's probably not going to be finished 'til spring/summer. Bummer for those of us that pay rent on hangars there we can't use...but I digress. I'm sure by next August it will be open with brand new asphalt. Rohnerville as an option can have fog but it's inland enough to usually break up by afternoon.

50Tango wrote:I fly out of Garberville (O16) and it's closed now. They started the repaving project in July, ran into some problems (requiring $), and now it's probably not going to be finished 'til spring/summer. Bummer for those of us that pay rent on hangars there we can't use...but I digress. I'm sure by next August it will be open with brand new asphalt. Rohnerville as an option can have fog but it's inland enough to usually break up by afternoon.

Thanks Tango

If you don't mind my asking, what's the appeal of hunting blacktails? Having lived in CA a while I sort of see them as mobile tick habitats with hooves.

They never get very big, they're not real tasty, they live in the epicenter of rattlesnakes, ticks, and poison oak (rattlesnakes being my favorite of the three), and all of said habitat is REALLY steep, with most of the roads on the canyon bottoms.

Not trying to bum you out, and don't care a whit whether a blacktail lives or dies, but for the life of me I can't figure out why anyone would bother hunting them.

I'm really not trolling...Just curious what the attraction is.

FWIW I went on a blacktail / black bear hunt years ago somewhat north of there,
in the Marble Mountain area out of Happy Camp.
Unseasonably warm weather and we got skunked, but it was pretty country and we had a good time.

Re hunting blacktails, that's what we have here in western WA.
They can be pretty wiley and challenging to get a shot at.

It's not all about the meat.
Ask the guys who hunt those little Coues whitetails.

Hammer wrote:If you don't mind my asking, what's the appeal of hunting blacktails? Having lived in CA a while I sort of see them as mobile tick habitats with hooves.

They never get very big, they're not real tasty, they live in the epicenter of rattlesnakes, ticks, and poison oak (rattlesnakes being my favorite of the three), and all of said habitat is REALLY steep, with most of the roads on the canyon bottoms.

Not trying to bum you out, and don't care a whit whether a blacktail lives or dies, but for the life of me I can't figure out why anyone would bother hunting them.

I'm really not trolling...Just curious what the attraction is.

This thread wasn’t about hunting but I trust the comments here to be respectful. The answer:
Columbian Blacktail is the only NA deer species that my uncle doesn’t have in Pope and Young, and he’s not getting any younger.
I’ve not killed one w a bow either.

Will be in Sonora next month hunting Coues deer.
Last month I spent a week sitting in a bow blind in a swamp in Saskatchewan at 5 below, so NorCal should be pretty nice.