36C Santa Margarita Ranch

[4huntrs]

Did anyone hunt the Santa Margarita Ranch this past weekend. I guess access to some of the ranch has been closed. I am specifically looking to see if the road to Shaffer Camp is closed. Tons of State trust land but the road crosses small parts of private land. 
thx

[Big or Bust]

Its always been a walk in but its now an even longer walk in. You cannot get close to the ranch house, or at least last year you couldn't....

[4huntrs]

Has had walk in only as long as I’ve been going down there. Starting about 3 weeks ago the new owner doesn’t want anyone on Santa Margarita land. The road to Shaffer camp crosses two pieces of private land one for a hundred yards and one for 400 yds. I’m trying to find out if they closed the road at the 286. 

[Non-Typical Solutions]

Are fire restrictions on down south? 36C?

[grey curse]

As of now the access to Shaffer is the same as it has been for the last few yrs to the designated parking area.    The designated walking path up the canyon on private is no longer allowed.    Santa Margarita ranch have posted signs on property lines that say no hunting,hiking, camping,or trespassing.  Not sure why some roads that cross private are not posted and some are.   

[zslayer]

Some roads have easements and cannot legally be posted.   Most of them are private and posted with orange post and big signs!

Santa Margarita ranch has also hired armed security!  They are driving a white Toyota Tacoma that says Santa Margarita ranch security on the door.   Was also notified that they have cell cameras to notify the security.

 

game and fish came buy camps to explain and notify everyone about the closure and to let everyone know he’s making sure nothing is posted illegally but also notifying everyone that they are prosecuting.

 

game and fish officer told me they opted out of the program because they have had too many issues with trash being left at camps, fences cut, gates left opened which could be illegal traffic as well but the final straw was a group of hunters camped next to some of their corrals and the cowboys were gathering cattle and asked the hunters to move their camp and the hunters refused and got into an altercation with the cowboys.

[Chef]

31 minutes ago, zslayer said:

...fences cut, gates left opened...

I've seen so much illegal traffic do exactly this in the 36's.

[REDTOOTER]

We also have this tag this year. Just returned form our last scout trip today for our first tag in 36c. Spent all day in there and did not see anyone else and only one BP at the 286/212 rd, last few trips BP was everywhere.  I am also embarrassed to say the trash at the campsites from what I would say were campers/hunters from the first WT hunt last weekend was bad.  Not as bad as I've seen on the rim from the "non hunting a holes" but bad enough, I cant blame the ranchers for saying keep out. Also saw the new orange posted no entry signs that we didn't see last month, and they were oddly placed I guess due to easements like you said. Had me second guessing a few times if I was in correct area.  I really like the dead man pass area "south" of the ranch. I'm getting to old, or maybe just to lazy lol, to climb into those steep areas like Shaffer & Brown Canyons below the peak.  With the access so limited due to the ranches and layout of the unit as whole I am very curious to see how dense the hunters will be, I feel like we are all goona be in one of three areas.   Good luck to all, and pick up your trash. 

[grey curse]

47 minutes ago, REDTOOTER said:

e, I feel like we are all goona be in one of three areas.   Good luck to all, and pick up your trash. 

This is my concern.    I’m also worried about what some might do to the ranch, fence, tanks etc.   after losing long times hunting areas.   It will do nothing good but hurt whatever future hunter might have to ever regain access.  

[Sky Island junkie]

1 hour ago, zslayer said:

Some roads have easements and cannot legally be posted.   Most of them are private and posted with orange post and big signs!

Santa Margarita ranch has also hired armed security!  They are driving a white Toyota Tacoma that says Santa Margarita ranch security on the door.   Was also notified that they have cell cameras to notify the security.

 

game and fish came buy camps to explain and notify everyone about the closure and to let everyone know he’s making sure nothing is posted illegally but also notifying everyone that they are prosecuting.

 

game and fish officer told me they opted out of the program because they have had too many issues with trash being left at camps, fences cut, gates left opened which could be illegal traffic as well but the final straw was a group of hunters camped next to some of their corrals and the cowboys were gathering cattle and asked the hunters to move their camp and the hunters refused and got into an altercation with the cowboys.

dang what’s wrong with these pukes! 
You don’t hear very often that hunters out of a lack of respect refuse to work with ranchers! I’m embarrassed that fellow hunters would act this way. So many wonder why ranchers have shut so many areas down in the last few decades! Well there you go! 

[zslayer]

10 hours ago, REDTOOTER said:

We also have this tag this year. Just returned form our last scout trip today for our first tag in 36c. Spent all day in there and did not see anyone else and only one BP at the 286/212 rd, last few trips BP was everywhere.  I am also embarrassed to say the trash at the campsites from what I would say were campers/hunters from the first WT hunt last weekend was bad.  Not as bad as I've seen on the rim from the "non hunting a holes" but bad enough, I cant blame the ranchers for saying keep out. Also saw the new orange posted no entry signs that we didn't see last month, and they were oddly placed I guess due to easements like you said. Had me second guessing a few times if I was in correct area.  I really like the dead man pass area "south" of the ranch. I'm getting to old, or maybe just to lazy lol, to climb into those steep areas like Shaffer & Brown Canyons below the peak.  With the access so limited due to the ranches and layout of the unit as whole I am very curious to see how dense the hunters will be, I feel like we are all goona be in one of three areas.   Good luck to all, and pick up your trash. 

Anywhere that has access to the foothills for the whitetail season has waaay more pressure now.   Locked gates that allow foot access only and typically had 0-1 vehicles parked now have 4-5.    I two have seen way too much hunters trash left at camp sites from previous hunts and spent time gathering it all up and burning it after it had even blown all over and stuck into nearby trees!

 

what I worry about as well is this new closure will push most of the hunters to Kings Anvil and Elk Horn so now how long will it be before they get tired of all destruction and opt out of the program as well.   They are going to receive 3-4x the amount of people now.

[4huntrs]

Has had walk in only as long as I’ve been going down there. Starting about 3 weeks ago the new owner doesn’t want anyone on Santa Margarita land. The road to Shaffer camp crosses two pieces of private land one for a hundred yards and one for 400 yds. I’m trying to find out if they closed the road at the 286. 

[4huntrs]

Covid shutdown brought out a new class of campers and hunters. State also  has 3 million new residents. It sucks but we’re going to have to clean up other peoples trash if we want these areas to stay open and it still may not be enough. My favorite shooting spot in the desert is getting trash on a regular basis now. Myself and friends have been trying to keep up with it to the point I have pallets on side of my house waiting for bulk trash. Eventually I’m sure BLM will say enough. Times change.