John Lewis took this buck in the D11/A31 Zone last year. Photo by Dave Dolbee.

There's no real secret to hunting the Los Angeles either-sex hunt, A31 Archery-Only, or filling two D11 buck tags, for that matter. The success rate is amazingly low, yet I know of several hunters who have filled one or both of their tags for the last half-dozen years, all on public land.

If you have never hunted D11, or if you just want to fill your tags, here's how.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Look to the top and bottom of the zone and work in. Starting from the top, the A31 areas to watch are Quail Lake Road, Liebre Mountain, Atmore Meadows, Sawmill Ridge and the Burnt Peak area.

From the southeastern boundaries, Messenger Flats, Mount Gleason, Mount Wilson, Strawberry Peak and Mount Pacifica are the areas to focus on. All of these areas offer great access to public lands. But be sure to check with the Forest Service before committing. It seems that right before hunting season begins, certain forests are closed for fire hazard.

At first I thought the anti-hunting activists were up to something, but the Forest Service has been fair about the closures. They shut the forests to other activities as well, such as boating and horseback riding.

John Lewis, a local hunter and friend, has filled two D11/A31 tags for at least the last six years in a row. He's helped me fill a tag every year that I have hunted the zone.

What's Lewis' secret to success? Pre-season scouting.

I wish it were as easy as giving you GPS coordinates, but things change and so does the deer's behavior.

Where To Scout
Start scouting the first weekend in May. Then by opening day, you should know where the bucks are and what their habits are like. The D11 Zone is open with a low deer density. Therefore, don't expect to go in scouting and expect to find trophy deer. Sit down and let your binos work whenever possible.

Walk the fire roads and drive the logging roads. If you're going to walk a firebreak, look for activity at first light. If you don't get a good sighting, come back a day or two later and try in the evening.

Pay particular attention to springs and seeps -- these are critical to all animals' survival. Though you may see some tracks, don't focus on water sources 10 yards from the road. As soon as hunting pressure increases, activity at these watering holes will drop to near zero.

When it's warm, focus your efforts on the northern slopes. To beat the heat, deer will seek out the shade and slightest breezes.

When you're glassing, pay particular attention to the undersides of trees and brush, while checking the shade of rock outcroppings.

What draw are they using? Are they walking a main saddle? What's their route? To beat the heat, the deer will get as high as they can. Don't focus on the dead brush; deer will be looking for the green stuff.

Most importantly, the higher elevations get them away from the deer flies that drive them nuts.

This is especially true of the bigger deer. The older the bucks get, the edgier they get, and they seem to hate the flies and heat even more.

In cold weather, switch your efforts to the southern sides of the slopes. During this period, the deer will shift to the sunny areas in the early morning to warm themselves.