Deer hunting in San Diego County has never been about quantity, but quality may be the big news this season.

Wildlife experts and back-country residents say field conditions for the Oct. 28 opening of the rifle deer season are excellent and hunters may find more big, healthy deer during the 30-day legal season that ends at sunset Nov. 26.

While the hunter success rate is about 10 percent in San Diego County, most of the deer are traditionally forked horn bucks.

"But I am seeing a lot of deer in general and some very nice bucks with bigger racks," said Gary Whyte of Santa Ysabel who manages the My Country Hunting Ranch properties.

Whyte said it has been several years since a devastating fire swept through San Diego's back country, and it seems deer herds are rebounding.

"On Saturday I was in the Palomar area and I saw 43 deer with 13 bucks," Whyte said. "They were in great shape, and some were bigger than I have seen in a long time."

He said the bucks are not in rut yet, so only a few are running with the does.

"Hunters should not expect to see the bucks running with the does when the season opens. The bucks seem to be running in their own groups," Whyte said.

Randy Botta, a California Department of Fish and Game biologist, has monitored the local deer herds for years. He said the quality of the bucks has improved in the past few years.

The bad fires a few years ago actually removed a lot of old woody brush that did not provide much food for deer. Following the fires there were two good rainfall years which produced new browse that the deer thrive on, Botta said.

He said the better nutrition has not only led to healthier deer, but to heavier antlers.

"Overall the deer seem to be in better condition with more fat," Botta said. "The herd here is stable and slightly increasing."

Deer hunters are required to have a valid California hunting license and D-16 deer tag. There are 3,000 over-the-counter tags available for the D-16 zone, which includes all of San Diego County and portions of Imperial County. At press time, there were still 1,412 D-16 tags available. Hunters may purchase the tags at the California Department of Fish and Game office, 4949 View Ridge Ave., San Diego.

Veteran hunters say scouting is the key to success. Deer generally stay within about a one square mile area and, once located, will often be found again in the same area.

Senior anglers

San Diego fly-fishing expert Peter Piconi will be the guest speaker Nov. 7 at the monthly meeting of the Oceanside Senior Anglers. Guests are welcome.

The club meets at 9 a.m. at the Oceanside Senior Center, 455 Country Club Lane, Oceanside.

Fifteen years ago, Piconi realized he did not have to travel to the Sierras or the Rockies to find great fly-fishing. He could walk out his back door to one of Southern California's best kept secrets. He now fishes 200 days out of the year, leading anglers to corbina, halibut, yellowfin, bass, bonefish, barracuda, bonito, yellowtail, white sea bass and dorado.

His expertise and detailed knowledge of local fisheries has made Piconi one of today's pioneers of saltwater fly-fishing. He is nationally recognized as San Diego's premier guide and the "go-to guy" for answers to fly-fishing questions.

Surf fishing

Legal halibut were few and far between at North County beaches and Agua Hedionda Lagoon until just recently when the picture brightened somewhat, according to Hugh Cobb at Pacific Coast Bait & Tackle in Oceanside.

"The number of keepers being reported is definitely rising although 'shorts' are still in the majority," Cobb said.

George Meyer of Oceanside visited his old fishing hole at the beach in Carlsbad, just north of Tamarack, and took two legal halibut on plastic swim baits. The story at Agua Hedionda is similar with lots of bass and a few halibut of various sizes.

- Ernie Cowan is the outdoor writer for the North County Times. If you have an item of interest, call (760) 518-8050 or e-mail ernie@packtrain.com.