California 2022 Winter Hunting Season Primer

2022 Hunting Season Changes & Updates – California:

• Big Game Preference Points and Tag Refunds
  • Final Statement of Reasons for Regulatory Action
    [March 4, 2022, State of California – Fish and Game Commission]
    Big Game Preference Points Reinstatement and Tag Refunds Due to Public Land Closures

 

Resources:

• wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting
  • Licenses & Tags
• 2022-2023 Mammal Hunting Regulations | CA
• California 2022 Big Game Hunting Digest
• Mammal Regulations – California Fish and Game Commission 

 

Important Dates:

• • Deer General Hunting Season
    • Nov 5 – Nov 27 ; Riverside County (D12) 
  • Ventana Wilderness Buck Hunt (G21)
    • Nov 12 – Dec 4 ; Monterey County
  • Anderson Flat Buck Hunt (G37)
    • Nov 26 – Dec 4 ; Mariposa County

  • 
    Elk Hunts

  • Northeastern CA antlerless (304)
    • Nov 9 – Nov 20
  • Fort Hunter Liggett P2 antlerless (448)
    • Nov 23 – Dec 1
  • Fort Hunter Liggett P3 bull (447)
    • Dec 20 – Jan 1
  • La Panza P2 antlerless(418)
    • Nov 12 – Dec 4
  • La Panza P2 bull (420)
    • Nov 12 – Dec 4

 

• • Bighorn Sheep General Hunting Season
    • Dec 3 – Feb 5
  • Bear General Hunting 
    • Aug – Dec 25

• • Bobcat Hunting Season
    • Oct 15 – Feb 28

 

• • Pheasant 
    • Nov 12 – Dec 25
    • Archery Only: Dec 26 – Jan 22
• • Quail
    • Oct 15 – Jan 29
  • Chukar
    • Oct 15 – Jan 29
    • Falconry: Aug 20 – Feb 28
  • Ruffed Grouse
    • Sep 10 – Oct 10
    • Falconry: Aug 20 – Feb 28
  • White-tailed Ptarmigan
    • Sept 10 – Sept 18
    • Falconry: Aug 20 – Feb 28

• • Wild Turkey 
    • • Nov 12 – Dec 11

• • Mourning Dove, White-winged, Spotted, and Ringed Turtle Dove
    • Nov 12 – Dec 26
  • Band-tailed Pigeon
    • • North: Sept 17 – Sept 25
      • South: Dec 17 – Dec 25
  • Snipe
    • • Oct 15 – Jan 29

Big Game:

Deer, Elk (Rocky Mountain, Tule), Bighorn Sheep, Bear
[year round] Wild Pig
[out of season] Pronghorn

 

Small Game:

Tree Squirrel, Rabbits (Brush, Cottontail and Pigmy), Varying Hare
[year round] Jackrabbit (Black-Tailed and White-Tailed)

 

Fur Bearing:

Badger, Gray Fox, Muskrat, Mink, Beaver, Raccoon

 

Upland Game & Migratory Bird:

Pheasant, Quail, Chukar, Grouse, Wild Turkey, Dove (Mourning Dove, White-winged, Spotted, and Ringed Turtle), Band-tailed Pigeon, Snipe
[year round] Eurasian Collared-dove
[out of season] Ptarmigan