Hunting in California: 3 Animals to Hunt in the Winter

Even during the winter season, there are plenty of chances for hunting in California. In fact, the hunting seasons for several species fall right in the middle of winter, giving dedicated hunters ample opportunity to hone their tracking and shooting skills.

Here are three animals that are legal to hunt in California during the winter.

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1. Quail
Hunting season for quail begins in August, but extends through the end of February in some areas. Quail season lasts through Jan. 25 in zones Q1, Q2, and Q3, which cover all of California. For people hunting with the aid of birds, a method called falconry, the quail hunting season extends through late February. Hunters can only bag 10 quail per day, but can possess triple that number.
https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Upland-Game-Birds

2. Bighorn Sheep
In most areas of California, the hunting season for bighorn sheep begins in early to mid-December and ends in early to mid-February. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, some of the designated hunting areas are difficult to access and might consist of rugged terrain. In many of these areas, vehicles are allowed only on specific routes and might not be the best way to traverse the land. In some regions, hunters might need to instead ride on horseback.

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3. Pheasant
The general hunting season for pheasant occurs in late fall, but there are winter pheasant hunting opportunities in California for archery and for hunting with the aid of a bird, which is called falconry. There are two seasons for archery, the second of which, the late pheasant archery season, begins in 2015 on Dec. 22 and ends Jan. 18. It concludes 28 days after the general pheasant hunting season. The falconry pheasant hunting season begins Aug. 16 and ends Feb. 28. For both archery and falconry, hunters can bag two pheasants per day for the first two days and three pheasants per day thereafter. Those hunting using archery can only bag one female per day. Those using falconry can bag either sex, and are allowed to hunt from sunrise to sunset. Both archers and falconers are allowed to possess triple the daily bag limit.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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