Recreation
The second weekend of November brings a popular tradition for many families in California – the opening of pheasant season.
Although the overall wild pheasant population has been decreasing in recent years and the number of hunt days has been reduced on some wildlife areas, opportunities are still available on state-managed lands.
The 2017 general pheasant season will open Saturday, Nov. 11 and extend through Sunday, Dec. 24.
The daily bag limit is two males per day for the first two days of the season and three males per day thereafter. The possession limit is triple the daily bag limit. Shooting hours are from 8 a.m. to sunset.
Native to Asia, the ring-necked pheasant was introduced to California as a game bird species in the late 1800s.
Though they flourished in California for decades, numbers have been dropping since the most recent high in the late 1990s.
Total pheasant harvest on public areas in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys declined from a high of 4,828 roosters in 1998 to 461 last year.
In an effort to address the decline, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife continues efforts to restore and enhance upland habitat on public areas.
This is in addition to a multiyear collaborative research project with Pheasants Forever and the United States Geological Survey to better understand factors that limit populations.
These field studies of wild pheasant survival and reproduction at locations around northern California will continue into 2018 and result in a report of findings and future management recommendations.
Preliminary results indicate that changing land use practices is one of the major drivers of wild pheasant declines on both public and private lands.
An overall decline in annual acres of "unharvested cropland" correlate with pheasant declines as well as decreases in acres of planted barley, sugar beets, winter wheat and sorghum, and increases in acres of nut trees and rice. Pesticide use and increases in avian predator populations also appear to play a role.
In 2010, CDFW reduced the number of days that certain wildlife areas will be open for pheasant hunting due to a decline in the number of hunters targeting pheasant and the cost to operate check stations during the first week of the season. For the upcoming season, hunters should be aware of the following restrictions on wildlife areas:
Type A wildlife areas in the Sacramento Valley (Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, Delevan National Wildlife Refuge, Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, Gray Lodge Wildlife Area and Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area (Little Dry Creek, Llano Seco and Howard Slough units) will be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays, Wednesdays and the first Monday (Nov. 13) during the pheasant season.
Sutter National Wildlife Refuge, Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area and Grizzly Island Wildlife Area will only be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays during the pheasant season.
Type A wildlife areas in the San Joaquin Valley (Los Banos Wildlife Area, Mendota Wildlife Area, North Grasslands Wildlife Area, Volta Wildlife Area and San Luis National Wildlife Refuge free roam area) will only be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays during the pheasant season.
The San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Kesterson Unit blind area will only be open for pheasant hunting the first Monday (Nov. 13) and a special zone of the Freitas Unit will only be open on the first Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 11-12) of the pheasant season.
The Wister Unit of Imperial Wildlife Area in Imperial County and San Jacinto Wildlife Area in Riverside County will continue to be closed to pheasant hunting this year.
Type C wildlife areas will remain open as normal.
Nonlead ammunition is now required when hunting pheasants anywhere in the state, except on licensed game bird clubs. For more information please see the CDFW Nonlead Ammunition Web page.
All hunters must carry a current California hunting license in their possession. Adult hunters (18 or older) must also have an upland game bird validation. The full upland game bird hunting regulations and a summary as well as the public lands regulations for 2017-18 are available on CDFW's website.
The modifications of the shoot days on Type A wildlife areas are pursuant to the California Code of Regulations, Title 14, section 550(i)(1).
For more information on specific hunting opportunities, hunters should contact their regional CDFW offices and check the CDFW Web site.
Although the overall wild pheasant population has been decreasing in recent years and the number of hunt days has been reduced on some wildlife areas, opportunities are still available on state-managed lands.
The 2017 general pheasant season will open Saturday, Nov. 11 and extend through Sunday, Dec. 24.
The daily bag limit is two males per day for the first two days of the season and three males per day thereafter. The possession limit is triple the daily bag limit. Shooting hours are from 8 a.m. to sunset.
Native to Asia, the ring-necked pheasant was introduced to California as a game bird species in the late 1800s.
Though they flourished in California for decades, numbers have been dropping since the most recent high in the late 1990s.
Total pheasant harvest on public areas in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys declined from a high of 4,828 roosters in 1998 to 461 last year.
In an effort to address the decline, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife continues efforts to restore and enhance upland habitat on public areas.
This is in addition to a multiyear collaborative research project with Pheasants Forever and the United States Geological Survey to better understand factors that limit populations.
These field studies of wild pheasant survival and reproduction at locations around northern California will continue into 2018 and result in a report of findings and future management recommendations.
Preliminary results indicate that changing land use practices is one of the major drivers of wild pheasant declines on both public and private lands.
An overall decline in annual acres of "unharvested cropland" correlate with pheasant declines as well as decreases in acres of planted barley, sugar beets, winter wheat and sorghum, and increases in acres of nut trees and rice. Pesticide use and increases in avian predator populations also appear to play a role.
In 2010, CDFW reduced the number of days that certain wildlife areas will be open for pheasant hunting due to a decline in the number of hunters targeting pheasant and the cost to operate check stations during the first week of the season. For the upcoming season, hunters should be aware of the following restrictions on wildlife areas:
Type A wildlife areas in the Sacramento Valley (Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, Delevan National Wildlife Refuge, Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, Gray Lodge Wildlife Area and Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area (Little Dry Creek, Llano Seco and Howard Slough units) will be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays, Wednesdays and the first Monday (Nov. 13) during the pheasant season.
Sutter National Wildlife Refuge, Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area and Grizzly Island Wildlife Area will only be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays during the pheasant season.
Type A wildlife areas in the San Joaquin Valley (Los Banos Wildlife Area, Mendota Wildlife Area, North Grasslands Wildlife Area, Volta Wildlife Area and San Luis National Wildlife Refuge free roam area) will only be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays during the pheasant season.
The San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Kesterson Unit blind area will only be open for pheasant hunting the first Monday (Nov. 13) and a special zone of the Freitas Unit will only be open on the first Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 11-12) of the pheasant season.
The Wister Unit of Imperial Wildlife Area in Imperial County and San Jacinto Wildlife Area in Riverside County will continue to be closed to pheasant hunting this year.
Type C wildlife areas will remain open as normal.
Nonlead ammunition is now required when hunting pheasants anywhere in the state, except on licensed game bird clubs. For more information please see the CDFW Nonlead Ammunition Web page.
All hunters must carry a current California hunting license in their possession. Adult hunters (18 or older) must also have an upland game bird validation. The full upland game bird hunting regulations and a summary as well as the public lands regulations for 2017-18 are available on CDFW's website.
The modifications of the shoot days on Type A wildlife areas are pursuant to the California Code of Regulations, Title 14, section 550(i)(1).
For more information on specific hunting opportunities, hunters should contact their regional CDFW offices and check the CDFW Web site.
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- Written by: Editor
Can javelina be hunted in California?
Question: I am new to Southern California and have been hearing about javelina in the southeastern part of the state. Can I use a pig tag or can I even hunt them? (Jared O.)
Answer: Although javelina (Pecari tajacu or Tayassu tajacu) resemble and are often mistaken for a rodent or type of wild pig (Sus scrofa), they are not rodents and are not wild pigs that are hunted commonly in California. Instead, they belong to a completely different family and are not hunted in California.
According to California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Environmental Scientist, Gerald Mulcahy, javelina are a member of the peccary family, a group of hoofed mammals originating from South America.
In the U.S., they typically occur in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. There are no established permanent populations of them in California. Only rarely do they make their way into southeastern California. We have documented that they do occasionally cross the Colorado river in low water events, but then they return back into Arizona to their home ranges.
Javelina are very interesting animals that many people may not know much about. They live and travel in family units comprised of anywhere between two animals up to a herd of more than 20 individuals.
One of the reasons why they often travel in herds is to help defend their territories and ward off predators. They stand about two feet tall and can weigh between 35 to 55 pounds. Their vision is fairly poor but they do have a very well developed sense of smell, along with a scent gland on their lower back.
They are very social among themselves and the scent gland previously mentioned allows them to better identify one another. Contrary to popular belief, javelina really are good tasting, if handled and prepared properly.
Because javelina do not normally occur in California and thus are not listed in the California Code of Regulations Title 14 as a huntable species, they would be considered nongame mammals (pursuant to the Fish and Game, section 4150). Therefore, since they are nongame mammals and no hunting regulations exist for them, javelina cannot be hunted (see the California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 472).
Bottom line … even if you were scouting around in the southeastern part of the state and came upon an individual or a family group of them that had strayed across the state line from an adjacent state, consider yourself lucky to have seen them but know javelina are illegal to hunt, period.
If you’re interested in learning more about these interesting animals, please check out the Arizona Game and Fish Department “Living with Javelina” Web site at http://www.azgfd.com/wildlife/livingwith/javelina/.
Can sport fish be donated to charity for a tax credit?
Question: You mentioned in an article that sport fish cannot be assigned a value for donation purposes.
I would appreciate a code/regulation that directly prohibits this for tax purposes. In San Diego we were given a form from Fisherman’s Processing with Federal Tax ID for registered 501(c)(3) charities.
Is this a state regulation? It’s all very confusing and I would appreciate clarification as there is contradicting information floating around out there. (Paul G., San Diego)
Answer: It is unlawful to sell or purchase fish caught via a sport fishing license (FGC, section 7121). Therefore, fish taken via a sport fishing license cannot be easily assigned a monetary value. It would be very difficult to determine the fair market value of a sport-caught fish because sport fishing and commercial fishing are very different.
However, there is a provision that does provide for the exchange of certain sport-caught fish for filleted, smoked or canned fish (CCR Title 14, Section 231).
This regulation only applies to a limited range of species though, primarily tuna, and they include: albacore, bluefin, yellowfin and bigeye tunas, as well as skipjack and yellowtail.
This regulation may be helpful in determining the value of a donation if you decide to donate a portion of any of the above-listed species to a qualified non-profit charitable organization.
Are rosy red minnows legal baits?
Question: Are “rosy red minnows” legal baitfish in California? They are a species of “fathead minnows.” I have read the handbook and fatheads are legal to be used as bait. Considering rosies are fatheads, I’d assume they are legal. Please clarify this for me. I plan to go fishing in the Central Valley region of California. (Za Y.)
Answer: You are correct! Rosy reds are just fatheads of a different color. California is divided into seven sport fishing districts and the use of fathead minnows as baitfish is legal throughout a large portion of California.
However, fathead minnows are not legal baitfish in the Southern, Sierra and North Coast districts, though they may be used in Shasta Lake.
A map of the California sport fishing districts can be found on the back of the annual California Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (CCR Title 14, sections 4.00-4.30; 6.31-6.37.)
Carrie Wilson is a marine environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week in this column. Please contact her atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Question: I am new to Southern California and have been hearing about javelina in the southeastern part of the state. Can I use a pig tag or can I even hunt them? (Jared O.)
Answer: Although javelina (Pecari tajacu or Tayassu tajacu) resemble and are often mistaken for a rodent or type of wild pig (Sus scrofa), they are not rodents and are not wild pigs that are hunted commonly in California. Instead, they belong to a completely different family and are not hunted in California.
According to California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Environmental Scientist, Gerald Mulcahy, javelina are a member of the peccary family, a group of hoofed mammals originating from South America.
In the U.S., they typically occur in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. There are no established permanent populations of them in California. Only rarely do they make their way into southeastern California. We have documented that they do occasionally cross the Colorado river in low water events, but then they return back into Arizona to their home ranges.
Javelina are very interesting animals that many people may not know much about. They live and travel in family units comprised of anywhere between two animals up to a herd of more than 20 individuals.
One of the reasons why they often travel in herds is to help defend their territories and ward off predators. They stand about two feet tall and can weigh between 35 to 55 pounds. Their vision is fairly poor but they do have a very well developed sense of smell, along with a scent gland on their lower back.
They are very social among themselves and the scent gland previously mentioned allows them to better identify one another. Contrary to popular belief, javelina really are good tasting, if handled and prepared properly.
Because javelina do not normally occur in California and thus are not listed in the California Code of Regulations Title 14 as a huntable species, they would be considered nongame mammals (pursuant to the Fish and Game, section 4150). Therefore, since they are nongame mammals and no hunting regulations exist for them, javelina cannot be hunted (see the California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 472).
Bottom line … even if you were scouting around in the southeastern part of the state and came upon an individual or a family group of them that had strayed across the state line from an adjacent state, consider yourself lucky to have seen them but know javelina are illegal to hunt, period.
If you’re interested in learning more about these interesting animals, please check out the Arizona Game and Fish Department “Living with Javelina” Web site at http://www.azgfd.com/wildlife/livingwith/javelina/.
Can sport fish be donated to charity for a tax credit?
Question: You mentioned in an article that sport fish cannot be assigned a value for donation purposes.
I would appreciate a code/regulation that directly prohibits this for tax purposes. In San Diego we were given a form from Fisherman’s Processing with Federal Tax ID for registered 501(c)(3) charities.
Is this a state regulation? It’s all very confusing and I would appreciate clarification as there is contradicting information floating around out there. (Paul G., San Diego)
Answer: It is unlawful to sell or purchase fish caught via a sport fishing license (FGC, section 7121). Therefore, fish taken via a sport fishing license cannot be easily assigned a monetary value. It would be very difficult to determine the fair market value of a sport-caught fish because sport fishing and commercial fishing are very different.
However, there is a provision that does provide for the exchange of certain sport-caught fish for filleted, smoked or canned fish (CCR Title 14, Section 231).
This regulation only applies to a limited range of species though, primarily tuna, and they include: albacore, bluefin, yellowfin and bigeye tunas, as well as skipjack and yellowtail.
This regulation may be helpful in determining the value of a donation if you decide to donate a portion of any of the above-listed species to a qualified non-profit charitable organization.
Are rosy red minnows legal baits?
Question: Are “rosy red minnows” legal baitfish in California? They are a species of “fathead minnows.” I have read the handbook and fatheads are legal to be used as bait. Considering rosies are fatheads, I’d assume they are legal. Please clarify this for me. I plan to go fishing in the Central Valley region of California. (Za Y.)
Answer: You are correct! Rosy reds are just fatheads of a different color. California is divided into seven sport fishing districts and the use of fathead minnows as baitfish is legal throughout a large portion of California.
However, fathead minnows are not legal baitfish in the Southern, Sierra and North Coast districts, though they may be used in Shasta Lake.
A map of the California sport fishing districts can be found on the back of the annual California Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (CCR Title 14, sections 4.00-4.30; 6.31-6.37.)
Carrie Wilson is a marine environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week in this column. Please contact her at
- Details
- Written by: CARRIE WILSON
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