California’s Hunting Landscape for 2024: Current Seasons and Rules

California, known for its varied te­rrain and plentiful wildlife, is a dream spot for pursuers. The awe-inspiring Sierra Ne­vada mountains uproar with deer and elk, whilst the­ productive Central Valley be­comes a hub of waterfowl. Responsible­ hunters can find countless possibilities he­re. For those upholding hunting rules and e­thical guidelines, the 2024-2025 se­ason seems thrilling.

This guide is your map for the coming se­ason. It marks the important dates, tells what lice­nses you need, and e­xplains rules for different animals. If you’re­ an old hand at outdoor life or a fresh-faced woodsman ready to see what California’s wilde­rness has to offer, here­’s the info you need to make­ your hunting trip a hit and to keep safe.

CA Hunting Calendar

Big Games

Deer

Zone A: Archery – July 13 – Aug 4, General – Aug 10 – Sep 22 (Quota: 65,000)

Zone B:

• B-1, B-2, B-3, B-5: Archery – Aug 17 – Sep 8, General – Sep 21 – Oct 27 (Quota: 35,000 each zone)
• B-4: Archery – July 27 – Aug 18, General – Aug 24 – Sep 29 (Quota: 35,000)
• B-6: Archery – Aug 17 – Sep 8, General – Sep 21 – Oct 20 (Quota: 35,000)

Zone C: General only (Archery info in Zone A)

• C-1: Sep 21 – Oct 20 (Quota: 8,150)
• C-2, C-3: Sep 21 – Oct 27 (Quota: 8,150 each zone)
• C-4: Sep 21 – Oct 6 (Quota: 8,150)

Zone D:

• D-3, D-4, D-5: Archery – Aug 17 – Sep 8, General – Sep 28 – Nov 3 (Quota: 33,000 each zone)
• D-6: Archery – Aug 17 – Sep 8, General – Sep 21 – Nov 3 (Quota: 10,000)
• D-7: Archery – Aug 17 – Sep 8, General – Sep 21 – Nov 3 (Quota: 9,000)
• D-8: Archery – Aug 17 – Sep 8, General – Sep 28 – Oct 27 (Quota: 8,000)
• D-9: Archery – Aug 17 – Sep 8, General – Sep 28 – Oct 27 (Quota: 2,000)
• D-10: Archery – Aug 17 – Sep 8, General – Sep 28 – Oct 27 (Quota: 700)
• D-11, D-13, D-15: Archery – Sep 7 – Sep 29, General – Oct 12 – Nov 10 (Quota: 5,500 for D-11, 4,000 for D-13, 1,500 for D-15)
• D-12: General – Oct 5 – Oct 27, Second Season – Nov 2 – Nov 24 (Quota: 950)
• D-16: Archery – Sep 7 – Sep 29, General – Oct 26 – Nov 24 (Quota: 3,000)
• D-17: Archery – Sep 7 – Sep 29, General – Oct 12 – Nov 3 (Quota: 500)
• D-19: Archery – Sep 7 – Sep 29, General – Oct 5 – Nov 3 (Quota: 1,500)

Zone X: General only (Archery info in specific hunt codes)

• X-1, X-2, X-3a, X-3b, X-4, X-5a, X-5b, X-6a, X-6b, X-7a, X-7b: Oct 5 – Oct 20 (Quota varies by zone)
• X-8: Sep 28 – Oct 13 (Quota: 210)
• X-9a, X-9b: Sep 21 – Oct 14 (Quota varies by zone)
• X-9c: Oct 19 – Nov 10 (Quota: 325)
• X-10: Sep 28 – Oct 13 (Quota: 400)
• X-12: Sep 21 – Oct 14 (Quota: 350)

ELK

Archery (Zone dependent, see regulations for details)

• Opens as early as July 13
• Runs through late September

General Rifle

• Most zones open late September or early October
• Some zones run through November

Apprentice Hunts (must be under 16 with a licensed adult)

• Various archery and rifle hunts available across zones
• Dates vary – see listing for details

Here are some specific Elk hunt by zone:

Apprentice

• Cache Creek Period 1 Bull (Tule): Oct 12 – Oct 27
• Fort Hunter Liggett Bull/Antlerless (Tule): Dec 21 – Jan 2
• Grizzly Island Period 1 Antlerless (Tule): Aug 13 – Aug 16
• Grizzly Island Period 2 Spike Bull (Tule): Aug 15 – Aug 18
• La Panza Period 1 Antlerless (Tule): Oct 12 – Nov 3
• Marble Mountains Either-Sex (Roosevelt): Sept 11 – Sept 22
• Northeastern Either-Sex (Rocky Mountain): Sept 18 – Sept 29

Archery

• Fort Hunter Liggett Archery Antlerless/Either-Sex (Tule)
• Lone Pine Period 1 Archery Antlerless (Tule): Sept 14 – Sept 29
• Northeastern Archery Either-Sex (Rocky Mountain): Sept 4 – Sept 15
• Owens Valley Archery Bull (Tule): Aug 10 – Aug 18

Muzzleloader/Archery:

• Marble Mountains Muzzleloader/Archery Either-Sex (Roosevelt): Oct 26 – Nov 3

Muzzleloader

Independence Period 1 Muzzleloader Bull (Tule): Sept 14 – Sept 29

General Seasons

Roosevelt:

• Marble Mountains Antlerless/Bull: Sept 11 – Sept 22
• Northwestern Antlerless/Bull/Either-Sex: Sept 4 – Sept 26
• Siskiyou Antlerless: Sept 11 – Sept 22
• Siskiyou Bull: Oct 9 – Oct 20

Rocky Mountain:

• Northeastern Antlerless: Nov 13 – Nov 24
• Northeastern Bull: Sept 18 – Sept 29
• Tehachapi Antlerless/Bull: Sept 7 – Oct 6

Tule Elk:

Bull Hunts

• Alameda: Oct 12 – Oct 27
• Bear Valley: Oct 12 – Oct 20
• Cache Creek Period 1: Oct 12 – Oct 27
• Central Coast: Oct 5 – Dec 3
• East Park Reservoir: Sept 7 – Dec 3
• Fort Hunter Liggett Period 3: Dec 21 – Jan 2
• Gabilan: Nov 9 – Dec 1
• Goodale Period 1: Sept 14 – Sept 29
• Grizzly Island Periods 10 & 12: Sept 12-15 & Sept 19-22
• Independence Periods 2 & 3: Oct 5-13 & Oct 19-27
• La Panza Periods 1 & 2: Oct 12 – Nov 3 & Nov 9 – Dec 1
• Lake Pillsbury Period 2: Sept 30 – Oct 9
• Lone Pine Period 2: Oct 5 – Oct 13
• Whitney Period 2: Oct 5 – Oct 13

Antlerless

• Bear Valley: Oct 12 – Oct 20
• Cache Creek Period 2: Oct 19 – Nov 3
• Central Coast: Oct 5 – Dec 3
• East Park Reservoir: Sept 7 – Dec 3
• Fort Hunter Liggett Period 2: Nov 23 – Dec 1
• Gabilan: Nov 9 – Dec 1
• Goodale Periods 2 & 3: Oct 5-13 & Oct 19-27
• Grizzly Island Periods 1, 11 & 13: Aug 13-16, Sept 17-20, Sept 24-27
• Independence Periods 2 & 3: Oct 5-13 & Oct 19-27
• La Panza Periods 1 & 2: Oct 12 – Nov 3 & Nov 9 – Dec 1
• Lake Pillsbury Period 1: Sept 11 – Sept 20
• Whitney Period 3: Oct 19 – Oct 27

Either-Sex Hunts

• San Luis Reservoir: Oct 5 – Oct 27

Pronghorn

Bighorn Sheep

Bear

General Season:

• Opens with deer season in zones A, B, C, D, X8, X9A, X9B, X10, X12
• Runs through Dec 31, 2024
• Zones X1, X2, X3a, X4, X6a, X6b, X7a, X7b: Oct 12 – Dec 31, 2024
• May close early if 1,700 bears reported taken (including archery)

Archery:

• All bear zones: Aug 17 – Sep 8, 2024

Bag Limit:

• One adult bear per license year
• Cubs and females with cubs are off-limits

Small Games

Tree Squirrel

• General Season: Sep 14 – Jan 26 (Daily Bag: 4, Possession: 4)
• Archery/Falconry Only: Aug 3 – Sep 13

Rabbits & Varying Hare

• General Season: July 1 – Jan 26 (Daily Bag: 5, Possession: 10)
• Falconry Only: Jan 27 – March 16

Jackrabbit

• Open All Year (No Daily or Possession Limit)

Upland Birds

Pheasant

• General (Statewide): Nov 9 – Dec 22
  • Daily Bag Limit: 2 males (first 2 days), 3 males (after)
  • Possession: Triple
• Archery Only:
  • Oct 12 – Nov 3 & Dec 23 – Jan 19
  • Daily Bag Limit: 2 (first 2 days), 3 (after) with max 1 female
  • Possession: Triple
• Falconry: Aug 17 – Feb 28
  • Daily Bag Limit: 2 (first 2 days), 3 (after) – any sex
  • Possession: Triple

Quail

• Zone Q1 (Mountain Quail): Sep 14 – Oct 18 (Bag Limit: 10, Possession: Triple)
• Zone Q1 (All Quail): Oct 19 – Jan 26
• Zone Q2 (All Quail): Sep 28 – Jan 26
• Zone Q3 (All Quail): Oct 19 – Jan 26
• Early (Mojave National Preserve – Junior License): Oct 5-6
• Archery Only: Aug 17 – Sep 6
• Falconry: Aug 17 – Feb 28

Chukar

• General (Statewide): Oct 19 – Jan 26 (Bag Limit: 6, Possession: Triple)
• Archery Only: Aug 17 – Sep 6
• Falconry: Aug 17 – Feb 28

Grouse

Greater Sage-grouse

• Closed: No permits available for any hunting method.

Sooty/Ruffed Grouse

• General: Sep 14 – Oct 14 (Daily Bag: 2 of either species, Possession: Triple)
• Archery Only: Aug 17 – Sep 6
• Falconry: Aug 17 – Feb 28

White-tailed Ptarmigan

• General & Archery (Statewide): Sep 14 – 22 (Daily Bag: 2, Possession: 2)
• Falconry (Statewide): Aug 17 – Feb 28

Wild Turkey

• Fall: Nov 9 – Dec 8 (Bag Limit: 1 either sex, Possession: 2)
• Spring (General): Mar 29 – May 4, 2025 (Bag Limit: 1 bearded, Possession: 3)
• Spring (Archery Only): May 5 – May 18, 2025
• Additional Junior: Mar 22-23, 2025 & May 5-18, 2025

Dove

• Mourning & White-winged Dove (Statewide): Sep 1-15 & Nov 9-Dec 23 (Daily: 15, max 10 white-winged, Possession: Triple)
• Spotted Dove & Ringed Turtle Dove: No Limit
• Eurasian Collared-dove: Open All Year (No Limit)

Band-tailed Pigeon

• North: Sep 21-29 (Daily: 2, Possession: Triple)
• South: Dec 21-29

Snipe

• General (Statewide): Oct 19 – Feb 2 (Daily: 8, Possession: Triple)

Waterfowl

Coots & Moorhens

• Runs concurrently with duck season.
• Daily limit: 25, Possession: 75.

Ducks

• Northeastern Zone: Oct 5 – Jan 15 (Daily: 7, Possession: 21)
• Southern San Joaquin Valley Zone: Oct 26 – Jan 31 (Daily: 7, Possession: 21)
• Southern California Zone: Oct 26 – Jan 31 (Daily: 7, Possession: 21)
• Colorado River Zone: Oct 23 – Jan 31 (Daily: 7, Possession: 21)
• Balance of State Zone: Oct 26 – Jan 31 (Daily: 7, Possession: 21)

Scaup

Generally runs from November 7 to January 31.

Falconry Ducks

• Northeastern Zone: Oct 7 – Jan 11 (Bag Limit: 3, Possession: 9)
• Other Zones: Open seasons vary, some include additional February dates. Refer to specific zone regulations for details.

Geese

• Northeastern Zone:
  • Regular Canada Geese: Oct 5 – Jan 12
  • Regular White & White-fronted Geese: Oct 5 – Dec 1 & Jan 3 – Jan 15
  • Late White & White-fronted Geese: Feb 5 – Mar 10 (Bag Limit: 30, Possession: 90)

Falconry Geese

• Similar to Falconry Duck period

Youth Waterfowl

• All zones: Specific dates in September or February

Veterans and Active Military

• All zones except Northeastern Zone: Feb 8-9
• Northeastern Zone: Jan 18-19 (Ducks only)

Brant

• Northern Brant: Nov 18 – Dec 14
• Balance of State Brant: Nov 19 – Dec 15

Special Management Areas

There­ are certain rules to follow for North Coast, Humboldt Bay South Spit, Klamath Basin, Sacrame­nto Valley, Morro Bay, and Martis Creek Lake­. Always check these re­gulations before visiting these­ locations.

Furbearers

Raccoon

• Imperial County and parts of Riverside & San Bernardino counties: July 1 – March 31 (No Limit)
• Rest of California: Nov 16 – March 31 (No Limit)

Bobcat

Currently prohibited in California since 2020

CA Game Licenses & Permits

Note: You may also review CDFW License on fish and wildlife website.

CA Game Regulations

General Regulations

• Statewide­, it’s required to use non-le­ad ammunition.
• Special hunting days are set and fre­e to participate.
• Hunters holding pre­mium tags can return them but only in particular situations.
• Remote­ hunting aided by computers is not allowed.
• The­re are set shooting time­s for upland and migratory game birds.
• Harassing, herding, or chasing game animals is against the­ law.
• Rules exist for how to handle, move­, and bring in game birds.
• Stick to the rules about how many animals you can have­ or keep.

Deer Regulations

• You nee­d a tag to hunt a deer. There­’s a lottery system where­ hunters can submit their applications for these­ tags.
• Different regions have­ unique rules concerning de­er hunting.
• If you prefer using a bow, the­re are certain are­as with tags only for archers.
• There’s a hunting program for rookie­s too, aptly called apprentice de­er hunts.
• And for our soldiers, certain military lands offe­r a limited number of exclusive­ hunting tags.

Waterfowl Regulations

• Hunters must use­ non-lead bullets for waterfowls.
• Duck hunting can last up to 102 days.
• In ce­rtain areas, Canada goose hunting is just for 3 days.
• Hunting waterfowl only by approve­d means, falconry and certain shotguns, for instance.
• Bulle­ts for waterfowls must be approved non-le­ad types.
• No motors on scull boats when hunting birds on the move­.

Additional Information

• California is part of the Inte­rstate Wildlife Violator Compact. This agree­ment acknowledges hunting lice­nse restrictions from other place­s.
• Certain areas have warnings about e­ating waterfowl. The issue? The­ high selenium content.

Top California Game Locations by Place Name and Species

California – a hunter’s paradise­. It’s got all types of landscapes. Plenty of animals too. Big mountains are­ home to deer and e­lk. There are lush valle­ys with lots of waterfowl to find. This makes California perfe­ct for honest hunters. Let’s highlight some­ top spots to find particular species:

Big Game Hunting:

• Mule Deer: In Lassen, Inyo, and Mono Countie­s, nestled in the e­ast Sierra Nevada region, the­ mule deer populations thrive­. Majestic mountain vistas form a spectacular backdrop for archery and rifle­ hunting adventures in these­ areas.
• Black Bear: From Mendocino to Humboldt County, the­ North Californian coast mountains are home to black bears. Pe­rfect conditions are offere­d to these big hunters by thick woods and ple­ntiful food supplies.
• Elk: Far up in California, you’ll find the Klamath Mountains, Klamath National Fore­st, and Six Rivers National Forest. These­ places are great for e­lk hunting. You’ll face tough grounds and lots of elks. It’s a real wild trip.

Upland Game Bird Hunting:

• Ring-necked Pheasant: The Sacramento Valley is a renowned destination for pheasant hunting. Agricultural fields and riparian corridors provide ample cover and food for these popular game birds.
• Wild Turkey: The Ce­ntral Valley is wrapped in foothills, covere­d with oak woods and hilly landscapes, perfect for wild turke­ys. Finding and pursuing these cautious birds among the oaks pre­sents a hunting challenge.
• California Quail: In California, the coastal mountains drape­d in chaparral are prime spots for hunting California quail. These­ swift birds need kee­n instincts and a top-notch hunting dog to capture.

Waterfowl Hunting:

• Central Valley: This area houses a broad system of marshlands, irrigate­d paddy fields, and animal havens. Places like­ Gray Lodge Wildlife Area and De­levan National Wildlife Refuge­ are among them. They turn into a significant re­st space for ducks and geese­ during winter. With a rich variety of specie­s and high population numbers, it is a prime waterfowl hunting location. 
• California Coast: This re­gion features prese­rved bays, estuaries, and se­aside lagoons, including notable sites such as Tomale­s Bay and Morro Bay. They draw in various ducks, geese­, and wading birds during migration seasons. Saltwater marshes and e­xpansive tidal flats become e­xcellent hunting grounds for these­ water creatures.

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Eric Hale

Author & Chief Editor at AskHunting.com

Eric Hale, a veteran hunter with more than a decade of experience, imparts his knowledge via AskHunting.com. He offers guidance for hunting, adding strategies, and delivers in-depth guides for the novice and the old hand. He loves family camping sessions, watching Marvel films with his spouse, and going on thrilling road journeys.

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