Upland Game Bird Hunting

wild turkey

Regulations

2024 - 2025 Seasons and Limits - Pheasant

Season / Area Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
General / Statewide Nov 9 - Dec 22 2 males per day for first two days of the season;
3 males per day after the first two days of the season.
Triple the daily bag
Archery Only Oct 12 - Nov 3
Dec 23 - Jan 19
2 pheasants per day for first two days of the season;
3 pheasants per day after the first two days of the season.
The daily archery bag may contain not more than 1 female pheasant.
Triple the daily bag
Falconry Aug 17 - Feb 28 2 pheasants per day for first two days of the season;
3 pheasants per day after the first two days of the season.
The daily falconry bag may contain birds of either sex.
Hawking hours are Sunrise to Sunset.
Triple the daily bag.

2024 - 2025 Seasons and Limits - Quail

Season / Area (Zone Map (PDF)(opens in new tab)) Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
Zone Q1
(Mountain Quail Only)
Sep 14 - Oct 18 10 Triple the daily bag
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 Season for Hunters
with Junior Hunting Licenses
in Mojave National Preserve
October 5 - 6
Archery Only Aug 17 - Sep 6
Falconry Aug 17 - Feb 28

2024 - 2025 Seasons and Limits - Chukar

Season / Area Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
General / Statewide Oct 19 - Jan 26 6 Triple the daily bag
Archery Only Aug 17 - Sep 6
Falconry Aug 17 - Feb 28

2024 - 2025 Seasons and Limits - Greater Sage-grouse

Season / Area Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
General, Archery / North Mono Zone only (hunting by permit only) Closed 0 permits adopted for all four hunt zones.
Sage-grouse hunting for general, archery, and falconry seasons is by permit only. See instructions
Falconry Closed

2024 - 2025 Seasons and Limits - Sooty (Blue) / Ruffed Grouse

Season / Area (Zone Map (PDF)(opens in new tab)) Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
General Sep 14 - Oct 14 2; All of one species or mixed Triple the daily bag
Archery Only Aug 17 - Sep 6
Falconry Aug 17 - Feb 28

2024 - 2025 Seasons and Limits - White-tailed Ptarmigan

Season / Area Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
General & Archery / Statewide Sep 14 - 22 2 per day 2 per season
Falconry / Statewide Aug 17 - Feb 28

2024 - 2025 Seasons and Limits - Wild Turkey

Season / Area Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
Fall Nov 9 - Dec 8 1 either sex 2 per season
Spring General Mar 29 - May 4, 2025 1 bearded 3 per season, combined
Archery Only May 5 - May 18, 2025
Additional Junior Mar 22 - 23, 2025 &
May 5 - 18, 2025

2024 - 2025 Seasons and Limits - Dove

Species Season / Area Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
Mourning Dove and White-winged Dove Statewide Sep 1 - 15 &
Nov 9 - Dec 23
15, up to 10 of which may be white-winged doves Triple the daily bag
Spotted Dove, and Ringed Turtle Dove No limit
Eurasian Collared-dove All Year No limit

2024 - 2025 Seasons and Limits - Band-tailed Pigeon

Season / Area (Zone Map (PDF)(opens in new tab)) Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
North Sep 21 - 29 2per day Triple the daily bag
South Dec 21 - 29

2024 - 2025 Seasons and Limits - Snipe

Season / Area Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
General / Statewide Oct 19 - Feb 2 8 Triple the daily bag

Licensing

Requirements for Hunting Upland Game Birds

  • Hunting License
  • Upland Game Bird Validation, unless hunting under the authority of a Junior Hunting License
  • Harvest Information Program (HIP) Validation, if hunting for ducks, dove, gallinules, geese, band-tailed pigeon, black brant, coots, or snipe (no cost) - more information about HIP

Purchasing Licenses or Validations

Hunts

Maps

Publications

Game Take Hunter Survey Reports

Reports will be added to this page as they become available.

*The 2009 hunter survey was not performed due to state budget constraints.

**The 2011-2013 hunter surveys were not performed while CDFW developed methods for estimating harvest through the new Automated License Data System (ALDS).

***Beginning in 2015, the Upland Program chose to conduct the survey biennially.

For questions or further information about this data, contact Ian.Dwight@wildlife.ca.gov.

Species Profiles

Wildlife Branch - Game Program
1010 Riverside Parkway, West Sacramento, CA 95605
Mailing: P.O. Box 944209, Sacramento, CA 94244-2090
(916) 557-3444