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The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is offering a drawing for an apprentice deer hunt for junior license holders on the Chimineas Unit of the Carrizo Plains Ecological Reserve.

Late spring and early summer is the peak time for California’s deer herds to give birth to fawns, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is issuing a reminder to well-intentioned people to not interact with the baby deer – even if they find one that appears to be abandoned.

California hunters can now purchase hunting licenses for the 2022-23 season, as well as apply for the Big Game Drawing online. Californians have many options to bring home wild game for their dinner table, and at this time, the current COVID-19 pandemic is not expected to lead to the closure or delay of any hunting seasons.

Many California deer, elk and pronghorn hunters whose 2021 seasons were cut short or eliminated as a result of wildfires and public land closures are now able to seek a reinstatement of their preference points and receive refunds of their tag fees in some cases.