Home Hunting * Upland Game Birds

Upland Game Bird Hunting

wild turkey

Regulations

Nonlead Regulations

2023 - 2024 Seasons and Limits - Pheasant

Season / Area Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
General / Statewide Nov 11 - Dec 24 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 14 - Nov 5
Dec 25 - Jan 21		 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 19 - Feb 29 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.

2023 - 2024 Seasons and Limits - Quail

Season / Area (Zone Map (PDF)) Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
Zone Q1
(Mountain Quail Only)		 Sep 9 - Oct 20 10 Triple the daily bag
Zone Q1 (All Quail) Oct 21 - Jan 28
Zone Q2 (All Quail) Sep 30 - Jan 28
Zone Q3 (All Quail) Oct 21 - Jan 28
Early Season for Hunters
with Junior Hunting Licenses
in Mojave National Preserve		 October 7 - 8
Archery Only Aug 19 - Sep 8
Falconry Aug 19 - Feb 29

2023 - 2024 Seasons and Limits - Chukar

Season / Area Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
General / Statewide Oct 21 - Jan 28 6 Triple the daily bag
Archery Only Aug 19 - Sep 8
Falconry Aug 19 - Feb 29

2023 - 2024 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

2023 - 2024 Seasons and Limits - Sooty (Blue) / Ruffed Grouse

Season / Area (Zone Map (PDF)) Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
General Sep 9 - Oct 9 2; All of one species or mixed Triple the daily bag
Archery Only Aug 19 - Sep 8
Falconry Aug 19 - Feb 29

2023 - 2024 Seasons and Limits - White-tailed Ptarmigan

Season / Area Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
General & Archery / Statewide Sep 9 - 17 2 per day 2 per season
Falconry / Statewide Aug 19 - Feb 29

2023 - 2024 Seasons and Limits - Wild Turkey

Season / Area Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
Fall Nov 11 - Dec 10 1 either sex 2 per season
Spring General Mar 30 - May 5, 2024 1 bearded 3 per season, combined
Archery Only Mar 30 - May 19, 2024
Additional Junior Mar 23 - 24, 2024 &
May 6 - 19, 2024

2023 - 2024 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 11 - Dec 25		 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

2023 - 2024 Seasons and Limits - Band-tailed Pigeon

Season / Area (Zone Map (PDF)) Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
North Sep 16 - 24 2per day Triple the daily bag
South Dec 16 - 24

2023 - 2024 Seasons and Limits - Snipe

Season / Area Season Dates Daily Bag Limit Possession Limit
General / Statewide Oct 21 - Feb 4 8 Triple the daily bag

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

Game Take Hunter Survey Reports

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

1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s

1950 (PDF)

1951 (PDF)

1952 (PDF)

1953 (PDF)

1954 (PDF)

1955 (PDF)

1956 (PDF)

1957 (PDF)

1958 (PDF)

1959 (PDF)

1960 (PDF)

1961 (PDF)

1962 (PDF)

1963 (PDF)

1964 (PDF)

1965 (PDF)

1966 (PDF)

1967 (PDF)

1968 (PDF)

1969 (PDF)

1970 (PDF)

1971 (PDF)

1972 (PDF)

1973 (PDF)

1974 (PDF)

1975 (PDF)

1976 (PDF)

1977 (PDF)

1978 (PDF)

1979 (PDF)

1980 (PDF)

1981 (PDF)

1982 (PDF)

1983 (PDF)

1984 (PDF)

1985 (PDF)

1986 (PDF)

1987 (PDF)

1988 (PDF)

1989 (PDF)

1990 (PDF)

1991 (PDF)

1992 (PDF)

1993 (PDF)

1994 (PDF)

1995 (PDF)

1996 (PDF)

1997 (PDF)

1998 (PDF)

1999 (PDF)

2000 (PDF)

2001 (PDF)

2002 (PDF)

2003 (PDF)

2004 (PDF)

2005 (PDF)

2006 (PDF)

2007 (PDF)

2008 (PDF)

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2010 (PDF)

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2014 (PDF)

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2016 (PDF)

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2018 (PDF)

2020 (PDF)

*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 please contact Katherine.Miller@wildlife.ca.gov.