News Archive

California’s wild ring-necked pheasant season opens Saturday, Nov. 9, and for the second consecutive year, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will collect genetic tissue – a tongue clip – from hunter-harvested wild birds at select state-operated wildlife areas and federal refuges.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is seeking data and public comments on a petition to list the western burrowing owl under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). The western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) faces threats that include habitat loss due to urban and suburban development, ground squirrel population decline, changes in agricultural practices, pesticide poisoning and predation.

CDFW will perform helicopter surveys this month to inventory and monitor elk populations throughout northeastern California. Flights will be conducted throughout November in portions of Modoc, Siskiyou, Lassen, and Shasta counties.

The fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats has been detected in several counties across California this year, although bats with visible signs of the disease have yet to be observed in the state.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is anticipating good hunting for quail and chukar in 2024-25 as the statewide seasons for both open Saturday, Oct. 19 and run concurrently through Jan. 26.