California Bird Hunting

Seasons Span September 12 – January 31, 2027

State Drought Monitor – Upland hunting conditions are often highly dependent upon moisture for both habitat production and bird survival.

Official License Fees (California Department of Fish and Wildlife)

• Resident:
  • Annual Hunting License: $64.54
  • California Upland Game Bird Validation: $24.84
  • Junior Hunting License (under 16): $17.02
  • Disabled Veteran / Recovering Service Member License: $10.04
• Non-Resident:
  • Annual Hunting License: $225.46
  • Two-Day Non-Resident Hunting License: $64.54
  • One-Day Non-Resident Hunting License: $31.06
  • California Upland Game Bird Validation: $24.84

Season Dates, Daily Bag Limits & Possession Limits

Quail (California, Mountain, Gambel’s)

• Zone Q1 (Northeastern & Mountain Counties):
  • Season Dates: September 12 – October 16 (Mountain Quail Only); October 17 – January 31 (All Quail Species)
  • Limits: 10 daily in aggregate / 30 in possession
• Zone Q2 (North Coast & Central Coast):
  • Season Dates: September 26 – January 31
  • Limits: 10 daily in aggregate / 30 in possession
• Zone Q3 (Southern California & Central Valley):
  • Season Dates: October 17 – January 31
  • Limits: 10 daily in aggregate / 30 in possession

Chukar Partridge

• Statewide:
  • Season Dates: October 17 – January 31
  • Limits: 6 daily / 18 in possession

Ring-Necked Pheasant

• Statewide (General Season):
  • Season Dates: November 14 – December 27
  • Limits: 2 males per day for the first 2 days; 3 males per day thereafter / 9 in possession

Sooty (Blue) & Ruffed Grouse

• Select Open Counties (Northern Coast & Sierra Ranges):
  • Season Dates: September 12 – October 13
  • Limits: 2 daily (single species or combined) / 6 in possession

White-Tailed Ptarmigan

• Select Sierra Nevada Alpine Zones:
  • Season Dates: September 12 – September 20
  • Limits: 2 daily / 2 per season

Mourning & White-Winged Dove

• Statewide:
  • Season Dates: September 1 – September 15 (First Split); November 14 – December 28 (Second Split)
  • Limits: 15 daily in aggregate (max 10 white-winged) / 45 in possession

Eurasian Collared-Dove

• Statewide:
  • Season Dates: Open year-round
  • Limits: No daily or possession limit

Weather Assessment & Bird Hunting Outlook

California experienced near-average Sierra snowpack alongside favorable early spring moisture across northern foothill and coastal ecosystems, promoting strong native seed growth and insect production critical for early brood survival. Mountain quail and California quail in the Sierra Nevada foothills and coastal ranges benefit directly from these early-season conditions, yielding improved juvenile survival rates compared to recent dry cycles. However, extreme mid-summer heatwaves across southern arid basins and the Mojave Desert created severe thermal stress and dried ephemeral watering points, concentrating Gambel’s quail and chukar coveys around permanent springs and agricultural margins. Hunters should anticipate solid bird numbers in northern and coastal transition zones, while desert and basin outings will depend heavily on identifying stable water sources and dense thermal cover. (Note: Nonlead ammunition is mandatory statewide for all firearm hunting in California.)

For more details, visit the CDFW Upland Game Bird Hunting page: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Upland-Game-Birds

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  Days Afield | Pheasant Hunting

  Depths of Cold

  There seems no bottom to the depths of cold. It’s one of the few solace for hunting in frigid condition: could be colder, windier, at least it’s not…more miserable. I’m assured by medical science that freezing does have a lower limit in terms of the human body. Paradoxical undressing: the point at which humans experiencing…

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  Days Afield | Pheasant Hunting

  The Last Bird: Living in the Upland Death Spiral

  Most of the upland birds around here vanished during the Storm of the Century that dumped 30 inches of snow atop a base of frozen rain accompanied by -60° wind chill. Though game birds were on a downward trajectory long before that fateful day, the 43 years since have shown there’s little hope for any…

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  Pheasant Hunting

  The Top 3 Wild Pheasant Hunting Tips

  There are tons of variables involved when pheasant hunting: weather, dogs, number of hunters, blockers, terrain, time of day….. the list is almost endless. But regardless of these elements, there are 3 things you can always use that will improve your success against the wily wild rooster. The bird hunters’ opening day is also most…

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  Making Kansas Memories

  Opening day in Kansas occupies a sacred  place for me since this is the territory  where my upland obsession really took hold years ago. The bulk of the state has a dismal bird forecast like much of the rest of the Midwest this year. There are some bright spots which have been deemed the north…

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  Kansas Bird Hunting in Perspective

  I make the annual pilgrimage to Kansas to reunite with old friends and family.  It reminds me of where my passion for bird hunting was first kindled.  Because this year was no exception to the rule, Kansas seemed like the right place to bring together our young Jornada Llewellin Rio with our veteran flusher Wyatt…

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  Hunting in the Shadow of Roosevelt

  When I hunt in North Dakota, my thoughts often drift to Teddy Roosevelt’s days at Elkhorn Ranch — He named his Dakota home for a pair of locked elk skulls he found at the site. Today, centrally located within the million acres of the Little Missouri National Grasslands, Elkhorn is a great place to visit…