Weekly intel for the Northern California hunter · 100% free · Every Tuesday
NorCalHunt
2026–27 season

Northern California bag limits

The quick reference from the old field desk. This is a plain-language summary, not the regulation booklet. Season dates live with the board.

Northern California Bag Limits Guide

Your quick-reference guide to daily bag & possession limits for the 2026–27 season

Northern California Bag Limits — 2026–27 Season

A quick reference to daily bag and possession limits for Northern California's game birds this season. Daily bag is the most you may take in one day; possession is the most you may have on hand — in California, triple the daily bag unless noted. Waterfowl and quail dates change by zone, so the two Northern zones are shown where they apply.

At a glance

  • Dove (mourning & white-winged): Daily bag 15, Possession 45, Season Sep 1–15 & Nov 14–Dec 28
  • Duck: Daily bag 7, Possession 21, Season Oct 3–Jan 13 (NE) · Oct 24–Jan 31 (BOS)
  • Geese: Daily bag 30, Possession 90, Season Oct 3–Jan 10 (NE) · Oct 24–Jan 31 (BOS)
  • Pheasant: Daily bag 2–3 males, Possession 9, Season Nov 14–Dec 27
  • Quail: Daily bag 10, Possession 30, Season Sep 12–Jan 31 (varies by zone)

Dove — mourning & white-winged

  • Daily bag: 15 per day · Possession: 45
  • Within the 15: no more than 10 white-winged doves
  • Season: Sep 1–15 & Nov 14–Dec 28 (statewide, two segments)
  • Also open: spotted, ringed turtle & Eurasian collared-dove — no limit (collared-dove open all year)
  • You'll need: hunting license + free HIP validation

Migratory · Waterfowl

Requires a hunting license, California Duck Validation, and (age 16+) a Federal Duck Stamp, plus a free HIP validation.

Duck

Duck season by Northern zone

  • Daily bag: 7 per day · Possession: 21
  • Within the 7: up to 7 mallards (no more than 2 hens), 3 pintail, 2 canvasback, 2 redheads, 2 scaup
  • Coots & moorhens: 25 per day (75 in possession)
  • Scaup: shorter window than the general duck season — check your zone's scaup dates
  • Northeastern: Oct 3 – Jan 13
  • Balance of State: Oct 24 – Jan 31

Geese

Regular goose season by Northern zone

  • Daily bag: 30 per day · Possession: 90
  • Within the 30: up to 20 white geese + up to 10 dark geese
  • Dark-goose caps: no more than 6 white-fronted; no more than 3 Large Canada (Northeastern)
  • Sacramento Valley Special Management Area: only 3 white-fronted geese per day
  • Northeastern: Canada Oct 3 – Jan 10 · white & white-fronted Oct 3 – Nov 29 and Jan 1 – Jan 13
  • Balance of State: Oct 24 – Jan 31 (late seasons run into February)

Upland Game

Requires a hunting license and an Upland Game Bird Validation (waived under a Junior license).

Pheasant

  • Daily bag: 2 males per day for the first two days, then 3 males · Possession: 9
  • Season: Nov 14 – Dec 27 (statewide, general/firearm)
  • Archery & falconry: separate dates and either-sex allowances — see CDFW

Quail — California valley & mountain quail

Quail season by Northern zone

Zones: Q2 covers Marin, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Lake & Mendocino. Q1 is the northeastern & mountain counties. Everything else is Q3.

  • Daily bag: 10 per day, any combination of species · Possession: 30
  • Q1 — mountain quail only: Sep 12 – Oct 16
  • Q1 — all quail: Oct 17 – Jan 31
  • Q2 — north coast: Sep 26 – Jan 31
  • Q3 — rest of state: Oct 17 – Jan 31

A Few More Afield

  • Chukar: Daily bag 6, Season Oct 17 – Jan 31, Statewide
  • Snipe: Daily bag 8, Season Oct 17 – Jan 31, HIP validation required
  • Band-tailed pigeon: Daily bag 2, Season Sep 19 – 27 (North zone), HIP validation required
  • Sooty / ruffed grouse: Daily bag 2, Season Sep 12 – Oct 12, All of one species or mixed
  • Wild turkey (fall): Daily bag 1 either sex, Season Nov 14 – Dec 13, 2 per season
  • Sage-grouse: Closed, No permits adopted for 2026–27

Before You Go

Nonlead ammunition is mandatory when taking any wildlife with a firearm anywhere in California. Shoot time for most birds is one half-hour before sunrise to sunset.

This is a plain-language summary for quick reference, not the legal regulation. Bag limits, zones and season dates are set annually and can change — always confirm the current rules in the CDFW regulations booklet or the Fish & Game Commission's adopted language before you hunt.

Source: California Department of Fish & Wildlife, 2026–27 Waterfowl and Upland Game regulations (wildlife.ca.gov). Compiled August 2026.

  • Hunting license — required for everyone; carry it in the field.
  • HIP validation — free; for dove, duck, geese, band-tailed pigeon, snipe & coots.
  • Upland Game Bird validation — for pheasant, quail, chukar, grouse, turkey & more.
  • California Duck validation — for all waterfowl (waived under a Junior license).
  • Federal Duck Stamp — waterfowl hunters age 16 and older.
  • Written landowner permission — required before hunting on private land.