The Board

Season dates, deadlines, and the rules that bite

The same board that used to live only inside Tuesday's issue. Editors keep it current. This is a briefing note, not the regulation booklet.

Dove — early split

Opens Sep 1 · closes Sep 15. License and HIP required. Non-lead shot.

A-zone rifle

Open. Week four. Non-lead required for all take.

Leftover tags

Watch the CDFW leftover list. Premium tags lapse if payment is missed.

2026–27 license

New license year started July 1. Don't scout or pig hunt on a dead license.

Wild pig

Open year-round on a hunting license. Non-lead required. Night hunting is a different permit.

Waterfowl draws

Watch refuge reservation windows. Gray Lodge and Sacramento NWR fill fast on midweek storms.

Spring turkey

Separate from fall. Methods and dates are not the deer rules. Read the current window before you buy a call.

Quail

Foothill coveys. Confirm the zone split on the Board each fall — early and late are not the same hunt.

Pheasant

Valley season. Public fields get walked hard by noon Saturday. Non-lead shot.

Archery deer

Hot, early, and zone-specific. The tag in your pocket is the only zone that matters that morning.

Dates and rules on NorCalHunt are the desk's briefing notes. Confirm every season, tag, and refuge rule with CDFW before you leave the driveway.