California · Pheasant · 2026–27 Edition
California Pheasant Season 2026–27: Dates & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Falconry | Statewide | Aug 15 – Feb 28 |
| Archery only — first segment | Statewide | Oct 10 – Nov 1 |
| General firearm season | Statewide | Nov 14 – Dec 27 |
| Archery only — second segment | Statewide | Dec 28 – Jan 24 |
02 — Bag limits
| General firearm — daily (first two days of season) | 2 males |
|---|---|
| General firearm — daily (after first two days) | 3 males |
| General firearm — possession | Triple the daily bag |
| Archery only — daily (first two days of season) | 2 pheasants (no more than 1 female) |
| Archery only — daily (after first two days) | 3 pheasants (no more than 1 female) |
| Archery only — possession | Triple the daily bag |
| Falconry — daily (first two days of season) | 2 pheasants, either sex |
| Falconry — daily (after first two days) | 3 pheasants, either sex |
| Falconry — possession | Triple the daily bag |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal shooting hours 08:00 — 19:48
Rule: 8:00 a.m. to sunset for the general firearm and archery-only pheasant seasons (14 CCR §310.5) — a genuinely late fixed opening time, not a sunrise-relative rule. Falconry pheasant hunting is the one exception: hawking hours are sunrise to sunset. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local California sun times for any other date.
04 — License
Pheasant hunters in California need a California hunting license — A hunting license plus a California Upland Game Bird Validation is required, and nonlead ammunition is mandatory statewide for taking any wildlife with a firearm. Hunters pursuing the Planted Pheasant Program additionally need a successful draw permit for one of the three seasonal application periods.
California hunting license cost →
Where to hunt public land in California — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — FAQ
When does pheasant season open in California?
The earliest 2026–27 opener is August 15, 2026. See the table above for each segment and zone.
When does pheasant season end in California?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is February 28, 2027. Individual segments and zones can close earlier — see the table above.
Can I shoot hen pheasants in California?
See the bag limit table above — most states restrict the daily bag to roosters only, but rules vary and this is worth double-checking against California Department of Fish and Wildlife before you hunt.
How many pheasants can you shoot in California per day?
2026–27 bag limits: General firearm — daily (first two days of season) — 2 males. General firearm — daily (after first two days) — 3 males. General firearm — possession — Triple the daily bag. Archery only — daily (first two days of season) — 2 pheasants (no more than 1 female). Archery only — daily (after first two days) — 3 pheasants (no more than 1 female). Archery only — possession — Triple the daily bag. Falconry — daily (first two days of season) — 2 pheasants, either sex. Falconry — daily (after first two days) — 3 pheasants, either sex. Falconry — possession — Triple the daily bag. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting pheasant in California?
On opening day (August 15, 2026) legal light runs 06:15 to 19:48. The rule is: 8:00 a.m. to sunset for the general firearm and archery-only pheasant seasons (14 CCR §310.5) — a genuinely late fixed opening time, not a sunrise-relative rule. Falconry pheasant hunting is the one exception: hawking hours are sunrise to sunset. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local California sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt pheasant on my own land in California without a license?
No — California requires a hunting license regardless of land ownership. The one landowner-specific carve-out is a narrow depredation-permit process for wild pigs causing damage, which is not a general hunting license.
Verified · California Department of Fish and Wildlife · Last verified 2026-08-15
Publisher's note. Official '2026-2027 Waterfowl, Upland Game, and Public Lands Regulations' booklet PDF (marked 'Updated 7/1/2026', effective July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027), downloaded and read directly for the pheasant table (14 CCR §300 area) and the upland game bird shooting-hours rule (14 CCR §310.5). Three distinct statewide season types exist for ring-necked pheasant — general firearm (Nov 14–Dec 27), archery-only (two segments: Oct 10–Nov 1 and Dec 28–Jan 24), and falconry (Aug 15–Feb 28) — and this file's opener/seasonCloses reflect the outer edge across all three, per this project's convention, so the top-line dates are driven by the falconry segment even though the vast majority of hunters use the general firearm season. Only males may be taken in the general and archery seasons; falconry alone may take either sex, and falconry hawking hours are sunrise to sunset rather than the 8 a.m. rule that applies to firearm/archery pheasant hunting. IMPORTANT NUANCE FLAGGED BY THIS PROJECT'S PRIOR SCOPING, CONFIRMED HERE: the legal statewide wild-bird season above is real, but in practice most Californians who hunt pheasant do so through CDFW's separate draw-based Planted (stocked) Pheasant Program, confirmed directly on wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Upland-Game-Birds/Hunts/Planted-Pheasant — a lottery system with three application periods (Period 1: Oct 17–Nov 14, deadline Sept 26; Period 2: Nov 15–Nov 29, deadline Oct 25; Period 3: Dec 6–Feb 21, deadline Nov 15) across roughly a dozen state wildlife areas (Lake Earl, Ash Creek, Big Springs Ranch, Sierra Valley, Honey Lake, Merced, Chowchilla, Sacramento River Bend, Yolo, Camp Cady, San Jacinto, Imperial, Peace Valley) where pen-raised birds are released for hunters holding a draw permit. By contrast, a genuinely wild-bird public hunt such as the one at Upper Butte Basin WA (Little Dry Creek Unit) draws only about 15 hunters per date, per wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Upland-Game-Birds/Hunts/Pheasant, illustrating how small actual wild-bird public-land opportunity is relative to the stocked program. This file covers the legal wild statewide season primarily, since California is not on this project's stocked-designation ('B') list, but readers should understand 'California pheasant season' mostly means the planted-bird program in practice. CDFW also runs an ongoing wild-pheasant genetics study (tongue-clip sampling at hunter check stations) at several state wildlife areas and national wildlife refuges to track inbreeding and wild/farm-raised gene mixing, per wildlife.ca.gov's pheasant conservation page — corroborating evidence that wild populations are a management concern distinct from the stocked hunts.