California
When people think of California they may think of Hollywood, the Golden Gate Bridge, or as the Beverley Hillbilly’s said, “Swimming pools and movie stars.” Even though hunting isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when the golden state is mentioned, there is a wide variety of species available and breath taking landscapes to view. Basically, California has it all from swamp land to fertile valleys to towering mountains. If you’d like to hunt at the lowest or highest elevation possible in the country, they’re both a couple of hours drive apart and in California. I’m telling you, this state has a lot more to see and experience beyond what the ‘Hillbilly’s’ may have suggested.
California is the third largest state in the Union, comprised of 58 counties across 163,695 square miles. Currently there are 157 different species available to be hunted. Believe it or not, that is the largest amount any one state. The reason for this is because the variety of animals that live in California is extremely diverse as well as some can only be found in and around the state.
Here are some highlights of California’s harvesting statistics
|
Year |
Animal |
Amount Harvested |
|
2010 |
Black Bear |
1278 |
|
2007 |
Black-tailed Deer |
Over 41,000 |
|
2007 |
Quail (all types) |
Over 500,000 |
|
2007 |
Doves (all types) |
Slightly less than 2,000,000 |
|
2007 |
Wild Turkey |
Around 30,000 |
|
2007 |
Ducks (all types) |
Around 2,700,000 |
|
2007 |
Geese (all types) |
Around 262,000 |
Also, in order to properly plan your hunt be aware of the terrain you’re heading to. Literally, any type of landscape you can imagine can be found in California and if a person isn’t prepared to hike miles up deer trails at elevations over 7,000 feet or slug through marshes with knee deep water a potentially great hunt can turn disastrous. If you choose to use a guide or ranch, be sure to ask what equipment you should bring.


