9 replies to this topic

[Air Rifle Hunter]

After looking through the California DFG site, the CPC Forum and many other sites, I am to understand that the following game animals are proper/legal air gun quarry:Turkey, Quail, Pheasant, Tree Squirrels (excluding those that are protected) & Crow. Are Band-Tail Pigeons legal to take with an air gun? In the Non-Game category I found the following:Ground Squirrels (excluding those that are protected) and Prairie Dogs.Are there any other animals, either considered game or non-game that are legal to take with an air gun that I've not noted above?Thanks for the help!

[ShooterJohn]

If you don't mind could you tell me where you found quail and pheasant with an air rifle in the regulations?

[Air Rifle Hunter]

If you don't mind could you tell me where you found quail and pheasant with an air rifle in the regulations?

I didn't find it in the Reg's I read it in one of your posts here on the CPC Forum. This one I think: Click Here Has that information changed or did I misinterpret the post? I'll look at the current Regulations right now...

[ShooterJohn]

Just checking to see where you heard that. I did some further checking myself to be sure what I had originally gotten was true. Here is what I got from California Department of Fish and Game's own site. They include certain dove which they excluded previously.http://californiaout...-trout-fishing/

Airguns and Upland Game HuntingQuestion: My buddy and I are part of the ever increasing population of airgun hunters. We typically take rabbits and ground squirrels, but would like to use these .22 precharged pneumatics for turkey and other upland game, such as quail and dove. While we believe the regulations cover the turkey hunting explicitly, can you confirm if it is also legal to take dove and quail with these weapons? Thank you. (Jason C., Windsor)Answer: Resident small game (as listed in CCR, Title 14, Section 257) may be taken with an air rifle firing pellets and powered by compressed air or gas. This includes: wild turkey (must use 0.20 caliber or larger), Eurasian collared doves, quail, non-protected squirrels, jack rabbits and cottontails, in addition to the other resident small game species defined in section 257.Western mourning dove, white-winged dove and band-tailed pigeons are listed as migratory game birds and may not be taken with an air rifle.

§257. Resident Small Game Defined."Resident small game" means the following resident game birds: Chinese spotted doves, Eurasian collared-doves, ringed turtle-doves of the family Columbidae, California quail and varieties thereof, Gambel's or desert quail, mountain quail and varieties thereof, sooty grouse and varieties thereof, ruffed grouse, sage grouse (sage hens), white-tailed ptarmigan, Hungarian partridges, red-legged partridges, including the chukar and other varieties, ring-necked pheasants and varieties, and wild turkeys of the order Galliformes; and the following game mammals: jackrabbits and varying hares (genus Lepus), cottontail rabbits, brush rabbits, pigmy rabbits (genus Sylvilagus), and tree squirrels (genus Sciurus and Tamiasciurus).

[ShooterJohn]

I printed the link URL and its content as well as section 257 of the regulations to have in my wallet when hunting. That way there is no mistake I am in the right in what I am hunting. I suggest any other airgun hunter do this as well since it is an obscure law and difficult to find.

[Air Rifle Hunter]

Just checking to see where you heard that. I did some further checking myself to be sure what I had originally gotten was true. Here is what I got from California Department of Fish and Game's own site. They include certain dove which they excluded previously.§257. Resident Small Game Defined."Resident small game" means the following resident game birds: Chinese spotted doves, Eurasian collared-doves, ringed turtle-doves of the family Columbidae, California quail and varieties thereof, Gambel's or desert quail, mountain quail and varieties thereof, sooty grouse and varieties thereof, ruffed grouse, sage grouse (sage hens), white-tailed ptarmigan, Hungarian partridges, red-legged partridges, including the chukar and other varieties, ring-necked pheasants and varieties, and wild turkeys of the order Galliformes; and the following game mammals: jackrabbits and varying hares (genus Lepus), cottontail rabbits, brush rabbits, pigmy rabbits (genus Sylvilagus), and tree squirrels (genus Sciurus and Tamiasciurus).

So does that mean the California legal air gun Game Animal/Upland Bird quarry list is extended encompass the following:Wild TurkeyEurasian-Collared DovesDoves (Chinese Spotted and Ringed Turtle-Dove)Quail (California, Desert and Mountain)Grouse (Sooty, Ruffed and Sage)Ptarmigan (White-Tailed)Partridges (Hungarian and Red-Legged)ChukarPheasantsTree SquirrelsJack Rabbits (and Varying Hares)Rabbits (Cotton Tails, Brush and Pigmy) Would that be your interpretation? Does that mean that Crow is not legal air gun quarry since they are considered a Migratory bird? I'm just trying to make a list of what I can legally take with my air rifle because I do enjoy using and hunting with it. These Benjamin Maruaders are a real dream to shoot and I'd like to get the most use out of it that I can. And as far as Ground Squirrels and Ground Hogs go, since they aren't game animals but considered varmints, they can be taken with an air rifle, right? Also, per your recommendation, I printed out that article showing the URL at the bottom of the page and printed the Upland Game Bird, Small Game Mammal and Crow Regulations out and will always keep them with me while hunting with my air rifle. I appreciate the replies, clarification and help in creating this list. Thanks ShooterJohn!

[ShooterJohn]

I would say that would be my interpretation of the law and that crows would be excluded as a migratory bird.

[Air Rifle Hunter]

I was searching on the web today because I was still curious about hunting Crows with air guns and found this article. Here's what was commented on when it came to hunting Crows with air rifles:'Crows with pellet rifles? All is not perfect admittedly. Crow hunting regulations are in need of some progressive reform. Crows are like the old Certs mint commercials: “It’s a candy mint. No! It’s a breath mint. No! It’s two mints in one.” Crows are classified as both migratory game birds (shotguns only, late year hunting season) and depredation control species (firearms, bow and arrow or poisons, with special restrictions on poison usage). As depredation control species, Crows may be taken all year long, but only in accordance with Depredation regulations. Are crows fair game for pellet rifle hunters, just as all California Resident Small Game species are? Well, it’s confusing. The regulations say shotgun only for the annual crow sport season; but “firearms” for doing depredation hunting. While pellet rifles seem to be implicitly included in “firearms” (as you know, sometimes airguns are defined as firearms for legal purposes), pellet rifles aren’t explicitly defined for depredation crow hunting. Why care? Well, a local farmer had a flock of about three hundred crows on his lands, damaging agricultural crops. He asked us to help control them and gave us authorization. Early one Saturday morning, I took my old 12 gauge duck gun and positioned myself out in the middle of one of the farm fields. Many crows flew by and I shot at them with my firearm shotgun, getting some and discouraging others. Within 45 minutes, like a scene like in the movies, locked and loaded semi-automatic firearm handguns were being aimed at me. I was body searched and handcuffed like a common criminal by Sheriff’s Deputies who treated me, though out in the middle of a large, vegetable crop field, on a large farm, miles from town, like I was a bank robber. After an hour or so, I was unhandcuffed and released after they finally figured out I was doing nothing wrong, having my authorization, my hunting permit, not being near any dwellings/buildings, etc. etc. and by my staying cool, calm and collected. I had a pellet rifle in the car as well, and let one of the cops try a few shots with it. The cop commented that if I’d been using the pellet rifle on the crows instead of the firearm shotgun, I would not have gotten hassled. So, I called my local California DF&G warden, his boss, and on up the chain of California small game and varmint pellet rifle hunting Page 7 of 61 mhtml:http://www.filarms.com/pics/files/airgunhunt.mht 8/10/2006 command to DF&G Headquarters in the capitol of California, Sacramento, and asked each time, if it was ok to do depredation control hunting of crows with a pellet rifle. All said yes. I pointed out that “firearms” were required and would pellet rifles be implicitly included? I was told by all DF&G folks I talked to, including the Sacramento H.Q. that they had no problem with my use of pellet rifles. I went a step farther up the chain, to the Federal Government and talked to the regional boss for this topic, in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He told me the same, crows? Depredation control hunting? Pellet rifles? No problem. But I’d be more comfortable with Federal depredation regulations making pellet rifles explicit rather than implicit.Until explicit authorization, one depends on the judgement call of the DF&G game warden you deal with, imo. The end of the story? I heeded the cop’s advice and after that used a pellet rifle on that crow-plagued farm. After four or five hunts, a bit over one hundred crows were taken care of. I used my 12-13 ft/lb muzzle energy (M.E.) FWB124d or my 6 ft/lb M.E. Beeman R7-u.h. I used the R7 initially as these unhunted crows let me get within about 30 yards. Later, when they were spookier and I couldn’t get closer than about 50 yards, I switched to the more powerful FWB124d air rifle which let me knock them down at 50 yards. After that, the crows moved off the farm, pleasing the farmer.)' Here's the link to the actual PDF on the web if anyone wants to read it for themselves: http://cvs.graphicsm.../airgunhunt.pdf So, it looks like it's kind of a grey area...

[ShooterJohn]

Robert is an old friend of mine and he hunts strictly under a depredation permit.

[Air Rifle Hunter]

Robert is an old friend of mine and he hunts strictly under a depredation permit.

He seems like a really cool person. I stayed up late last night and read through the entire 61 pages. I like how he spent the time to write all of that information down for others to benefit from and enjoy. I found it very interesting.