California Outdoors Q&A

Question: I know it’s illegal to bait animals to get them to come to you in order to hunt them. However, what about hunting over an alfalfa or corn field? I know some other states allow this and I am wondering if California does, too. (Dakota C.) Answer: Although feeding big game and hunting over bait is illegal in California, it is legal...
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The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) encourages all Californians to give fishing a try for free on July 1 and Sept. 2. CDFW annually offers two Free Fishing Days, typically around the Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends. On these two days, people can fish without having to buy a sport fishing license. Free Fishing Days also provide...
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Question: I am a recently minted homeowner and my neighborhood is overrun by Eurasian doves. For fun, I would like to do some recurve bow hunting for them with judo point arrows when the season opens later this year. I know that the statute states, “No discharge of firearms or any deadly weapon within 150 yards of a residence.” However,...
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Question: Is the use of bait launchers legal in California? I have seen many videos and DIY plans showing how to build fishing bait launchers. They look pretty much like a potato gun but are used only for propelling the bait past the surf for a chance at the larger fish. They are made of PVC pipe and filled with...
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Question: I’m in high school and last month my dad and I were contacted by a game warden while we were out fishing. He was really nice. After checking our licenses and sturgeon cards, and once he figured out we were all good, he spent at least another 20 minutes with us answering a bunch of questions. Afterward my dad and...
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Question: I recently went deep sea fishing and was wondering if the carcass and/or leftovers of fish caught could be used as bait? I cleaned the fillets today and thought that the skin left attached for identification purposes could be frozen and taken back on a future trip to use as an additional attraction attached to my jigs. The head...
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