Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024
No licensed game bird club utilizing domestically reared
game birds may be operated in this state except under a license issued by the
department and under the provisions of this section. Domestically reared game
birds include only the following: Pheasants of the species Phasianus
colchicus, including all ring-necked pheasant races, Indian chukar,
domestically reared wild turkey, Hungarian partridge, bobwhite quail, Coturnix
quail, and other such species as may be designated by the Fish and Game
Commission.
(a) General Provisions for
All Licensed Game Bird Clubs, Including Zone A and B Clubs.
(1) Licensed Provisions.
(A) Application Form. Application for a game
bird club license shall be made on LICENSED GAME BIRD CLUB APPLICATION, Form
LGBC 600 (5/95), which is incorporated by reference herein. Application forms
are available from the Department of Fish and Game, License and Revenue Branch.
The application form shall be completed in its entirety and submitted to the
License and Revenue Branch. The approved application form (LGBC 600) shall be
kept with the shooting permit records for the licensed area and shall be open
to inspection.
(B) Signing of
Application. Applications shall be signed by the applicant. If the applicant is
a corporation, the application shall be signed by any one or more duly
authorized officers of the corporation. If the applicant is a partnership, the
application shall be signed in behalf of the partnership by any one or more of
the general partners. If the applicant is a person, doing business under a
business name, the application shall be signed by such person accompanied by a
statement of the name under which business is being done.
(C) Inspection Requirement. The department
may inspect each tract proposed for licensing to determine if it is suitable
for a licensed game bird club.
(D)
Licensed Area. A licensed game bird club shall include the total area within
the exterior boundary.
(E) Map
Requirement for New Areas or Boundary Changes. Applications for new areas and
those involving a boundary change must include a current 7.5 minute U.S.
Geological Survey topographic map denoting the boundaries of the proposed area
or areas.
(F) Transfer of License.
The department may transfer a license to other land owned or controlled by a
licensee if the land is located in the same county as the land specified in the
original application, if the new land is suitable for the purposes of the
license. A transfer of license may not require an additional fee but may
require a department inspection to determine if the above provisions are
satisfied.
(G) Proof of Hunting
Rights. Applications involving lands not owned by the applicant must include
written verification that the applicant has acquired exclusive hunting rights
on the land in question for the total period of the license.
(H) Term of License. A game bird club license
shall be issued for a period of one year from August 1 to July 31, or for the
remainder of the period if issued after August 1.
(I) License Fees. The base license fee shall
be $280 for game bird clubs over 500 acres in size and $210 for game bird clubs
of 500 acres or less. These fees shall be annually adjusted pursuant to Section
713 of
the Fish and Game Code.
(J) Request
for Cancellation of License. A licensee shall request that his/her license be
cancelled. This request must be made in writing to the department's License and
Revenue Branch (see subsection (a)(1)(A)). The license fee shall not be
refunded for a cancelled license.
(K) License Revocation or Suspension. The
department may revoke, suspend or decline to renew a license for failure to
comply with the provisions of a license or failure to comply with these
regulations. Any person whose license is revoked or suspended may request a
hearing before the commission to show cause why his/her permit should not be
revoked or suspended.
(2)
Posting of Area. Every game bird club shall be posted on the exterior boundary
with signs of a size not less than 8 1/2 by 11 inches at intervals of at least
three (3) to the mile and at all corners and entrances. The signs shall include
the name of the club and the words: "private licensed game bird club or private
licensed pheasant club--authorized under regulations of the Fish and Game
Commission--no trespassing." These signs shall be visible at least twenty-five
(25) feet from the boundaries of such club. The department shall not furnish
such signs. Signs shall be removed prior to September 15 of the succeeding year
if no license is granted for that year.
(3) Compliance Requirement. It is unlawful to
shoot, attempt to shoot, or otherwise take any game bird on the premises of any
licensed game bird club unless the provisions of this Section
600 have been complied with. The
department may inspect the premises of each licensed area to determine whether
or not the licensee has complied with these regulations.
(4) Shooting Permit Requirement. No person
may hunt domestically reared game birds on a licensed game bird club without
having in possession a valid hunting license, a valid upland game bird stamp
and a valid game bird club shooting permit issued by the licensee or an agent
authorized by the licensee (see subsection (a)(9)). The shooting permit shall
include the following information: name, hunting license number, and date(s)
permit is valid.
(5) Daily Log
Sheets. Every hunter on a licensed game bird club shall sign in on a daily log
sheet at the location designated on the license application prior to going
afield in pursuit of domestically reared game birds.
(6) Shooting Records. Licensees shall
maintain a record for each shooting day on forms supplied by the department,
LICENSED GAME BIRD CLUB MONTHLY REPORT, Form LGBC 600B (5/97), which is
incorporated by reference herein, and shall make entries on the record for each
shooting day.
(7) Shooting Records
Maintenance. Shooting permit records and other records required by these
regulations shall be open to inspection by the department on shooting days at a
designated site identified in the license application. During the balance of
the shooting season, these records shall be available for inspection by the
department from the licensee or authorized agent. Records must be retained for
inspection for a period of one year after the close of the shooting season. The
licensee shall submit all of the LGBC 600B forms provided by the department
showing the daily and monthly numbers of each species released and taken. The
report shall be sent to the Department of Fish and Game, at an address to be
determined by the Department, within thirty (30) days after shooting has
ceased, and the licensee shall maintain a legible copy of such
record.
(8) Seal Requirement.
(A) Seals shall be affixed by the licensee,
or an authorized agent, to all pheasants, chukars, and turkeys taken on a
licensed game bird club area. Seals shall be applied immediately upon the
hunter's return to club headquarters. Seals shall remain attached to the birds
until they are finally prepared for consumption. Seals shall be supplied by the
department at a fee of five cents ($0.05) each. These seals shall be purchased
and located on the club area prior to the taking of any released birds. Seals
may be obtained from the department's License and Revenue Branch (see
subsection (a)(1)(A)).
(B) Seals
shall be affixed to bagged pheasants, chukars, and turkeys only. Seals shall be
affixed only by the licensee or an authorized agent.
(C) The licensee must account for all used
and unused seals upon request by the department. The licensee is required to
destroy all unused seals at the end of each season.
(D) There shall be no refund of money for
unused seals.
(E) Seals are not
transferable and shall be used only on the licensed club to which they are
issued.
(F) Seals are not required
for domestically reared game birds other than pheasant, chukar, and
turkey.
(9) Authorized
Agents. The licensee may appoint authorized agents to serve in his/her
capacity. An authorized agent must be 16 years of age or older. The applicant
shall declare the intended authorized agents on LICENSED GAME BIRD CLUBS -
AUTHORIZED AGENTS, (Form LGBC 600A), which is incorporated by reference herein,
and post the form at the club headquarters for the duration of the
season.
(10) Liberation of Birds.
(A) The department may require the licensee
to deliver birds to the licensed area for inspection and/or banding. If banding
is required the licensee or authorized agent shall remove all leg bands from
birds killed on the licensed game bird club and return them to the department's
Wildlife Management Division (see subsection (a)(7) for address).
(B) At time of release, all birds shall be
full-winged and otherwise in condition to go wild. Birds that are altered in
any manner which would, in the opinion of the department, render them incapable
of surviving in the wild, or which are diseased, or show evidence of
malnutrition, shall be rejected for release.
(C) Approval for the release and take of
domestically reared wild turkeys will not be granted in areas where wild
turkeys have been released by the department or where a population of wild
turkeys exists.
(11)
Shooting Hours.
(A) The shooting hours for
taking domestically reared game birds on licensed game bird clubs shall be from
one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
(12) Conduct of Hunters. The licensee or
authorized agent, of a licensed game bird club, may refuse to issue a permit to
any person who in his/her opinion is intoxicated or handles firearms in a
careless and dangerous manner. The licensee, or authorized agent, may also
revoke forthwith the permit of any hunter who endangers the safety of other
hunters, destroys or endangers property on the club or fails to attempt to
recover crippled or dead birds which he/she has shot or violates any fish and
game regulations.
(13) Laws and
Regulations For Game Other Than Domestically Reared Game Birds. Game other than
domestically reared game birds may be taken on a licensed game bird club under
the laws and regulations applying to the state at large, including daily bag
limits.
(14) Prohibition on Removal
of Domesticated Game Birds Taken By Means Other Than Hunting. No game birds
killed in any manner other than by hunting by legal methods shall be removed
from the premises of any licensed game bird club. It shall be unlawful to sell
or buy or attempt to sell or buy any domestic game birds taken from such
club.
(15) Disease Prevention.
Birds being reared for release by the licensee on a licensed game bird club or
at an off-site location shall be maintained under conditions which are not
conducive to the spread of diseases. Rearing facilities shall be subject to
inspection by the department.
(16)
Game Bird Purchase Records. The licensee shall retain copies of all game bird
purchase invoices. A copy of these records shall be available for inspection
during the license year. Information concerning the date and number of birds
delivered shall be recorded on all invoices. All pens and birds may be
inspected by the department at any time. A department employee may witness all
releases.
(17) Use of Dogs. Hunters
are encouraged to utilize retrieving dogs while in the field to assist in the
recovery of downed birds. Hunters shall make a reasonable effort to locate all
downed birds consistent with sections
203.1
and
4304 of
the Fish and Game Code. For hunters without retrieving dogs, the licensee may
provide dogs and accompanying handlers. No dog handler may serve as a guide and
the use of dogs on licensed game bird clubs does not constitute guiding, as
defined in Section
2535 of the
Code.
(b) Zones for
Licensed Game Bird Clubs. For the purpose of hunting domestically reared game
birds, the state is divided into Zone A and Zone B. Clubs licensed in these
areas shall be known as Zone A and Zone B licensees, respectively.
(1) Zone A Licensed Game Bird Clubs.
(A) Zone A Defined. Zone A consists of the
following area: San Joaquin-Sacramento Valleys; within a line beginning at the
junction of State Highway 41 and Interstate Highway 5 northerly on Interstate
Highway 5 to the junction of Washoe Avenue; northerly along Washoe Avenue to
California Avenue (Panoche Road); westerly along California Avenue (Panoche
Road) to Interstate Highway 5; northerly along Interstate Highway 5 to the
Delta-Mendota Canal crossing; northerly and westerly along said canal to the
crossing of the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks (about five (5) miles south of
Byron); northwesterly along said railroad to its intersection with State
Highway 4 at Brentwood; north and west along said State Highway 4 to its
intersection with State Highway 84; along said State Highway 84 to the
Sacramento-Contra Costa county line on the Antioch Bridge; westerly along the
Sacramento-Contra Costa county line to its intersection with the Solano County
boundary; northeasterly along the Sacramento County-Solano County line to Cache
Slough; northwesterly along the South bank of Cache Slough to Haas Slough;
northerly along the south bank of Haas Slough to its intersection with the
Sacramento Northern Railroad tracks; northeasterly along the Sacramento
Northern Railroad tracks to Bunker Station; westerly along the Bunker
Station-Binghampton Road to State Highway 113; northerly along State Highway
113 to Hawkins Road; westerly along Hawkins Road to Leisure Town Road;
southerly along Leisure Town Road to Cooper School Road; westerly along Cooper
School Road to Nut Tree Road; northwesterly along Nut Tree Road to Interstate
Highway 80; southwesterly along Interstate Highway 80 to the range line between
R1W and R2W; northerly along said range line to the Pacific Gas and Electric
Pit Vaca Dixon electrical transmission lines approximately six (6) miles north
and east of the town of Capay; northwesterly along west right-of-way boundary
of the said Pacific Gas and Electric transmission lines to the township line
between T15N and T16N; northerly along the west right-of-way boundary of said
transmission line to the Tehama County line; easterly along the Tehama-Glenn
county line to the Sacramento River; northerly along the Sacramento River to
the Tehama-Butte county Line; easterly along the Tehama-Butte county line to
U.S. Highway 99; southeasterly along 99E through Chico to the junction of State
Sign Route 162; southeasterly along State Sign Route 162 to the junction of
State Highway 70; southeasterly on State Highway 70 to the township line
between T18N and T19N; easterly on said township line to the Oroville-Bangor
Highway; southeasterly on the Oroville-Bangor Highway to Bangor on the section
line between Section 27 and Section 28, T18N, R5E; south on said section line
to the township line between T18N and T17N; east on said township line to the
range line between R5E and R6E; south on said range line to State Highway 20;
easterly along said Highway 20 through Smartville to the common boundary
between Nevada an Yuba counties; south along this boundary to Placer County;
east along the common boundary of Nevada and Placer counties to the range line
between R6E and R7E; south along said range line to the township line between
T11N and T10N; east along this township line to the common boundary between
Placer and El Dorado counties; south along said boundary to the common boundary
between Sacramento and El Dorado counties; southeasterly along said boundary
between Sacramento and El Dorado counties, Sacramento and Amador counties, San
Joaquin and Amador counties, San Joaquin and Calaveras counties; southerly
along the San Joaquin-Stanislaus county line to State Highway 4; easterly on
State Highway 4 to Milton Road; southerly on Milton Road to its junction with
Sonora Road; southeasterly along Sonora Road to Knights Ferry; southerly along
the Knights Ferry-LaGrange Road to Warnerville; southerly along Crabtree Road
to Turlock Lake State Park; southerly on Roberts Ferry Road to its intersection
with Lake Road; westerly on Lake Road to Hawkins Road; southerly on Hawkins
Road to Keyes Road; easterly on Keyes Road to its intersection with Cox Ferry
Road; southerly along Cox Ferry Road and State Highway 59 to the Santa Fe
Railroad tracks; southerly along the Santa Fe Railroad tracks through Planada
and LeGrand to its intersection with State Highway 145; southwesterly along
State Highway 145 to U.S. Highway 99; southerly along U.S. Highway 99 to State
Highway 41; then southwesterly along State Highway 41 to the point of
beginning.
(B) Shooting Season. The
Zone A shooting season for pheasants shall commence on the Saturday nearest the
15th day of October and extend for 114 consecutive days. For all other
domestically reared game birds, the Zone A shooting season shall be from
September 1 to March 31 of the following year.
(C) Limitation on Pheasants Taken. At no time
shall the number of pheasants taken on a Zone A licensed game bird club exceed
80% of the total number of pheasants previously released on the licensed area
during the license year and up to 12 days prior to the season. Such birds must
be released under the provisions of a current game bird club license.
(D) Daily Bag Limit. There is no daily bag
limit for domestically reared game birds on a Zone A licensed game bird
club.
(E) Unused Seals. Unused
seals shall not be given to hunters.
(F) Headquarters and Travel Route. A
headquarters building, housetrailer, or site for record inspection shall be
maintained for each licensed game bird club during the shooting season. The
location of the building, housetrailer, or site must be designated on the
license application. No shooting permits shall be issued or birds taken until
such headquarters has been established. When hunters, in order to travel
between headquarters and the licensed hunting area, must travel off the
licensed hunting area, the applicant must include in his application a request
for an authorized travel route. Such route shall not exceed 10 miles. Firearms
must be unloaded in conformance with state law while hunters are using such
authorized travel route. The travel route must be included in the application
and indicated on the map to scale required in the application. The headquarters
and authorized travel routes shall be considered part of the licensed premises
for the requirements of sealing birds, but shall not affect the gross area of
the club.
(2) Zone B
Licensed Game Bird Clubs.
(A) Zone B Defined.
Zone B consists of the remainder of the state not included in the area
described in subsection (b)(1)(A) above (Zone A).
(B) Shooting Season. The Zone B shooting
season shall commence on September 1 and close on May 31.
(C) Release of Pheasants Required. Pheasants
may not be taken on a Zone B licensed pheasant club unless domestically reared
pheasants have previously been released on the licensed area during the current
license year. The take of pheasants shall at no time exceed the number
previously released during the current license year.
(D) Limitation on Birds Taken. The total
number of pheasants which may be taken on a Zone B licensed game bird club
shall not exceed the number of pheasants released on the licensed area during
the license year.
(E) Daily Bag
Limit. There is no daily bag limit for domestically reared game birds on a Zone
B licensed game bird club.
(F)
Unused Seals. Unused Zone B seals may be possessed only by the licensee or a
duly authorized agent.
(G)
Headquarters and Travel Route. A headquarters building, housetrailer, or site
for record inspection shall be maintained for each licensed game bird club
during the shooting season. The location of the building, housetrailer, or site
must be designated on the license application. No shooting permits shall be
issued or birds taken until such headquarters has been established. When
hunters, in order to travel between headquarters and the licensed hunting area,
must travel off the licensed hunting area, the applicant must include in his
application a request for an authorized travel route. Such route shall not
exceed 10 miles. Firearms must be unloaded in conformance with state law while
hunters are using such authorized travel route. The travel route must be
included in the application and indicated on the map to scale required in the
application. The headquarters and authorized travel routes shall be considered
part of the licensed premises for the requirements of sealing birds, but shall
not affect the gross area of the club.
1. Amendment
of subsection (c)(1) and addition of subsection (c)(4) filed 6-11-68; effective
thirtieth day thereafter (Register 68, No. 22). For prior history, see Register
68, No. 6.
2. Amendment of subsection (a) filed 6-30-69; effective
thirtieth day thereafter (Register 69, No. 27).
3. Renumbering from
Chapter 8 filed 3-17-72; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 72, No.
12).
4. Amendment of subsection (j)(2) filed 8-2-72; effective
thirtieth day thereafter (Register 72, No. 32).
5. Amendment of NOTE
filed 7-16-81; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 81, No.
29).
6. Order of Repeal of subsections (c)(3) and (k)(2) filed
6-3-85 by OAL pursuant to Government Code Section
11349.7;
effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 85, No. 26).
7.
Editorial correction of NOTE filed 9-20-85; effective thirtieth day thereafter
(Register 85, No. 38).
8. Repealer and new section and amendment of
NOTE filed 6-30-95; operative 7-1-95 pursuant to Fish and Game Code section
3270
(Register 95, No. 26).
9. Amendment of opening paragraph and
subsections (a)(2), (a)(6), (a)(7), (a)(8)(C) and (a)(9), repealer of
subsection (a)(11) and subsection renumbering, and amendment of newly
designated subsections (a)(11)(A) and (a)(16) filed 7-10-96; operative 8-9-96
(Register 96, No. 28).
10. Amendment of subsection (b)(1)(B) and
NOTE filed 2-6-97 as an emergency; operative 2-6-97 (Register 97, No. 6). A
Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 6-6-97 or emergency
language will be repealed by operation of law on the following
day.
11. Amendment of subsection (a)(6), repealer of subsections
(a)(10)(A)-(B) and subsection relettering filed 10-7-97; operative 10-7-97
pursuant to Fish and Game Code sections
202 and
215
(Register 97, No. 41).
12. Reinstatement of subsection (b)(1)(B) and
NOTE as they existed prior to 2-6-97 emergency amendment filed 4-22-98 by
operation of Government Code section
11346.1(f)
(Register 98, No. 17).
13. New subsection (a)(17) and amendment of
NOTE filed 2-3-2000; operative 2-3-2000 pursuant to Fish and Game Code sections
202 and
215
(Register 2000, No. 5).
14. Amendment of subsections (a)(1)(A) and
(a)(7) filed 10-21-2004; operative 10-21-2004 pursuant to Government Code
section
11343.4
(Register 2004, No. 43).
15. Amendment of subsection (a)(11)(A)
filed 8-29-2007; operative 9-1-2007 pursuant to Government Code section
11343.4
(Register 2007, No. 35).
Note: Authority cited: Sections
203,
203.1,
3000
and
3270,
Fish and Game Code. Reference: Sections
203,
203.1,
3000,
3270,
3500
and
4304,
Fish and Game Code.