Forecast: California hunters looking for pheasants in their home state will do best by driving north.
“The best wild pheasant populations currently occur in the Klamath Basin in the extreme north of the state,” reports Matt Meshriy, upland game bird biologist for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Pheasant numbers in the Central Valley remain low, but the birds have fared better in the north (Sacramento Valley) than farther south (San Joaquin Valley). Generally in the Sacramento Valley, nesting success rates were lower this year (34 percent) than last (55 percent). Moreover, broods appear to be off to a later start this year.
Says Meshriy, “Relatively speaking, areas in the Sacramento Valley that appear particularly good include the Yolo Basin and Yolo Basin Wildlife Area, portions of Colusa County on and adjacent to the Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, as well as the Butte Basin and Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area.”
California pheasants are battling both short-term trends—the ongoing drought in parts of the state—and long-term trends. Numbers have declined steadily during the last decade. “Reductions of available nesting cover due to clean farming practices and decreasing cereal grain plantings (barley, sorghum, sugar beets and winter wheat) are among the primary drivers for observed declines,” says Meshriy.
Field Notes: The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is teaming up with Pheasants Forever and the U.S. Geological Survey in a multi-year study into pheasant population “vitals,” such as rates for nesting success and brood success. The department is funding several habitat and research projects through the Upland Game Bird Stamp Account in an effort to improve upland habitat and increase wild pheasant populations. This year, says Meshriy, the department and its partners have expanded field investigations to monitor habitat, predators and population vital rates in Siskiyou, Glen, Butte, Sutter, Colusa, Yolo and San Joaquin counties.
As of July 1, 2016, nonlead shot is required when taking upland game birds with a shotgun, except for dove, quail, snipe, and any game birds taken on licensed game bird clubs. See more on
nonlead ammunition.
Season Dates: November 12 through December 25, 2016
Daily Bag Limit: 2 roosters first two days of season; 3 roosters thereafter
Possession Limit: 6 roosters first two days of season; 9 roosters thereafter
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