"Moderator"
California regs Wild Turkey has been able to be taken with .177 for a few years now.
http://www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/current/uplandgamebirdregs.aspx#300(f) Air rifles powered by compressed air or gas and used with any caliber of pellet, except that wild turkey may only be taken with a pellet that is at least 0.177 caliber.
http://www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/current/uplandgamebirdregs.aspx#475 California Department of Fish and Game (DF&G), pellet rifles are legal means of
take for all (that’s
“ALL”) California Resident Small Game.
DF&G regulations: Chapter 2: Resident Small Game: 311: Methods Authorized for
Taking Resident Small Game:
(f): “Air rifles firing pellets and powered by compressed air or gas (0.20 caliber minimum
for taking wild turkey);”
Ok, so what critters are open to airgun hunters in California?
DF&G regulations: Chapter 1: General Provisions and Definitions: S257: Resident
Small Game Defined:
“Resident small game means the following resident game birds: Chinese spotted doves,
ringed turtle doves of the family Columbidae, California quail and varieties thereof,
Gambel or desert quail, mountain quail and varieties thereof, blue grouse and varieties
thereof, ruffed grouse, sage grouse (sage hens), white-tailed ptarmigan, Hungarian
partridges, redlegged partridges, including the chukar and other varieties, ring-necked
pheasants and varieties, and wild turkeys of the order Galliformes, and the following
game mammals: jack rabbits and varying hares (genus Lupus), cottontail rabbits, brush
California small game and varmint pellet rifle hunting
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rabbits, pigmy rabbits (genus Syluilagus), and tree squirrels (genus Sciurus and
Tamiasciurus).”
What else can you pellet rifle hunt in California?
Nongame “varmint” hunting in California:
DF&G regulations: Chapter 6. Nongame animals: S472. General provisions:
“(a) The following nongame birds and mammals may be taken at any time of the year
and in any number except as prohibited in Chapter 6: English sparrow, starling, coyote,
weasels, skunks, opossum, moles and rodents (excluding tree and flying squirrels, and
those listed as furbearers, endangered or threatened species).”
And how can you take them (what weapons)?
DF&G regulations: Chapter 6. Nongame animals: S475. Methods of Take for
Nongame Birds and Mammals:
“Nongame birds and mammals may be taken in any manner except as follows:” The
exceptions are sections S475(a), (b), (c), (d), and (e).
Section S475.(a) says that you can’t use poisons. Section S475.(b) says that electronic
game calls are only ok for coyotes, bobcats, crows and starlings. Section S475.(c) says
that various exotics like fallow deer, sambar deer, axis deer, feral goats, etc. can only be
taken with various firearms and archery gear described in Chapter 3 Big Game, Section
353. Methods Authorized for Taking Big Game.
Section S476.(d) restricts the use of leg-hold and other traps. And Section S476.(e) says
that you can’t put out bait while using dogs to hunt non-game, and bobcats have other
restrictions listed in Section S478.
Of the above non-game species, English sparrows, starlings and ground squirrels are very
suitable quarry for most pellet rifle hunters.
