November 2014- The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is providing several pheasant hunting opportunities at northern California Type A wildlife areas for 2014.

The general pheasant season opens on Nov. 8 and extends through Dec. 21, 2014.

For the 2014 hunting season, wildlife areas are open for pheasant hunting as follows:

Type A wildlife areas in the Sacramento Valley (Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, Delevan National Wildlife Refuge, Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area’s Little Dry Creek and Howard Slough Units and Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area) will be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, and only the first Monday (Nov. 10) of the pheasant season. Grizzly Island Wildlife Area will be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, and only the second Monday (Nov. 17) of the pheasant season.

While the Llano Seco Unit of the Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area is closed for waterfowl hunting as a result of the drought, it will be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays during the general pheasant season. Permits for entry will be issued at the check station through the morning lottery which begins at 4 a.m., with the draw occurring at 4:30 a.m. Entry is also available through first-come, first-serve lists at the check station.

Type A wildlife areas in the San Joaquin Valley (Los Banos Wildlife Area, Mendota Wildlife Area, North Grasslands Wildlife Area, Volta Wildlife Area and San Luis National Wildlife Refuge) will be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays only during the pheasant season. Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge will be open for pheasant hunting on the first Monday of the pheasant season (Nov. 10).

The Wister Unit of Imperial Wildlife Area in Imperial County and San Jacinto Wildlife Area in Riverside County will be closed to pheasant hunting this year.

Type C wildlife areas will remain open as normal.

In 2010, CDFW reduced the number of days that certain wildlife areas will be open for pheasant hunting due to a decline the number of hunters targeting pheasant and the cost to operate check stations during the first week of the season. This reduction remains in effect. In response to the continued decline, CDFW is entering the second year of working with Pheasants Forever and the United States Geological Survey to implement pheasant population assessments and identify factors limiting their populations to develop potential management actions.

The modifications of the shoot days on Type A wildlife areas are pursuant to the California Code of Regulations, Title 14, subsections 550(i)(1).

For more information on specific hunting opportunities, hunters should contact their regional CDFW office.