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The application period for the California Big Game Drawing is currently open. The deadline for the Big Game Draw is June 2nd. You can either apply for the draw through the CDFW Online License Service, CDFW License Sales Offices, through a Licensed Agent vendor, or by phone. As things can happen with technology, don’t wait until the last minute to put in your applications.
Keep in mind that if you wish to retain all your accumulated points for each species, you need to apply. If you fail to apply for five years in a row, you will lose all your accumulated points. I know this firsthand because it happened to me. If you apply for points or apply for the draw within five years you will be safe.
If you intend to apply for a premium deer tag (i.e., X2), make sure you purchase a “First Deer Tag Application” and not a “First Deer Tag”. The “First Deer Tag” will result in a general tag not an application for a premium tag.
The SHARE Hunts are a separate draw and are specific to the hunt for which you are applying. Make sure you check out the SHARE Hunt website for more details on all the available SHARE Hunts. For a nonresident that wants to hunt elk in California, the SHARE Hunts are the easier tags to draw. For nonresidents, California only allows a maximum of one nonresident to draw an elk tag. There are some years when no nonresidents draw a tag.
California’s pronghorn herd is NOT in good shape. CDFW has slashed tags for pronghorn again this year. For more information on that, check out my MRS writeup for pronghorn hunting in California. The same goes for pronghorn as it was for elk, as far as nonresident tags. There are no SHARE Hunts for pronghorn, but the state will only allow a maximum of one nonresident tag.
The opposite can be said for the California Big Horn Sheep population. The CDFW has increased the number of tags in the state and created additional hunts for big horn sheep. I go into more detail on that in the Big Horn Sheep MRS section.
While not often talked about, California has the largest bear population out of the Lower 48 states. California recently added a second bear tag. With two bear tags, hunters will only be able to take one bear per day (bag limit is 1 bear and possession limit is 2 bears). California hunters have struggled to reach the take quota of 1,700 bears (yearly), so the allowance of two bear tags is an effort to take more bears and keep their numbers in check. If you deer hunt in California, I highly suggest picking up at least 1 bear tag. The chances of seeing a bear while deer hunting are very high.
If you have not already become an Eastmans EHJ/EBJ subscriber or TagHub member, do not wait until the last minute. Get your membership now and use the MRS/TagHub tools and expert analysis to research draw trends, trophy forecasts, pressure, terrain difficulty and much more.
