California Code of Regulations Title 14. Natural Resources Division 1. Fish and Game Commission - Department of Fish and Wildlife Subdivision 2. Game, Furbearers, Nongame, and Depredators Chapter 6. Nongame Animals Back to Main Menu Skip to... §472. General Provisions. §473. Possession of Nongame Animals. §474. Hours for Taking. §475. Methods of Take for Nongame Birds and Nongame Mammals. §478. Bobcat. §478.1. Bobcat Hunting Tags. §479. Bobcat Pelts. Chapter 6. Nongame Animals §472. General Provisions. Except as otherwise provided in Sections 478 and 485 and subsections (a) through (d) below, nongame birds and mammals may not be taken. (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, domestic pigeon ( Columba livia) except as prohibited in Fish and Game Code section 3680, coyote, weasels, skunks, opossum, moles and rodents (excluding tree and flying squirrels, and those listed as furbearers, endangered or threatened species). (b) Fallow, sambar, sika, and axis deer, of either sex, may be taken concurrently with the general deer season and on properties where an authorized deer, elk, or pronghorn antelope season is open. There is no bag or possession limit for deer taken pursuant to this subsection. (1) It shall be unlawful to take any deer pursuant to this subsection without a valid hunting license in possession, but no tag, stamp, or additional endorsement of any kind is required. (2) It shall be unlawful to detach or remove only the head, hide, or antlers of any deer taken pursuant to this subsection, or to leave through carelessness or neglect any portion of the flesh normally eaten by humans to go to waste.. (c) Aoudad, mouflon, tahr, and feral goats may be taken all year. (d) American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) (1) May be taken only under the provisions of Section 485 and by landowners or tenants, or by persons authorized in writing by such landowners or tenants, when American crows are committing or about to commit depredations upon ornamental or shade trees, agricultural crops, livestock, or wildlife, or when concentrated in such numbers and manner as to constitute a health hazard or other nuisance. Persons authorized by landowners or tenants to take American crows shall keep such written authorization in their possession when taking, transporting or possessing American crows. American crows may be taken only on the lands where depredations are occurring or where they constitute a health hazard or nuisance. If required by Federal regulations, landowners or tenants shall obtain a Federal migratory bird depredation permit before taking any American crows or authorizing any other person to take them. (2) American crows may be taken under the provisions of this subsection only by firearm, bow and arrow, falconry or by toxicants by the Department of Food and Agriculture for the specific purpose of taking depredating crows. Toxicants can be used for taking crows only under the supervision of employees or officers of the Department of Food and Agriculture or federal or county pest control officers or employees acting in their official capacities and possessing a qualified applicator certificate issued pursuant to sections 14151-14155 of the Food and Agriculture Code. Such toxicants must be applied according to their label requirements developed pursuant to sections 6151-6301, Title 3, California Code of Regulations. (e) Pursuant to Fish and Game Code Section 2003, it is unlawful to offer any prize or other inducement as a reward for the taking of nongame mammals in an individual contest, tournament, or derby. Amendment filed 12/22/16; effective 4/1/17. Editorial correction Register 2017-No 13. §473. Possession of Nongame Animals. (a) Any nongame bird or mammal that has been legally taken pursuant to this chapter may be possessed. (b) It is unlawful to possess live nutria (Myocastor coypus), and the Department shall not issue any permit authoring possession of any live nutria. Amendment filed 2/27/2020; effective 4/1/2020. §474. Hours for Taking. Nongame mammals may be taken at any time except as provided in this section. (a) Area Closed to Night Hunting. Nongame mammals may be taken only between one-half hour before sunrise and one-half hour after sunset in the following described area: Beginning at a point where Little Panoche Road crosses Interstate 5 near Mendota; south on Interstate 5 to Highway 198; east on Highway 198 to Highway 99; south on Highway 99 to Interstate 5; south on Interstate 5 to the Los Padres National Forest boundary in Section 8, T 9 N, R 19 W, S.B.B.M near Fort Tejon Historical Monument; west along the National Forest boundary to Cerro Noroeste Road; northwest on Cerro Noroeste Road to Highway 33-166; north on Highway 33-166 to the Soda Lake Road; northwest on the Soda Lake Road and on the Simmler Soda Lake San Diego Creek Road to Highway 58 at Simmler; west on Highway 58 to the Cammotti Shandon Road; north on the Cammotti Shandon Road to the Shandon San Juan Road; north on the Shandon San Juan Road to Highway 41; northeast on Highway 41 to the Cholame Valley Road; northwest on Cholame Valley Road and Cholame Road to the Parkfield Coalinga Road in Parkfield; north on Parkfield Coalinga Road and Parkfield Grade to Highway 198; northwest on Highway 198 to the Fresno-Monterey county line; north along the Fresno-Monterey county and Fresno-San Benito county lines to the Little Panoche Road; north and east on the Little Panoche Road to the point of beginning at Interstate 5. This section does not pertain to the legal take of nongame mammals with traps as provided for by Sections 461-480 of these regulations, and by Sections 4000-4012, 4152 and 4180 of the Fish and Game Code. (This regulation supersedes Section 3000 of the Fish and Game Code.) (b) On privately-owned property, not included in (a) above, nongame mammals may be taken from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise only by the landowner or his agents, or by persons who have in their immediate possession written permission issued by the landowner or tenant that states the permittee can trespass from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise on property under the ownership or control of such landowners or tenants. (c) Fallow deer, axis deer, sambar deer, sika deer, aoudad, mouflon, tahr and feral goats may be taken only from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Amendment of subsection (a) filed 6-7-82; designated effective 6-17-82. §475. Methods of Take for Nongame Birds and Nongame Mammals. Nongame birds and nongame mammals may be taken in any manner except as follows: (a) Poison may not be used. (b) Recorded or electrically amplified bird or mammal calls or sounds or recorded or electrically amplified imitations of bird or mammal calls or sounds may not be used to take any nongame bird or nongame mammal except coyotes, bobcats, American crows and starlings. (c) Fallow deer, sambar deer, axis deer, sika deer, aoudad, mouflon, tahr and feral goats may be taken only with the equipment and ammunition specified in Section 353 of these regulations. (d) Traps may be used to take nongame birds and nongame mammals only in accordance with the provisions of Section 465.5 of these regulations and sections 3003.1 and 4004 of the Fish and Game Code. (e) No feed, bait or other material capable of attracting a nongame mammal may be placed or used in conjunction with dogs for the purpose of taking any nongame mammals. Nothing in this section shall prohibit an individual operating in accordance with the provisions of Section 465.5 from using a dog to follow a trap drag and taking the nongame mammal caught in that trap. (f) The take or attempted take of any nongame bird or nongame mammal with a firearm shall be in accordance with the use of nonlead projectiles and ammunition pursuant to Section 250.1 of these regulations. (g) It shall be unlawful to use lures or similar materials that contain or are labeled or advertised as containing any chronic wasting disease sensitive cervid biofluid as defined in Section 714, including but not limited to urine, feces, saliva, and scent gland secretions, to take any nongame bird or nongame mammal. Amendment filed 7/1/2024; effective 7/1/2024. §478. Bobcat. (a) It shall be unlawful to pursue, take or possess any bobcat without first procuring a hunting license and bobcat hunting tags. This Section shall not apply to bobcats taken pursuant to Section 4152 of the Fish and Game Code and Section 401 of these regulations. (b) Hunting: The pursuit, take, or possession of a bobcat under the authority of a hunting license and a bobcat hunting tag shall be in accordance with the provisions of Section 3960 of the Fish and Game Code, this Section, and sections 472, 473, 474, 475, 478.1 and 479 of these regulations. Bobcats may be taken statewide under the authority of a hunting license and bobcat hunting tags between October 15 through February 28. The bag and possession limit is five bobcats per season. (c) Trapping: It shall be unlawful to trap any bobcat, or attempt to do so, or to sell or export any bobcat or part of any bobcat taken in the State of California. Any holder of a trapping license who traps a bobcat shall immediately release the bobcat to the wild unharmed. Change without regulatory effect 8/9/2019. §478.1. Bobcat Hunting Tags. (a) Any person who possesses a valid hunting license may, upon payment of the fee specified in Section 702, procure only five revocable, nontransferable bobcat hunting tags. Such tags shall be acquired through the department's Automated License Data System terminals at any department license agent or department license sales office. These tags do not act as shipping tags as required in Section 479 for pelts taken under a trapping license. (b) Bobcat hunting tags are valid only during that portion of the current hunting license year in which bobcats may be legally harvested as provided in Section 478. (c) The holder of a bobcat hunting tag shall carry the tag while hunting bobcats. Upon the harvesting of any bobcat, the hunter shall immediately fill the tag completely, legibly, and permanently, and cut out or punch out and completely remove notches or punch holes for the month and date of the kill. One part of the tag shall be immediately attached to the pelt and kept attached until it is tanned, dried or mounted. The other part of the tag shall be sent immediately to the department. (d) Possession of any untagged bobcat taken under the authority of the hunting license shall be a violation of this section except that the provisions of this section shall not apply to the owner or tenant of land devoted to the agricultural industry nor to authorized county, state or federal predatory animal control agents operating under a written trapping agreement with the appropriate landowner while on such land and in connection with such agricultural industry. It is unlawful for any person to sell, offer for sale, barter, trade, purchase, transport from this state, or offer for out-of-state shipment by any common carrier any bobcat pelts, or parts thereof taken pursuant to this provision. (e) Any person who is convicted of violating any provision of this chapter shall forfeit his bobcat hunting tags, and shall not apply for additional tags during the then current hunting license year. Amendment filed 7/8/11; effective 7/8/11. §479. Bobcat Pelts. (a) Except for bobcats taken under a hunting license and tagged with a bobcat hunting tag as set forth in Section 478.1, or as provided in subsection 479(b), it shall be unlawful for any person to possess, whether for sale, export, or personal use, any bobcat pelt or part thereof taken in California without a department mark or shipping tag affixed to the pelt or part. Beginning November 20, 2015, the department shall not affix a department mark or shipping tag on any bobcat pelt. (b) It is unlawful for any person to import, receive from out-of-state, or receive for sale, any bobcat pelt, or parts thereof that is not: (1) Marked with the current export or shipping tag from the state of origin. (2) Accompanied by an import declaration in accordance with Section 2353 of the Fish and Game Code, and specifying the number and kind of raw pelts in the shipment, the state in which the bobcats were taken, the license number under which they were taken and attesting that they were legally taken. Demonstration of the declaration of entry, pelt ownership and proof of legal take and marking is required of anyone receiving bobcat pelts from out-of-state upon the request of the department. Amendment filed 11/13/2015; operative 11/20/2015.