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 2. Resident Small Game Back to Main Menu Skip to... §307. Tree Squirrels. §308. Brush, Cottontail and Pigmy Rabbits, and Varying Hare (Snowshoe). §309. Jack Rabbits, Black-Tailed and White-Tailed. §310. Shooting Hours on Resident Small Game Mammals. §311. Methods Authorized for Taking Resident Small Game. §311.6. Prohibition of Rifles and Pistols in Picacho and Providence Mountains State Recreation Areas. §311.7. Use of Rifles and Pistols in Los Angeles County. Chapter 2. Resident Small Game §307. Tree Squirrels. Tree squirrels may be taken only as follows: (a) General Season and Areas: The general season in the counties of Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo, Yuba, and that portion of Kern County lying east of Interstate 5 shall open on the second Saturday in September extending through the last Sunday in January. (b) Archery and Falconry Tree Squirrel Season and Area: Tree squirrels may be taken with bow and arrow or raptors only during the general tree squirrel season and as follows: (1) The season in the counties of Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Modoc, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, and Yuba; and that portion of Kern County lying east of Interstate 5 shall open on the first Saturday in August extending through the day before the general tree squirrel season. (c) Bag and Possession Limit: Four squirrels per day, four in possession. (d) Except as provided herein, tree squirrels may not be taken at any time in the balance of the state. Change without regulatory effect 8/9/2019. §308. Brush, Cottontail and Pigmy Rabbits, and Varying Hare (Snowshoe). (a) General Season and Area: The general season shall open on July 1 extending through the last Sunday in January, and shall be open statewide except for that area described in (d) below. (b) Falconry Rabbits and Hares. Brush, cottontail and pigmy rabbits and varying hare (snowshoe) may be taken with raptors only during the general rabbit and hare seasons and as follows: The season shall open on the first Monday following the close of the general season extending through the third Sunday in March, and shall be open statewide except for that area described in (d) below. (c) Bag and Possession Limit in the Aggregate of All Species: Five per day, 10 in possession. (d) The take of brush and cottontail rabbits is prohibited within the area described as follows: That portion of San Joaquin County generally located between Stockton and Tracy that is enclosed by the following lines: Beginning at the intersection of Stewart Road and Interstate 5; west along Stewart road to the intersection of Stewart Road and Old River; southwest along Old River to the intersection of Old River and Tom Paine Slough; south along Tom Paine Slough to the intersection of Tom Paine Slough and Sugar Cut; south along Sugar Cut to the intersection of Sugar Cut and Interstate 205; east along Interstate 205 to the intersection of Interstate 205 and Interstate 5; north along Interstate 5 to the intersection of Interstate 5 and Stewart Road. Change without regulatory effect 8/9/2019. §309. Jack Rabbits, Black-Tailed and White-Tailed. (a) General Season and Area: The general season shall be open statewide all year. (b) Bag and Possession Limit: No limit. Change without regulatory effect 8/9/2019. §310. Shooting Hours on Resident Small Game Mammals. The shooting hours for all resident small game mammals shall be one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. New NOTE filed 9-16-81; designated effective 5-23-81. §311. Methods Authorized for Taking Resident Small Game. The take or attempted take of any resident small game with a firearm shall be in accordance with the use of nonlead projectiles and ammunition pursuant to Section 250.1. Only the following may be used to take resident small game: (a) Shotguns 10 gauge or smaller using shot shells only and incapable of holding more than three shells in the magazine and chamber combined. If a plug is used to reduce the capacity of a magazine to fulfill the requirements of this section, the plug must be of one piece construction incapable of removal without disassembling the gun. (b) Shotgun shells may not be used or possessed that contain shot size larger than No. BB, except that shot size larger than No. 2 may not be used or possessed when taking wild turkey. All shot shall be loose in the shell. (c) Muzzle-loading shotguns. (d) Falconry. (e) Bow and arrow (see Section 354 for archery equipment regulations). (1) It shall be unlawful to take wild turkey by use of hunting arrows and crossbow bolts unless fitted with a broad head type blade which will not pass through a hole seven-eighths inch in diameter. Mechanical/retractable broadheads shall be measured in the open position. (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. (g) In addition to the methods listed in (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) above, firearm rifles and pistols may be used for taking rabbits and squirrels only; except in Los Angeles County where rifles and pistols may not be used. (h) In San Diego and Orange counties only, rabbits may be taken at any time during the open season by means of box traps. Such traps shall not exceed 24 inches in any dimension, shall be tended at least once every 24 hours, and shall show the name and address of the trap owner. All rabbits taken under this section shall be immediately killed and become a part of the daily bag limit. (i) Electronic or mechanically-operated calling or sound-reproducing devices are prohibited when attempting to take resident game birds. (j) Coursing dogs may be used to take rabbits. (k) Archers hunting during any archery season may not use or possess a firearm while in the field engaged in archery hunting during an archery season except as provided in subsection (k)(1). (1) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the lawful possession of a concealed firearm by an active peace officer listed in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3, of Part 2 of the Penal Code or a retired peace officer in lawful possession of an identification certificate issued pursuant to Penal Code Section 25445 authorizing the retired officer to carry a concealed firearm. Nor shall this section prohibit the lawful possession of a concealed firearm pursuant to a concealed carry permit issued pursuant to Penal Code sections 26150 or 26155. (l) The use of live decoys is prohibited when attempting to take resident game birds. (m) Pistols and revolvers may be used to take sooty and ruffed grouse in those counties only and for the season described in Section 300(a)(1)(E). (n) Crossbows, except for provisions of Section 354(d) and (g). (o) Dogs may be used to take and retrieve resident small game. Change without regulatory effect 8/9/2019. §311.6. Prohibition of Rifles and Pistols in Picacho and Providence Mountains State Recreation Areas. The use of rifles and pistols to take any bird or mammal is prohibited in Picacho and Providence Mountains State Recreation Areas. Change without regulatory effect 8/9/2019. §311.7. Use of Rifles and Pistols in Los Angeles County. In Los Angeles County the use of rifles or pistols is prohibited in the taking of rabbits. Change without regulatory effect 8/9/2019.