The California Upland 2026-27 Cheat Sheet
Season dates, bag limits, licenses, and the lead-free rules — in one place, for your phone or your truck visor. Verified against CDFW, October 2026.
What's on the sheet
Dove, quail (all three species, by zone), chukar, pheasant (general and archery), sooty and ruffed grouse, white-tailed ptarmigan, Wilson's snipe, band-tailed pigeon (North and South zones). Daily bag and possession limits per species. Hunting license, Upland Game Bird Validation ($25.41, including the $10 AB 614 habitat surcharge), and HIP validation — what each one is and which birds need it. Lead-free statewide: steel, bismuth, and TSS, with when each one fits. CDFW links to verify the current page before you drive. Verified against CDFW's "2026-2027 Seasons and Limits" page in October 2026.
Photos: A female California quail stands lookout near Los Osos, San Luis Obispo County. Photo: Linda Tanner / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. A mountain quail on the Carrizo Plain National Monument. Photo: Alan Schmierer / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.