What are the laws for hunting fox in California this year? This article covers many of the fundamental laws you will need to know to get started. It also provides information such as seasons, harvest limits, and required permits for hunting fox in California. It is not a legal document and is not intended to cover all hunting laws and regulations.
In California, Gray foxes may be taken statewide from November 24 to the last day of February. There are no bag or possession limits. Red fox and desert kit fox may not be taken at any time.
To purchase a California hunting license online, click here.
Check out the California hunting seasons.
First time hunting fox? Check out these articles:
Read: How to call in a fox.
Read: How to use tracks and scat to hunt a fox.
Did you know you can hunt coyotes in California? Read this article on the laws for hunting coyotes in California.
General laws and regulations for hunting fox in California.
Electronic callers and decoys. Electronic callers are not permitted. Motorized decoys are legal.
While electronic callers are illegal, mouth and hand callers are allowed, but take time to learn how to use.
Read this article and watch the video to learn how to use a closed reed rabbit squealer.
You can read about some highly effective but inexpensive ($20) decoys here.
You can check Amazon’s price list for callers and decoys here.
Suppressors. Illegal in California.
Night hunting fox in California.
Hunting Gray fox is legal at night except in certain areas.
§466. Hours for Taking Furbearers.
Furbearers may be hunted at any hour of the day or night except that they may not be taken between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise in the area described in Section 474(a) of these regulations.
§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.