California Big Game Draw Results Are Up!

The California draw results are now up and I am stoked to say that I drew my A31 tag! While it may not be a big deal to some, this is the first year that the A31 tag was a draw. Normally it’s over the counter restricted tag, but with so many hunters purchasing the tag early in 2012, this year it went to a premium draw. A31 is one of the few tags that allows you to take a buck OR a doe during the extended season. There are limitations and rules with this tag, like any other. You can’t shoot a spike buck, unless the antlers are less than 3″. That is one element hunters often overlook.

This is from the 2013 California Big Game Hunting Regulation Guide:

DEER DEFINITIONS
Antlerless Deer: Female deer, fawns of either sex other than spotted fawns, and male deer with an unbranched antler on one or both sides which is not more than three inches in length. CCR T14-351(b).

Either-sex Deer: Antlerless deer, or legal bucks that have two or more points in the upper two-thirds of either antler. CCR T14-351(c).

Forked-horn Buck: A male deer having a branched antler on either side with the branch in the upper two-thirds of the antler. Eyeguards or other bony projections on the lower one-third of the antler shall not be considered as points or branches. CCR T14-351(a).

Spike Buck Deer: A male deer with unbranched antlers on both sides which are more than 3 inches in length. FGC 204(d).

Even better new is that my hunting partner Brett Bumgarner also pulled an A31 tag. The season begins September 28 and runs through December 31. Three months of hiking and hunting and hopefully some meat in the freezer! We also both have an AO (Archery Only) tag which allows us to hunt any of the other units around for a buck during archery or firearm season. We now have to get some trail cameras up, do some more scouting in the field and online and with maps. Our biggest challenge this year is going to be finding land that has not been closed or hit with a wildfire.

Provided we find a good spot, put in the hard word and practice…2013 is shaping up to be a good year!