California’s 2025 Big Game Hunting Regulations are now available. Go online to download a copy at wildlife.ca.gov/Publications/Hunting-Digest. Non-residents may apply for Desert bighorn sheep, elk, deer, and antelope. Applications are due online by midnight on June 2, 2025. Draw results will be available online around June 16, 2025 at www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales/.

Hunters may apply online for the big game drawings at www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales/, at any Department license sales office, or at any license agent statewide. Once you apply, you will be issued a GO ID number that will also be your permanent ID for the future. No paper applications will be accepted. If your hunter education is on file in California’s Automated License Data System (ALDS), you can apply over the phone by calling 800-565-1458.

Bighorn sheep, elk, and antelope applicants will only have one hunt choice. For deer, you will have multiple hunt choices, but everyone’s first choice is awarded before anyone’s second or third choices are considered. There is no non-resident quota for deer in California. You may only draw one bighorn sheep permit in your lifetime in California. There is no waiting period for antelope, deer, or elk.

You must purchase a non-refundable hunting license of $129.81 to apply in California’s big game drawing. For bighorn sheep, elk, and antelope, there will be an $8.13 non-refundable application fee, which is due when you apply. Successful applicants will receive a payment notification or their permits in the mail by July 2, 2025. Successful applicants will have until July 15th to submit payment for their elk, antelope, or sheep permit or it will be offered to an alternate applicant.

When applying for deer, you will submit the entire deer license fee, which is $368.20. If unsuccessful, you can request the difference between what you paid for a non-resident deer license permit application, $368.20 – $41.30 = $327.50 for 2025. A refund request must be submitted on or before March 1st of the following year. The method of payment will vary, depending on whether you apply in person at a license agent or online. Only Visa or MasterCard will be accepted when applying online.

California has a modified preference point system. Unsuccessful applicants will earn one preference point per species each year they apply. Preference points are species specific, not hunt, zone, or weapon specific. Hunters who choose not to compete in the drawing may earn a preference point by using the points only code for the species in the hunt code section of their application(s). 

We have followed the sheep and deer permit allocation rules and have computed the draw odds if your application is drawn in the preference point draw or if you were drawn in the random draw. Draw odds for premium deer permits and the up to 10% for Desert bighorn sheep are true odds; however, where non-residents are limited to drawing only up to one permit for elk and antelope annually, these are not true odds and are simply a reference to the number of overall applicants.

Hunters must be under 16 years of age on July 1, 2025 in order to be eligible for a 2025-2026 junior hunting license. In the junior or apprentice hunts, 50% of the permits will go to the applicants with the most points and 50% will be awarded in the random draw. Junior hunting licenses for resident and non-resident hunters are $16.46 for 2025. However, non-resident juniors don’t get a discount on any permit fees.

No lead ammunition can be used for any wildlife with a firearm across the state of California. This law builds on a previously enacted ban on the use of lead ammunition for big game hunting within the range of the California Condor.

Muzzleloaders must be loaded from the muzzle and be at least .40 caliber. Scopes are not allowed on muzzleloaders. Use of a one power scope may be awarded if you are visually disabled. The application can be found on California’s website by searching “disabled permit.” Crossbows cannot be used during the archery seasons unless you possess a disabled archer permit. Rifles using centerfire cartridges with soft nose or expanding projectiles, bow and arrow, or muzzleloading rifles may be used to take big game.

If there are any premium deer hunt permits remaining after the big game drawing, first deer permit applicants may apply for any leftover premium deer hunt permits starting at 8 a.m. on July 2, 2025. For second deer permits, leftover permits go on sale at 8 a.m. on August 2, 2025. For the bighorn sheep, elk, and antelope drawings, there are alternates drawn in addition to the successful applicants. California has a Private Lands Wildlife Enhancement and Management Program where landowners can receive transferable permits for elk, deer, and antelope. For more information, go to www.wildlife. ca.gov/Hunting/PLM.

The SHARE Program will offer elk, wild hog, deer, and turkey hunts allocated on multiple different private properties throughout different counties. There is no separation between non-residents and residents. A chance may be purchased for $14.61 (2024 fee), and a hunter can purchase up to one chance per hunt. Permits are issued by a random draw. For more information on these hunts, visit California’s website at www.wildlife. ca.gov/Hunting/SHARE or our California opportunity section in the July issue.