What hunters look for in California
Wild pigs are the year-round draw: with the right tags they can be hunted in any month, so a ranch that holds pigs is useful to a hunter long after deer season ends. Dove fields and duck ground draw hunters in the fall, and blacktail deer bring them to the coast ranges and foothills.
The Central Valley and Sacramento Valley wetlands are Pacific Flyway waterfowl country. The coast ranges and northern foothills hold blacktail deer and wild pigs, and the eastern Sierra and the northeast offer mule deer and higher-country hunting.
When hunters want to be on your land
Deer seasons are set by zone and run from roughly August through the fall, with archery often opening earlier. Dove traditionally opens in early September and waterfowl runs from fall into January. Because pigs can be hunted year-round, access on pig ground does not have to follow the deer calendar.
Seasons, licenses and regulations are set by the state and change every year; treat this as background, not official information. Some states also have rules for landowners who lease hunting rights.
Official source: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Leasing your California land, answered
- Who would be hunting my land in California?
- A HuntingLeaseUSA member with a paid membership, booking under their own name, not an anonymous reply to a classified ad. In California, the hunters who lease private land are mainly pig, waterfowl and deer hunters. On a season lease, one party holds the ground for the season, bound by your rules.
- How do I get paid for a hunting lease in California?
- The hunter pays us when they book, so you never chase anyone for money. We keep our fee and pay your share to your bank account on our regular payout run after the month the access period starts. There is no fee to be listed.
- What about liability when hunters are on my California land?
- The hunter who books signs the Access Agreement, with your rules in it, and the Liability Waiver at checkout, before they pay. Check with your own insurer or attorney about what applies to a landowner who leases hunting rights in California.
Leasing land somewhere else? See every state.
How many acres, and what’s on it?
Tell us on a short call: whether it holds pigs, any marsh or flooded fields, and the deer, doves and ducks you have seen. We’ll go through how listing works and what comparable ground nearby has been leasing for. No account to create and no fee to be listed.