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Hunters Urged To Submit Applications For Big Game
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Updated: May 25, 2016, 10:44 a.m.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is now accepting applications for the 2016 Big Game Drawing. Applications for elk, antelope, bighorn sheep, premium deer tags and fundraising drawing tags may be submitted anywhere California fishing or hunting licenses are sold. Applications must be submitted before midnight on June 2, 2016.

The following resources are available to assist hunters in applying for the big game drawing:

The 2016 California Big Game Hunting Digest includes proposed seasons, application instructions and drawing statistics. The digest is available online at wildlife.ca.gov/publications/hunting-digest.

Big Game Tag Quotas can be found on the species webpages located at wildlife.ca.gov/hunting.

Online Licenses Sales and Service, www.ca.wildlifelicense.com/internetsales, enables hunters to purchase licenses, apply for the big game drawing, review existing applications and preference points or find a local license agent.

Telephone License Sales transactions, including purchasing all licenses and submitting drawing applications, can be conducted by calling (800) 565-1458.

Junior Hunters: Any hunter who is under 18 years of age on July 1 of the license year qualifies for a junior hunting license. Junior hunters who are 12 years of age or older on July 1 may apply for apprentice deer, elk and antelope hunts. Hunters must be at least 16 years of age on July 1 to apply for bighorn sheep tags.

Hunters have two methods to submit their harvest reports:

Online. Submit a report for each deer tag you are issued at wildlife.ca.gov/tagreporting. When you have successfully submitted your report online, you will receive a confirmation number. You must write the confirmation number on the harvest report card and retain the harvest report card until March 1, 2017. Tags reported online must be surrendered to the CDFW upon demand.

By mail. Any person who does not report a deer tag online must return the report card portion of each deer tag by Jan. 31, 2017 to CDFW - Wildlife Branch, PO Box 944209, Sacramento, CA 94299-0002.