Now is your chance to hunt on private property usually off-limits to the public in the Fairfield and Merced areas. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) program is offering public access for wild pig, waterfowl and upland game hunts this fall.
SHARE will offer eight wild pig hunts from November through February at Rush Ranch in southern Solano County. Two permits per period will be randomly drawn for each period. Each permit will be good for two hunters. SHARE hunters will have access to 1,000 acres of the ranch and will be allowed to camp in a designated area for no extra fee. Rush Ranch is a 2,070-acre open space area bordered by the Suisun Marsh near Fairfield. Method of take for these hunts will be restricted to archery, crossbow or shotgun slugs only.
SHARE is also offering waterfowl, dove and pheasant hunts on the wildlife management area at the Merced Wastewater Treatment Plant. The property is located five miles south of the city of Merced with 300 acres open for hunting. Tucked between sloughs and agricultural fields, the seasonal pond and wetland provide cover and forage for waterfowl, dove and pheasant.
For more information about each SHARE property, the opportunities available and how to apply for the hunts, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/share.
Hunters with a valid California hunting license may apply online at www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/online-sales. A non-refundable application fee of $11.37 will be charged for each hunt selection. Successful applicants for each property will be allowed to bring a hunting partner or a non-hunting partner, depending on the hunt.
The SHARE Program offers incentives to private landowners who allow wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities on their property. Participating landowners receive liability protection and compensation for providing public access to or through their land for wildlife-dependent recreational activities. The goal of the SHARE Program is to provide additional hunting, fishing and other recreational access on private lands in California.
