F&G Commission Considers Regulatory Change to Protect Youth Hunt

The California Fish and Game Commission is analyzing a proposed regulatory change for the 2025/26 season that would help ensure a higher quality hunt for the post season youth hunt in the Balance of State, Southern San Joaquin, and Southern California Zones. https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=227607&inline

This change, which CWA has also discussed with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, would essentially swap the timing of the youth and veterans/active military duty hunts, so that the youth hunt would occur on the second weekend in February and the veterans/active military duty hunt would occur the first weekend in February. If approved, the change would ensure 5 days of rest (no hunting) prior to the youth hunt.

With this change, the regular duck season could end on Friday, January 30 2026 or a few days prior (e.g. Wednesday, January 28 2026) to provide some rest days before the veterans/active military duty hunt.

CWA’s Regulations and Traditions Committee will consider and vote on this regulatory proposal in February after its new members are selected. Any recommendation from the R&T Committee must also be approved by the CWA Board prior to CWA publicly supporting it.

The Commission will hold a final vote on the 2025/26 waterfowl regulations at its April 2026 meeting. This includes voting on the recently federally authorized 3 pintail daily bag limit that CWA has lobbied and advocated for many years.