Article 4. Licensed Domesticated Migratory Game Bird Shooting Areas of California Fish And Game Code >> Division 4. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 4.

It is unlawful for any person to engage in the raising and releasing, or the releasing, of domesticated migratory game birds for shooting by persons who pay for that privilege, unless the person has a revocable nontransferable license issued by the department. The licenses may be issued annually by the department and shall be valid from July 1 through the following June 30, upon payment of a base fee of eighty dollars ($80), as adjusted under Section 713. Any bird of a species included in the definition of migratory game birds, as defined in Section 3500, which has been held live in captivity is a "domesticated migratory game bird" for purposes of this section, except such a bird that has been released from captivity and any control before attaining six weeks of age.

The application for a license shall show the size and location of the area to be licensed. If an application is approved and a license is issued, the licensee shall post the boundaries of the licensed area with signs, at intervals of not more than 500 feet, which shall indicate that the area is licensed for the shooting of domesticated migratory game birds. Such signs shall be of a size not less than 12 by 18 inches.

The commission may prescribe additional regulations deemed necessary for the releasing and shooting of domesticated migratory game birds and shall set the season and areas where such birds may be taken. If the licensee violates any of the provisions of this article or any regulations made pursuant thereto, the commission may cancel or revoke the license provided notice has been given to the licensee and he has been given an opportunity to be heard by the commission.

Where domesticated migratory game birds are reared or held for release by the licensee, the licensee shall provide proper and adequate care for the birds and shall raise and hold them only under sanitary conditions. Conditions for proper care and raising shall be prescribed by the commission. The licensee shall provide for the inspection of birds and facilities upon the request of the department.

All domesticated migratory game birds at time of release for shooting shall be at least 14 weeks of age, capable of strong and sustained flight, fully feathered, and otherwise in condition to survive in the wild. Birds that are altered in any manner which would, in the opinion of the department, render them incapable of normal sustained flight, or which are diseased, or show evidence of malnutrition or injury, shall not be released.

Shooting shall be confined to blinds, except for shooting necessary to recover a downed and injured bird, and not more than three shooters shall occupy or use each blind. Such blinds shall be constructed to prevent the shooting of domestic migratory game birds over water and to insure maximum safety to occupants of adjoining blinds. The blinds shall be so situated that the occupants of the blinds cannot see the release site. The licensee shall not permit any shooting within 500 feet of a point where the birds are released, nor shall any birds be taken within such distance from the point of release.

All birds killed or injured by shooters shall be retrieved without delay, and all injured birds shall be humanely dispatched. The licensee shall not permit injured birds to remain on a pond or feeding area, nor shall he knowingly permit such birds to be used in any subsequent release. In order to prevent the loss of any dead or injured birds, the licensee shall provide the use of a retrieving dog, without cost, to all shooters, except that shooters may provide their own retrieving dogs. The licensee shall not permit the shooting of any birds unless a retrieving dog is immediately available for use by all shooters.

Licensees shall pay the department an inspection fee not to exceed five cents ($0.05) for each domesticated migratory game bird raised or used on a licensed area to insure proper adherence to these regulations.

No dead, domesticated migratory game bird shall be removed from the premises of a licensed area until there is securely attached to the carcass a seal, and such seal shall remain attached to the carcass until it is finally prepared for consumption. Each such seal shall be supplied by the department at a fee set by the commission not to exceed five cents ($0.05).

It shall be unlawful for any person to shoot domesticated migratory game birds on a licensed area without having a valid hunting license as provided by Section 3031.

The licensee shall comply with all applicable federal laws or regulations relating to the releasing and shooting of domesticated migratory game birds.