Several years ago I came across a post on the GTA Airgun forum by a guy named Glenn Elliott, he had posted one of his video’s of a Turkey hunt he recently had. Funny how a friend can be made out of a negative situation. As frustrating as it was we decided to wait and hope for a closer, more clear head-shot. Under this bill, air rifle and pistol owners will be required to pay an “Air Excise Tax” on all canister refills and CO2 propellants. After we arrived we followed Glenn in the dark on foot several hundred yards into a big field where he set up some decoys as well as the blind we would be sitting in for most of the morning. California: The Controversial Haven for Air Gun Enthusiasts. CDFW Headquarters Any spot marker gun is also classified under this category, according to the law. Hunting with air rifles is a popular pastime, even among highly seasoned hunters who normally use traditional weaponry like firearms and archery. Therefore, please note that the following information was collected on April 3, 2015 from the California Fish and Game Commission website, which can be found at http://www.fgc.ca.gov/, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) website, which can be found at https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/. The state is literally awash with wild turkeys. Any hunter over the age of 16 must obtain either a resident or non-resident hunting license, but all first time resident hunters must first pass the state’s hunter education requirements, regardless of age. This means those hoping to bag big game as California defines it in Section 350 of the regulation, which lists elk, deer, wild pig, black bear, and Nelson bighorn sheep, must either bring on the fire power or miss out in order to stay within the confines of the law. Upon our arrival Glenn invited me into his awesome “Man Cave” where I was greeted with a little surprise that I gladly played along with. California actually allows turkey hunting with air rifles! RX2-KILLER. 26. The CDFW has numerous regional offices within the state. In 2016, a new law took … When it comes to hunting with air guns, the state only allows use of air rifles to hunt … According to Section 354 of California’s 2014–2015 Mammal Hunting Regulations, hunting big game with an air gun is illegal. You can’t get the same shooting distances from an air rifle that you can from a rimfire, but there’s still plenty to be said for them. 757. Tom took several moments and made his shot that sent the .30 44 grain JSB right into his chest sending him down the other side into the woods. We both learned so much and will be able to take that knowledge with us on future hunts and through some of my writing here. Glenn is a great example to future hunters and has a ton to offer the Airgun community as he has helped to progress our sport. The gun fills to 3000 psi and gets loaded by inserting the airbolts into the front of the rifle  where it puts out near 160 fpe with 375 grain arrows at 450 fps for 8 shots. Subsection 311 (f) identifies small game air gun hunting legal in California. What states allow airgun hunting? Where safe and legal, hunt wild turkeys on your property, or allow others to hunt them. The concern is that air gun hunting larger animals would only result in an increasing number injured and maimed animals, and that the animals taken would first be subject to unnecessary suffering. 146. ez3127. He has hunted with many well known celebrities as well as long time Airgunners such as Jim Chapman. This was frustrating but I was still just happy to be with friends and get to learn so much being this was my first Turkey hunt. Subsection 311(f) identifies small game air gun hunting legal in California. Over a good talk on the phone we became friends and had even planned to hunt together one day that sounded to me like a great adventure. The 10 All-Time Best Turkey Guns. The downside to any PCP is that they do … Answer: Airbows are essentially airguns that shoot arrows. Several years ago I came across a post on the GTA Airgun forum by a guy named Glenn Elliott, he had posted one of his video’s of a Turkey hunt he recently had. Instead, the list of weapons that can legally be used for hunting this type game within the state is limited to specific types of rifles, pistols, revolvers, and archery equipment. Soooo…. Glenn is an absolute pleasure to talk to and is in fact a very professional “real world” hunter that became obvious from his wall of mounted trophy whitetails and Turkey’s. The recent rains have given this areas fields miles of luscious green grass that was simply breathtaking. Thank you. I hope im not saying too much.. There are three states with regulations permitting airguns as a method of take for turkey: California, Virginia and Maryland, though Maryland limits their use to the fall season only. Where to Find Out More about California Air Gun Hunting Laws. In the state of California, several laws dictate the use and sale of BB guns, air guns and pellet guns. It allows any caliber of pellet to be used for hunting small game, with the exception that one must use a caliber of at least 0.177 when hunting wild turkey. Photo American Airgunner TV (left) Glenn Elliott (right) Rossi Morreale. Airgunning these past few years has helped my appreciation of hunting not only to be more enjoyable and exciting, “not to mention challenging” but has also encouraged me to step out and be more social! The gun is fairly loud but was still very enjoyable to shoot, no doubt being a very capable hunting weapon. After setting up the decoys and getting ourselves adjusted inside the blind with Glenn and I on opposite corners to man the cameras, Tom being in the middle using the shooting sticks. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), https://i1.wp.com/mountainsportairguns.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/DSC00714-e1560866784957.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1, https://mountainsportairguns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/imageedit_15_5568536590-e1569520079186.png, Mountainsport Airguns © 2018 | POWERED BY. Your reads are great Dana! It is also one of the few states that have clear, well-formed regulations that specifically address hunting with airguns. Even though they are fairly short and simple, you have a way of recapturing your experience and putting that right back to the readers ears! by Kevin Steffey. It’s therefore left up the parent or guardian to decide if their child is ready to attempt the course or not. After several minutes we exited the blind to make our way across the ravine to locate the Jackrabbit. I personally shoot a 12 gauge 3in 4mags… Good luck! Tom and I were very excited and honored that he not only invited us to stay on his beautiful 26 acre ranch but allowed us the opportunity for our very first Turkey hunt. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. That bill was passed on September 30, 2014. For more information on Camping Supply, Hunting Gear or Outdoor Fishing Gear and Equipment check out our Outdoor Tips links, below, or contact our Internet Customer Service via our toll-free phone number, 888-344-9500. Soon enough a good sized one came about and Tom had his sights on it. This is with an aim of making sure that you end up with a great kill … In spite of being an anti-gun state(IMO) California is airgun friendly. Within about 15 minutes we started hearing the distant gobbling and clucking of Turkey’s, pretty exciting as this was my first Turkey hunt. He has appeared on the TV show American Airgunner where he hunted with Rossi Morreale and always has freely given his vast knowledge of Turkey hunting to anyone who asks. Hunting turkeys helps to control their populations and maintain their natural wariness of people. They're the only state that I know of that allows turkey hunting with airguns(.20 caliber or greater) The .22 caliber Walther* Falcon Hunter(26ft-lbs) makes a good hunting rifle. Yes. Unfortunately we had several obstructions such as a gate, embankment and a ravine that limited any good shots. Well I immediately contacted Tom Costan and he excitedly made arrangements for us to attend the show and set some extra time aside to hunt with Glenn the following Monday March 27th. We made our way across a small metal bridge that gave us entrance into a large eucalyptus forest where we attempted to find the expired Jackrabbit. For those who want to go hunting with pellet pistols and rifles, California law has proven this state to be an excellent destination, despite the fact that those hunters will be limited to hunting small game and non-game animals. This to me seemed the only logical explanation as that amount of blood loss would make it impossible for the Jackrabbit to continue more than several yards. If you need any help or advice about PCP rifles please contact our support team. Good shots ( IMO ) California is airgun friendly – best air rifle before purchasing has benefits. 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