Our Fall Access is ideal for the avid bird hunter. The season opens with Dove on September 1 and ends with quail on the last Sunday in January. You will be assigned to an area of the ranch, provided with a map of your area, and an entry gate key. You may come and go in your assigned area as often as you like. Just sign in and out at the gate. Reservations are needed only during the deer season.
During the Upland game season there are seasons for Dove, Quail, Chukar, Band-Tailed pigeons, waterfowl, cottontails and tree squirrels. The calendar or Season Dates will have the dates for specific hunting seasons.
Squirrels and coyotes abound and we welcome you to reduce our population of both. The bobcat season starts in mid-October and if you purchase tags from the State Department of Fish and Game you are allowed to hunt bobcat also. You may use all five tags if you wish.
Fall Options
Spouse or Jr. Hunter
Do you have a spouse or junior hunter that you would like to hunt with you? One or both may be added to your package. They can hunt with you throughout the season.
Pig Addition
How about an opportunity to hunt a pig? Currently, you can add up to two pigs to your Fall Access package.
Early or Late Season Deer
To your Fall Access you may also add an Early or Late season deer. You will be allowed to hunt in your assigned area. The Early season, which starts late September, is approximately 5 weeks long. This allows the early season hunters to enjoy the first part of the rut for harvesting their buck. The Late season extends another five weeks ending around the first week of December.
In 2001, the Ranch instituted a “Quality Deer Management” program for selected areas of the Ranch. The program has expanded to include all hunt areas.
The goal of the program is to significantly improve the quality of bucks available for harvest. This can be accomplished by increasing the average age of the harvested bucks by allowing them to live two to three years longer and express their genetic potential and by balancing the buck to doe ratio by increasing the number of harvested antlerless deer. With your commitment and cooperation, these goals can be accomplished without the loss of harvest opportunities because you will be able to hunt the full season for trophy deer or doe during the antlerless only period. Please check with the office regarding the current doe harvest policy.
There are also some incentives if you choose not to harvest a buck. If you are an Early Season hunter, you will be allowed to take either, an antlerless deer and a pig, or two pigs. If you are a Late Season hunter, you will be allowed to take an antlerless deer and two pigs, or three pigs. If you harvest large, heavy-antlered, forked horn buck, you are allowed one pig. Pigs must be harvested by the end of the Fall Access season or may be carried over if Spring Access season is purchased. These pigs may not be carried over to the next regular hunting season. Please, check the current policy on harvesting antlerless deer.
This has been a good program that has had beneficial effects for all since its inception. We are beginning to realize the full impact of the program at this time.
You are required to attend an orientation session. Antlers will be shown that will definitively show you what type and class of bucks to harvest. We will have a philosophical discussion of the program development and goals and accomplishments. A signed agreement of enrollment signifying your acceptance of the rules and regulations is required.
