Didn't Get Enough Turkey? You Can Hunt A Wild One For Free This Weekend

Thanksgiving may be over, but this weekend offers a unique opportunity to bag a turkey — hunt it yourself.

California already has free fishing days twice a year, where no fishing license is needed. State officials decided to expand that to hunting in a newly revised law allowing for two days a year when people can hunt without purchasing a hunting license. The first of these "free hunting days" is this Saturday, Nov. 25.

"A hunting license and a fishing license is really a kind of passport to adventure. They will take you to places you will not otherwise go in our normal everyday lives," said Peter Tira, a spokesperson for the Department of Fish and Wildlife, which oversees the program.

"I mean there's really no opportunity or really much chance to sit in the middle of a wetland at dawn and see it come to life with all this bird activity," Tira said.

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There are some regulations of course.

How to participate

You must register beforehand and be at least 18 years of age or older — you can register at the CDFW sales office, online, or by calling.

There's also a hunter education course to complete before going out into the wilderness. And the state does not want you to go alone, so it's important you find an experienced and licensed hunter.

If this weekend isn't an option, the next open hunting day will be in April.

Where to go

According to Tira, California is the epicenter of the Pacific Flyaway, the migration route that birds and other water fowl take. They like to spend the fall and winter, arriving from Canada and Alaska, Washington, and Oregon, filling up our wetlands mainly in the Central Valley. But in Southern California, waterfowl will make a stop at the Salton Sea.

A complete list of designated hunting areas can be found on the CDFW website. There are plenty of areas in Southern California — the Angeles National Forest and the San Bernardino National Forest offers areas to hunt, including designated areas under the Bureau of Land Management /

Tira said these reserves are harvested sustainably and regulated so overhunting does not happen. That means having biologists out in the field monitoring the wildlife populations, making sure they are healthy.

He added that hunters help provide more eyes on the ground, and you can report your observations if you see certain animal populations in trouble, if some look sick, or even if a federally banded bird happens to be in the area.

A 'new food frontier'

Tira said a "new food frontier" is making urban residents in L.A. and San Francisco more curious about hunting.

"You can only have a certain kind of dining experience in a restaurant, but you're never going to be able to taste a wild quail unless you get it yourself," Tira said.

If you want to be more food conscious, then hunting your food can assure that you know it wasn't caged or filled with hormones, and instead ran wild and free, he said.

Right now, it's upland game season, which means quail and even wild turkey is available.

What's next

The next open hunting date is April 13. Spring is the second season for wild turkey. It's also when big game is out. But to hunt big game, like wild pigs, just note that you still need to purchase a tag.