Sidearm carry while hunting?

nunezapn

New Member
Feb 2, 2021
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Hello everyone,

I first apologize if this question has been answered in a previous thread. I am a first time hunting license owner and bow hunter.
I will be going on my first hunt this weekend to the Carrizo Plains area. I will be hunting rabbits and hoping to get fill a wild pig tag.
My question is if I am legally allowed to carry a sidearm while hunting for safety purposes? I have searched for an answer but I find
conflicting information. I've read things like you can carry if you're not hunting deer as well as a plain no. Likewise, if I am allowed to
carry, then is it open loaded carry?

Please help with where I can find information on this matter and other legal hunting information. I have found it very difficult to find
a straight answer with a lot of hunting questions like where I am allowed to hunt, do I need a land pass, etc. Thank you for your help in
advance and I apologize again if this has been answered or is a dumb question.
 
Yes you can. But you wouldn't be allowed to carry if you were deer hunting with an archery specific tag or in an area that prohibits it, such as the Laguna Mtn Rec Area.

BTW cottontail rabbit season is over...
 
Yes you can. But you wouldn't be allowed to carry if you were deer hunting with an archery specific tag or in an area that prohibits it, such as the Laguna Mtn Rec Area.

BTW cottontail rabbit season is over...
Thanks for the info. Do you know where I can find info like this? I've seen something similar, but I'd like to see it from something like a CA gov website.
Also, I'll be looking for jack rabbit. I seen cotton tail is over. Thanks for the heads up though.
 
The California Fish and Game Commission voted to approve a petition submitted by NRA and CRPA attorneys seeking to allow big game archery hunters to carry a firearm for the purposes of self-defense while in the field. Current regulations only allow small game archery hunters with a valid CCW to possess self-defense firearms while in the field, which was also prohibited until the Commission approved a similar petition by NRA and CRPA attorneys a couple of years ago.

While the petition raised legal issues with the regulation, its main purpose was to show that restricting law-abiding archery hunters from carrying arms to defend themselves is simply dangerous public policy. Hunters often find themselves alone and isolated. Not having adequate means to protect themselves from predators and criminals puts them in danger. This is especially true with the increase of illegal marijuana grows in popular hunting areas, which are often patrolled by armed gang members willing to violently defend their crops.

NRA and CRPA would like to thank the Commission for taking this important step in hunter safety and protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens by changing this restriction. It is welcome news for all California archery hunters and their families who want them to come home safely from doing what they love.

Be aware, however, that the Commission’s decision does not change the restriction as applied to deer hunting. A state statute outside of the Commission’s control prohibits any person other than specified law enforcement from carrying a firearm of any kind while archery hunting for deer. NRA and CRPA are working together to change that statute so that all archery hunters can exercise their Second Amendment rights.

Continue to check your inbox and the California Stand and Fight web page for updates on issues impacting your Second Amendment rights and hunting heritage in California.
 

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