Cow Mountain Pig Hunt: SUCCESS...

[Whitesmoke]

otoh, if it's like $500 I might as well buy a ticket home where I can hunt a week for free and shoot all the deer and boar I can find

Maybe we should organize a deer/boar hunt to Sweden next year? Tickets would be $500-700 and we can hunt as much as we like without paying to the land owners (since that would be me and my dad )
I could house 5 or so in our cabin a couple of miles away from the land.
It's not that big, 450 acres or so, but we usually hunt with our neighbors, so we could probably set something up and hunt on a bigger area as well. If we go in Nov there might be a moose or two left on our license as well

Now...that sounds like fun

[gose]

Oh, forgot to add, afaik my old shooting club still has those 4 K's, so we could probably spend a day at the shooting range blasting full-auto for the price of 9mm ammo.

[Rumpled]

The only restriction on handgun barrels for hunting here in CA per DFG are for Elk and Bighorn sheep hunting. For hunting either of those, the handgun must have a minimum barrel length of 4". For all other big game, it only requires center-fire with soft nose or expanding bullets, no minimum barrel specified.

So shooting big game with a 45 with FMJ ball ammo would not be legal.

Actually, I've checked (OK I was bored) and there is no provision to take antelope in CA with a handgun.

[metalhead357]

Actually, I've checked (OK I was bored) and there is no provision to take antelope in CA with a handgun.

hmmmmmmm, I dunno; Big Game regs say any big game critter MAY be taken with pistol or rifle with expanding bullets when coming from a centerfire weapon........

Do you mean there is no provision requiring a minimum length?

interesting idea...as I'm not sure one would really even get a chance to get within most pistol range's for antelope.........

[Hunter]

hmmmmmmm, I dunno; Big Game regs say any big game critter MAY be taken with pistol or rifle with expanding bullets when coming from a centerfire weapon............

Nope, Rumpled is correct. No specification for hunting antelope with a handgun or shotgun for that matter.

353. Methods Authorized for Taking Big Game.

(a) Except for the provisions of subsections 353(b) through (g), title 14, CCR, big game (as defined by section 350, title 14, CCR) may only be taken by rifles using centerfire cartridges with softnose or expanding bullets; bow and arrow (see section 354, title 14, CCR, for archery equipment regulations); or wheellock, matchlock, flintlock or percussion type, including "in-line" muzzleloading rifles using black powder or equivalent black powder substitute, including pellets, with single ball or bullet loaded from the muzzle and at least .40 caliber in designation.

(b) Shotguns capable of holding not more than three shells firing single slugs may be used for the taking of deer, bear and wild pigs. In areas where the discharge of rifles or shotguns with slugs is prohibited by county ordinance, shotguns capable of holding not more than three shells firing size 0 or 00 buckshot may be used for the taking of deer only.

(c) Pistols and revolvers using centerfire cartridges with softnose or expanding bullets may be used to take deer, bear, and wild pigs.

(d) Pistols and revolvers with minimum barrel lengths of 4 inches, using centerfire cartridges with softnose or expanding bullets may be used to take elk and bighorn sheep.

This got me thinking why would this be the case as TC guns can use centerfire rifle cartridges. So I sent an email to the Dept. of F&G and this is the reply I got back (very quickly I might add).

That is indeed the case, not sure why handgun was never included. Just
like you can not use buckshot for deer in this state. I am "guessing"
someone long time ago was assuming it was not an effective means to
harvest antelope. Does not make any sense to me since we have archery
for antelope.

The comment about buckshot only applies to the general areas as explained in the first quote on the regs.

[metalhead357]

Thank you Hunter; I think I was misreading what he wrote