The California Department of Fish and
Game (DFG) reminds hunters there are no refund or exchanges for premium
deer tags where areas are closed due to fires. The general deer season
in the A zone - in all or part of 29 counties that stretch from
Mendocino to Los Angeles - opens beginning Saturday, Aug. 12.“Each
year some of California’s hunters face the possibility of the state’s
devastating fire season impacting their planned hunting trips,” said
Craig Stowers, DFG’s Deer Program Coordinator. “However, DFG does not
control that element of the deer hunting experience. Hunters should
consider shifting their focus to another site within the zone they have
selected. Funds raised from the sale of hunting tags are used to conduct
surveys and research, perform habitat maintenance and improvement
projects that meet the requirements necessary to conduct all hunting
seasons.”
DFG deer officials anticipate additional restrictions on U.S. Forest
Service lands located within deer zones D11, D13, D14, and D15 as the
deer hunting season progresses. A map of zones can be found at
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/hunting/deer/zonemapsinfo.htm.
The Forest Service has implemented fire restrictions on the Los
Padres and Mendocino national forests. The fires have caused public
access restrictions to many of these areas and may affect deer hunters.
Additional and Area-specific Archery Hunts within these zones may also
be impacted.
DFG prints the following on each deer tag, “No refunds or exchange
for premium tags. No refund or exchange for emergency closures due to
fire, weather or other conditions.” DFG also prints the refund policy on
page 8 of the 2006 Big Game Book.
Refunds for unused deer tags (for zones A, B, C, D, AO#1, and AO#2),
bear, antelope, elk, and bighorn sheep tags may only be requested prior
to the opening of the earliest season for which the tag is valid. Deer
tags for X zones, Additional Hunts, and Area-specific Archery Hunt tags
are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Zones A, B, C, D, and
archery-only tags may be exchanged if the following conditions are met:
1) the earliest season for the tag being exchanged has not yet opened;
2) tags are still available for the zone or hunt requested; and, 3)
payment of a nonrefundable $6.50 exchange tag-processing fee.
DFG recommends that hunters seriously consider the consequences of
requesting refunds. Moisture conditions could change at any time,
allowing the reopening of the forests in time for a portion of the
season to occur.
For further information regarding the status of the fire
restrictions, contact the Forest Service direct at the following
numbers:
• Los Padres National Forest: (805) 968-6640
• Mendocino National Forest: (530) 934-1266
###
