| Window | Dates | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Window 1 | 12 SEP – 20 SEP 2026 | 9d |
| Window 2 | 15 AUG 2026 – 28 FEB 2027 | 198d |
As publishedSep 12-20, 2026 (general); Aug 15, 2026-Feb 28, 2027 (falconry)
Introduced Sierra Nevada population.Bag is 2 per day AND 2 per SEASON total (possession limit is 2/season, not the usual triple-daily-bag formula) -- once a hunter takes 2 birds for the year, their season is over. Falconry season runs Aug 15, 2026-Feb 28, 2027 under the same per-season cap.
White-tailed ptarmigan is not native to the Sierra Nevada. It was introduced from Colorado in 1971-1972 (72 adults released at Eagle Peak and Twin Lakes, Mono County, in alpine/upper-montane-subalpine habitat) and has since expanded along the Sierra crest. Peer-reviewed range-expansion literature reports the population colonized alpine habitat roughly 79 km (49 mi) north and 114 km (71 mi) south of the release site within 18 years. CDFW's own regulation text corroborates the population's real concentration: while the general shotgun/pistol season is nominally statewide, the archery season is legally restricted to portions of Alpine and Mono counties (Title 14 CCR section 300), exactly the release-site core area.
No formal population survey program exists for this species in this state.
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