Holding a Bucks and Bulls Contest … Is This Legal?

June 7, 2012

Question: My company would like to have a contest called Bucks and Bulls in one of our California locations. The contest would be open to all legally harvested deer and elk taken in California in 2012 and broken into various categories such as youth, women, archery, etc. Awards would be given to the largest buck and bull in each category. Is this sort of contest legal in California and can you point me in the right direction to research the laws and regulations? (Brian N.)

Answer: It is generally illegal to offer a prize for taking game, but there is an exception in Fish and Game Code section 2003(d) allowing for contests where the total value of all prizes is less than $500.