Hunting Coyotes at Night With Lights

December 31, 2009

Question: Can you clarify the regulation on hunting coyote with a light? I interpret it to be that it’s OK to hunt at night with a light except during a designated deer season, and that it must be a handheld light. Can you use a scope-mounted light? Thanks. (Tom B.)

Answer: Coyotes may be taken at any time of the year, in any number (unless prohibited by local ordinance or otherwise) and in any manner except poison (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, sections 472 and 475). You are correct that lights cannot be used for night hunting in any area where the general deer season is open.

According to Lt. Todd Tognazzini, before you set out to hunt coyotes, you will need to research two main areas of the law. The first deals with the use of lights while night hunting. The state is divided into three distinct zones and under the CCR, Title 14, section 264, there are some counties defined in Zone 1 and Zone 2 that allow spotlight use from a vehicle as long as the engine is off and spotlighting does not occur from a public roadway. In the Balance of the State Zone (all other counties), hunters may only use lights to take furbearing and nongame mammals if the hunter is on foot and away from a vehicle. Lights must be a maximum 9-volt light source with self-contained batteries, and must be either hand-held or worn on your head (CCR, Title 14, section 264.5).

According to the Fish and Game Code, section 2005, “It is unlawful to use or possess at any time any infrared or similar light used in connection with an electronic viewing device or any night vision equipment, optical devices, including, but not limited to, binoculars or scopes that use light-amplifying circuits that are electrical or battery powered, to assist in the taking of birds, mammals, amphibians or fish.”

In Zones 1 and 2, a weapon-mounted light of any size could be used so long as it was not a prohibited device (as described under the FGC, section 2005[c]). A weapon-mounted light would not be lawful in the Balance of the State Zone.  In the Balance of the State, lights must be a maximum of 9-volts with self-contained batteries, and must be either hand-held or worn on your head (CCR, Title 14, section 264.5).

There are also quite a few areas in the state where night hunting is prohibited completely, such as parts of San Benito and Monterey counties (CCR, Title14, section 263). There are also different areas with complete closure zones, so be sure to check for those as well (CCR, Title14, section 474).