FORT HUNTER LIGGETT HUNTING PROGRAM

Turk
Tule Elk

Fort Hunter Liggett (FHL) is an active military training facility encompassing approximately 162,000 acres of grasslands, woodlands, and chaparral habitats in southern Monterey County. FHL is about 25 miles southwest of King City along Jolon Road, and about 50 miles northwest of Paso Robles. When military training activities allow, FHL may have up to 130,000 acres open to hunting on weekends and federal holidays, except Christmas Day. The number of hunters is limited any given weekend and registration is on a first-come first-served basis except for the general A-Zone deer season in which a lottery system is used.

Hunting on Fort Hunter Liggett requires an FHL hunting permit, a valid California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) hunting license, species tags and/or stamps, and photo identification. CDFG license, species tags or stamps are not available at FHL.

Hunting Permit: Annual ($90) or Two-Day ($35) permits are sold only by mail and are picked up when you register to hunt. Juniors (with a CDFG junior hunting license), disabled veterans (with a CDFG disabled veteran hunting license) and active duty military personnel are eligible for a reduced fee permit. Hunting permits are non-transferable and non-refundable and expire along with your California hunting license.

Hunted Species: The following species may be hunted on FHL during open seasons and by CDFG regulations: deer, tule elk, pig, coyote, bobcat, jackrabbit, cottontail, tree squirrel, dove, quail, pigeon, turkey, duck and goose.

Special Ammunition Requirement: FHL is a non-lead ammunition hunting area. Non-lead bullets and shotshell ammunitions are required for firearms hunting.

Special Weapon Areas: Training Areas 29 and 13E (previously TA30) are walk-in only, and restricted to shotgun, muzzle-loading, and archery weapons. Training Area 3 is restricted to archery only.

Registration: Hunters must register in person at the Wildlife Check Station located across from the FHL campground. Each hunter is assigned to one open training area at a time. Hunters may change training areas. Registration hours vary with day-length and season of the year. Please call (831) 386-3310 to verify registration hours. Minor hunters may register when accompanied by an adult with photo identification.

Visitors: Each hunter is allowed one non-hunting visitor free of charge.

Follow these steps to hunt at FHL:

  1. Purchase the appropriate CDFG license, tags, and stamps.
  2. Submit by mail a correctly completed 2008-09 FHL hunting permit application (available at (http://www.liggett.army.mil/sites/fishhunt). Include the correct fee in a money order or cashier's check payable only to the "Department of Treasury". No personal checks are accepted. FHL processes applications within two weeks of the postmark date. Using a previous year's or incomplete application will delay processing your application.
  3. Review FHL regulations (http://www.liggett.army.mil/sites/fishhunt), and CDFG regulations.
  4. Visit the FHL Hunting website (http://www.liggett.army.mil/sites/fishhunt) or call the Hunting Information Line at (831) 386-3310 (typically updated Thursday evenings) for open training areas and Wildlife Check Station window hours for the upcoming weekend.
  5. Pick up your FHL hunting permit in person with current photo identification at the Wildlife Check Station.
  6. Registration (check-in) is mandatory each time you hunt - check into one open training area to receive a training area pass (Hunter Registration and Harvest Report Form). Training area changes are available at the Wildlife Check Station.
  7. Report ALL of your harvest on the Harvest Report Form.
  8. Checkout is mandatory at the end of hunting, prior to leaving FHL. Return both copies (yellow and pink) of the Hunter Registration and Harvest Report Form to the Wildlife Check Station.

Other Important Information: