There are layers if issues with hunting in CA. I will address my personal feelings, based only on my observations in Southern California, primarily in Ventura and North Western Los Angeles counties.
Deer Hunting: It has been on the decline since the Mountain Lion hunting ban. BTW we also built about ten million more homes and housing tracks in this stare. The deer that used to be behind my home have not been seen in 20 years. When I hike, usually every morning, I see tracks, but rarely if ever see a deer. Maybe I drag my feet and hum, whatever I don't se em any more like I did. Led free, no big deal, two boxes of Federal Premium 180 grain Barnes bullets should last me a life time of hunting here. Another issue is public lands. At one point I had access to a 6700 acre ranch in town, for those members familiar with Ventura county it was Dos Vientos ranch, all homes now. Another ranch in town 2200 acres, Lang Ranch, now homes. So now its public lands. The state improved many access roads to some good hunting areas like Alamo Mountain, hunted there for years until they improved the roads, its turned onto a party place for idiots to destroy, I haven't hunted there in years. So I Deer hunt in South Dakota now, did Hunt in New York until We sold the property.
Upland birds: Many states have non led for upland game, that doesn't bother me. What has ruined it for me here is the past two fire seasons preceded by a five year drouth. Once again without access to the ranches I used to hunt, it's back to public lands. As plentiful as they are here they tend generate enormous hunting pressure on the quail.
Small game: Here is where the led free ammo, sucks. I hunt Rabbits with a .22 pistol iron sights. They require 2 rounds to kill. The first round usually stops the critter (I never shoot at a running rabbit, no need) the second shot is the coup de grâceis.
Varmints, Predators and vermin: I limit Coyote shooting with the .223 or 22-250 to 300 yards. I don't believe the 36 grain VG will make a merciful one shot kill beyond that. I pistol shot a jack rabbit at 75 yards with Winchester .22 led free ammo. I fired 10 rounds watching dirt fly up directly behind it, thinking I was missing it, for the most part the Jack just moved a few feet then stopped. I hit it 8/10. The damn led free ammo was punching through it like an ice pick, zero expansion, inhumane in my opinion.
Yes hunting is kind of drying up, hard to find young guys that are interested. The expense of equipment and ammo, combined with the hassle of getting there can be a PIA.
BTW: this applies to fishing also. With fishing we have the environmentalist and PETA types that have convinced the legislature to put many once accessible fishing streams off limits because they claim, every stream that somehow terminates no matter how abstractly to the ocean, MUST have ONE Steelhead that is native to that tributary, therefor on the endangered species list. I will be fly fishing next month in South Dakota, 1/4 mile from property I own.
FWIW: the DFG people I have encountered hunting and fishing here have without exception been absolutely wonderful. Have given tips on where they have seen recent game activity and how to access that area. Awesome people if you ask me.
Sorry for the long post guys but what you see here you have a pretty good chance of seeing elsewhere in the near future. The key to stopping it is the ability to get young people interested en masse.
Addio
