Happy Sunday, and welcome back. This week's briefing runs a little lighter than usual, and that is on purpose: we are not skipping a week, we are building. Behind the scenes, the team is putting together a bigger, sharper norcalhunt.com, built to give you exactly what you need for the rest of this season and every season you choose to spend with us. This issue is your first look. You still get every date that matters, and October has plenty: Northeastern Zone ducks opened yesterday, the X zones came online, and the valley duck opener is under three weeks out with a reservation deadline this Wednesday. Let's get into it.

Today, Sunday October 4: C-1 and C-4 general deer close. Last light on those two. C-2 and C-3 keep running through October 25.

Through Monday, October 5: Balance of State early goose. The short early season (October 3 to 5) is for large Canada geese only. Two more mornings if you have a field lined up.

Northeastern Zone waterfowl is open. Ducks opened Saturday and run to January 13, seven per day, which may include no more than two hen mallards, three pintail, two canvasback, two redheads, and two scaup. Canada geese opened the same day and run to January 10, with white and white-fronted geese running October 3 to November 29 and again January 1 to 13.

The X zones are in. X-1 through X-7b general deer opened Saturday and runs to October 18, draw tags only. General bear in those X zones opens Saturday, October 10.

Wednesday, October 7: reservation deadline for the valley opener. Applications for reservation drawings on state-operated areas close 17 days before each hunt, so Wednesday is your last day to apply for the October 24 opener. It costs $1.34 per hunt choice online, at a license agent, or at a CDFW license sales office, and results post at least seven days before the hunt.

Deer season is wide open. Most B zones run through October 25, but a few subzones close earlier, so confirm yours. D3 to D5 runs through November 1 on the D3-5 tag, and D6 and D7 also run through November 1. Check your subzone lines in the 2026 Big Game Digest before you climb an unfamiliar ridge.

Saturday, October 17: quail and chukar. The all-quail season opens in Zones Q1 and Q3, and chukar opens statewide the same day. Q2 has been open since September 26. Ten quail per day in aggregate.

Saturday, October 24: the Balance of State opener. Ducks and regular-season geese run to January 31. Scaup stays closed until November 7. Your California Duck Validation, a signed Federal Duck Stamp (ink across the face), and your free HIP validation all need to be in hand before you set a single decoy.

On the horizon. Pheasant and fall turkey both open Saturday, November 14.

Report your tags. Filled deer tags must be reported within 30 days of harvest. Do it from the truck while the details are fresh.

Non-lead, every hunt, no exceptions. Certified non-lead ammunition is required for all firearm hunting in California. On the water that means non-toxic shot and a shotgun plugged to three shells.

Every reply you have sent us since day one has been read, and a lot of them have shaped what comes next. You told us what you check before a hunt, what you wish you could find in one place, and what keeps you coming back on Sunday. We are grateful for every word of it, and we are using that feedback to rebuild the website around your needs and preferences.

Here is a first look at a few of the things on the way:

A marketplace built for NorCal hunters. A place to find the gear, services, and local businesses that serve this community, without wading through the noise of a national site. More details soon, and if you run a shop or service that belongs there, hit reply and get on our list early.

Weather built for where you actually hunt. A few weeks back, in Issue #016, we asked what makes a duck day for you, and the options were wind, clouds and rain, migration, and hunter reports. That question was not random. We are building a unique weather indexing tool for refuges and hunt areas, so instead of a city forecast that tells you nothing about the marsh, you get conditions tied to the ground you are hunting.

NorCalHunt in your pocket. We are also building a NorCalHunt app, so the dates, deadlines, and conditions you count on every Sunday ride along in the truck, the blind, and deer camp. It is still in the works, and we will share more as it comes together.

Put together, it adds up to a more robust NorCalHunt: more depth, more tools, and more of what you need right when you need it, whether you are planning a hunt on Tuesday night or checking conditions from the tailgate before shoot time. We are not just adding features. We are building a service that works as hard as you do from opener to closer.

The weekly briefing is not going anywhere, and neither is anything else you count on. The Showcase, Dog of the Week, field stories, and every other feature you know will keep growing right alongside the rest of NorCalHunt.

We know most of you are in the thick of deer season right now, and the ducks are about to stack on top of it. We cannot wait to hear how it goes. Send us the buck on the tailgate, the first greenhead of the year, the sunrise you almost did not get up for, and the story of the morning that went sideways and turned out better for it. The hunts you are on this fall are the ones your kids and grandkids will be hearing about at the tailgate someday, and we would be honored to help tell them.

Photos and clips: Hit reply with your shot and a sentence about it, and tell us how to credit you (first name, last initial, and town). The best ones earn a permanent spot on our subscribers-only Showcase page.

Want your dog featured? Send a clean photo of your hunting partner and a quick 2 to 3 sentence blurb on what they hunt and where they earn their kibble. Catch up on every dog we have featured on our past Dogs of the Week page.

Got a hunt that turned into a story? Tell it the way you would at the tailgate and we will put it in the briefing. Catch up on the ones we have already run on our field stories page.

This one matters more than usual, because your answers go straight into the new site. Drop us a quick reply and tell us:

Got a hunting partner in the foothills, the rice, or along the riverbanks? Forward this briefing and point them to norcalhunt.com. Word of mouth from real hunters is how we grow, and the next chapter is a good time to bring them in.

Between deer camp and the duck opener, somebody near you has the non-toxic shot, the processor slot, or the decoy repair you need. Our local services page keeps NorCal businesses that treat hunters right all in one place. Check it out, and if your shop belongs on it, hit reply.

The board is quieter close to home. The Lucas Fire has dropped off CAL FIRE's active incident list, and the nearest active fires in our region are small ones in Placer and Sacramento counties that are better than 90 percent contained. Sierra hunters headed south should note the Dome Fire in Mariposa County, near 5,900 acres and 40 percent contained. Before you load the truck:

Confirm restrictions for your unit. Forest orders and burn bans change by district. Check fire.ca.gov and your local forest before you go.

Watch for north wind. October is when dry north wind events show up with little warning. On those days, skip the long push into dry timber and grass.

Do not be the spark. Mind your exhaust on dry grass, check your drag chains, and keep campfires off the table where bans are in place.

Cool mornings, warm afternoons. It may be frosty at shoot time, but a buck down at noon still needs to be cooled fast.

Thank you for being with us from day one. This newsletter exists because of this community, and the next chapter of NorCalHunt is being built for you. Hope you all have a wonderful week.

Stay safe out there, get your gear cleaned, and we'll see you in the field.

The NorCal Hunt Team

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