AB 1912 clears Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee unanimously, heads to Public Safety
A bill that would expand self-defense rights for California’s deer archery hunters cleared a key committee hurdle this week, advancing unanimously out of the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee and onto the Assembly Public Safety Committee.
Assembly Bill 1912, authored by Assemblywoman Heather Hadwick (R-Alturas), would amend Section 4370 of the Fish and Game Code to allow deer archery hunters to carry a concealed firearm for personal protection while in the field. The bill passed out of the Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee on March 24 with 12 ayes and 0 noes.
Under current law, a person hunting deer during archery season is generally prohibited from carrying a firearm of any kind, with limited exceptions for peace officers. AB 1912 would extend the right to carry a concealed sidearm to all archery deer hunters, while expressly prohibiting the use of any firearm to take or attempt to take deer during archery season — the bow-and-arrow-only rule for the actual harvest would remain unchanged.
The firearm restriction on deer archery hunters has been a point of contention for years. In 2018, the California Fish and Game Commission approved a petition allowing big game archery hunters to carry firearms for self-defense — but that decision did not affect deer hunting, which is governed by a separate state statute outside the Commission’s authority. AB 1912 would resolve that longstanding gap through legislation.
Hadwick, a hunter herself, says the bill responds directly to safety concerns raised by constituents in her rural Northern California district. Apex predators and illegal drug activity in the backcountry increasingly threaten hunters who venture into remote areas. Both are well-documented concerns in Siskiyou County and the broader North State, where deer archery hunters often hunt solo in rugged terrain frequented by mountain lions and, in some drainages, by illegal marijuana grow operations.
“Hunters heading deep into the backcountry should not have to leave their ability to defend themselves at the trailhead,” Hadwick said.
The California Bowmen Hunters and the California Deer Association are co-sponsoring the bill.
The bill now moves to the Assembly Public Safety Committee, where it is expected to face more scrutiny. If it clears that committee, it would proceed to the Assembly floor before crossing to the Senate side for further hearings.
Siskiyou News will continue to track AB 1912 as it moves through the Legislature.
