Nonprofits to Auction Big Game Tags, Funding CDFW Conservation

CALIFORNIA — The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced today that it is accepting applications for the 2026 Fundraising with Big Game License Tags program. Launched in 2014, the initiative awards premium big game hunting tags to conservation nonprofits for public auction. After the sales, proceeds return to the department to support projects benefiting bighorn sheep, deer, elk, and pronghorn antelope. In the previous year, auctions generated more than $1 million.

For the upcoming season, up to ten deer tags, three elk tags, two pronghorn antelope tags, and three bighorn sheep tags will be available. Among the deer tags are five “Golden Opportunity” permits, each allowing the harvest of one legal buck deer in any statewide hunting zone with any legal method. Such Golden Opportunity tags often sell for more than $20,000. Organizers must remit proceeds to CDFW within 30 days of the auction or by June 19, 2026, whichever comes first.

CDFW reports that program funds have supported habitat conservation, post-wildfire forest restoration, wildlife population studies, and installation of artificial watering devices for drought-affected wildlife. The department also notes that auctioning the tags draws larger crowds and boosts public engagement, which in turn aids the participating nonprofits. Eligible nonprofit organizations must submit applications by 3 PM on October 20, 2025.

Similar initiatives exist nationwide, with more than 20 states operating comparable programs. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department launched the approach in 1980 by auctioning a single bighorn sheep tag, which fetched $23,000. Earlier in 2025, a New Mexico bighorn sheep tag established a new benchmark, selling for $1.3 million at auction.