Hey b-rice I am stationed here at Camp Pendleton California, and as far as not being able to shoot mechanicals hasnt made archery hunting any harder for me. I am from PA and I shot mechanical for the past 6 years, but switching to fixed wasnt that big of a deal. I still shoot as accurate as my mechanicals. As far as do I think it is fair I dont know what you are talking about. I had a lot of succsess last year in north coastal area in CA. Maybe it is time to move to a new area. Where exactly are you from and what areas are you hunting in CA?