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Spring is also the time of year to plan big game hunts for
this fall, get excited thinking about hunting mule deer season. And Northern California Roosevelt elk hunting opportunities are
expanded in Northern California. Permits
will be issued in Siskiyou and Shasta
counties. Antelope hunting will be excellent
as usual, and permits have been increased to improve opportunity.
DFG biologists say most deer herds fared very well through
the mild winter and survival was high. California‘s diverse terrain affords
numerous deer hunting opportunities. There’s something for everyone: the high
desert terrain of Lassen County where
big mule deer live or the lowlands in
Zone A where there is easy walking,
plenty of blacktails and decent access.
The entire state is
divided into zones: A, B, D and X, and
hunters must choose one and hunt it the
entire season. Zone A is a coastal blacktail
season that opens July for archers and August for rifle hunters. Limit is two
bucks per season, forked horn or better. An unlimited number of tags are available
in this zone and most of the hunting is done on private property.
Success rate hovers around 10 percent, but is somewhat
higher in Mendocino and Sonoma counties
on the North Coast. Zone B archery
seasons open in July and August, with the rifle seasons opeing in September.
Larger blacktail deer are available in this northwest region and success is
best in the Trinity Alps and Weaverville area, where some huge blacktails are taken.
D zones cover most of the state and as a result they are
most heavily hunted around October. The best deer hunting is in Northern
California’s C4 zones where the highly populated Eastern Tehama deer herd
lives.
D3 through D6 offer good hunting and access. Deer numbers
are in good shape, particularly in D3, Central California‘s D zones get a lot
of pressure and success in the Sierras largely depends upon the weather. If it
snows, bucks begin their annual migration to the lowlands and that's when
hunters in zones D6, D7 and D8 bag most of their bucks/
California’s pride
and joy are the X zones in the northeast part of the state where success rates
are as high as 50 percent. Rocky Mountain mule deer are available here, and a few
trophy bucks are taken every year in the X5 zones.
We consider a trophy
buck in California to have at least a 26-inch spread. Anything over 30 is a
trophy buck in any state! X zones
mean limited-entry hunts, so hunters have to apply for their desired zones
Don’t forget that early July deadline.
Permits are tough to get here because so many people apply
for a limited number of tags. Don’t apply unless you’re in top physical
condition because the country is steep and wide open and requires a lot of
walking or horseback riding. Don’t expect to see bucks while you‘re driving
around in a pickup. Last year biologists said success was lower than normal in
the X5 zones because there were quite a few hunters who drew tags who had no
business being up there. They were either too out-of-shape or didn't know the
country. Some were both. Best hunting in Zone C4 (formerly X5c) is around Eagle
Lake, particularly near Antelope Mountain. X5b borders Nevada and the terrain
is largely made up of sage brush with
quaking aspen draws Some of the state's
largest racks are produced here.
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