California Deer Season Hits Full Stride as Hunters Prepare for Major September Openers

From the Klamath National Forest in Del Norte County to the Owens Valley in the Eastern Sierra, almost two dozen California deer hunt zones throughout the state will open to rifle hunting in the final weeks of September.

As many coastal deer hunting opportunities close, inland opportunities are opening up, beginning with the Saturday, Sept. 19 rifle season openers in most B zones and all C zones in Northern California; D6 and D7 in the Central Valley and X9a, X9b and X12 in the Eastern Sierra.

Deer are one of the most popular game species among licensed hunters in California. Along with a valid hunting license, a deer tag is required to hunt deer in California. Only upland game bird hunting rivals the interest in deer. Hunters who purchase deer tags in California get to enjoy an outdoor activity they love with the added benefit of supporting critical conservation efforts across the state.

Deer tag sales in 2025 generated nearly $7 million in revenue, which provided crucial funding for big game conservation, habitat protection and restoration, and scientific research. Last year, these revenues helped fund deer capture and collaring efforts in 31 counties, aerial deer surveys across northeastern and eastern California, habitat enhancement and landscape connectivity efforts, implementation of California’s deer hunting program, and the biologists and staff responsible for deer monitoring, management, planning and coordination statewide.

CDFW is also developing a new California Deer Conservation and Management Plan to guide deer conservation and management statewide. The plan will provide an updated, science-based framework for conserving deer populations, maintaining and improving habitat and landscape connectivity, supporting sustainable hunting opportunities and strengthening coordination with California Native American tribes, agencies, landowners, hunters and other partners, according to CDFW Statewide Deer Coordinator Brian Leo.

“The plan incorporates updated population monitoring and analytical approaches that will improve how CDFW evaluates deer abundance, survival, recruitment, habitat conditions and harvest,” Leo said. “It will give us a stronger foundation for future conservation and management decisions across California.” California’s deer seasons vary by hunting zones and types of hunting. General seasons for rifle hunting occur during different periods from August through November. Hunters are strongly encouraged to review the regulations for the specific zone they plan to hunt in/on? before heading out into the field. Information about the specific zones and their opening dates can be found on CDFW’s approved 2026 deer seasons by zone map.

As a reminder, hunters who harvest a deer must immediately complete the tag and attach it to the deer. The tag must then be validated and countersigned by an authorized person. The deer may be transported from the point of harvest to the nearest authorized validator along the route being followed. Tags can be validated by authorized individuals including CDFW employees, California Hunter Education Instructors, firefighters, public notaries, peace officers, meat processors, USDA Forest Service staff and other designated state, federal and local agents.

Separately, all deer tag holders must submit a harvest report, whether or not they harvested a deer. Successful hunters must report within 30 days of harvest or by Jan. 31, whichever occurs first; unsuccessful hunters and those who did not hunt must report by Jan. 31. Hunters who fail to report a tag by Jan. 31 will be assessed a $21.60 nonreporting fee when purchasing a deer tag drawing application or deer tag in the following license year. Hunters looking to purchase deer tags should act quickly as tag availability varies by zone. A current list of available deer tags can be found online. Tags can be purchased through CDFW’s Online License Sales and Services website, or in person at a designated license agent. CDFW urges all hunters to review big game and mammal hunting regulations and follow them carefully to support sustainable wildlife management and conservation efforts.

CDFW is continuing statewide surveillance and management efforts for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk and other members of the deer family. CWD was first detected in California in 2024. Ongoing testing of hunter-harvested deer helps CDFW track the disease’s distribution and prevalence. It also informs management decisions to protect California’s deer and elk herds.

For the 2026 hunting season, all hunters who harvest deer in hunt zones D7, X9a, X9b and X9c, including deer taken during specialty hunts within those zones, must have their take sampled for CWD. Hunters can have their harvest sampled at a CDFW sampling station or office, through a participating meat processor or taxidermist, or by collecting and submitting samples themselves according to CDFW instructions.

For all other zones, CDFW highly encourages hunters statewide to voluntarily submit deer for CWD sampling.

Hunters remain an important partner in California’s ongoing CWD surveillance and management efforts, and continued sampling is essential to understanding and responding to the disease.

For more information on CWD and how to get your harvest sampled for testing, visit CDFW’s Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance web page.

For more information on deer hunting in California, visit CDFW’s Deer Hunting web page.

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Media Contacts:
Cort Klopping, CDFW Communications, (916) 201-2958
Brian Leo, CDFW Statewide Deer Coordinator, (916) 628-0553

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