Deer hunt M-7: Ventura Muzzleloading Rifle Either-Sex Deer Hunt
Hunt M-7, CDFW's Ventura Muzzleloading Rifle Either-Sex Deer Hunt, is an muzzleloading rifle hunt on 1,172,732 acres of Ventura County, inside deer Zone A and 1 other zone. The 2026 season runs November 28 to December 13 with 150 tags. CDFW estimates 17 deer were taken on this hunt in 2025, with 11.3% hunter success.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: CDFW's deer harvest reports, 2020 to 2025. Seasons and tags: CDFW's approved 2026 seasons. Rules: the 2026-2027 regulations. Land: CPAD 2026a.
National forestBLMCDFW landNational wildlife refugeNational Park ServiceState parkOther state or federal landHunt M-7Deer zone linesLake or riverHighway
| Hunt M-7, 2026 | Ventura Muzzleloading Rifle Either-Sex Deer Hunt: November 28 to December 13, 150 tags |
|---|---|
| Counties | Ventura |
| Size | 1,172,732 acres |
| Public land | 48.1% (564,050 acres) |
| Deer zone | Zone A, Zone D13 |
| Hunt M-7, 2025 | 17 deer, 11.3% hunter success (CDFW) |
How many deer are taken on hunt M-7?
CDFW estimates 17 deer were taken on hunt M-7 in 2025: 1 buck and 16 does. Hunters reported 12; 30% of tag holders did not report.
| Year | Tag quota | Bucks reported | Does reported | Deer taken (CDFW estimate) | Hunter success (CDFW) | Did not report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 150 | 1 | 11 | 17 | 11.3% | 30% |
| 2024 | 150 | 4 | 16 | 28 | 18.7% | 29.3% |
| 2023 | 150 | 6 | 11 | 20 | 13.3% | 16% |
| 2022 | 150 | 7 | 10 | 20 | 13.5% | 17.6% |
| 2021 | 150 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 11.3% | 16% |
| 2020 | 150 | 6 | 26 | 36 | 24% | 12% |
Source: CDFW California Deer Harvest Statistics (2020 to 2025), Table 1. CDFW's hunter success is its estimated deer kill divided by tags issued.
What size are the bucks taken on hunt M-7?
Of the 1 buck hunters reported with points recorded in the latest year, 0 had 4 points or more.
| Hunt and year | Spike | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | 5 points or more | Does reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-7, 2025 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
Source: CDFW 2025 California Deer Harvest Statistics, Table 2 (reported deer kill by antler class).
What are CDFW's rules for hunt M-7?
In CDFW's 2026 Big Game Drawing, 158 hunters put hunt M-7 first for 150 tags (135 by preference points). Source: CDFW 2026 Big Game Drawing statistics.
Bag limit: One either-sex deer (see subsection 351(c)) per tag. Tags in the regulations: 150.
Season: The season for additional hunt M-7 (Ventura Muzzleloading Rifle Either-Sex Deer Hunt) shall open on the last Saturday in November and extend for 16 consecutive days.
- Only muzzleloading rifles as specified in Section 353 may be used.
Source: CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 54, Title 14, Sections 360 and 361; dates and quotas: CDFW Approved 2026 Deer Seasons.
How much public land is in hunt M-7?
48.1% of the ground is national forest, BLM or CDFW land: 564,050 of 1,172,732 acres. The largest piece: Los Padres National Forest (560,987 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the hunt area |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 560,987 | 47.8% |
| State park | 20,896 | 1.8% |
| National Park Service | 11,545 | 1% |
| Other state or federal land | 5,537 | 0.5% |
| BLM | 2,698 | 0.2% |
| National wildlife refuge | 2,520 | 0.2% |
| CDFW land | 365 | under 0.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside CDFW's hunt boundary from California Protected Areas Database (CPAD) 2026a. "Public land" on this page means national forest, BLM and CDFW land, the three managers whose ground is open to hunting under their own rules. National Park Service land, state parks and most other public ground are listed but not counted: hunting there is closed or limited. Land held by cities, counties, districts and private groups is not shown.
How do you get to hunt M-7?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: US 101, CA 33, CA 1, CA 126, CA 118 and CA 23. Towns inside: Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Oxnard, San Buenaventura (Ventura), Camarillo and Moorpark. Nearby: Hidden Hills (on the line), Westlake Village (on the line), Agoura Hills (on the line) and Carpinteria (on the line).
Deer zones the ground lies in: Zone A (712,109 acres) and Zone D13 (459,960 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many tags are there for hunt M-7?
CDFW's 2026 quota is 150 tags. In 2025 the quota was 150.
What is the success rate on hunt M-7?
CDFW puts 2025 hunter success at 11.3%: an estimated 17 deer on the tags issued. In 2024 it was 18.7% (28 deer).
When is hunt M-7 in 2026?
November 28 to December 13, by CDFW's approved 2026 seasons. CDFW's rule: The season for additional hunt M-7 (Ventura Muzzleloading Rifle Either-Sex Deer Hunt) shall open on the last Saturday in November and extend for 16 consecutive days.
Where is hunt M-7?
In Ventura County, inside deer Zone A. Towns in and near the ground: Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Oxnard, Hidden Hills and Westlake Village.
CDFW's boundary of hunt M-7
All of Ventura County.
From CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 54.
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest, quotas and hunter success: CDFW California Deer Harvest Statistics (2020 to 2025).
- 2026 dates and tags: CDFW Approved 2026 Deer Seasons; rules and boundary: CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations.
- Public land: California Protected Areas Database (CPAD) 2026a. Hunt boundaries: CDFW additional deer hunts (BIOS ds3241); CDFW archery deer hunts (BIOS ds3242, Title 14 Section 361).
- Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Numbers are copied from CDFW, CPAD and the Census Bureau, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.