Deer hunt MA-3: Santa Barbara Muzzleloading Rifle/Archery Buck Hunt
Hunt MA-3, CDFW's Santa Barbara Muzzleloading Rifle/Archery Buck Hunt, is an muzzleloading rifle and archery hunt on 1,632,461 acres of Santa Barbara County, inside deer Zone A and 1 other zone. The 2026 season runs November 28 to December 13 with 150 tags. CDFW estimates 20 deer were taken on this hunt in 2025, with 13.4% 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 landState parkOther state or federal landHunt MA-3Deer zone linesLake or riverHighway
| Hunt MA-3, 2026 | Santa Barbara Muzzleloading Rifle/Archery Buck Hunt: November 28 to December 13, 150 tags |
|---|---|
| Counties | Santa Barbara |
| Size | 1,632,461 acres |
| Public land | 39.4% (643,319 acres) |
| Deer zone | Zone A, Zone D13 |
| Hunt MA-3, 2025 | 20 deer, 13.4% hunter success (CDFW) |
How many deer are taken on hunt MA-3?
CDFW estimates 20 deer were taken on hunt MA-3 in 2025: 20 bucks and 0 does. Hunters reported 13; 36.2% 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 | 13 | 0 | 20 | 13.4% | 36.2% |
| 2024 | 150 | 15 | 0 | 24 | 16.1% | 36.9% |
| 2023 | 150 | 20 | 0 | 27 | 18.1% | 26.2% |
| 2022 | 150 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 4% | 24% |
| 2021 | 150 | 12 | 0 | 15 | 10% | 22% |
| 2020 | 150 | 20 | 0 | 24 | 16% | 19.3% |
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 MA-3?
Of the 13 bucks hunters reported with points recorded in the latest year, 2 had 4 points or more.
| Hunt and year | Spike | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | 5 points or more | Does reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA-3, 2025 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Source: CDFW 2025 California Deer Harvest Statistics, Table 2 (reported deer kill by antler class).
What are CDFW's rules for hunt MA-3?
In CDFW's 2026 Big Game Drawing, 110 hunters put hunt MA-3 first for 150 tags (135 by preference points). Source: CDFW 2026 Big Game Drawing statistics.
Bag limit: One buck, forked horn (see subsection 351(a)) or better, per tag. Tags in the regulations: 150.
Season: The season for additional hunt MA-3 (Santa Barbara Muzzleloading Rifle/Archery Buck Hunt) shall open on the last Saturday in November and extend for 16 consecutive days.
- Only muzzleloading rifles as specified in Section 353 and archery equipment as specified in Section 354 may be used.
Source: CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 55, Title 14, Sections 360 and 361; dates and quotas: CDFW Approved 2026 Deer Seasons.
How much public land is in hunt MA-3?
39.4% of the ground is national forest, BLM or CDFW land: 643,319 of 1,632,461 acres. The largest piece: Los Padres National Forest (629,919 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the hunt area |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 629,919 | 38.6% |
| BLM | 7,807 | 0.5% |
| State park | 7,459 | 0.5% |
| Other state or federal land | 6,722 | 0.4% |
| CDFW land | 5,593 | 0.3% |
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.
CDFW wildlife areas and ecological reserves inside: Burton Mesa Ecological Reserve (5,202 acres) and Goleta Slough Ecological Reserve (381 acres).
How do you get to hunt MA-3?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: US 101, CA 1, CA 246, CA 166, CA 135 and CA 154. Towns inside: Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, Lompoc, Goleta, Carpinteria and Solvang. Nearby: Arroyo Grande (10 miles), Grover Beach (10 miles), Maricopa (11 miles) and Ojai (11 miles).
Deer zones the ground lies in: Zone A (1,622,249 acres) and Zone D13 (9,532 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many tags are there for hunt MA-3?
CDFW's 2026 quota is 150 tags. In 2025 the quota was 150.
What is the success rate on hunt MA-3?
CDFW puts 2025 hunter success at 13.4%: an estimated 20 deer on the tags issued. In 2024 it was 16.1% (24 deer).
When is hunt MA-3 in 2026?
November 28 to December 13, by CDFW's approved 2026 seasons. CDFW's rule: The season for additional hunt MA-3 (Santa Barbara Muzzleloading Rifle/Archery Buck Hunt) shall open on the last Saturday in November and extend for 16 consecutive days.
Where is hunt MA-3?
In Santa Barbara County, inside deer Zone A. Towns in and near the ground: Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, Lompoc, Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach.
CDFW's boundary of hunt MA-3
All of Santa Barbara County.
From CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 55.
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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.