Deer Zone B3: California deer hunting by the numbers
Deer Zone B3 covers 1,056 square miles of Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Mendocino and Tehama counties. 41.2% of it is national forest, BLM or CDFW land, most of that national forest (273,915 acres), by the California Protected Areas Database (CPAD 2026a). CDFW estimates hunters took 1,222 deer in Zone B3 in 2025 (1,222 bucks); CDFW puts hunter success at 32.5% for the B zones. The 2026 general season runs September 19 to October 25.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: CDFW's deer harvest reports, 2020 to 2025. Seasons and quotas: CDFW's approved 2026 seasons and the 2026-2027 regulations. Land: CPAD 2026a.
National forestBLMOther state or federal landZone B3Neighboring zonesLake or riverHighway
| CDFW region | Region 2, North Central Region |
|---|---|
| Counties | Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Mendocino and Tehama |
| Size | 675,605 acres (1,056 square miles) |
| Public land | 41.2% (278,193 acres) |
| Tag quota, 2026 | 35,000 (all B zones) |
| Archery season, 2026 | August 15 to September 6 |
| General season, 2026 | September 19 to October 25 |
| Bag limit | One buck, forked horn or better, per tag. |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 1,222 (CDFW estimate) |
| Hunter success, 2025 | 32.5% (CDFW), B zones |
| Towns in and near it | Elk Creek, Willows and Orland |
How many deer are taken in Zone B3?
CDFW estimates 1,222 deer were taken in Zone B3 in 2025, up from 836 in 2024. Hunters reported 723 of them; CDFW adds an estimate for the 40.7% of tag holders who did not report. CDFW's tag quota and hunter success for Zone B3 are for the B zones together, because one B tag is good in any of them.
| Year | Tag quota | Tags issued | Bucks reported | Does reported | Deer taken (CDFW estimate) | Hunter success (CDFW) | Tag holders who did not report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 35,000 | not printed | 723 | 0 | 1,222 | 32.5% | 40.7% |
| 2024 | 35,000 | not printed | 548 | 0 | 836 | 23.8% | 34.3% |
| 2023 | 35,000 | not printed | 507 | 0 | 708 | 21.9% | 28.3% |
| 2022 | 35,000 | 34,998 | 428 | 0 | 602 | 19.6% | 28.5% |
| 2021 | 35,000 | 34,986 | 466 | 0 | 650 | 22.1% | 28% |
| 2020 | 35,000 | 34,982 | 259 | 0 | 352 | 13.7% | 25.9% |
Source: CDFW California Deer Harvest Statistics (2020 to 2025), Table 1. CDFW's hunter success is its estimated deer kill divided by tags issued. Harvest on Private Lands Management and Section 554 landowner programs is not included.
What size are the bucks taken in Zone B3?
Of the 723 bucks hunters reported with points recorded in 2025, 116 (16%) had 4 points or more and 267 had 3 points. CDFW counts antler points on one side.
| Year | Spike | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | 5 points or more | Bucks with points recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 (0%) | 340 (47%) | 267 (36.9%) | 101 (14%) | 15 (2.1%) | 723 |
| 2024 | 0 (0%) | 275 (50.2%) | 166 (30.3%) | 95 (17.3%) | 12 (2.2%) | 548 |
| 2023 | 1 (0.2%) | 267 (52.7%) | 150 (29.6%) | 83 (16.4%) | 6 (1.2%) | 507 |
Source: CDFW 2025 California Deer Harvest Statistics, Table 2 (reported deer kill by antler class), and the two years before it. Shares are of the bucks reported with points recorded.
When is deer season in Zone B3 in 2026?
Archery only: August 15 to September 6. General season: September 19 to October 25, 2026. B zone tags are valid during the archery or general season in any B zone. CDFW's rule for the season: The season in Zone B-3 shall open on the third Saturday in September and extend for 37 consecutive days.
Source: CDFW Approved 2026 Deer Seasons and CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 40 (Title 14, Section 360). CDFW can change a season: check CDFW's deer zone page before you go.
How much public land is in Zone B3?
41.2% of Zone B3 is national forest, BLM or CDFW land: 278,193 of its 675,605 acres. The largest piece is Mendocino National Forest (273,915 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of Zone B3 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 273,915 | 40.5% |
| Other state or federal land | 10,876 | 1.6% |
| BLM | 4,278 | 0.6% |
Measured by FilledTag inside CDFW's zone 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.
Which elk and pronghorn zones overlap Zone B3?
Elk zones: East Park Reservoir elk zone (330,897 acres inside Zone B3) and Lake Pillsbury elk zone (12,747 acres inside Zone B3). Elk and pronghorn tags are drawn in CDFW's big game drawing, apart from a few fundraising tags.
How do you get to Zone B3?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: CA 162, I-5 and CA 32. Towns inside: Elk Creek. Nearby: Willows (on the line), Orland (on the line), Corning (11 miles) and Colusa (16 miles).
Which deer zones border Zone B3?
Zone B3 touches 5 other deer zones. Their size, public land and CDFW's 2025 numbers:
| Zone | Square miles | Public land | Deer taken, 2025 | Hunter success, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone A | 35,615 | 11.8% | 9,184 | 34.2% |
| Zone B1 | 6,187 | 43.4% | 3,992 | 32.5% |
| Zone B5 | 2,054 | 21% | 1,309 | 32.5% |
| Zone C4 | 3,864 | 30.6% | 1,129 | 30.1% |
| Zone D3 | 3,778 | 37.7% | 2,509 | 19% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer tags are there for Zone B3?
CDFW's 2026 tag quota is 35,000, shared by the B zones: B zone tags are valid during the archery or general season in any B zone. In 2025 the quota was 35,000 and CDFW estimates 1,222 deer were taken here.
What is the hunter success rate in Zone B3?
CDFW puts 2025 hunter success at 32.5% for the B zones as a group. CDFW works it out as its estimated deer kill divided by tags issued. In 2024 it was 23.8%.
When does deer season open in Zone B3 in 2026?
Archery season runs August 15 to September 6, 2026, and the general season September 19 to October 25. CDFW's rule: The season in Zone B-3 shall open on the third Saturday in September and extend for 37 consecutive days.
How much public land is in Zone B3?
41.2% of Zone B3, 278,193 acres, is national forest, BLM or CDFW land by CPAD 2026a. The largest piece: Mendocino National Forest (273,915 acres).
CDFW's boundary of Zone B3
In those portions of Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, and Tehama counties within a line beginning at the intersection of Interstate 5 and Black Butte Reservoir Road; south on Interstate 5 to the Glenn-Colusa county line; west along the Glenn-Colusa county line to the Elk Creek-Stonyford Road (County Road 306); south on the Elk Creek-Stonyford Road to the Letts Valley-Fouts Spring Road; west on the Letts Valley-Fouts Spring Road through Fouts Spring to Forest Service Road M-10; west on Forest Service Road M-10 to the Colusa-Lake county line; north along the Colusa-Lake and Glenn-Lake county lines to the eastern boundary of State Game Refuge 2-A, near Sheetiron Mountain; north and west along the eastern and northern boundaries of State Game Refuge 2-A to the Lake-Mendocino county line; north on the Lake-Mendocino and Glenn-Mendocino county lines to the Black Butte River; northwest along the Black Butte River to the Middle Fork of the Eel River; east and north along the Middle Fork of the Eel River to Forest Highway 7 near the Eel River Work Center; east on Forest Highway 7 to the Low Gap-Government Flat Road; north on the Low Gap-Government Flat Road to the Round Valley-Paskenta Road at Government Flat; east on the Round Valley-Paskenta Road to the Black Butte Lake-Newville Road; south and east on the Black Butte Lake-Newville Road to Interstate 5 at the point of beginning.
From CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 40, Title 14, Section 360.
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest, quotas, hunter success and antler classes: CDFW California Deer Harvest Statistics (2020 to 2025).
- 2026 seasons and quotas: CDFW Approved 2026 Deer Seasons; boundary, bag limit and season rule: CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations.
- Public land: California Protected Areas Database (CPAD) 2026a. Zone boundary: CDFW deer hunt zones (BIOS ds342, Title 14 Section 360).
- 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.
California hunting CDFW Region 2 Zone A Zone B1 Zone B5 Zone C4 Zone D3