Deer Zone D17: California deer hunting by the numbers
Deer Zone D17 covers 19,555 square miles of Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. 47.1% of it is national forest, BLM or CDFW land, most of that BLM land (5,803,352 acres), by the California Protected Areas Database (CPAD 2026a). CDFW estimates hunters took 58 deer in Zone D17 in 2025 (58 bucks); CDFW puts hunter success at 11.6%. The 2026 general season runs October 10 to November 1.
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.
BLMCDFW landNational wildlife refugeNational Park ServiceState parkOther state or federal landZone D17Neighboring zonesLake or riverHighway
| CDFW region | Region 6, Inland Deserts Region |
|---|---|
| Counties | Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles and San Bernardino |
| Size | 12,515,430 acres (19,555 square miles) |
| Public land | 47.1% (5,899,897 acres) |
| Tag quota, 2026 | 500 |
| Archery season, 2026 | September 5 to 27 |
| General season, 2026 | October 10 to November 1 |
| Bag limit | One buck, forked horn or better per tag. |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 58 (CDFW estimate) |
| Hunter success, 2025 | 11.6% (CDFW) |
| Towns in and near it | California City, Palmdale, Apple Valley, Lancaster and Yucca Valley |
How many deer are taken in Zone D17?
CDFW estimates 58 deer were taken in Zone D17 in 2025, down from 98 in 2024. Hunters reported 36 of them; CDFW adds an estimate for the 38.4% of tag holders who did not report.
| Year | Tag quota | Tags issued | Bucks reported | Does reported | Deer taken (CDFW estimate) | Hunter success (CDFW) | Tag holders who did not report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 500 | not printed | 36 | 0 | 58 | 11.6% | 38.4% |
| 2024 | 500 | not printed | 71 | 0 | 98 | 19.6% | 27.4% |
| 2023 | 500 | not printed | 44 | 0 | 54 | 10.9% | 19% |
| 2022 | 500 | 499 | 32 | 0 | 39 | 7.8% | 18.8% |
| 2021 | 500 | 498 | 38 | 0 | 46 | 9.2% | 17.9% |
| 2020 | 500 | 499 | 131 | 0 | 155 | 31.1% | 15.6% |
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 D17?
Of the 36 bucks hunters reported with points recorded in 2025, 11 (30.6%) had 4 points or more and 10 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%) | 15 (41.7%) | 10 (27.8%) | 9 (25%) | 2 (5.6%) | 36 |
| 2024 | 0 (0%) | 31 (43.7%) | 19 (26.8%) | 16 (22.5%) | 5 (7%) | 71 |
| 2023 | 0 (0%) | 6 (13.6%) | 18 (40.9%) | 16 (36.4%) | 4 (9.1%) | 44 |
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 D17 in 2026?
Archery only: September 5 to 27. General season: October 10 to November 1, 2026. CDFW's rule for the season: The season in Zone D-17 shall open on the second Saturday in October and extend for 23 consecutive days.
In CDFW's 2026 Big Game Drawing, 615 hunters put Zone D17 first for 500 tags (450 by preference points, 50 by draw-by-choice). Source: CDFW 2026 Big Game Drawing statistics.
Source: CDFW Approved 2026 Deer Seasons and CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 46 (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 D17?
47.1% of Zone D17 is national forest, BLM or CDFW land: 5,899,897 of its 12,515,430 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Zone D17 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 5,803,352 | 46.4% |
| National Park Service | 1,697,057 | 13.6% |
| Other state or federal land | 221,110 | 1.8% |
| CDFW land | 96,545 | 0.8% |
| State park | 29,494 | 0.2% |
| National wildlife refuge | 599 | under 0.1% |
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.
CDFW wildlife areas and ecological reserves in Zone D17: Kelso Peak & Old Dad Mountains Wildlife Area (103,507 acres here), Marble Mountains Wildlife Area (54,802 acres here), Fremont Valley Ecological Reserve (6,676 acres here), Camp Cady Wildlife Area (1,912 acres here), King Clone Ecological Reserve (520 acres here), Piute Creek Ecological Reserve (143 acres here) and Tecopa Ecological Reserve (81 acres here).
How do you get to Zone D17?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: I-40, I-15, CA 58, CA 178, CA 14 and US 395. 30 Census places are inside it, among them California City, Palmdale, Apple Valley, Victorville, Twentynine Palms and Adelanto. Nearby: Lancaster (on the line), Yucca Valley (on the line), Hesperia (5 miles) and Desert Hot Springs (14 miles).
Which deer zones border Zone D17?
Zone D17 touches 7 other deer zones. Their size, public land and CDFW's 2025 numbers:
| Zone | Square miles | Public land | Deer taken, 2025 | Hunter success, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone D9 | 1,457 | 47.7% | 342 | 17.1% |
| Zone D10 | 1,379 | 2.4% | 241 | 36.9% |
| Zone D11 | 2,540 | 44.8% | 622 | 13.8% |
| Zone D12 | 8,333 | 52.3% | 121 | 12.8% |
| Zone D14 | 1,704 | 53.4% | 503 | 16.8% |
| Zone X9c | 8,711 | 30.8% | 77 | 24% |
| Zone X10 | 945 | 93.9% | 59 | 14.9% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer tags are there for Zone D17?
CDFW's 2026 tag quota is 500. In 2025 the quota was 500 and CDFW estimates 58 deer were taken here.
What is the hunter success rate in Zone D17?
CDFW puts 2025 hunter success at 11.6%. CDFW works it out as its estimated deer kill divided by tags issued. In 2024 it was 19.6%.
When does deer season open in Zone D17 in 2026?
Archery season runs September 5 to 27, 2026, and the general season October 10 to November 1. CDFW's rule: The season in Zone D-17 shall open on the second Saturday in October and extend for 23 consecutive days.
How much public land is in Zone D17?
47.1% of Zone D17, 5,899,897 acres, is national forest, BLM or CDFW land by CPAD 2026a.
Which CDFW lands are in Zone D17?
Kelso Peak & Old Dad Mountains Wildlife Area (103,507 acres here), Marble Mountains Wildlife Area (54,802 acres here), Fremont Valley Ecological Reserve (6,676 acres here), Camp Cady Wildlife Area (1,912 acres here) and King Clone Ecological Reserve (520 acres here), and 2 more, by CDFW's land boundaries.
CDFW's boundary of Zone D17
Those portions of Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties within a line beginning at Highway 395 and the Kern-Inyo county line; east along the Kern-Inyo county line to the San Bernardino-Inyo county line; east along the San Bernardino-Inyo county line to Highway 127; north along Highway 127 to the California-Nevada state line; south along the California-Nevada state line to the California-Arizona state line; south along the California-Arizona state line to Interstate 40; Interstate 40 north to Needles; Highway 95 south to Highway 62; west on Highway 62 to Highway 247; northwest on Highway 247 to Highway 18; west on Highway 18 to Bear Valley Cutoff Road; west on Bear Valley Cutoff Road to Interstate 15; north on Interstate 15 to Highway 18; west on Highways 18 and 138 to Highway 14; north on Highways 14 and 395 to the point of beginning.
From CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 46, 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 6 Zone D9 Zone D10 Zone D11 Zone D12 Zone D14 Zone X9c Zone X10