Deer Zone D5: California deer hunting by the numbers
Deer Zone D5 covers 4,815 square miles of Amador, Calaveras, Alpine, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties. 27.6% of it is national forest, BLM or CDFW land, most of that national forest (776,876 acres), by the California Protected Areas Database (CPAD 2026a). CDFW estimates hunters took 2,484 deer in Zone D5 in 2025 (2,481 bucks); CDFW puts hunter success at 19% for the D3-5 zones. The 2026 general season runs September 26 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.
National forestBLMCDFW landState parkOther state or federal landZone D5Neighboring zonesLake or riverHighway
| CDFW region | Region 2, North Central Region |
|---|---|
| Counties | Amador, Calaveras, Alpine, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne |
| Size | 3,081,910 acres (4,815 square miles) |
| Public land | 27.6% (851,749 acres) |
| Tag quota, 2026 | 33,000 (all D3-5 zones) |
| Archery season, 2026 | August 15 to September 6 |
| General season, 2026 | September 26 to November 1 |
| Bag limit | One buck, forked horn or better, per tag. |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 2,484 (CDFW estimate) |
| Hunter success, 2025 | 19% (CDFW), D3-5 zones |
| Towns in and near it | Sacramento, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, South Lake Tahoe and Ripon |
How many deer are taken in Zone D5?
CDFW estimates 2,484 deer were taken in Zone D5 in 2025, up from 1,962 in 2024. Hunters reported 1,420 of them; CDFW adds an estimate for the 42.8% of tag holders who did not report. CDFW's tag quota and hunter success for Zone D5 are for the D3-5 zones together, because one D3-5 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 | 33,000 | not printed | 1,420 | 0 | 2,484 | 19% | 42.8% |
| 2024 | 33,000 | not printed | 1,259 | 1 | 1,962 | 14.6% | 35.7% |
| 2023 | 33,000 | not printed | 1,308 | 0 | 1,803 | 12.1% | 27.3% |
| 2022 | 33,000 | 32,995 | 1,277 | 0 | 1,750 | 12% | 26.9% |
| 2021 | 33,000 | 32,997 | 1,511 | 0 | 2,050 | 14.3% | 26.3% |
| 2020 | 33,000 | 32,993 | 1,240 | 0 | 1,610 | 10.8% | 22.9% |
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 D5?
Of the 1,420 bucks hunters reported with points recorded in 2025, 370 (26.1%) had 4 points or more and 486 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%) | 564 (39.7%) | 486 (34.2%) | 306 (21.5%) | 64 (4.5%) | 1,420 |
| 2024 | 0 (0%) | 541 (43%) | 406 (32.2%) | 264 (21%) | 48 (3.8%) | 1,259 |
| 2023 | 0 (0%) | 575 (44%) | 416 (31.8%) | 264 (20.2%) | 53 (4.1%) | 1,308 |
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 D5 in 2026?
Archery only: August 15 to September 6. General season: September 26 to November 1, 2026. D3-5 tags are valid during the archery or general season in zones D-3, D-4 or D-5. CDFW's rule for the season: The season for zones for D-3 through D-5 shall open on the fourth Saturday in September and extend for 37 consecutive days.
Other CDFW deer hunts held in Zone D5 in 2026:
| Hunt | Name | 2026 dates | 2026 tags | Deer taken, 2025 | Hunter success, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J-18 | Pacific/Grizzly Flat Apprentice Either-Sex Deer Hunt | September 26 to November 1 | 75 | 28 | 37.3% |
Harvest of these hunts: CDFW 2025 California Deer Harvest Statistics, Table 1, for the whole hunt, which may reach past Zone D5.
Deer taken in Zone D5 in 2025 on other hunts' tags, as hunters reported them: hunt J-18: 21.
Source: CDFW Approved 2026 Deer Seasons and CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 43 (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 D5?
27.6% of Zone D5 is national forest, BLM or CDFW land: 851,749 of its 3,081,910 acres. The largest pieces are Eldorado National Forest (565,525 acres), Stanislaus National Forest (162,350 acres), Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (43,079 acres) and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (5,481 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of Zone D5 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 776,876 | 25.2% |
| BLM | 70,485 | 2.3% |
| State park | 32,582 | 1.1% |
| Other state or federal land | 23,450 | 0.8% |
| CDFW land | 4,388 | 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 D5: Cosumnes River Ecological Reserve (730 acres here) and Pine Hill Ecological Reserve (670 acres here).
How do you get to Zone D5?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: US 50, CA 4, CA 88, CA 49, CA 26 and CA 99. 88 Census places are inside it, among them Sacramento, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Folsom, Galt and Placerville. Nearby: South Lake Tahoe (on the line), Ripon (on the line), Riverbank (on the line) and Auburn (on the line).
Which deer zones border Zone D5?
Zone D5 touches 4 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 D4 | 2,275 | 22.2% | 905 | 19% |
| Zone D6 | 5,021 | 29.4% | 1,119 | 11.2% |
| Zone X8 | 520 | 89.4% | 49 | 24.3% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer tags are there for Zone D5?
CDFW's 2026 tag quota is 33,000, shared by the D3-5 zones: D3-5 tags are valid during the archery or general season in zones D-3, D-4 or D-5. In 2025 the quota was 33,000 and CDFW estimates 2,484 deer were taken here.
What is the hunter success rate in Zone D5?
CDFW puts 2025 hunter success at 19% for the D3-5 zones as a group. CDFW works it out as its estimated deer kill divided by tags issued. In 2024 it was 14.6%.
When does deer season open in Zone D5 in 2026?
Archery season runs August 15 to September 6, 2026, and the general season September 26 to November 1. CDFW's rule: The season for zones for D-3 through D-5 shall open on the fourth Saturday in September and extend for 37 consecutive days.
How much public land is in Zone D5?
27.6% of Zone D5, 851,749 acres, is national forest, BLM or CDFW land by CPAD 2026a. The largest pieces: Eldorado National Forest (565,525 acres), Stanislaus National Forest (162,350 acres), Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (43,079 acres) and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (5,481 acres).
Which CDFW lands are in Zone D5?
Cosumnes River Ecological Reserve (730 acres here) and Pine Hill Ecological Reserve (670 acres here), by CDFW's land boundaries.
CDFW's boundary of Zone D5
In the counties of Amador and Calaveras and those portions of Alpine, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties within a line beginning at the junction of Interstate 5 and the American River in Sacramento; east along the American River to the Middle Fork of the American River; northeast along the Middle Fork of the American River to the Rubicon River; east along the Rubicon River through Hell Hole Reservoir to its confluence with Miller Creek; east along Miller Creek to its junction with the new (marked) USFS Pacific Crest Trail; north on the Pacific Crest Trail one-quarter mile to a junction with the McKinney-Rubicon Springs Road (Miller Lake Road); east along the McKinney-Rubicon Springs Road to McKinney Creek (NE ΒΌ, section 23, T14N, R16E, M.D.B.M.); east along McKinney Creek to the west shoreline of Lake Tahoe near Chambers Lodge; south along the shore of Lake Tahoe to the California-Nevada state line; southeast along the California-Nevada state line to Highway 50; southwest on Highway 50 to the Pacific Crest Trail at Echo Summit; south along the Pacific Crest Trail to the township line between Townships 7 and 8 North near Wolf Creek Pass; due west on that township line to the road connecting Lower and Upper Highland Lakes at Lower Highland Lake; west along that road to Highland Creek; southwest along Highland Creek to the North Fork of the Stanislaus River; west along the North Fork of the Stanislaus River to the Stanislaus River; west along the Stanislaus River to Highway 99; north along Highway 99 to Bus-80/Hwy 50; west on Bus-80/Hwy 50 to Interstate 5; north on Interstate 5 to the point of beginning.
From CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 43, 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 D4 Zone D6 Zone X8