Deer Zone X5a: California deer hunting by the numbers
Deer Zone X5a covers 543 square miles of Lassen County. 72.4% of it is national forest, BLM or CDFW land, most of that BLM land (249,141 acres), by the California Protected Areas Database (CPAD 2026a). CDFW estimates hunters took 47 deer in Zone X5a in 2025 (47 bucks); CDFW puts hunter success at 68.1%. The 2026 general season runs October 3 to 18.
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 landOther state or federal landZone X5aNeighboring zonesLake or riverHighway
| CDFW region | Region 1, Northern Region |
|---|---|
| Counties | Lassen |
| Size | 347,539 acres (543 square miles) |
| Public land | 72.4% (251,772 acres) |
| Tag quota, 2026 | 75 |
| Archery, 2026 (hunt A-8) | August 15 to September 6 |
| General season, 2026 | October 3 to 18 |
| Bag limit | One buck, forked horn or better, per tag. |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 47 (CDFW estimate) |
| Hunter success, 2025 | 68.1% (CDFW) |
| Towns in and near it | Litchfield, Susanville and Stones Landing |
How many deer are taken in Zone X5a?
CDFW estimates 47 deer were taken in Zone X5a in 2025, up from 38 in 2024. Hunters reported 34 of them; CDFW adds an estimate for the 27.5% 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 | 75 | not printed | 34 | 0 | 47 | 68.1% | 27.5% |
| 2024 | 75 | not printed | 32 | 0 | 38 | 57.6% | 15.2% |
| 2023 | 75 | not printed | 25 | 0 | 28 | 42.4% | 12.1% |
| 2022 | 75 | 66 | 16 | 0 | 21 | 31.8% | 24.2% |
| 2021 | 75 | 79 | 39 | 0 | 45 | 57% | 13.9% |
| 2020 | 75 | 82 | 26 | 0 | 32 | 39% | 19.5% |
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 X5a?
Of the 34 bucks hunters reported with points recorded in 2025, 12 (35.3%) had 4 points or more and 11 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%) | 11 (32.4%) | 11 (32.4%) | 11 (32.4%) | 1 (2.9%) | 34 |
| 2024 | 0 (0%) | 10 (31.3%) | 8 (25%) | 11 (34.4%) | 3 (9.4%) | 32 |
| 2023 | 0 (0%) | 11 (44%) | 5 (20%) | 6 (24%) | 3 (12%) | 25 |
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 X5a in 2026?
General season: October 3 to 18, 2026. CDFW's rule for the season: The season in Zone X-5a shall open on the first Saturday in October and extend for 16 consecutive days.
In CDFW's 2026 Big Game Drawing, 649 hunters put Zone X5a first for 75 tags (68 by preference points, 7 by draw-by-choice). For archery hunt A-8: 43 first-choice applicants for 10 tags. Source: CDFW 2026 Big Game Drawing statistics.
Archery hunting in Zone X5a is CDFW hunt A-8, Zone X-5a Archery Hunt: August 15 to September 6, 2026, 10 tags. In 2025 archers reported 2 deer taken in Zone X5a on that hunt.
Other CDFW deer hunts held in Zone X5a in 2026; M-4 uses the zone's own boundary:
| Hunt | Name | 2026 dates | 2026 tags | Deer taken, 2025 | Hunter success, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-4 | Horse Lake Muzzleloading Rifle Buck Hunt | October 24 to November 1 | 10 | 7 | 87.5% |
Harvest of these hunts: CDFW 2025 California Deer Harvest Statistics, Table 1, for the whole hunt, which may reach past Zone X5a.
Deer taken in Zone X5a in 2025 on other hunts' tags, as hunters reported them: hunt A-8: 2 and hunt M-4: 6.
Source: CDFW Approved 2026 Deer Seasons and CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 48 (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 X5a?
72.4% of Zone X5a is national forest, BLM or CDFW land: 251,772 of its 347,539 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Zone X5a |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 249,141 | 71.7% |
| CDFW land | 2,570 | 0.7% |
| Other state or federal land | 2,407 | 0.7% |
| National forest | 61 | 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 X5a: Willow Creek Wildlife Area (1,345 acres here) and Biscar Wildlife Area (471 acres here).
Which elk and pronghorn zones overlap Zone X5a?
Pronghorn zones: Pronghorn Zone 4 (Lassen) (347,539 acres). Elk and pronghorn tags are drawn in CDFW's big game drawing, apart from a few fundraising tags.
How do you get to Zone X5a?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: CA 139. Towns inside: Litchfield. Nearby: Stones Landing (3 miles), Susanville (6 miles), Spaulding (7 miles) and Janesville (7 miles).
Which deer zones border Zone X5a?
Zone X5a 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 X3a | 1,533 | 52.4% | 209 | 63% |
| Zone X4 | 1,115 | 61.9% | 173 | 37.3% |
| Zone X5b | 933 | 73.1% | 30 | 68.2% |
| Zone X6a | 1,234 | 48.7% | 247 | 77.2% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer tags are there for Zone X5a?
CDFW's 2026 tag quota is 75. In 2025 the quota was 75 and CDFW estimates 47 deer were taken here.
What is the hunter success rate in Zone X5a?
CDFW puts 2025 hunter success at 68.1%. CDFW works it out as its estimated deer kill divided by tags issued. In 2024 it was 57.6%.
When does deer season open in Zone X5a in 2026?
The general season runs October 3 to 18, 2026. Archery hunting here is a separate hunt, A-8, August 15 to September 6. CDFW's rule: The season in Zone X-5a shall open on the first Saturday in October and extend for 16 consecutive days.
How much public land is in Zone X5a?
72.4% of Zone X5a, 251,772 acres, is national forest, BLM or CDFW land by CPAD 2026a.
Which CDFW lands are in Zone X5a?
Willow Creek Wildlife Area (1,345 acres here) and Biscar Wildlife Area (471 acres here), by CDFW's land boundaries.
CDFW's boundary of Zone X5a
In that portion of Lassen County within a line beginning at the junction of Highway 395 and Conservation Center Road (Lassen County A-27) in the town of Litchfield; west on Conservation Center Road to its crossing of Willow Creek; northwest (upstream) on Willow Creek to its crossing of Highway 139 in the Willow Creek Valley; north along Highway 139 to the Termo-Grasshopper Road; east on the Termo-Grasshopper Road to Highway 395; south along Highway 395 to the point of beginning.
From CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 48, 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 1 Zone X3a Zone X4 Zone X5b Zone X6a