Deer Zone X6a: California deer hunting by the numbers
Deer Zone X6a covers 1,234 square miles of Lassen and Plumas counties. 48.7% of it is national forest, BLM or CDFW land, most of that national forest (361,121 acres), by the California Protected Areas Database (CPAD 2026a). CDFW estimates hunters took 247 deer in Zone X6a in 2025 (247 bucks); CDFW puts hunter success at 77.2%. 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 X6aNeighboring zonesLake or riverHighway
| CDFW region | Region 2, North Central Region |
|---|---|
| Counties | Lassen and Plumas |
| Size | 789,651 acres (1,234 square miles) |
| Public land | 48.7% (384,367 acres) |
| Tag quota, 2026 | 330 |
| Archery, 2026 (hunt A-11) | 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 | 247 (CDFW estimate) |
| Hunter success, 2025 | 77.2% (CDFW) |
| Towns in and near it | Portola, Janesville, Mohawk Vista, Susanville and Loyalton |
How many deer are taken in Zone X6a?
CDFW estimates 247 deer were taken in Zone X6a in 2025, up from 180 in 2024. Hunters reported 196 of them; CDFW adds an estimate for the 20.6% 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 | 329 | not printed | 196 | 0 | 247 | 77.2% | 20.6% |
| 2024 | 329 | not printed | 160 | 0 | 180 | 60% | 11.3% |
| 2023 | 329 | not printed | 154 | 0 | 173 | 54.6% | 11.4% |
| 2022 | 329 | 311 | 147 | 0 | 169 | 54.3% | 13.5% |
| 2021 | 330 | 163 | 74 | 0 | 91 | 55.8% | 19% |
| 2020 | 329 | 261 | 122 | 0 | 137 | 52.5% | 11.5% |
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 X6a?
Of the 196 bucks hunters reported with points recorded in 2025, 93 (47.4%) had 4 points or more and 54 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%) | 49 (25%) | 54 (27.6%) | 76 (38.8%) | 17 (8.7%) | 196 |
| 2024 | 0 (0%) | 54 (33.8%) | 38 (23.8%) | 56 (35%) | 12 (7.5%) | 160 |
| 2023 | 0 (0%) | 47 (30.5%) | 43 (27.9%) | 52 (33.8%) | 12 (7.8%) | 154 |
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 X6a in 2026?
General season: October 3 to 18, 2026. CDFW's rule for the season: The season in Zone X-6a shall open on the first Saturday in October and extend for 16 consecutive days.
In CDFW's 2026 Big Game Drawing, 3,009 hunters put Zone X6a first for 329 tags (297 by preference points, 32 by draw-by-choice). For archery hunt A-11: 375 first-choice applicants for 50 tags. Source: CDFW 2026 Big Game Drawing statistics.
Archery hunting in Zone X6a is CDFW hunt A-11, Zone X-6a Archery Hunt: August 15 to September 6, 2026, 50 tags. In 2025 archers reported 22 deer taken in Zone X6a on that hunt.
Other CDFW deer hunts held in Zone X6a in 2026:
| Hunt | Name | 2026 dates | 2026 tags | Deer taken, 2025 | Hunter success, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-26 | Bass Hill Archery Buck Hunt | November 21 to December 13 | 30 | 17 | 58.6% |
| M-8 | Bass Hill Muzzleloading Rifle Buck Hunt | October 24 to November 1 | 20 | 10 | 71.4% |
Harvest of these hunts: CDFW 2025 California Deer Harvest Statistics, Table 1, for the whole hunt, which may reach past Zone X6a.
Deer taken in Zone X6a in 2025 on other hunts' tags, as hunters reported them: hunt A-11: 22, hunt A-26: 14 and hunt M-8: 8.
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 X6a?
48.7% of Zone X6a is national forest, BLM or CDFW land: 384,367 of its 789,651 acres. The largest pieces are Plumas National Forest (327,179 acres) and Lassen National Forest (33,855 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of Zone X6a |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 361,121 | 45.7% |
| CDFW land | 13,088 | 1.7% |
| Other state or federal land | 10,187 | 1.3% |
| BLM | 10,158 | 1.3% |
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 X6a: Honey Lake Wildlife Area (7,716 acres here) and Bass Hill Wildlife Area (5,483 acres here).
Which elk and pronghorn zones overlap Zone X6a?
Pronghorn zones: Pronghorn Zone 4 (Lassen) (366,349 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 X6a?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: CA 89, CA 70, CA 147 and CA 36. 13 Census places are inside it, among them Portola, Janesville, Mohawk Vista, Cromberg, Johnstonville and Greenhorn. Nearby: Spring Garden (on the line), Patton Village (on the line), Susanville (2 miles) and Loyalton (14 miles).
Which deer zones border Zone X6a?
Zone X6a 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 C4 | 3,864 | 30.6% | 1,129 | 30.1% |
| Zone D3 | 3,778 | 37.7% | 2,509 | 19% |
| Zone X4 | 1,115 | 61.9% | 173 | 37.3% |
| Zone X5a | 543 | 72.4% | 47 | 68.1% |
| Zone X5b | 933 | 73.1% | 30 | 68.2% |
| Zone X6b | 688 | 75.8% | 134 | 47.7% |
| Zone X7a | 705 | 56.1% | 52 | 23.4% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer tags are there for Zone X6a?
CDFW's 2026 tag quota is 330. In 2025 the quota was 329 and CDFW estimates 247 deer were taken here.
What is the hunter success rate in Zone X6a?
CDFW puts 2025 hunter success at 77.2%. CDFW works it out as its estimated deer kill divided by tags issued. In 2024 it was 60%.
When does deer season open in Zone X6a in 2026?
The general season runs October 3 to 18, 2026. Archery hunting here is a separate hunt, A-11, August 15 to September 6. CDFW's rule: The season in Zone X-6a shall open on the first Saturday in October and extend for 16 consecutive days.
How much public land is in Zone X6a?
48.7% of Zone X6a, 384,367 acres, is national forest, BLM or CDFW land by CPAD 2026a. The largest pieces: Plumas National Forest (327,179 acres) and Lassen National Forest (33,855 acres).
Which CDFW lands are in Zone X6a?
Honey Lake Wildlife Area (7,716 acres here) and Bass Hill Wildlife Area (5,483 acres here), by CDFW's land boundaries.
CDFW's boundary of Zone X6a
In those portions of Lassen and Plumas counties within a line beginning at the junction of Highway 147 and Highway 36 near Westwood; east on Highway 36 to Conservation Center Road at Susanville (County Road A-27); east on Conservation Center Road to Highway 395 at the town of Litchfield; east on Highway 395 to the Wendel-Pyramid Lake Road (County Road 320); east on the Wendel-Pyramid Lake Road to the Nevada-California state line; south on the Nevada-California state line to the UP-WP railroad line near Herlong; west on the UP-WP railroad line to the Herlong Access Road (County Road A- 25) at Herlong; west on the Herlong Access Road to Highway 395; north on Highway 395 to County Road 336 at Milford; southwest on County Road 336 to U.S. Forest Service Road 26N16 near the Plumas-Lassen county line; west on Forest Service Road 26N16 to Forest Service Road 28N03 at Doyle Crossing; west on Forest Services Road 28N03 to Forest Service Road 29N43 near Antelope Lake; south on Forest Service Road 29N43 to County Road 111 at Flournoy Bridge; south on County Road 111 to Forest Service Road 24N08; south on Forest Service Road 24N08 to County Road 112 at Lake Davis; south on County Road 112 to Highway 70; west on Highway 70 to the Highway 89 junction at Blairsden; west on Highway 89/70 to the Greenville Y west of Quincy; northwest on Highway 89 to Highway 147 at Canyon Dam; north on Highway 147 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 2 Zone C4 Zone D3 Zone X4 Zone X5a Zone X5b Zone X6b Zone X7a