Deer Zone X7a: California deer hunting by the numbers
Deer Zone X7a covers 705 square miles of Lassen, Nevada, Plumas and Sierra counties. 56.1% of it is national forest, BLM or CDFW land, most of that national forest (222,245 acres), by the California Protected Areas Database (CPAD 2026a). CDFW estimates hunters took 52 deer in Zone X7a in 2025 (52 bucks); CDFW puts hunter success at 23.4%. 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 landState parkOther state or federal landZone X7aNeighboring zonesLake or riverHighway
| CDFW region | Region 2, North Central Region |
|---|---|
| Counties | Lassen, Nevada, Plumas and Sierra |
| Size | 451,316 acres (705 square miles) |
| Public land | 56.1% (252,966 acres) |
| Tag quota, 2026 | 230 |
| Archery, 2026 (hunt A-13) | 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 | 52 (CDFW estimate) |
| Hunter success, 2025 | 23.4% (CDFW) |
| Towns in and near it | Truckee, Loyalton, Iron Horse, Portola and Delleker |
How many deer are taken in Zone X7a?
CDFW estimates 52 deer were taken in Zone X7a in 2025, up from 46 in 2024. Hunters reported 39 of them; CDFW adds an estimate for the 24.3% 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 | 229 | not printed | 39 | 0 | 52 | 23.4% | 24.3% |
| 2024 | 229 | not printed | 35 | 0 | 46 | 22.1% | 23.1% |
| 2023 | 229 | not printed | 33 | 0 | 38 | 18% | 13.3% |
| 2022 | 229 | 219 | 32 | 0 | 35 | 16% | 11% |
| 2021 | 230 | 201 | 62 | 0 | 71 | 35.3% | 13.4% |
| 2020 | 229 | 193 | 47 | 0 | 55 | 28.5% | 15% |
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 X7a?
Of the 39 bucks hunters reported with points recorded in 2025, 13 (33.3%) had 4 points or more and 14 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%) | 12 (30.8%) | 14 (35.9%) | 10 (25.6%) | 3 (7.7%) | 39 |
| 2024 | 0 (0%) | 14 (40%) | 8 (22.9%) | 11 (31.4%) | 2 (5.7%) | 35 |
| 2023 | 0 (0%) | 4 (12.1%) | 10 (30.3%) | 16 (48.5%) | 3 (9.1%) | 33 |
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 X7a in 2026?
General season: October 3 to 18, 2026. CDFW's rule for the season: The season in Zone X-7a shall open on the first Saturday in October and extend for 16 consecutive days.
In CDFW's 2026 Big Game Drawing, 976 hunters put Zone X7a first for 229 tags (207 by preference points, 22 by draw-by-choice). For archery hunt A-13: 69 first-choice applicants for 45 tags. Source: CDFW 2026 Big Game Drawing statistics.
Archery hunting in Zone X7a is CDFW hunt A-13, Zone X-7a Archery Hunt: August 15 to September 6, 2026, 45 tags. In 2025 archers reported 6 deer taken in Zone X7a on that hunt.
Other CDFW deer hunts held in Zone X7a in 2026; J-19 uses the zone's own boundary:
| Hunt | Name | 2026 dates | 2026 tags | Deer taken, 2025 | Hunter success, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J-19 | Zone X-7a Apprentice Either-Sex Deer Hunt | October 3 to 18 | 25 | 16 | 64% |
Harvest of these hunts: CDFW 2025 California Deer Harvest Statistics, Table 1, for the whole hunt, which may reach past Zone X7a.
Deer taken in Zone X7a in 2025 on other hunts' tags, as hunters reported them: hunt A-13: 6 and hunt J-19: 10.
Source: CDFW Approved 2026 Deer Seasons and CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 49 (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 X7a?
56.1% of Zone X7a is national forest, BLM or CDFW land: 252,966 of its 451,316 acres. The largest pieces are Tahoe National Forest (176,911 acres), Plumas National Forest (29,090 acres) and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (13,744 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of Zone X7a |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 222,245 | 49.2% |
| CDFW land | 17,459 | 3.9% |
| BLM | 13,262 | 2.9% |
| Other state or federal land | 494 | 0.1% |
| State park | 2 | 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 X7a: Hallelujah Junction Wildlife Area (9,581 acres here), Antelope Valley Wildlife Area (5,721 acres here) and Smithneck Creek Wildlife Area (2,407 acres here).
How do you get to Zone X7a?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: CA 89, CA 49, CA 70, I-80 and US 395. 14 Census places are inside it, among them Truckee, Loyalton, Iron Horse, Gold Mountain, Sierraville and Mabie. Nearby: Delleker (on the line), Portola (on the line), Graeagle (on the line) and Chilcoot-Vinton (on the line).
Which deer zones border Zone X7a?
Zone X7a 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 D3 | 3,778 | 37.7% | 2,509 | 19% |
| Zone D4 | 2,275 | 22.2% | 905 | 19% |
| Zone X6a | 1,234 | 48.7% | 247 | 77.2% |
| Zone X6b | 688 | 75.8% | 134 | 47.7% |
| Zone X7b | 335 | 57.3% | 32 | 25% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer tags are there for Zone X7a?
CDFW's 2026 tag quota is 230. In 2025 the quota was 229 and CDFW estimates 52 deer were taken here.
What is the hunter success rate in Zone X7a?
CDFW puts 2025 hunter success at 23.4%. CDFW works it out as its estimated deer kill divided by tags issued. In 2024 it was 22.1%.
When does deer season open in Zone X7a in 2026?
The general season runs October 3 to 18, 2026. Archery hunting here is a separate hunt, A-13, August 15 to September 6. CDFW's rule: The season in Zone X-7a shall open on the first Saturday in October and extend for 16 consecutive days.
How much public land is in Zone X7a?
56.1% of Zone X7a, 252,966 acres, is national forest, BLM or CDFW land by CPAD 2026a. The largest pieces: Tahoe National Forest (176,911 acres), Plumas National Forest (29,090 acres) and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (13,744 acres).
Which CDFW lands are in Zone X7a?
Hallelujah Junction Wildlife Area (9,581 acres here), Antelope Valley Wildlife Area (5,721 acres here) and Smithneck Creek Wildlife Area (2,407 acres here), by CDFW's land boundaries.
CDFW's boundary of Zone X7a
In those portions of Lassen, Nevada, Plumas and Sierra counties lying within a line beginning at the junction of Highway 395 and the California-Nevada state line at Bordertown; south along the Long Valley Road (County Road S570) to its intersection with the Henness Pass Road (County Road S860); west on Henness Pass Road over Summit 2 to the intersection with County Road S450 (near Davies Creek at Stampede Reservoir); west on County Road S450 (the Henness Pass Road) through Kyburz Flat to its intersection with Highway 89; south on Highway 89 to its intersection with Interstate 80 at Truckee; west on Interstate 80 to the Pacific Crest Trail near the Castle Peak-Boreal Ridge Summit; north on the Pacific Crest Trail to the new road to White Rock Lake (one mile west of White Rock Lake in section 21, T18N, R14E, M.D.B.M.); north on the new White Rock Lake Road below Bear Valley to the White Rock Lake Road; north on the White Rock Lake Road to the Jackson Meadows Highway (Fiberboard Road); east two miles on the Jackson Meadows Highway to the Yuba Pass Road at Webber Lake; north on the Yuba Pass Road (main haul road) through Bonta Saddle to Highway 49 at Yuba Pass; west on Highway 49 to the new Gold Lake Road at Bassetts; north on the new Gold Lake Road to Highway 89 near Graeagle; north on Highway 89 to Highway 70; east on Highway 70 to Highway 395 at Hallelujah Junction; south on Highway 395 to the point of beginning.
From CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 49, 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 D3 Zone D4 Zone X6a Zone X6b Zone X7b