Deer Zone X7b: California deer hunting by the numbers
Deer Zone X7b covers 335 square miles of Nevada, Placer and Sierra counties. 57.3% of it is national forest, BLM or CDFW land, most of that national forest (120,629 acres), by the California Protected Areas Database (CPAD 2026a). CDFW estimates hunters took 32 deer in Zone X7b in 2025 (32 bucks); CDFW puts hunter success at 25%. 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 X7bNeighboring zonesLake or riverHighway
| CDFW region | Region 2, North Central Region |
|---|---|
| Counties | Nevada, Placer and Sierra |
| Size | 214,283 acres (335 square miles) |
| Public land | 57.3% (122,697 acres) |
| Tag quota, 2026 | 135 |
| Archery, 2026 (hunt A-14) | 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 | 32 (CDFW estimate) |
| Hunter success, 2025 | 25% (CDFW) |
| Towns in and near it | Verdi, Sunnyside-Tahoe City, Kings Beach, Truckee and Loyalton |
How many deer are taken in Zone X7b?
CDFW estimates 32 deer were taken in Zone X7b in 2025, up from 22 in 2024. Hunters reported 23 of them; CDFW adds an estimate for the 27.3% 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 | 134 | not printed | 23 | 0 | 32 | 25% | 27.3% |
| 2024 | 134 | not printed | 18 | 0 | 22 | 17.9% | 17.1% |
| 2023 | 134 | not printed | 20 | 0 | 24 | 19.4% | 17.7% |
| 2022 | 134 | 126 | 26 | 0 | 31 | 24.6% | 16.7% |
| 2021 | 135 | 115 | 39 | 0 | 43 | 37.4% | 10.4% |
| 2020 | 134 | 101 | 24 | 0 | 29 | 28.7% | 19.8% |
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 X7b?
Of the 23 bucks hunters reported with points recorded in 2025, 7 (30.4%) had 4 points or more and 3 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%) | 13 (56.5%) | 3 (13%) | 6 (26.1%) | 1 (4.3%) | 23 |
| 2024 | 0 (0%) | 8 (44.4%) | 8 (44.4%) | 2 (11.1%) | 0 (0%) | 18 |
| 2023 | 0 (0%) | 11 (55%) | 4 (20%) | 5 (25%) | 0 (0%) | 20 |
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 X7b in 2026?
General season: October 3 to 18, 2026. CDFW's rule for the season: The season in Zone X-7b shall open on the first Saturday in October and extend for 16 consecutive days.
In CDFW's 2026 Big Game Drawing, 502 hunters put Zone X7b first for 134 tags (121 by preference points, 13 by draw-by-choice). For archery hunt A-14: 84 first-choice applicants for 25 tags. Source: CDFW 2026 Big Game Drawing statistics.
Archery hunting in Zone X7b is CDFW hunt A-14, Zone X-7b Archery Hunt: August 15 to September 6, 2026, 25 tags. In 2025 archers reported 5 deer taken in Zone X7b on that hunt.
Other CDFW deer hunts held in Zone X7b in 2026; J-20 uses the zone's own boundary:
| Hunt | Name | 2026 dates | 2026 tags | Deer taken, 2025 | Hunter success, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J-20 | Zone X-7b Apprentice Either-Sex Deer Hunt | October 3 to 18 | 20 | 8 | 42.1% |
Harvest of these hunts: CDFW 2025 California Deer Harvest Statistics, Table 1, for the whole hunt, which may reach past Zone X7b.
Deer taken in Zone X7b in 2025 on other hunts' tags, as hunters reported them: hunt A-14: 5 and hunt J-20: 6.
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 X7b?
57.3% of Zone X7b is national forest, BLM or CDFW land: 122,697 of its 214,283 acres. The largest pieces are Tahoe National Forest (76,215 acres), Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (26,006 acres) and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (18,344 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of Zone X7b |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 120,629 | 56.3% |
| State park | 5,740 | 2.7% |
| Other state or federal land | 5,510 | 2.6% |
| CDFW land | 1,819 | 0.8% |
| BLM | 249 | 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 X7b: Truckee River Wildlife Area (5,365 acres here).
How do you get to Zone X7b?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: I-80, CA 89, CA 267 and CA 28. 8 Census places are inside it, among them Verdi, Sunnyside-Tahoe City, Kings Beach, Tahoe Vista, Dollar Point and Carnelian Bay. Nearby: Truckee (on the line), Soda Springs (2 miles), Loyalton (10 miles) and South Lake Tahoe (16 miles).
Which deer zones border Zone X7b?
Zone X7b touches 2 other deer zones. Their size, public land and CDFW's 2025 numbers:
| Zone | Square miles | Public land | Deer taken, 2025 | Hunter success, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone D4 | 2,275 | 22.2% | 905 | 19% |
| Zone X7a | 705 | 56.1% | 52 | 23.4% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer tags are there for Zone X7b?
CDFW's 2026 tag quota is 135. In 2025 the quota was 134 and CDFW estimates 32 deer were taken here.
What is the hunter success rate in Zone X7b?
CDFW puts 2025 hunter success at 25%. CDFW works it out as its estimated deer kill divided by tags issued. In 2024 it was 17.9%.
When does deer season open in Zone X7b in 2026?
The general season runs October 3 to 18, 2026. Archery hunting here is a separate hunt, A-14, August 15 to September 6. CDFW's rule: The season in Zone X-7b shall open on the first Saturday in October and extend for 16 consecutive days.
How much public land is in Zone X7b?
57.3% of Zone X7b, 122,697 acres, is national forest, BLM or CDFW land by CPAD 2026a. The largest pieces: Tahoe National Forest (76,215 acres), Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (26,006 acres) and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (18,344 acres).
Which CDFW lands are in Zone X7b?
Truckee River Wildlife Area (5,365 acres here), by CDFW's land boundaries.
CDFW's boundary of Zone X7b
In those portions of Nevada, Placer 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 California-Nevada state line to the shore of Lake Tahoe; west and south along the shore of Lake Tahoe to the mouth of Blackwood Creek near Idlewild; west on Blackwood Creek to Highway 89; north on Highway 89 to Blackwood Canyon Road; Blackwood Canyon Road near Idlewild; west along Blackwood Canyon Road to Forest Route 03; west and south along Forest Route 03 to the Pacific Crest Trail at Barker Pass; north on the Pacific Crest Trail to its intersection with Interstate 80 near the Castle Peak-Boreal Ridge Summit; east on Interstate 80 to its intersection with Highway 89 at Truckee; north on Highway 89 to County Road S450 (the Henness Pass Road, a.k.a. the Kyburz Flat Road); east on County Road S450 to its intersection with County Road S860 (continuation of Henness Pass Road) near Davies Creek at Stampede Reservoir; east on County Road S860, over Summit 2 to the junction with County Road S570 (the Long Valley Road); north on County Road S570 to Bordertown at 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.