Deer Zone X9c: California deer hunting by the numbers
Deer Zone X9c covers 8,711 square miles of Inyo and Mono counties. 30.8% of it is national forest, BLM or CDFW land, most of that BLM land (1,170,985 acres), by the California Protected Areas Database (CPAD 2026a). CDFW estimates hunters took 77 deer in Zone X9c in 2025 (77 bucks); CDFW puts hunter success at 24%. The 2026 general season runs October 17 to November 8.
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 landNational wildlife refugeNational Park ServiceOther state or federal landZone X9cNeighboring zonesLake or riverHighway
| CDFW region | Region 6, Inland Deserts Region |
|---|---|
| Counties | Inyo and Mono |
| Size | 5,575,089 acres (8,711 square miles) |
| Public land | 30.8% (1,718,815 acres) |
| Tag quota, 2026 | 325 |
| Archery, 2026 (hunt A-18) | August 15 to September 6 |
| General season, 2026 | October 17 to November 8 |
| Bag limit | One buck, forked horn or better, per tag. |
| Deer taken, 2025 | 77 (CDFW estimate) |
| Hunter success, 2025 | 24% (CDFW) |
| Towns in and near it | Furnace Creek, Shoshone, Valley Wells, Bishop and Ridgecrest |
CDFW's note for Zone X9c: In 2026-2027, X-9c is part of the CWD Management Zone and hunters shall submit a CWD sample to CDFW within 10 days of harvest. Hunters are also encouraged to leave brain, spinal column, and gut pile at the harvest site.
How many deer are taken in Zone X9c?
CDFW estimates 77 deer were taken in Zone X9c in 2025, up from 60 in 2024. Hunters reported 45 of them; CDFW adds an estimate for the 41.7% 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 | 325 | not printed | 45 | 0 | 77 | 24% | 41.7% |
| 2024 | 325 | not printed | 39 | 0 | 60 | 19.2% | 34.5% |
| 2023 | 325 | not printed | 30 | 0 | 37 | 11.9% | 20.9% |
| 2022 | 325 | 312 | 46 | 0 | 60 | 19.2% | 23.4% |
| 2021 | 325 | 319 | 72 | 0 | 88 | 27.6% | 19.1% |
| 2020 | 325 | 311 | 90 | 0 | 110 | 35.4% | 18.3% |
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 X9c?
Of the 45 bucks hunters reported with points recorded in 2025, 11 (24.4%) had 4 points or more and 12 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%) | 22 (48.9%) | 12 (26.7%) | 9 (20%) | 2 (4.4%) | 45 |
| 2024 | 0 (0%) | 15 (38.5%) | 13 (33.3%) | 9 (23.1%) | 2 (5.1%) | 39 |
| 2023 | 0 (0%) | 9 (30%) | 11 (36.7%) | 6 (20%) | 4 (13.3%) | 30 |
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 X9c in 2026?
General season: October 17 to November 8, 2026. CDFW's rule for the season: The season in Zone X-9c shall open on the third Saturday in October and extend for 23 consecutive days.
In CDFW's 2026 Big Game Drawing, 542 hunters put Zone X9c first for 325 tags (293 by preference points, 32 by draw-by-choice). Source: CDFW 2026 Big Game Drawing statistics.
Archery hunting in Zone X9c is CDFW hunt A-18, Zone X-9c Archery Hunt: August 15 to September 6, 2026, 350 tags. In 2025 archers reported 6 deer taken in Zone X9c on that hunt.
Deer taken in Zone X9c in 2025 on other hunts' tags, as hunters reported them: hunt A-18: 6.
Source: CDFW Approved 2026 Deer Seasons and CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 50 (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 X9c?
30.8% of Zone X9c is national forest, BLM or CDFW land: 1,718,815 of its 5,575,089 acres. The largest piece is Inyo National Forest (545,750 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of Zone X9c |
|---|---|---|
| National Park Service | 3,026,383 | 54.3% |
| BLM | 1,170,985 | 21% |
| National forest | 545,750 | 9.8% |
| Other state or federal land | 73,722 | 1.3% |
| CDFW land | 2,080 | under 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge | 6 | 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 X9c: Deep Springs Lake Ecological Reserve (726 acres here), Indian Joe Springs Ecological Reserve (590 acres here), Saline Valley Ecological Reserve (531 acres here) and Cartago Wildlife Area (232 acres here).
Which elk and pronghorn zones overlap Zone X9c?
Elk zones: Lone Pine elk zone (445,078 acres inside Zone X9c), Bishop elk zone (97,990 acres inside Zone X9c), Independence elk zone (73,547 acres inside Zone X9c) and Tinemaha elk zone (54,585 acres inside Zone X9c). Elk and pronghorn tags are drawn in CDFW's big game drawing, apart from a few fundraising tags.
How do you get to Zone X9c?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: CA 190, US 395, CA 127, CA 168, CA 178 and CA 136. 8 Census places are inside it, among them Furnace Creek, Shoshone, Valley Wells, Homewood Canyon, Trona and Independence. Nearby: Bishop (on the line), Olancha (on the line), Pearsonville (on the line) and Ridgecrest (12 miles).
Which deer zones border Zone X9c?
Zone X9c 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 D17 | 19,555 | 47.1% | 58 | 11.6% |
| Zone X9a | 1,946 | 84% | 160 | 62.7% |
| Zone X9b | 741 | 86.6% | 65 | 29.4% |
| Zone X10 | 945 | 93.9% | 59 | 14.9% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer tags are there for Zone X9c?
CDFW's 2026 tag quota is 325. In 2025 the quota was 325 and CDFW estimates 77 deer were taken here.
What is the hunter success rate in Zone X9c?
CDFW puts 2025 hunter success at 24%. CDFW works it out as its estimated deer kill divided by tags issued. In 2024 it was 19.2%.
When does deer season open in Zone X9c in 2026?
The general season runs October 17 to November 8, 2026. Archery hunting here is a separate hunt, A-18, August 15 to September 6. CDFW's rule: The season in Zone X-9c shall open on the third Saturday in October and extend for 23 consecutive days.
How much public land is in Zone X9c?
30.8% of Zone X9c, 1,718,815 acres, is national forest, BLM or CDFW land by CPAD 2026a. The largest piece: Inyo National Forest (545,750 acres).
Which CDFW lands are in Zone X9c?
Deep Springs Lake Ecological Reserve (726 acres here), Indian Joe Springs Ecological Reserve (590 acres here), Saline Valley Ecological Reserve (531 acres here) and Cartago Wildlife Area (232 acres here), by CDFW's land boundaries.
CDFW's boundary of Zone X9c
In those portions of Inyo and Mono counties within a line beginning at Highway 395 and the Kern-Inyo county line; north along Highway 395 to Highway 6; north on Highway 6 to the California-Nevada state line; southeast along the California-Nevada state line to Highway 127; south along Highway 127 to the Inyo-San Bernardino county line; west along the Inyo-San Bernardino county line to the Kern-Inyo county line; west along the Kern-Inyo county line to the point of beginning.
From CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 50, 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 6 Zone D17 Zone X9a Zone X9b Zone X10