Bear Valley elk zone: California elk hunting by the numbers
The Bear Valley elk zone covers 778 square miles of Colusa, Lake and Yolo counties and is hunted for tule elk. 15.7% is national forest, BLM or CDFW land (CPAD 2026a). CDFW's 2026 regulations list 2 hunts here with 3 tags in all. In 2022, CDFW's elk hunt statistics show 2 elk taken on 3 tags, with 466 applications for this zone's hunts.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt statistics: CDFW, 2017 to 2022. 2026 hunts and tags: CDFW's 2026-2027 regulations. Land: CPAD 2026a.
National forestBLMCDFW landOther state or federal landBear ValleyNeighboring zonesLake or riverHighway
| CDFW region | Region 2, North Central Region |
|---|---|
| Elk | Tule elk |
| Counties | Colusa, Lake and Yolo |
| Size | 497,730 acres (778 square miles) |
| Public land | 15.7% (78,088 acres) |
| Hunts and tags, 2026 | 2 hunts, 3 tags |
| Taken, 2022 | 2 on 3 tags (CDFW) |
| Applications, 2022 | 466 for this zone's hunts |
| Towns in and near it | Williams, Brooks, Guinda, Colusa and Clearlake |
What elk hunts are in the Bear Valley zone in 2026?
CDFW's 2026-2027 regulations list 2 hunts for this zone, 3 tags in all:
| Hunt | Type | 2026 tags | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Valley General Methods - Antlerless | General Methods | 1 | October 10 to 18 |
| Bear Valley General Methods - Bull | General Methods | 2 | October 10 to 18 |
Source: CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 87; hunt codes and dates: CDFW 2026 Elk Hunt Dates and General Information.
In CDFW's 2026 Big Game Drawing, 462 applications went to this zone's hunts:
| Hunt code | Hunt | Tags | By preference points | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 330 | Bear Valley - General Methods - Bull | 2 | 1 | 391 |
| 329 | Bear Valley - General Methods - Antlerless | 1 | 0 | 71 |
Source: CDFW 2026 Big Game Drawing statistics. The rest of each quota goes by draw-by-choice. CDFW also prints applicants at each point level.
How many elk are taken in the Bear Valley zone?
In 2022, CDFW's elk hunt statistics show 2 taken on 3 tags; 3 tag holders reported. CDFW notes that forest closures affected many elk hunts in 2020 and 2021. Year by year, for this zone's hunts:
| Year | Hunts | Tags | Applications | Tag holders who reported | Taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2 | 3 | 466 | 3 | 2 |
| 2021 | 2 | 3 | 450 | 3 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 | 3 | 454 | 3 | 2 |
| 2019 | 2 | 3 | 330 | 3 | 3 |
| 2018 | 2 | 3 | 327 | 3 | 3 |
| 2017 | 2 | 3 | 361 | 3 | 3 |
Each hunt in 2022:
| Hunt code | Hunt | Applications | Tags | Taken | Success (CDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 329 | Bear Valley - General Methods - Antlerless | 80 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 330 | Bear Valley - General Methods - Bull | 386 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
Source: CDFW Elk Hunt Statistics (2017 to 2022); 2022: CDFW 2022 Elk Hunt Statistics. CDFW's success rate is reported harvest divided by tags. Applications are the sum of the applicant counts CDFW prints for each of this zone's hunts.
How much public land is in the Bear Valley zone?
15.7% of the zone, 78,088 of 497,730 acres, is national forest, BLM or CDFW land. The largest public units: Mendocino National Forest (21,407 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the zone |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 56,032 | 11.3% |
| National forest | 21,407 | 4.3% |
| Other state or federal land | 1,134 | 0.2% |
| CDFW land | 649 | 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 lands in the zone: Indian Valley Wildlife Area (282 acres) and Knoxville Wildlife Area (208 acres).
Which deer zones overlap the Bear Valley zone?
Zone A (497,592 acres; 9,184 deer taken in 2025).
How do you get to the Bear Valley zone?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: CA 16, I-5 and CA 20. Towns inside: Williams, Brooks, Guinda, Rumsey, Arbuckle and Tancred. Nearby: Colusa (8 miles), Clearlake (10 miles), Winters (13 miles) and Willows (15 miles).
Neighboring elk zones: Cache Creek elk zone, East Park Reservoir elk zone and Lake Pillsbury elk zone.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk tags are there in the Bear Valley zone?
CDFW's 2026 regulations list 3 tags in 2 hunts: Bear Valley General Methods - Antlerless (1) and Bear Valley General Methods - Bull (2). Tags are drawn in CDFW's big game drawing, apart from a few fundraising tags.
How many elk were taken in the Bear Valley zone?
CDFW's 2022 elk hunt statistics show 2 taken on 3 tags across 2 hunts. In 2021: 2 on 3 tags.
When are the Bear Valley elk hunts in 2026?
October 10 to 18, by hunt, in CDFW's 2026 regulations.
How much public land is in the Bear Valley zone?
15.7%: 78,088 acres of national forest, BLM and CDFW land by CPAD 2026a. The largest public units: Mendocino National Forest (21,407 acres).
CDFW's boundary of the Bear Valley zone
In those portions of Colusa, Lake, and Yolo Countiescounties within a line beginning in Colusa County at the intersection of Interstate 5 and Maxwell-Sites Road at Maxwell; west on Maxwell-Sites Road to Sites-Lodoga Road; west on Sites-Lodoga Road to Lodoga-Stonyford Road; west Road to Goat Mountain Road; west and south on Goat Mountain Road to the Colusa-Lake county line; south and west along the Colusa-Lake county line to Forest Route M5; south on Forest Route M5 to Forest Road 303; east on Forest Road 303 to Walker Ridge Road; south on Walker Ridge Road to Highway 20; east on Highway 20 to the Colusa-Lake county line (County Line Ridge); south along the Colusa-Lake county line to the Yolo county line; east along the Yolo county line to Highway 16; south on Highway 16 to Rayhouse Road; south and west on Rayhouse Road to the Yolo-Napa county line; east and south along the Yolo-Napa county line to Road 8053; east on Road 8053 to County Road 78A; east on County Road 78A to Highway 16; east on Highway 16 to Route E4 at Capay; north and east on Route E4 to Interstate 5; north on Interstate 5 to the point of beginning.
From CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 81, Title 14, Section 364.
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Where these numbers come from
- Hunt statistics: CDFW Elk Hunt Statistics, 2017 to 2022.
- 2026 hunts, tags and dates: CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations.
- Public land: California Protected Areas Database (CPAD) 2026a. Zone boundary: CDFW elk hunt zones (BIOS ds786).
- 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 Cache Creek elk zone East Park Reservoir elk zone Lake Pillsbury elk zone