Goodale elk zone: California elk hunting by the numbers
The Goodale elk zone covers 128 square miles of Inyo County and is hunted for tule elk. 87.8% is national forest, BLM or CDFW land (CPAD 2026a). CDFW's 2026 regulations list 3 hunts here with 3 tags in all. In 2022, CDFW's elk hunt statistics show 2 elk taken on 3 tags, with 527 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 forestBLMNational Park ServiceGoodaleNeighboring zonesLake or riverHighway
| CDFW region | Region 6, Inland Deserts Region |
|---|---|
| Elk | Tule elk |
| Counties | Inyo |
| Size | 81,848 acres (128 square miles) |
| Public land | 87.8% (71,865 acres) |
| Hunts and tags, 2026 | 3 hunts, 3 tags |
| Taken, 2022 | 2 on 3 tags (CDFW) |
| Applications, 2022 | 527 for this zone's hunts |
| Towns in and near it | Independence and Big Pine |
What elk hunts are in the Goodale zone in 2026?
CDFW's 2026-2027 regulations list 3 hunts for this zone, 3 tags in all:
| Hunt | Type | 2026 tags | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goodale Period 1 General Methods Bull | General Methods | 1 | October 3 to 11 |
| Goodale Period 2 General Methods Antlerless | General Methods | 1 | October 3 to 11 |
| Goodale Period 3 General Methods Antlerless | General Methods | 1 | October 17 to 25 |
Source: CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 87; hunt codes and dates: CDFW 2026 Elk Hunt Dates and General Information. CDFW's Owens Valley Multiple Zone archery bull tag is also valid here.
In CDFW's 2026 Big Game Drawing, 400 applications went to this zone's hunts:
| Hunt code | Hunt | Tags | By preference points | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 373 | Goodale Period 1 - General Methods - Bull | 1 | 0 | 264 |
| 365 | Goodale Period 2 - General Methods - Antlerless | 1 | 0 | 62 |
| 366 | Goodale Period 3 - General Methods - Antlerless | 1 | 0 | 74 |
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 Goodale zone?
In 2022, CDFW's elk hunt statistics show 2 taken on 3 tags; 2 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 | 3 | 3 | 527 | 2 | 2 |
| 2021 | 3 | 3 | 552 | 2 | 2 |
| 2020 | 3 | 3 | 510 | 3 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 | 3 | 187 | 2 | 1 |
| 2018 | 3 | 3 | 251 | 3 | 3 |
| 2017 | 3 | 3 | 135 | 3 | 3 |
Each hunt in 2022:
| Hunt code | Hunt | Applications | Tags | Taken | Success (CDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 373 | Goodale Period 1 - Bull | 373 | 1 | 0 | N/A |
| 365 | Goodale Period 2 - Antlerless | 83 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 366 | Goodale Period 3 - Antlerless | 71 | 1 | 1 | 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 Goodale zone?
87.8% of the zone, 71,865 of 81,848 acres, is national forest, BLM or CDFW land. The largest public units: Inyo National Forest (60,711 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the zone |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 60,711 | 74.2% |
| BLM | 11,154 | 13.6% |
| National Park Service | 20 | 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.
Which deer zones overlap the Goodale zone?
Zone X9b (81,764 acres; 65 deer taken in 2025).
How do you get to the Goodale zone?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: US 395. Nearby: Independence (on the line), Big Pine (11 miles), Lone Pine (17 miles) and Wilkerson (19 miles).
Neighboring elk zones: Independence elk zone, West Tinemaha elk zone and Whitney elk zone.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk tags are there in the Goodale zone?
CDFW's 2026 regulations list 3 tags in 3 hunts: Goodale Period 1 General Methods Bull (1), Goodale Period 2 General Methods Antlerless (1) and Goodale Period 3 General Methods Antlerless (1). Tags are drawn in CDFW's big game drawing, apart from a few fundraising tags.
How many elk were taken in the Goodale zone?
CDFW's 2022 elk hunt statistics show 2 taken on 3 tags across 3 hunts. In 2021: 2 on 3 tags.
When are the Goodale elk hunts in 2026?
October 3 to 11 and October 17 to 25, by hunt, in CDFW's 2026 regulations.
How much public land is in the Goodale zone?
87.8%: 71,865 acres of national forest, BLM and CDFW land by CPAD 2026a. The largest public units: Inyo National Forest (60,711 acres).
CDFW's boundary of the Goodale zone
In that portion of Inyo County within a line beginning at the intersection of Highway 395 and Onion Valley Road; west on Onion Valley Road to the junction of the eastern boundary of Section 25 Township 13S, Range 33E; south along the eastern boundary of Section 25 Township 13S, Range 33E to the southern boundary of Section 25 Township 13S, Range 33E; west along the southern boundary of sections 27, 26, 25 Township 13S, Range 33E to the Inyo-Fresno county line; north along the Inyo-Fresno county line to Taboose Creek; east along Taboose Creek to the junction of Highway 395; south on Highway 395 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 6 Independence elk zone West Tinemaha elk zone Whitney elk zone