La Panza elk zone: California elk hunting by the numbers
The La Panza elk zone covers 2,589 square miles of San Luis Obispo, Kern and Santa Barbara counties and is hunted for tule elk. 30.6% is national forest, BLM or CDFW land (CPAD 2026a). CDFW's 2026 regulations list 7 hunts here with 34 tags in all. In 2022, CDFW's elk hunt statistics show 19 elk taken on 24 tags, with 1,932 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 landNational wildlife refugeOther state or federal landLa PanzaNeighboring zonesLake or riverHighway
| CDFW region | Region 4, Central Region |
|---|---|
| Elk | Tule elk |
| Counties | San Luis Obispo, Kern and Santa Barbara |
| Size | 1,656,848 acres (2,589 square miles) |
| Public land | 30.6% (506,849 acres) |
| Hunts and tags, 2026 | 7 hunts, 34 tags |
| Taken, 2022 | 19 on 24 tags (CDFW) |
| Applications, 2022 | 1,932 for this zone's hunts |
| Towns in and near it | El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Maricopa and Pismo Beach |
What elk hunts are in the La Panza zone in 2026?
CDFW's 2026-2027 regulations list 7 hunts for this zone, 34 tags in all:
| Hunt | Type | 2026 tags | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Panza Apprentice Period 1 - Spike Bull | Apprentice | 1 | October 10 to November 1 |
| La Panza Archery Bull | Archery | 5 | September 1 to 30 |
| La Panza Archery Antlerless | Archery | 5 | September 1 to 30 |
| La Panza Period 1 General Methods Antlerless | General Methods | 5 | October 10 to November 1 |
| La Panza Period 1 General Methods Bull | General Methods | 6 | October 10 to November 1 |
| La Panza Period 2 General Methods Antlerless | General Methods | 6 | November 14 to December 6 |
| La Panza Period 2 General Methods Bull | General Methods | 6 | November 14 to December 6 |
Source: CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 85; hunt codes and dates: CDFW 2026 Elk Hunt Dates and General Information.
In CDFW's 2026 Big Game Drawing, 1,201 applications went to 6 of this zone's 7 hunts (CDFW's tables for the others do not add up, so they are left out):
| Hunt code | Hunt | Tags | By preference points | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 385 | La Panza - Archery - Bull | 5 | 4 | 129 |
| 419 | La Panza Period 1 - General Methods - Bull | 6 | 5 | 413 |
| 420 | La Panza Period 2 - General Methods - Bull | 6 | 5 | 404 |
| 417 | La Panza Period 1 - General Methods - Antlerless | 5 | 4 | 98 |
| 418 | La Panza Period 2 - General Methods - Antlerless | 6 | 5 | 121 |
| 464 | La Panza Period 1 Apprentice - General Methods - Antlerless | 1 | 0 | 36 |
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 La Panza zone?
In 2022, CDFW's elk hunt statistics show 19 taken on 24 tags; 21 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 | 5 | 24 | 1,932 | 21 | 19 |
| 2021 | 5 | 24 | 2,037 | 22 | 19 |
| 2020 | 5 | 24 | 2,035 | 23 | 22 |
| 2019 | 5 | 24 | 1,903 | 24 | 23 |
| 2018 | 5 | 24 | 1,818 | 22 | 21 |
| 2017 | 5 | 24 | 1,870 | 24 | 19 |
Each hunt in 2022:
| Hunt code | Hunt | Applications | Tags | Taken | Success (CDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 464 | La Panza Apprentice Period 1 - Spike Bull | 35 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 417 | La Panza Period 1 - Antlerless | 160 | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| 419 | La Panza Period 1 - Bull | 859 | 6 | 5 | 83% |
| 418 | La Panza Period 2 - Antlerless | 220 | 6 | 5 | 83% |
| 420 | La Panza Period 2 - Bull | 658 | 6 | 3 | 50% |
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 La Panza zone?
30.6% of the zone, 506,849 of 1,656,848 acres, is national forest, BLM or CDFW land. The largest public units: Carrizo Plain National Monument (213,878 acres) and Los Padres National Forest (171,457 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the zone |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 283,227 | 17.1% |
| National forest | 171,457 | 10.3% |
| CDFW land | 52,165 | 3.1% |
| Other state or federal land | 638 | under 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge | 143 | 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 lands in the zone: Carrizo Plains Ecological Reserve (39,862 acres) and Lokern Ecological Reserve (300 acres).
Which deer zones overlap the La Panza zone?
Zone A (1,656,761 acres; 9,184 deer taken in 2025).
How do you get to the La Panza zone?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: CA 58, US 101, CA 46, CA 166, CA 33 and CA 41. 14 Census places are inside it, among them El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Derby Acres, Shandon and Los Ranchos. Nearby: Maricopa (on the line), Pismo Beach (on the line), Taft (on the line) and Atascadero (on the line).
Neighboring elk zones: Central Coast elk zone and Gabilan elk zone.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk tags are there in the La Panza zone?
CDFW's 2026 regulations list 34 tags in 7 hunts: La Panza Apprentice Period 1 - Spike Bull (1), La Panza Archery Bull (5), La Panza Archery Antlerless (5), La Panza Period 1 General Methods Antlerless (5), La Panza Period 1 General Methods Bull (6) and La Panza Period 2 General Methods Antlerless (6), and more in the table above. Tags are drawn in CDFW's big game drawing, apart from a few fundraising tags.
How many elk were taken in the La Panza zone?
CDFW's 2022 elk hunt statistics show 19 taken on 24 tags across 5 hunts. In 2021: 19 on 24 tags.
When are the La Panza elk hunts in 2026?
October 10 to November 1, September 1 to 30 and November 14 to December 6, by hunt, in CDFW's 2026 regulations.
How much public land is in the La Panza zone?
30.6%: 506,849 acres of national forest, BLM and CDFW land by CPAD 2026a. The largest public units: Carrizo Plain National Monument (213,878 acres) and Los Padres National Forest (171,457 acres).
CDFW's boundary of the La Panza zone
In those portions of San Luis Obispo, Kern, and Santa Barbara Counties counties within a line beginning in San Luis Obispo County at the intersection of Highway 101 and Highway 46; south on Highway 101 to Highway 166 in San Luis Obispo County; east on Highway 166 to Highway 33 at Maricopa in Kern County; north and west on Highway 33 to Highway 46 in Kern County; west on Highway 46 to the point of beginning.
From CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 79, 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.