Lone Pine elk zone: California elk hunting by the numbers
The Lone Pine elk zone covers 696 square miles of Inyo County and is hunted for tule elk. 56.9% is national forest, BLM or CDFW land (CPAD 2026a). CDFW's 2026 regulations list 4 hunts here with 7 tags in all. In 2022, CDFW's elk hunt statistics show 1 elk taken on 2 tags, with 890 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 Park ServiceOther state or federal landLone PineNeighboring zonesLake or riverHighway
| CDFW region | Region 6, Inland Deserts Region |
|---|---|
| Elk | Tule elk |
| Counties | Inyo |
| Size | 445,174 acres (696 square miles) |
| Public land | 56.9% (253,164 acres) |
| Hunts and tags, 2026 | 4 hunts, 7 tags |
| Taken, 2022 | 1 on 2 tags (CDFW) |
| Applications, 2022 | 890 for this zone's hunts |
| Towns in and near it | Keeler, Cartago and Olancha |
What elk hunts are in the Lone Pine zone in 2026?
CDFW's 2026-2027 regulations list 4 hunts for this zone, 7 tags in all:
| Hunt | Type | 2026 tags | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lone Pine Period 1 Archery Antlerless | Archery | 2 | September 12 to 27 |
| Lone Pine Period 1 Archery - Bull | Archery | 2 | September 12 to 27 |
| Lone Pine Period 2 General Methods Bull | General Methods | 2 | October 3 to 11 |
| Lone Pine Period 3 - General Methods - Bull | General Methods | 1 | October 17 to 25 |
Source: CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 85; 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, 672 applications went to this zone's hunts:
| Hunt code | Hunt | Tags | By preference points | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 311 | Lone Pine Period 1 - Archery - Bull | 2 | 1 | 113 |
| 486 | Lone Pine Period 2 - General Methods - Bull | 2 | 1 | 430 |
| 496 | Lone Pine Period 3 - General Methods - Bull | 1 | 0 | 93 |
| 337 | Lone Pine Period 1 - Archery - 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 Lone Pine zone?
In 2022, CDFW's elk hunt statistics show 1 taken on 2 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 | 2 | 2 | 890 | 2 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | 987 | 2 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 | 2 | 915 | 2 | 2 |
| 2019 | 5 | 5 | 1,215 | 5 | 4 |
| 2018 | 5 | 5 | 1,248 | 5 | 4 |
| 2017 | 5 | 5 | 1,486 | 4 | 3 |
Each hunt in 2022:
| Hunt code | Hunt | Applications | Tags | Taken | Success (CDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 337 | Lone Pine Period 1 Archery only - Antlerless | 92 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 486 | Lone Pine Period 2 - Bull | 798 | 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 Lone Pine zone?
56.9% of the zone, 253,164 of 445,174 acres, is national forest, BLM or CDFW land. The largest public units: Death Valley National Park (57,491 acres) and Inyo National Forest (21,821 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the zone |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 231,110 | 51.9% |
| National Park Service | 57,491 | 12.9% |
| National forest | 21,821 | 4.9% |
| Other state or federal land | 11,649 | 2.6% |
| CDFW land | 233 | 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: Cartago Wildlife Area (232 acres).
Which deer zones overlap the Lone Pine zone?
Zone X9c (445,078 acres; 77 deer taken in 2025).
How do you get to the Lone Pine zone?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: US 395, CA 136 and CA 190. Towns inside: Keeler. Nearby: Cartago (on the line), Olancha (on the line), Lone Pine (on the line) and Independence (2 miles).
Neighboring elk zones: Independence elk zone and Whitney elk zone.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk tags are there in the Lone Pine zone?
CDFW's 2026 regulations list 7 tags in 4 hunts: Lone Pine Period 1 Archery Antlerless (2), Lone Pine Period 1 Archery - Bull (2), Lone Pine Period 2 General Methods Bull (2) and Lone Pine Period 3 - General Methods - Bull (1). Tags are drawn in CDFW's big game drawing, apart from a few fundraising tags.
How many elk were taken in the Lone Pine zone?
CDFW's 2022 elk hunt statistics show 1 taken on 2 tags across 2 hunts. In 2021: 2 on 2 tags.
When are the Lone Pine elk hunts in 2026?
September 12 to 27, October 3 to 11 and October 17 to 25, by hunt, in CDFW's 2026 regulations.
How much public land is in the Lone Pine zone?
56.9%: 253,164 acres of national forest, BLM and CDFW land by CPAD 2026a. The largest public units: Death Valley National Park (57,491 acres) and Inyo National Forest (21,821 acres).
CDFW's boundary of the Lone Pine zone
In that portion of Inyo County within a line beginning at the intersection of Highway 395 and Mazourka Canyon Road; east, then north on Mazourka Canyon Road to the Inyo National Forest Boundary at the junction of the southern boundary of Township 12S and the northern boundary of Township 13S; east along the southern boundary of Township 12S to Saline Valley Road; south on Saline Valley Road to Highway 190; north, then southwest on Highway 190 to Highway 395 at Olancha; north on Highway 395 to the point of beginning.
From CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 80, 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 Whitney elk zone