Marble Mountains elk zone: California elk hunting by the numbers
The Marble Mountains elk zone covers 7,157 square miles of Humboldt, Tehama, Trinity, Shasta and Siskiyou counties and is hunted for Roosevelt elk. 65.4% is national forest, BLM or CDFW land (CPAD 2026a). CDFW's 2026 regulations list 4 hunts here with 56 tags in all. In 2022, CDFW's elk hunt statistics show 34 elk taken on 56 tags, with 3,357 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 ServiceState parkOther state or federal landMarble MountainsNeighboring zonesLake or riverHighway
| CDFW region | Region 1, Northern Region |
|---|---|
| Elk | Roosevelt elk |
| Counties | Humboldt, Tehama, Trinity, Shasta and Siskiyou |
| Size | 4,580,677 acres (7,157 square miles) |
| Public land | 65.4% (2,996,549 acres) |
| Hunts and tags, 2026 | 4 hunts, 56 tags |
| Taken, 2022 | 34 on 56 tags (CDFW) |
| Applications, 2022 | 3,357 for this zone's hunts |
| Towns in and near it | Redding, Shasta Lake, Anderson, Dunsmuir and Yreka |
What elk hunts are in the Marble Mountains zone in 2026?
CDFW's 2026-2027 regulations list 4 hunts for this zone, 56 tags in all:
| Hunt | Type | 2026 tags | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble Mountains Apprentice - Either-sex | Apprentice | 4 | September 9 to 20 |
| Marble Mountains - Muzzleloader/Archery - Either-sex | Muzzleloader/Archery | 10 | October 31 to November 8 |
| Marble Mountains General Methods - Antlerless | General Methods | 8 | September 9 to 20 |
| Marble Mountains General Methods - Bull | General Methods | 34 | September 9 to 20 |
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, 3,827 applications went to this zone's hunts:
| Hunt code | Hunt | Tags | By preference points | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 302 | Marble Mountains - General Methods - Bull | 34 | 26 | 2,963 |
| 301 | Marble Mountains - General Methods - Antlerless | 8 | 6 | 198 |
| 303 | Marble Mountains - Muzzleloader/Archery - Either-Sex | 10 | 8 | 350 |
| 408 | Marble Mountains Apprentice - General Methods - Either-Sex | 4 | 3 | 316 |
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 Marble Mountains zone?
In 2022, CDFW's elk hunt statistics show 34 taken on 56 tags; 53 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 | 4 | 56 | 3,357 | 53 | 34 |
| 2021 | 4 | 56 | 4,119 | 23 | 11 |
| 2020 | 4 | 56 | 3,542 | 37 | 27 |
| 2019 | 4 | 59 | 2,712 | 58 | 35 |
| 2018 | 4 | 52 | 2,867 | 47 | 30 |
| 2017 | 4 | 28 | 2,783 | 27 | 21 |
Each hunt in 2022:
| Hunt code | Hunt | Applications | Tags | Taken | Success (CDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 408 | Marble Mountains Apprentice - Either-sex | 259 | 4 | 4 | 100% |
| 303 | Marble Mountains Muzzlerloader/Archery - Either-sex | 464 | 10 | 3 | 30% |
| 301 | Marble Mountains - General Methods - Antlerless | 210 | 8 | 2 | 25% |
| 302 | Marble Mountains - General Methods - Bull | 2,424 | 34 | 25 | 74% |
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 Marble Mountains zone?
65.4% of the zone, 2,996,549 of 4,580,677 acres, is national forest, BLM or CDFW land. The largest public units: Klamath National Forest (1,345,915 acres), Shasta-Trinity National Forest (1,255,861 acres), Six Rivers National Forest (184,754 acres) and Rogue River National Forest (51,381 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the zone |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 2,837,967 | 62% |
| BLM | 157,864 | 3.4% |
| National Park Service | 42,210 | 0.9% |
| Other state or federal land | 9,257 | 0.2% |
| State park | 2,711 | 0.1% |
| CDFW land | 718 | 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: Cantara-Ney Springs Wildlife Area (153 acres).
Which deer zones overlap the Marble Mountains zone?
Zone B2 (2,335,111 acres; 3,565 deer taken in 2025), Zone B6 (1,366,729 acres; 955 deer taken in 2025), Zone B5 (443,231 acres; 1,309 deer taken in 2025), Zone B1 (433,816 acres; 3,992 deer taken in 2025) and Zone C2 (1,111 acres; 455 deer taken in 2025).
How do you get to the Marble Mountains zone?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: CA 3, CA 96, I-5, CA 299, CA 36 and CA 273. 31 Census places are inside it, among them Redding, Shasta Lake, Anderson, Weed, Etna and Fort Jones. Nearby: Dunsmuir (on the line), Yreka (on the line), Red Bluff (on the line) and Mount Shasta (on the line).
Neighboring elk zones: Northeastern elk zone, Northwestern elk zone and Siskiyou elk zone.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk tags are there in the Marble Mountains zone?
CDFW's 2026 regulations list 56 tags in 4 hunts: Marble Mountains Apprentice - Either-sex (4), Marble Mountains - Muzzleloader/Archery - Either-sex (10), Marble Mountains General Methods - Antlerless (8) and Marble Mountains General Methods - Bull (34). Tags are drawn in CDFW's big game drawing, apart from a few fundraising tags.
How many elk were taken in the Marble Mountains zone?
CDFW's 2022 elk hunt statistics show 34 taken on 56 tags across 4 hunts. In 2021: 11 on 56 tags.
When are the Marble Mountains elk hunts in 2026?
September 9 to 20 and October 31 to November 8, by hunt, in CDFW's 2026 regulations.
How much public land is in the Marble Mountains zone?
65.4%: 2,996,549 acres of national forest, BLM and CDFW land by CPAD 2026a. The largest public units: Klamath National Forest (1,345,915 acres), Shasta-Trinity National Forest (1,255,861 acres) and Six Rivers National Forest (184,754 acres).
CDFW's boundary of the Marble Mountains zone
In those portions of Humboldt, Tehama, Trinity, Shasta and Siskiyou Counties within a line beginning at the intersection of Interstate 5 and the California-Oregon state line; west along the California-Oregon state line to the Del Norte county line; south along the Del Norte county line to the junction of the Siskiyou-Humboldt county line; east along the Siskiyou-Humboldt county line to Highway 96; south on Highway 96 to Highway 299; south on Highway 299 to the Humboldt-Trinity county line; south along the Humboldt-Trinity county line to Highway 36; east on Highway 36 to Interstate 5; north on Interstate 5 to the point of beginning.
From CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 78, 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 1 Northeastern elk zone Northwestern elk zone Siskiyou elk zone