Mendocino elk zone: California elk hunting by the numbers
The Mendocino elk zone covers 2,886 square miles of Mendocino County and is hunted for Roosevelt and tule elk. 15.9% is national forest, BLM or CDFW land (CPAD 2026a). CDFW's 2026 regulations list 1 hunt here with 2 tags in all. In 2022, CDFW's elk hunt statistics show 2 elk taken on 2 tags, with 429 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 landState parkOther state or federal landMendocinoNeighboring zonesLake or riverHighway
| CDFW region | Region 1, Northern Region |
|---|---|
| Elk | Roosevelt and tule elk |
| Counties | Mendocino |
| Size | 1,847,002 acres (2,886 square miles) |
| Public land | 15.9% (292,824 acres) |
| Hunts and tags, 2026 | 1 hunt, 2 tags |
| Taken, 2022 | 2 on 2 tags (CDFW) |
| Applications, 2022 | 429 for this zone's hunts |
| Towns in and near it | Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Willits, Point Arena and Lakeport |
What elk hunts are in the Mendocino zone in 2026?
CDFW's 2026-2027 regulations list 1 hunt for this zone, 2 tags in all:
| Hunt | Type | 2026 tags | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendocino General Methods - Bull | General Methods | 2 | September 23 to October 4 |
Source: CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 86; hunt codes and dates: CDFW 2026 Elk Hunt Dates and General Information.
How many elk are taken in the Mendocino zone?
In 2022, CDFW's elk hunt statistics show 2 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 | 1 | 2 | 429 | 2 | 2 |
| 2021 | 1 | 2 | 418 | 2 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 | 2 | 404 | 2 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 | 2 | 361 | 2 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 | 2 | 310 | 2 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 | 2 | 338 | 2 | 2 |
Each hunt in 2022:
| Hunt code | Hunt | Applications | Tags | Taken | Success (CDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 328 | Mendocino - General Methods - Bull | 429 | 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 Mendocino zone?
15.9% of the zone, 292,824 of 1,847,002 acres, is national forest, BLM or CDFW land. The largest public units: Mendocino National Forest (184,649 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the zone |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 184,649 | 10% |
| BLM | 103,431 | 5.6% |
| Other state or federal land | 68,668 | 3.7% |
| State park | 29,715 | 1.6% |
| CDFW land | 4,744 | 0.3% |
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: Mattole River Ecological Reserve (1,401 acres).
Which deer zones overlap the Mendocino zone?
Zone A (994,019 acres; 9,184 deer taken in 2025), Zone B1 (756,515 acres; 3,992 deer taken in 2025), Zone B4 (79,095 acres; 296 deer taken in 2025) and Zone B3 (16,969 acres; 1,222 deer taken in 2025).
How do you get to the Mendocino zone?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: US 101, CA 1, CA 20, CA 162, CA 128 and CA 271. 17 Census places are inside it, among them Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Willits, Brooktrails, Covelo and Laytonville. Nearby: Boonville (on the line), Calpella (on the line), Point Arena (2 miles) and Lakeport (12 miles).
Neighboring elk zones: East Park Reservoir elk zone, Lake Pillsbury elk zone and Northwestern elk zone.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk tags are there in the Mendocino zone?
CDFW's 2026 regulations list 2 tags in 1 hunt: Mendocino 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 Mendocino zone?
CDFW's 2022 elk hunt statistics show 2 taken on 2 tags across 1 hunt. In 2021: 2 on 2 tags.
When are the Mendocino elk hunts in 2026?
September 23 to October 4, by hunt, in CDFW's 2026 regulations.
How much public land is in the Mendocino zone?
15.9%: 292,824 acres of national forest, BLM and CDFW land by CPAD 2026a. The largest public units: Mendocino National Forest (184,649 acres).
CDFW's boundary of the Mendocino zone
In that portion of Mendocino County within a line beginning at the Pacific coastline and the Mendocino-Humboldt county line south of Shelter Cove; east along the Mendocino-Humboldt county line to the Mendocino-Trinity county line; south and east along the Mendocino-Trinity county line to the Mendocino-Tehama county line; south along the Mendocino-Glenn county line, then the Mendocino-Lake county line to Highway 20; north and west on Highway 20 to Highway 101 near Calpella; south on Highway 101 to Highway 253; southwest on Highway 253 to Highway 128; north on Highway 128 to Mountain View Road near the town of Boonville; west on Mountain View Road to Highway 1; south on Highway 1 to the junction of the Garcia River; west along the Garcia River to the Pacific coastline; north along the Pacific coastline 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.
California hunting CDFW Region 1 East Park Reservoir elk zone Lake Pillsbury elk zone Northwestern elk zone