San Luis Reservoir elk zone: California elk hunting by the numbers
The San Luis Reservoir elk zone covers 784 square miles of Merced, Fresno, San Benito and Santa Clara counties and is hunted for tule elk. 1.5% is national forest, BLM or CDFW land (CPAD 2026a). CDFW's 2026 regulations list 1 hunt here with 5 tags in all. In 2022, CDFW's elk hunt statistics show 4 elk taken on 5 tags, with 1,146 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.
BLMCDFW landState parkOther state or federal landSan Luis ReservoirNeighboring zonesLake or riverHighway
| CDFW region | Region 4, Central Region |
|---|---|
| Elk | Tule elk |
| Counties | Merced, Fresno, San Benito and Santa Clara |
| Size | 502,020 acres (784 square miles) |
| Public land | 1.5% (7,608 acres) |
| Hunts and tags, 2026 | 1 hunt, 5 tags |
| Taken, 2022 | 4 on 5 tags (CDFW) |
| Applications, 2022 | 1,146 for this zone's hunts |
| Towns in and near it | Hollister, Tres Pinos, Los Banos and San Juan Bautista |
What elk hunts are in the San Luis Reservoir zone in 2026?
CDFW's 2026-2027 regulations list 1 hunt for this zone, 5 tags in all:
| Hunt | Type | 2026 tags | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Reservoir General Methods Either-sex- | General Methods | 5 | October 3 to 25 |
Source: CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 88; hunt codes and dates: CDFW 2026 Elk Hunt Dates and General Information.
In CDFW's 2026 Big Game Drawing, 929 applications went to this zone's hunts:
| Hunt code | Hunt | Tags | By preference points | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 497 | San Luis Reservoir - General Methods - Either Sex | 5 | 4 | 929 |
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 San Luis Reservoir zone?
In 2022, CDFW's elk hunt statistics show 4 taken on 5 tags; 5 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 | 5 | 1,146 | 5 | 4 |
| 2021 | 1 | 5 | 1,113 | 4 | 4 |
| 2020 | 1 | 5 | 1,066 | 5 | 5 |
| 2019 | 1 | 5 | 983 | 5 | 4 |
| 2018 | 1 | 5 | 926 | 5 | 5 |
| 2017 | 1 | 5 | 1,002 | 5 | 3 |
Each hunt in 2022:
| Hunt code | Hunt | Applications | Tags | Taken | Success (CDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 497 | San Luis Reservoir - Either-sex | 1,146 | 5 | 4 | 80% |
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 San Luis Reservoir zone?
1.5% of the zone, 7,608 of 502,020 acres, is national forest, BLM or CDFW land.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the zone |
|---|---|---|
| State park | 27,631 | 5.5% |
| BLM | 6,392 | 1.3% |
| Other state or federal land | 1,295 | 0.3% |
| CDFW land | 1,216 | 0.2% |
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: San Luis Reservoir Wildlife Area (1,099 acres) and Little Panoche Reservoir Wildlife Area (185 acres).
Which deer zones overlap the San Luis Reservoir zone?
Zone A (502,020 acres; 9,184 deer taken in 2025).
How do you get to the San Luis Reservoir zone?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: CA 152, I-5 and CA 25. Towns inside: Hollister and Tres Pinos. Nearby: Los Banos (6 miles), San Juan Bautista (7 miles), Gilroy (11 miles) and Dos Palos (11 miles).
Neighboring elk zones: Gabilan elk zone and Santa Clara elk zone.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk tags are there in the San Luis Reservoir zone?
CDFW's 2026 regulations list 5 tags in 1 hunt: San Luis Reservoir General Methods Either-sex- (5). Tags are drawn in CDFW's big game drawing, apart from a few fundraising tags.
How many elk were taken in the San Luis Reservoir zone?
CDFW's 2022 elk hunt statistics show 4 taken on 5 tags across 1 hunt. In 2021: 4 on 5 tags.
When are the San Luis Reservoir elk hunts in 2026?
October 3 to 25, by hunt, in CDFW's 2026 regulations.
How much public land is in the San Luis Reservoir zone?
1.5%: 7,608 acres of national forest, BLM and CDFW land by CPAD 2026a.
CDFW's boundary of the San Luis Reservoir zone
In those portions of Merced, Fresno, San Benito, and Santa Clara Countiescounties within a line beginning in Merced County at the intersection of Highway 152 and Interstate 5 near the town of Santa Nella; west on Highway 152 to Highway 156 in Santa Clara County; southwest on Highway 156 to Highway 25 near the town of Hollister in San Benito County; south on Highway 25 to County Road J1 (Panoche Road) in the town of Paicines; south and east on County Road J1 to County Road J1 (Little Panoche Road); north and east on County Road J1 (Little Panoche Road) to Interstate 5 in Fresno County; north on Interstate 5 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.