West Tinemaha elk zone: California elk hunting by the numbers
The West Tinemaha elk zone covers 68 square miles of Inyo County and is hunted for tule elk. 79.2% is national forest, BLM or CDFW land (CPAD 2026a). CDFW's 2026 regulations list 3 hunts here with 6 tags in all. In 2022, CDFW's elk hunt statistics show 1 elk taken on 1 tags, with 324 applications for this zone's hunts.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt statistics: CDFW, 2020 to 2022. 2026 hunts and tags: CDFW's 2026-2027 regulations. Land: CPAD 2026a.
National forestBLMNational Park ServiceWest TinemahaNeighboring zonesLake or riverHighway
| CDFW region | Region 6, Inland Deserts Region |
|---|---|
| Elk | Tule elk |
| Counties | Inyo |
| Size | 43,450 acres (68 square miles) |
| Public land | 79.2% (34,401 acres) |
| Hunts and tags, 2026 | 3 hunts, 6 tags |
| Taken, 2022 | 1 on 1 tags (CDFW) |
| Applications, 2022 | 324 for this zone's hunts |
| Towns in and near it | Big Pine, Bishop and Wilkerson |
What elk hunts are in the West Tinemaha zone in 2026?
CDFW's 2026-2027 regulations list 3 hunts for this zone, 6 tags in all:
| Hunt | Type | 2026 tags | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Tinemaha Period 1 General Methods Bull | General Methods | 2 | September 12 to 27 |
| West Tinemaha Period 2 - General Methods - Bull | General Methods | 2 | October 3 to 11 |
| West Tinemaha Period 3 - General Methods - Bull | General Methods | 2 | October 17 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, 252 applications went to this zone's hunts:
| Hunt code | Hunt | Tags | By preference points | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 315 | West Tinemaha Period 1 - General Methods - Bull | 2 | 1 | 168 |
| 317 | West Tinemaha Period 2 - General Methods - Bull | 2 | 1 | 44 |
| 394 | West Tinemaha Period 3 - General Methods - Bull | 2 | 1 | 40 |
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 West Tinemaha zone?
In 2022, CDFW's elk hunt statistics show 1 taken on 1 tags; 1 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 | 1 | 324 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | 281 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | 232 | 1 | 1 |
Each hunt in 2022:
| Hunt code | Hunt | Applications | Tags | Taken | Success (CDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 315 | West Tinemaha Period 1 - Bull | 324 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
Source: CDFW Elk Hunt Statistics (2020 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 West Tinemaha zone?
79.2% of the zone, 34,401 of 43,450 acres, is national forest, BLM or CDFW land. The largest public units: Inyo National Forest (15,520 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the zone |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 18,881 | 43.5% |
| National forest | 15,520 | 35.7% |
| National Park Service | 7 | 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.
Which deer zones overlap the West Tinemaha zone?
Zone X9b (43,379 acres; 65 deer taken in 2025).
How do you get to the West Tinemaha zone?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: US 395. Towns inside: Big Pine. Nearby: Wilkerson (9 miles), Independence (12 miles), Bishop (15 miles) and Dixon Lane-MeadowCreek (16 miles).
Neighboring elk zones: Goodale elk zone, Independence elk zone, Tinemaha elk zone and Tinemaha Mountain elk zone.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk tags are there in the West Tinemaha zone?
CDFW's 2026 regulations list 6 tags in 3 hunts: West Tinemaha Period 1 General Methods Bull (2), West Tinemaha Period 2 - General Methods - Bull (2) and West Tinemaha Period 3 - 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 West Tinemaha zone?
CDFW's 2022 elk hunt statistics show 1 taken on 1 tags across 1 hunt. In 2021: 1 on 1 tags.
When are the West Tinemaha 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 West Tinemaha zone?
79.2%: 34,401 acres of national forest, BLM and CDFW land by CPAD 2026a. The largest public units: Inyo National Forest (15,520 acres).
CDFW's boundary of the West Tinemaha zone
In that portion of Inyo County within a line beginning at the intersection of Highway 395 and Highway 168 in the town of Big Pine; south on Highway 395 to the north junction of Fish Springs Road; south on Fish Springs Road to Highway 395; south on Highway 395 to Taboose Creek in Section 14, Township 11S, Range 34E; west along Taboose Creek to the Inyo county line; north and west along the Inyo county line to the of Tinemaha Creek; east along Tinemaha Creek to the junction with McMurray Meadow Road; north on McMurray Meadow Road to Glacier Lodge Road; north and east on Glacier Lodge Road to Crocker Avenue; east on Crocker Avenue to Highway 395; 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, 2020 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 Goodale elk zone Independence elk zone