Whitney elk zone: California elk hunting by the numbers
The Whitney elk zone covers 156 square miles of Inyo County and is hunted for tule elk. 87.2% is national forest, BLM or CDFW land (CPAD 2026a). CDFW's 2026 regulations list 3 hunts here with 5 tags in all. In 2022, CDFW's elk hunt statistics show 2 elk taken on 2 tags, with 353 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 forestBLMNational Park ServiceWhitneyNeighboring zonesLake or riverHighway
| CDFW region | Region 6, Inland Deserts Region |
|---|---|
| Elk | Tule elk |
| Counties | Inyo |
| Size | 100,129 acres (156 square miles) |
| Public land | 87.2% (87,286 acres) |
| Hunts and tags, 2026 | 3 hunts, 5 tags |
| Taken, 2022 | 2 on 2 tags (CDFW) |
| Applications, 2022 | 353 for this zone's hunts |
| Towns in and near it | Lone Pine and Independence |
What elk hunts are in the Whitney zone in 2026?
CDFW's 2026-2027 regulations list 3 hunts for this zone, 5 tags in all:
| Hunt | Type | 2026 tags | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitney Period 1 - Archery Only - Bull | Archery | 2 | September 12 to 27 |
| Whitney Period 2 General Methods Bull | General Methods | 2 | October 3 to 11 |
| Whitney Period 3 General Methods Antlerless | 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.
In CDFW's 2026 Big Game Drawing, 272 applications went to this zone's hunts:
| Hunt code | Hunt | Tags | By preference points | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 343 | Whitney Period 1 - Archery Only - Bull | 2 | 1 | 49 |
| 323 | Whitney Period 2 - General Methods - Bull | 2 | 1 | 163 |
| 324 | Whitney Period 3 - General Methods - Antlerless | 1 | 0 | 60 |
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 Whitney 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 | 2 | 2 | 353 | 2 | 2 |
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | 363 | 2 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 | 2 | 256 | 2 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | 54 | 1 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 | 1 | 77 | 1 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 1 | 0 |
Each hunt in 2022:
| Hunt code | Hunt | Applications | Tags | Taken | Success (CDFW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 323 | Whitney Period 2 - Bull | 224 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 324 | Whitney Period 3 - Antlerless | 129 | 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 Whitney zone?
87.2% of the zone, 87,286 of 100,129 acres, is national forest, BLM or CDFW land. The largest public units: Inyo National Forest (43,871 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the zone |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 43,871 | 43.8% |
| BLM | 43,415 | 43.4% |
| National Park Service | 807 | 0.8% |
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 Whitney zone?
Zone X9b (100,035 acres; 65 deer taken in 2025).
How do you get to the Whitney zone?
Numbered highways through it, longest stretch first: US 395. Nearby: Lone Pine (2 miles), Independence (2 miles) and Keeler (13 miles).
Neighboring elk zones: Goodale elk zone, Independence elk zone and Lone Pine elk zone.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk tags are there in the Whitney zone?
CDFW's 2026 regulations list 5 tags in 3 hunts: Whitney Period 1 - Archery Only - Bull (2), Whitney Period 2 General Methods Bull (2) and Whitney Period 3 General Methods Antlerless (1). Tags are drawn in CDFW's big game drawing, apart from a few fundraising tags.
How many elk were taken in the Whitney zone?
CDFW's 2022 elk hunt statistics show 2 taken on 2 tags across 2 hunts. In 2021: 2 on 2 tags.
When are the Whitney 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 Whitney zone?
87.2%: 87,286 acres of national forest, BLM and CDFW land by CPAD 2026a. The largest public units: Inyo National Forest (43,871 acres).
CDFW's boundary of the Whitney zone
In that portion of Inyo County within a line beginning at the intersection of Highway 395 and Onion Valley Road; south on Highway 395 to Whitney Portal Road; west on Whitney Portal Road to the northern boundary of Section 36, Township 15S, Range 34E; west along the northern boundary of sections 36, 35, 34 and 33 Township 15S, Range 34 E to the Inyo-Tulare county line; north along the the Inyo-Tulare county line to the junction of Section 27 Township 13S, range 33E; east along the southern boundary of sections 27, 26 and 25 Township 13S, Range 33E; north along the eastern boundary of Section 25 Township 13S, Range 33E to Onion Valley Road; east on Onion Valley Road to the point of beginning.
From CDFW 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations, page 80, Title 14, Section 364.
Get a California hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for California are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, California included.
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 Goodale elk zone Independence elk zone Lone Pine elk zone