California does not make our list as a must-apply-for state for big bucks. With that being said, we do recommend that all residents who are already buying a license apply for deer in the Golden State. Every year, out of the thousands of deer permits issued, there are a handful of giant bucks that come out of the state. If you are looking for a solid buck, you should stick to our top hunt picks.

California is home to six different subspecies of mule deer. The Columbian blacktail deer is primarily found in Northern California along the Oregon border and the coast. The California mule deer, which is the second most prevalent species in the state and is typically smaller in size, inhabit the west side of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. Inyo mule deer are primarily found in Southern and Central California and are also typically smaller in size. Burro (or desert) mule deer are found along the Mexico and Arizona border and are second in size only to the Rocky Mountain mule deer found in California’s northeasternmost units. Unsurprisingly, the Rocky Mountain mule deer tend to be the highest scoring bucks among those harvested in California. The newest addition is the Baja blacktail, or Southern mule deer, which is primarily located in Southwest California and is typically smaller in size. We explain the different subspecies of mule deer in California so that, when hunters look at the typical size and score of above-average bucks harvested, they will understand why they are smaller than the mule deer scores coming out of most western states, which are primarily populated with Rocky Mountain mule deer, the biggest of all the mule deer subspecies.

California offers youth hunters a reduced-price license and has a few awesome deer hunts set aside. The two better youth hunts available are units J12 (Round Valley) and J15 (Anderson Flat). For unit J12, the youth dates are the best season dates on this unit. With season dates running from December 5 through 20, this can be a great hunt. Unit J15 is a good hunt with late season dates running from November 28 through December 6. Though this takes place during the same time as the G37 hunt, it is a good hunt for a mature buck. Units J12 and J15 are going to be fairly weather dependent.

We added a table called “Other Good Deer Hunts” to this deer section in our May 2026 issue. This list of units is to give applicants below the max point pool an idea of what units are available to them and what kind of harvest success rates they offer. Most of these hunts are conducted in the X zones and are either archery or rifle. These X zone units are very similar in trophy quality and, with a number of permits for both archery and rifle seasons, are comparable to other states’ general mule deer hunts. That said, the X zones are primarily along the Nevada border, so there are always a handful of big bucks that come out of these units.

Harvest success on some of these hunts can be misleading when you see 50 to 60% harvest out of certain units, as most of the bucks harvested are two- or three-point bucks. Typically, the areas that have high harvest success coupled with a good percentage of four-point bucks take 4 to 5 points or more to draw.

Zones in California offering good opportunity with over-the-counter tags include AO, A, B, and most D zones. Be sure to check the quota fill dates for each zone, as most of them have been getting earlier and earlier each year. California has three different classifications of hunt based on the amount of time it takes to fill the quota. Premium deer hunts are any hunts that are filled on or before the first business day following July 1. Basically, any residents that are filled in the draw, restricted deer hunts are hunts that are filled on or before the first business day following August 1. Unrestricted deer permits are what is left after the first business day following August 1. As you can see in the table, some of these hunts never fill their quota for the year. A second deer tag may be obtained by purchasing an unrestricted tag, a restricted tag, or a leftover premium deer tag.

More important than the deer permit classification is the fill date. There are some hunts, such as D6, that continually go back and forth between the three deer classifications. Continuing to occur, D6 is an “unrestricted” permit for 2026. Hunts like D14, which is now a premium hunt, have been progressively selling out sooner and sooner each year. Second deer tag applicants may obtain a restricted deer tag at any time if they do not have a pending first deer tag drawing application or have not been issued a premium or restricted deer tag as a first deer tag.

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