This is California's published 2026 season, the whole state at once. A pin reads its deer hunt zone off the map and cuts this to the seasons, arms and limits that apply there.

California deer seasons

2026

2 antlered deer per licence year. "Hunters may obtain two deer tags per license year." Each tag names one hunt, and some hunts span several zones: a B tag is valid in any B zone, a C tag in all four C zones during the general season, a D3-5 tag in D3, D4 and D5, and a D11, D13 or D15 tag in any of those three (pp. 15, 32 and 41). The first-deer tag and the second-deer tag are separate purchases at separate prices, and a second-deer tag may only be used for an unrestricted or restricted hunt, or for a leftover premium tag issued from 2 August. Every zone hunt in the state is buck only. Digest, printed pp. 7 and 15-17.

Archery Deer
Archery equipmentPrinted in 6 columns — check which covers your deer hunt zone.
Ahead of the general season in every zone — from 11 July in the A zone to 3 October in D12.
15 August to 6 September
Aug 15 – Sep 6Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
5 September to 27 September
Sep 5–27Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
11 July to 2 August
Jul 11 – Aug 2Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
25 July to 16 August
Jul 25 – Aug 16Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
15 August to 30 August
Aug 15–30Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
3 October to 25 October
Oct 3–25Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
- A zone tag is valid for archery equipment during that zone's archery season and for any legal method during its general season. The separate Archery Only (AO) tag is the other way round: 100,000 of them, over the counter, valid for archery equipment during the archery *and* general seasons in the A, B and any D zone — and not valid in any C or X zone season at all.
- In the C and X zones the archery season is its own hunt with its own tag quota, not something an ordinary zone tag covers. The digest prints them as hunts A-1 and A-3 through A-20; all are drawn in the Big Game Drawing except A-18 (X9c) and A-19 (X10), which are unrestricted and issued on request. Digest, printed pp. 17, 37-38 and 40.
- Premium zone tags — the C zones, the X zones and D12, D14 and D17 — are awarded in the Big Game Drawing. Applications closed at midnight on 2 June 2026; leftover premium tags went on sale at 8 a.m. on 2 July. Digest, printed p. 32.
- Unrestricted zone tags — A, B and most D zones — are issued on request until the quota fills, and several fill early: B zones on 9 August in 2025, D6 on the 13th, D7 on the 19th. Digest, printed p. 41.
- Every zone hunt in California is buck only. The either-sex and antlerless deer hunting is in the area-specific hunts, which are not carried in this app.
- "Hunting and shooting hours for big game, including but not limited to deer, antelope, elk, and bear shall be from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset." Title 14 CCR § 352.
- Report your deer tag within 30 days of taking a deer or by 31 January 2027, whichever comes first; if you were unsuccessful or did not hunt, by 31 January 2027. Failing to report costs a $21.60 non-reporting fee on your next tag or drawing application. Digest, printed pp. 24-25.
General Season Deer
Any legal methodPrinted in 17 columns — check which covers your deer hunt zone.
The main season: any legal method, opening between 8 August in the A zone and 7 November in D12.
3 October to 18 October
Oct 3–18Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
19 September to 25 October
Sep 19 – Oct 25Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
10 October to 8 November
Oct 10 – Nov 8Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
26 September to 1 November
Sep 26 – Nov 1Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
26 September to 25 October
Sep 26 – Oct 25Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
19 September to 12 October
Sep 19 – Oct 12Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
19 September to 1 November
Sep 19 – Nov 1Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
8 August to 20 September
Aug 8 – Sep 20Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
22 August to 27 September
Aug 22 – Sep 27Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
19 September to 18 October
Sep 19 – Oct 18Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
19 September to 4 October
Sep 19 – Oct 4Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
7 November to 29 November
Nov 7–29Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
24 October to 22 November
Oct 24 – Nov 22Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
10 October to 1 November
Oct 10 – Nov 1Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
3 October to 1 November
Oct 3 – Nov 1Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
26 September to 11 October
Sep 26 – Oct 11Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
17 October to 8 November
Oct 17 – Nov 8Antlered only
One buck, forked horn or better, on the tag. Two deer tags a licence year is the statewide maximum.
- "General" in California means any legal method, archery included — a bowhunter may hunt the general season on an ordinary zone tag.
- Nonlead ammunition is required for taking any wildlife anywhere in California, on public and private land alike.
- Premium zone tags — the C zones, the X zones and D12, D14 and D17 — are awarded in the Big Game Drawing. Applications closed at midnight on 2 June 2026; leftover premium tags went on sale at 8 a.m. on 2 July. Digest, printed p. 32.
- Unrestricted zone tags — A, B and most D zones — are issued on request until the quota fills, and several fill early: B zones on 9 August in 2025, D6 on the 13th, D7 on the 19th. Digest, printed p. 41.
- Every zone hunt in California is buck only. The either-sex and antlerless deer hunting is in the area-specific hunts, which are not carried in this app.
- "Hunting and shooting hours for big game, including but not limited to deer, antelope, elk, and bear shall be from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset." Title 14 CCR § 352.
- Report your deer tag within 30 days of taking a deer or by 31 January 2027, whichever comes first; if you were unsuccessful or did not hunt, by 31 January 2027. Failing to report costs a $21.60 non-reporting fee on your next tag or drawing application. Digest, printed pp. 24-25.

New This Season

What changed since last year, and is therefore easiest to get wrong.

Deer tag classification changed for 2026: A19, A22, the B zones, D6 and D9 moved from restricted to unrestricted. Digest, printed p. 9.
Chronic wasting disease has been confirmed in California, and CWD Management Zones with their own sampling and carcass rules may apply to a hunt zone; check wildlife.ca.gov/CWD. Digest, printed pp. 9 and 72.
The digest was reissued on 17 April 2026 — check that any copy you are reading carries that date.

Legal Arms

2026 California Big Game Digest (updated 17 April 2026) weapon specifications, as the digest prints them.

Archery equipment

Digest, printed pp. 5, 15 and 37-40

A bow, during a zone's archery season on that zone's tag.
A bow during the general season too — "general" in California means any legal method.
An Archery Only tag, for archery equipment in both seasons across the A, B and D zones.

An Archery Only tag in any C zone or X zone season.
A crossbow during an archery season, except under a Disabled Archer Permit. Title 14 CCR § 354(g).
A bow drawing less than 30 pounds, or a crossbow drawing less than 125 pounds. Title 14 CCR § 354(f).
Possessing a firearm while hunting an archery season, or while hunting a general season on an Archery Only tag. Title 14 CCR § 354(h).

Any legal method

Digest, printed pp. 15 and 65, and Title 14 CCR § 353

Rifle, shotgun, handgun, muzzleloader, crossbow or bow, during a zone's general season on that zone's tag.

Lead ammunition, anywhere in the state.
Hunting a general season on an Archery Only tag with anything but archery equipment.

Hunting Hours and Orange

What the state defines as legal light, and what has to be worn in it.

Legal Shooting Hours

Title 14 CCR § 352, quoted in the digest

"It is unlawful to hunt big game from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise. Hunting and shooting hours for big game, including but not limited to deer, antelope, elk, and bear shall be from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset." The digest prints no table, so the times here are computed for the pin.

Fluorescent Orange

No hunter orange requirement appears in the 2026 big game digest

California requires no hunter orange of a deer hunter, and the 2026 big game digest does not mention it. Wearing it is still worth doing, particularly in the B and C zones in late September, when the archery and general seasons overlap and the ground is busy.

Sundays

No day-of-week closure appears in the 2026 big game digest

California closes no day of the week to hunting. A zone season that is open is open on Sunday. A handful of area-specific hunts run only on named days — the Lake Sonoma archery hunt is Saturday to Monday — but no zone hunt is.

Standing Rules

The parts of the digest that are true every day of the season.

Two tags, two ways to get them

Digest, printed pp. 15-19 and 32-41

A hunter may hold two deer tags in a licence year. Which hunts each may be used for is not symmetrical.

The first-deer tag application is the only way into a premium hunt — the C zones, the X zones, D12, D14 and D17. The second-deer tag may be used for an unrestricted or a restricted hunt, or for a leftover premium tag from 2 August.

Applicants must be at least 12 years old on or before 1 July of the licence year.
A junior hunter may use a second-deer tag drawing application for an apprentice hunt, and only for that.
Premium applications closed at midnight on 2 June 2026.

Nonlead ammunition

Digest, printed pp. 26 and 65, and Fish and Game Code § 3004.5

Nonlead ammunition is required when taking any wildlife anywhere in California, on public and private land alike. It is not a condor-range rule any more; it is statewide.

Bait

Digest, printed p. 6

It is unlawful to knowingly feed big game mammals (Title 14 CCR § 251.3), and to take game birds or mammals within 400 yards of any baited area (Title 14 CCR § 257.5). Standing crops, croplands and grain scattered solely by normal agricultural operations are not bait.

Tagging and Reporting

The clock that starts the moment the deer is down.

Digest, printed pp. 24-25 and 34

Every deer must be reported within 30 days of taking a deer or by 31 January 2027, whichever comes first; unsuccessful hunters and those who did not hunt by 31 January 2027.

Report every 2026 deer tag, used or unused. Online reporting closes at midnight on 31 January; a mailed card must be postmarked by then.
Report online through your CDFW account, or by mail to CDFW Wildlife Branch, P.O. Box 944209, Sacramento, CA 94244-2090.
Keep the tag attached for 15 days after the season closes, and keep a report card submitted online until 1 March.
Failing to report costs a $21.60 non-reporting fee, charged when you next buy a deer tag or drawing application.

Chronic Wasting Disease

Background, and the rules that apply if you carry a carcass out of a management area.

Digest, printed pp. 9, 26 and 72

"CWD was detected in California for the first time in 2024." CDFW may declare CWD Management Zones with mandatory sampling and carcass-handling requirements; the digest prints none by name and points hunters to wildlife.ca.gov/CWD for the current zones and the rules inside them. Testing of hunter-harvested deer is free.

Know the CWD and regulatory status of your hunt zone before you hunt: where CWD has been detected, additional regulations may apply, and the current requirements are published at wildlife.ca.gov/CWD rather than in the digest.
CDFW tests retropharyngeal lymph nodes from hunter-harvested deer at no cost. Bring the deer, or the head with 4-6 inches of neck attached, to a CDFW sampling station or office, or to a participating meat processor or taxidermist, or collect and submit the sample yourself.
Field process your harvest and leave the guts, backbone and brain where the deer was taken.
Do not import deer or elk brain or spinal cord into California; bring in only clean skull plates or completed taxidermy mounts. The declaration of importation is on printed p. 71.

Where This App Is Coarser Than the Digest

Said plainly, because an absence is easy to read as a permission.

The area-specific hunts are not here. The digest prints roughly sixty G, M, J and numbered A hunts that run on a wildlife area, a military installation or a named deer herd — Goodale, Kern River, Gray Lodge, Ventana Wilderness, Fort Hunter Liggett and the rest. They hold nearly all of California's either-sex and antlerless deer hunting, and their boundaries are prose rather than polygons, so they are left out rather than drawn wrongly.
Tag quotas are not carried, and neither are the dates each quota filled. Both are in the digest on printed pp. 39-41 and both are draw statistics rather than field facts.
The rut date is an estimate. CDFW publishes no peak breeding figure, and California is long enough that a single date is a compromise: its deer breed from late October at the Oregon line to December on the Mexican border.
Zone A is drawn as two polygons in CDFW's own layer, a north unit and a south unit. Both carry zone A's rules and both are labelled A here.
Archery seasons in the C and X zones are separate hunts with their own tag quotas, not something an ordinary zone tag covers — drawn in the Big Game Drawing except A-18 (X9c) and A-19 (X10), which are unrestricted. The dates are carried; the fact that they need their own tag is in the season notes.
A few of the area-specific hunts do run on a zone boundary and are still not carried, because each needs its own drawn tag: G1, a late buck season in zone C4 (24 October to 1 November); G38, a late buck season in zone X10 (17 October to 1 November); G40, a late buck season in the Madera County part of D7 (28 November to 6 December); and J19 and J20, apprentice either-sex hunts in X7a and X7b (3 to 18 October). Digest, printed pp. 34 and 36.
A tag is not always one zone. A B tag is valid in any B zone, a C tag in all four C zones, a D3-5 tag in D3, D4 and D5, and a D11, D13 or D15 tag in any of those three; the groups here are drawn by season dates, so B4 and B6 sit apart from the other B zones although one B tag covers all six. Digest, printed pp. 15, 32 and 41.

Useful Numbers

The agency, when the app cannot answer it.

CDFW licensing: wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing
CalTIP — report a poacher: 1 (888) 334-CALTIP, or text 847411.
Zone maps and boundaries: wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Deer

Transcribed from the published 2026 California digest. Where this app and the digest disagree, the digest is the law. Read the California Department of Fish and Wildlife digest.