California · Deer · 2026 Edition
California Deer Season 2026: Dates, Zones & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons by method
| Method | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | A (South Unit 110, North Unit 160) | Jul 11 – Aug 2 |
| General | A (South Unit 110, North Unit 160) | Aug 8 – Sep 20 |
| Archery | B-4 | Jul 25 – Aug 16 |
| General | B-4 | Aug 22 – Sep 27 |
| Archery | B-1, B-2, B-3, B-5 | Aug 15 – Sep 6 |
| General | B-1, B-2, B-3, B-5 | Sep 19 – Oct 25 |
| Archery | B-6 | Aug 15 – Sep 6 |
| General | B-6 | Sep 19 – Oct 18 |
| General | C-1 | Sep 19 – Oct 18 |
| General | C-2, C-3 | Sep 19 – Oct 25 |
| General | C-4 | Sep 19 – Oct 4 |
| Archery | D-3, D-4, D-5 | Aug 15 – Sep 6 |
| General | D-3, D-4, D-5 | Sep 26 – Nov 1 |
| Archery | D-6, D-7 | Aug 15 – Sep 6 |
| General | D-6, D-7 | Sep 19 – Nov 1 |
| Archery | D-8, D-9, D-10 | Aug 15 – Sep 6 |
| General | D-8, D-9, D-10 | Sep 26 – Oct 25 |
| Archery | D-11, D-13, D-14, D-15 | Sep 5 – Sep 27 |
| General | D-11, D-13, D-14, D-15 | Oct 10 – Nov 8 |
| Archery | D-12 | Oct 3 – Oct 25 |
| General | D-12 | Nov 7 – Nov 29 |
| Archery | D-16 | Sep 5 – Sep 27 |
| General | D-16 | Oct 24 – Nov 22 |
| Archery | D-17 | Sep 5 – Sep 27 |
| General | D-17 | Oct 10 – Nov 1 |
| Archery | D-19 | Sep 5 – Sep 27 |
| General | D-19 | Oct 3 – Nov 1 |
| General (drawn) | X-1, X-2, X-3a, X-3b, X-4, X-5a, X-5b, X-6a, X-6b, X-7a, X-7b | Oct 3 – Oct 18 |
| General (drawn) | X-8, X-10 | Sep 26 – Oct 11 |
| General (drawn) | X-9a, X-9b, X-12 | Sep 19 – Oct 12 |
| General (drawn) | X-9c | Oct 17 – Nov 8 |
02 — Bag limits
| All zones (A, B, C, D, X) | One buck, forked horn (per T14 CCR §351(a)) or better, per tag. |
|---|---|
| Tag quotas (general zones) | A: 65,000. B group total: 35,000. C group total: 8,150. D-3/D-4/D-5 group: 33,000. D-6: 10,000. D-7: 9,000. D-8: 8,000. D-9: 2,000. D-10: 700. D-11: 5,500. D-12: 950. D-13: 4,000. D-14: 3,000. D-15: 1,500. D-16: 3,000. D-17: 500. D-19: 1,500. |
| Tag quotas (X zones — drawn) | X-1: 760. X-2: 190. X-3a: 355. X-3b: 500. X-4: 480. X-5a: 75. X-5b: 50. X-6a: 330. X-6b: 310. X-7a: 230. X-7b: 135. X-8: 210. X-9a: 270. X-9b: 230. X-9c: 325. X-10: 400. X-12: 350. |
| CWD Management Zone | X-9b, X-9c, D-7 and hunt G-3: mandatory CWD sample submission to CDFW within 10 days of harvest. |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (July 11, 2026) 05:18 — 20:47
Rule: One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset — California Code of Regulations Title 14 § 352 sets this for big game 'including but not limited to deer, antelope, elk, and bear'. CDFW notes the times run off sunrise/sunset AT THE HUNTER'S LOCATION, so published times from elsewhere in the state do not apply.. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local California sun times for any other date.
04 — License
A California hunting license and deer permit are required. Costs, age rules and where to buy are on our license page below.
California hunting license cost & deer permits →
Where to hunt public land in California — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — Scouting gear
Scouting a property before California's opener usually means glassing terrain and running a trail camera through the summer and early fall.
- Hunting binoculars on Amazon →
- Trail cameras on Amazon →
- Trail camera SD cards — class, capacity & format explained →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These are category links, not a single named pick — we run no product tests of our own.
06 — FAQ
When does deer season start in California?
The earliest 2026 opener is July 11, 2026 — Archery, limited to A (South Unit 110, North Unit 160). Other weapons and zones start later — see the table above.
When does deer season end in California?
The latest 2026 closing date is November 29, 2026. Individual methods and zones close on their own dates.
When does bow season start for deer in California?
Archery opens July 11, 2026 (A (South Unit 110, North Unit 160)). Later segments may follow — see the seasons table.
How many deer can you shoot in California?
2026 bag limits: All zones (A, B, C, D, X) — One buck, forked horn (per T14 CCR §351(a)) or better, per tag. Tag quotas (general zones) — A: 65,000. B group total: 35,000. C group total: 8,150. D-3/D-4/D-5 group: 33,000. D-6: 10,000. D-7: 9,000. D-8: 8,000. D-9: 2,000. D-10: 700. D-11: 5,500. D-12: 950. D-13: 4,000. D-14: 3,000. D-15: 1,500. D-16: 3,000. D-17: 500. D-19: 1,500. Tag quotas (X zones — drawn) — X-1: 760. X-2: 190. X-3a: 355. X-3b: 500. X-4: 480. X-5a: 75. X-5b: 50. X-6a: 330. X-6b: 310. X-7a: 230. X-7b: 135. X-8: 210. X-9a: 270. X-9b: 230. X-9c: 325. X-10: 400. X-12: 350. CWD Management Zone — X-9b, X-9c, D-7 and hunt G-3: mandatory CWD sample submission to CDFW within 10 days of harvest. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting deer in California?
On opening day (July 11, 2026) legal light runs 05:18 to 20:47. The rule is: One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset — California Code of Regulations Title 14 § 352 sets this for big game 'including but not limited to deer, antelope, elk, and bear'. CDFW notes the times run off sunrise/sunset AT THE HUNTER'S LOCATION, so published times from elsewhere in the state do not apply. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local California sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt deer on my own land in California without a license?
No — California requires a hunting license regardless of land ownership. The one landowner-specific carve-out is a narrow depredation-permit process for wild pigs causing damage, which is not a general hunting license.
Verified · California Department of Fish and Wildlife · Last verified 2026-08-16
Publisher's note. IMPORTANT: California has NO white-tailed deer season. These are mule deer, Columbian black-tailed deer, and California mule deer. Dates below are from the 'Approved 2026 Deer Seasons by Zone' (CDFW). The zone table gaps (no D-1/D-2/D-18, no X-11) are in the source, not omissions. Zone tag validity: B tags valid in any B zone; C tags valid in any C zone (general season only); D3-5 tags interchangeable within D-3/D-4/D-5; D-11/D-13/D-15 tags cross-valid. X zones are drawn (lottery). Archery-only hunts A-1 (C zones) and A-3 to A-20 (X zones) have calendar dates not printed in the zone table — the booklet gives only rule-based descriptions (e.g. 'third Saturday in August + 23 consecutive days'); those rows are omitted rather than calculated. CWD Management Zone: X-9b, X-9c, D-7 plus additional hunt G-3 require mandatory CWD sample submission within 10 days of harvest. Additional G-/J-series hunts (apprentice, junior, antlerless) not captured.