California publishes deer harvest in a form FDR could rank for 44 hunt units. Zone B3 is highest at 1.2 deer harvested per square mile in 2025. Zone B2 has 0.94 in 2025 and Zone D3 has 0.68 in 2025. For success rate Zone X6A leads at 77% in 2025 and Zone X5B has 68% in 2025. Harvest in a hunt unit includes private land, so the public share is shown next to each unit. The rankings describe reported harvest and do not measure access or hunting pressure.
KEY FINDINGS
- Zone B3 has the highest harvest per square mile at 1.2. The agency reported 1,222 deer on 668,805 acres in 2025.
- Zone X6A has the best success rate at 77%. Its harvest per square mile ranks 21 of 44.
- 44 hunt units are ranked. Ranks compare areas measured in 2025 and each row shows its own newest year.
California public land rankings
Best public land in California
Derived FDR figures from state agency numbers. Season measured 2025. Captured October 19, 2026. Harvest per square mile is the agency's deer harvest divided by the area's size. Success rate is the agency's published rate or harvest divided by hunters. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Order uses the unrounded values and tied values share a rank. Blank cells mean the agency did not publish the figure.
Download all ranked rows (CSV)
Hunt units
Top 15 of 44 ranked hunt units by deer harvest per square mile. Hunt units include private land, so the public share column shows how much of each unit is public land open to hunting.
15 of 44 hunt units shown
| 1 | Zone B3 | 668,805 | 2025 | 1,222 | 1.2 | 437.5 | 41.9% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Zone B2 | 2,424,052 | 2025 | 3,565 | 0.94 | 2,826.7 | 74.6% | ||
| 3 | Zone D3 | 2,373,180 | 2025 | 2,509 | 0.68 | 1,493.5 | 40.3% | ||
| 4 | Zone B1 | 3,939,158 | 2025 | 3,992 | 0.65 | 2,687.1 | 43.7% | ||
| 5 | Zone B5 | 1,307,793 | 2025 | 1,309 | 0.64 | 499.2 | 24.4% | ||
| 6 | Zone D5 | 3,033,542 | 2025 | 2,484 | 0.52 | 1,359.8 | 28.7% | ||
| 7 | Zone C2 | 575,373 | 2025 | 455 | 0.51 | 432.8 | 48.1% | ||
| 8 | Zone B6 | 1,362,076 | 2025 | 955 | 0.45 | 1,327.5 | 62.4% | ||
| 9 | Zone C3 | 836,050 | 2025 | 585 | 0.45 | 239.7 | 18.3% | ||
| 10 | Zone D4 | 1,441,510 | 2025 | 905 | 0.40 | 559.6 | 24.8% | ||
| 11 | Zone D7 | 2,374,009 | 2025 | 1,300 | 0.35 | 14% | 24 | 1,907.0 | 51.4% |
| 12 | Zone B4 | 596,297 | 2025 | 296 | 0.32 | 133.0 | 14.3% | ||
| 13 | Zone C1 | 580,616 | 2025 | 284 | 0.31 | 214.3 | 23.6% | ||
| 14 | Zone C4 | 2,424,678 | 2025 | 1,129 | 0.30 | 1,253.3 | 33.1% | ||
| 15 | Zone D14 | 1,080,323 | 2025 | 503 | 0.30 | 17% | 20 | 923.8 | 54.7% |
Top 10 by success rate
10 of 31 hunt units with a success rate shown
| 21 | Zone X6A | 719,030 | 2025 | 247 | 0.22 | 77% | 1 | 629.2 | 56.0% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Zone X5B | 593,883 | 2025 | 30 | 0.032 | 68% | 2 | 678.3 | 73.1% |
| 33 | Zone X5A | 342,655 | 2025 | 47 | 0.088 | 68% | 3 | 393.4 | 73.5% |
| 27 | Zone X3A | 971,852 | 2025 | 209 | 0.14 | 63% | 4 | 801.3 | 52.8% |
| 34 | Zone X9A | 1,194,563 | 2025 | 160 | 0.086 | 63% | 5 | 1,773.9 | 95.0% |
| 23 | Zone X12 | 654,249 | 2025 | 193 | 0.19 | 59% | 6 | 888.8 | 86.9% |
| 22 | Zone X6B | 437,746 | 2025 | 134 | 0.20 | 48% | 7 | 520.7 | 76.1% |
| 39 | Zone X2 | 918,767 | 2025 | 78 | 0.054 | 47% | 8 | 1,138.1 | 79.3% |
| 28 | Zone X1 | 1,816,451 | 2025 | 331 | 0.12 | 46% | 9 | 1,696.0 | 59.8% |
| 25 | Zone X4 | 684,568 | 2025 | 173 | 0.16 | 37% | 10 | 678.7 | 63.5% |
01Hunt units
44 hunt units ranked on harvest per square mile
Zone B3 has the most deer harvested per square mile at 1.2 in 2025. Zone B2 has 0.94 in 2025 and Zone D3 has 0.68 in 2025.
The public share is the part of each unit that is public land open to hunting.
02Success rate
Top 10 hunt units by success rate
Zone X6A has the best success rate at 77% in 2025. Zone X5B has 68% in 2025 and Zone X5A has 68% in 2025.
Success rate is the agency's published figure or harvest divided by hunters. 31 of the 44 ranked units have one and the rest are left blank.
03Basis of this report
Sources and method
FDR divided the agency's deer harvest by the area's size to get harvest per square mile. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Ranks compare areas measured in 2025 and each row shows its own newest year.
California figures are the agency's estimated deer take for each general-season deer zone. Hunts the agency lists apart from the zones are not added in. These include the G, M and J hunts and statewide tags.
Success rate is the agency's published figure or harvest divided by hunters. Tied values share a rank and the order uses the unrounded values.
A ranking does not evaluate an individual property and does not confirm that it is open to hunting for you.
Sources
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Derived FDR figures from state agency numbers. Season measured 2025. Captured October 19, 2026. Harvest per square mile is the agency's deer harvest divided by the area's size. Success rate is the agency's published rate or harvest divided by hunters. Areas smaller than one square mile are left out of the rankings. Order uses the unrounded values and tied values share a rank. Blank cells mean the agency did not publish the figure.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. FDR rankings are independent analysis of state agency numbers. A ranking does not evaluate an individual property.
Keep reading
FDR Scout puts research like this on the map of the ground you hunt. Open Scout →