California Deer — Zone X3A
California Zone X3A covers 981,279 acres and lies 167 miles north of Roseville. 53% of it is public land, mostly national forest (32%) and BLM (19%). In 2025, hunters took 209 deer here. The 2025 draw put up 354 tags here for 1,714 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every deer license type on offer in Zone X3A, with the prior-draw chance for a first-choice nonresident applicant. Type your points in to see your own number.
Chances are from the 2025 draw (the most recent) for a first-choice nonresident. "Points needed" = the cut in the last draw.
Simple view Odds at every point level-
5% Point builder
-
3% Point builder
| Hunt | Your odds (0 pts) | Points needed | Tags / applicants | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A5 ↗ Archery Hunt In Zone X3A - Buck Archery | 5% Point builder | — | 40 / 110 | Aug 16 – Sep 7, 2025 |
| X3A ↗ Zone X3A General Season - Buck Rifle | 3% Point builder | — | 354 / 1,714 | Oct 4–19, 2025 |
What these columns mean
- Your odds —
- the share of applicants at your point level who drew this tag in the 2025 draw. Not a forecast: quotas and demand move every year.
- The badge —
- plain language for that number. Likely draw 75% or better · Real chance 40%+ · Long shot 15%+ · Point builder below that, so you are applying mainly to bank a point · Undersubscribed means fewer first-choice applicants than tags, so everyone who applied drew.
- Points needed —
- the lowest point total that still got a tag in the 2025 draw, and how that cut has moved since the earliest draw we hold.
- Tags / applicants —
- tags on offer and first-choice applicants for them, as the agency published them. Under five tags we print counts instead of a percentage, because one applicant either way swings it.
What it costs to apply (2025 nonresident fees)
| License | Up front | Gone if you miss | If you draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per application | $588.01 | $588.01 | $588.01 |
Application window: opens Apr 15, closes Jun 2, 2027 (expected). Full fee breakdown.
The country
Boundaries are drawn for orientation only — the written boundary description in the regulations governs.
Who owns the ground
- National Forest 309,842 ac · 32%
- BLM 189,740 ac · 19%
- State land 18,268 ac · 2%
- National Wildlife Refuge 678 ac · 0%
- Other public 122 ac · 0%
- County or city land 75 ac · 0%
- Private or other non-public land 462,550 ac · 47%
Source: California Protected Areas Database (CPAD) 2026a -- Holdings by Agency Classification
How the hunting has gone
What California Department of Fish and Wildlife publishes for this area after each season — harvest statistics for everyone who hunted it, not draw odds and not a forecast.
| Season | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 209 | 63% |
| 2024 | 174 | 52% |
| 2023 | 132 | 39% |
| 2022 | 150 | 43% |
| 2021 | 191 | 48% |
Boundary: Deer Hunt Zones - Title 14, Section 360 [ds342]
Harvest: 2025 California Deer Harvest Statistics
Harvest: 2024 California Deer Harvest Statistics