California Elk 371
Independence Period 3 - General Methods - Bull in Independence — Owens Valley Tule Elk Hunt, any legal weapon, Oct 21–29, 2023. 99% public land, mostly County or city land.
No longer drawn. The last draw was 2023.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife held its 2025 elk draw without 371. The odds, costs and history below are that record, not an offer.
Your odds at 0 points · 2023 draw
about 1 in 272
Years to draw on points: —
- Tags
- 1
- Applicants
- 272
- Success
- 100%
First-choice nonresidents; nonresidents capped at 1 tag statewide. Success: Tule (hunt 1 of 5) hunter, 2022.
Points Needed to Draw
No cut was published in enough years to chart one.
Insufficient history (0 of 3 draws) — a creep trend needs at least three draw years with a published drew-out level.
What It Costs · 2025 NR Fees
The $8.13 Elk Tag Drawing Application is not refunded. The $219.81 nonresident hunting license is not refunded. Drawing adds the $1,825.85 nonresident elk tag (paid only if drawn).
▸ Every Fee, With Sources
- Elk Tag Drawing Application · paid at application $8.13 CDFW 2025 Big Game Hunting Digest
- Nonresident hunting license · paid at application $219.81 CDFW 2025 Big Game Hunting Digest
- Nonresident elk tag (paid only if drawn) · paid if drawn, refundable $1,825.85 CDFW 2025 Big Game Hunting Digest
Details
Odds by Point Level · 2023 Draw
| Points | Chance | Applied | Drew |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–21 ← you | <1% (small sample) random pass only | 268 | — |
Points pass + random pass, from published pools. A dash means California Department of Fish and Wildlife did not publish a count for that level. California runs a second, random pass after the points pass. As a lower choice, 371 drew no one in 2023, so lower-choice odds are left out.
Draw results: CDFW 2023 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 1, retrieved Sep 1, 2026.
How It Hunted, 2022
| Who | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tule (hunt 1 of 5) | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Tule (hunt 2 of 5) | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Tule (hunt 3 of 5) | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Tule (hunt 4 of 5) | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Tule (hunt 5 of 5) | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| All of Independence · tule | 5 | 3 | — |
Adding up California Department of Fish and Wildlife's published lines for Independence gives 5 hunters and 3 tule taken in 2022 (sum of published hunt rows). The first rows are hunters holding this license type; the rest of the area's hunters held something else. Post-season survey, not draw statistics. Source: CDFW 2022 Elk Harvest Statistics; CDFW 2021 Elk Harvest Success Rates.
▸ Year-by-Year Numbers 7 draws
The standard draw for nonresidents, one row per year. California runs a second, random pass after the points pass; it is shown beside the year it belongs to.
| Year | Tags | Applicants | Per Tag | Points Needed | Random Pass | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | 272 | 272 | — | 1 tag of 272 | CDFW 2023 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 1 |
| 2022 | 1 | 327 | 327 | — | 1 tag of 327 | CDFW 2022 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 1 |
| 2021 | 1 | 327 | 327 | — | 1 tag of 327 | CDFW 2021 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 1 |
| 2020 | 1 | 333 | 333 | — | 1 tag of 333 | CDFW 2020 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 3 |
| 2019 | 1 | 431 | 431 | — | 1 tag of 431 | CDFW 2019 Big Game Drawing Bighorn Sheep, p. 1 |
| 2018 | 1 | 265 | 265 | — | 1 tag of 265 | CDFW 2018 Elk, Pronghorn Antelope and Bighorn…, p. 1 |
| 2017 | 1 | 355 | 355 | — | 1 tag of 355 | CDFW 2017 Elk, Pronghorn Antelope and Bighorn…, p. 1 |
Other Licenses Valid in Independence
- 367 Independence Period 1 - Muzzleloader - Bull Sep 13–28 · 1 tag · 211 applied <1% (small sample)
- 368 Independence Period 2 - General Methods - Antlerless Oct 4–12 · 1 tag · 94 applied 1% (small sample)
- 369 Independence Period 2 - General Methods - Bull Oct 4–12 · 1 tag · 533 applied <1% (small sample)
- 370 Independence Period 3 - General Methods - Antlerless Oct 18–26 · 1 tag · 105 applied <1% (small sample)
- 372 Independence Period 4 - General Methods - Antlerless Nov 2–10 · 1 tag · 97 applied 1% (small sample)
Odds at your points, nonresident. * fewer than 5 tags.
▸ Legal Cartridges 23 on file for California elk
23 cartridges on file are legal for elk with a rifle in California (this license takes any legal weapon). Rules and sources: California hunting laws.
▸ Sources 13
- CDFW 2023 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 1 · draw results, seasons, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- CDFW 2022 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 1 · earlier draws, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- CDFW 2021 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 1 · earlier draws, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- CDFW 2020 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 3 · earlier draws, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- CDFW 2019 Big Game Drawing Bighorn Sheep, p. 1 · earlier draws, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- CDFW 2018 Elk, Pronghorn Antelope and Bighorn…, p. 1 · earlier draws, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- CDFW 2017 Elk, Pronghorn Antelope and Bighorn…, p. 1 · earlier draws, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- CDFW 2026 Big Game Hunting Digest draw rules, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- CDFW 2025 Big Game Hunting Digest fees, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- CDFW 2022 Elk Harvest Statistics harvest, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- CDFW 2021 Elk Harvest Success Rates harvest, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- CDFW 2023 Elk Hunt Zones boundary, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- GreenInfo Network 2026 Protected Areas Database a land ownership, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
About These Numbers
Odds are from the 2023 draw, the latest on file, computed from California Department of Fish and Wildlife's published results (points pass + random pass, from published pools). They are what happened in that draw, not a forecast. Under five tags a percentage carries a *, because one applicant either way swings it. A dash means the agency did not publish the number, and a date marked expected is last cycle's schedule rolled forward. How we compute these.
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We don't take applications: check California Department of Fish and Wildlife's site and apply there.
Prior-draw odds from California Department of Fish and Wildlife's results, not a forecast · Methodology · All California elk hunts