California Elk 497
San Luis Reservoir - General Methods - Either Sex in San Luis Reservoir — Tule Elk Hunt, any legal weapon, Oct 4–26, 2025. 8% public land, mostly Other public.
Your odds at 0 points · 2025 draw
about 1 in 958
Years to draw on points: —
- Tags
- 5
- Applicants
- 958
- Success
- 80%
First-choice nonresidents; nonresidents capped at 1 tag statewide. Success: Tule hunters, 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
Closes Jun 2 · 227 daysThe $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).
- Opens
- Apr 15, 2027
- Closes
- Jun 2, 2027
- Results
- about Jun 15
Next application window: Open Apr 15 – Jun 2, 2027 (expected). Dates are last cycle's, rolled forward until California Department of Fish and Wildlife publishes 2027.
▸ 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 · 2025 Draw
| Points | Chance | Applied | Drew |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–22 ← you | <1% (small sample) random pass only | 904 | — |
| 23 | 40% (small sample) | 10 | — |
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, 497 drew no one in 2025, so lower-choice odds are left out.
Draw results: CDFW 2025 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 2, retrieved Sep 1, 2026.
How It Hunted, 2022
| Who | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tule | 5 | 4 | 80% |
| All of San Luis Reservoir · tule | 5 | 4 | — |
Adding up California Department of Fish and Wildlife's published lines for San Luis Reservoir gives 5 hunters and 4 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 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 958 | 191.6 | — | 1 tag of 958 | CDFW 2025 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 2 |
| 2024 | 5 | 1,085 | 217 | — | 1 tag of 1,085 | CDFW 2024 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 2 |
| 2023 | 5 | 1,117 | 223.4 | — | 1 tag of 1,117 | CDFW 2023 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 2 |
| 2022 | 5 | 1,146 | 229.2 | — | 1 tag of 1,146 | CDFW 2022 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 2 |
| 2021 | 5 | 1,113 | 222.6 | — | 1 tag of 1,113 | CDFW 2021 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 2 |
| 2020 | 5 | 1,066 | 213.2 | — | 1 tag of 1,066 | CDFW 2020 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 5 |
| 2019 | 5 | 983 | 196.6 | — | 1 tag of 983 | CDFW 2019 Big Game Drawing Bighorn Sheep, p. 1 |
| 2018 | 5 | 926 | 185.2 | — | 1 tag of 926 | CDFW 2018 Elk, Pronghorn Antelope and Bighorn…, p. 1 |
| 2017 | 5 | 1,002 | 200.4 | — | 1 tag of 1,002 | CDFW 2017 Elk, Pronghorn Antelope and Bighorn…, p. 1 |
▸ 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 15
- CDFW 2025 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 2 · draw results, seasons, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- CDFW 2024 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 2 · earlier draws, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- CDFW 2023 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 2 · earlier draws, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- CDFW 2022 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 2 · earlier draws, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- CDFW 2021 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 2 · earlier draws, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- CDFW 2020 Elk Tag Drawing Statistics, p. 5 · 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 2025 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.
Report an error on this page
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