California Elk — La Panza
La Panza Tule Elk Hunt
California La Panza covers 1,656,847 acres and lies 33 miles north-east of Santa Maria and 61 miles west of Bakersfield. 33% of it is public land, mostly BLM (17%) and national forest (10%). In 2021, 22 people hunted elk here and took 19 — 86% of them killed something. The 2025 draw put up 6 tags here for 145 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in La Panza, 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-
1% Point builder
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6% Point builder
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1% Point builder
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<1% Point builder
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<1% Point builder
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<1% Point builder
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3% Point builder
| Hunt | Your odds (0 pts) | Points needed | Tags / applicants | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 385 ↗ La Panza - Archery - Bull Archery | 1% Point builder | — | 5 / 98 | Sep 1–30, 2025 |
| 386 ↗ La Panza - Archery - Antlerless Archery | 6% Point builder | — | 5 / 16 | Sep 1–30, 2025 |
| 417 ↗ La Panza Period 1 - General Methods - Antlerless Rifle | 1% Point builder | — | 5 / 91 | Oct 11 – Nov 2, 2025 |
| 418 ↗ La Panza Period 2 - General Methods - Antlerless Rifle | <1% Point builder | — | 6 / 145 | Nov 8–30, 2025 |
| 419 ↗ La Panza Period 1 - General Methods - Bull Rifle | <1% Point builder | — | 6 / 485 | Oct 11 – Nov 2, 2025 |
| 420 ↗ La Panza Period 2 - General Methods - Bull Rifle | <1% Point builder | — | 6 / 371 | Nov 8–30, 2025 |
| 464 ↗ La Panza Period 1 Apprentice - General Methods - Antlerless Rifle | 3% Point builder | — | 1 / 40 | Oct 11 – Nov 2, 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 | $227.94 | $227.94 | $2,053.79 |
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
- BLM 287,507 ac · 17%
- National Forest 171,425 ac · 10%
- State land 52,746 ac · 3%
- Other public 29,967 ac · 2%
- County or city land 7,541 ac · 0%
- National Wildlife Refuge 143 ac · 0%
- Private or other non-public land 1,107,515 ac · 67%
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. California Department of Fish and Wildlife publishes these per hunt rather than per unit; the rows below add its own figures together, since a hunter holds one tag for the species in a season.
All elk
| Season | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 22 | 19 | 86% |
Tule
| Season | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 21 | 19 | 90% |
Boundary: Elk Hunt Zones [ds786]
Harvest: 2022 Elk Harvest Statistics
Harvest: 2021 Elk Harvest Success Rates