California has the longest deer calendar in the West. Archery opens in the A zone in mid-July, and the last general seasons in the southern D zones run to the end of November. Dates are set by zone, so the first thing to know is which zone your tag is for.

2026 California deer season dates

These are CDFW’s approved 2026 dates. The 2027 dates will be set next spring, but they usually follow the same pattern.

Zone	Archery season	General season
A	July 11 – August 2	August 8 – September 20
B1, B2, B3, B5	August 15 – September 6	September 19 – October 25
B4	July 25 – August 16	August 22 – September 27
B6	August 15 – September 6	September 19 – October 18
C1 – C4	August 15 – August 30 or September 6 (separate archery hunt A1)	September 19 – October 4, 18, or 25, by zone
D3 – D5	August 15 – September 6	September 26 – November 1
D6, D7	August 15 – September 6	September 19 – November 1
D8, D9, D10	August 15 – September 6	September 26 – October 25
D11, D13, D14, D15	September 5 – 27	October 10 – November 8
D12	October 3 – 25	November 7 – 29
D16	September 5 – 27	October 24 – November 22
D17	September 5 – 27	October 10 – November 1
D19	September 5 – 27	October 3 – November 1
Most X zones	Separate archery hunts, mostly August 15 – September 6	October 3 – 18
X8, X10	Separate archery hunts	September 26 – October 11
X9a, X9b, X12	Separate archery hunts	September 19 – October 12
X9c	Separate archery hunt	October 17 – November 8

Archery dates for the C and X zones belong to separate archery-only hunts with their own tags. Muzzleloader, general methods, apprentice, and private-land (PLM) hunts have their own dates too. The Big Game Hunting Digest lists every hunt.

What each season is like

A zone (July and August)

The A zone is a hot-weather hunt. Archery starts in July and rifle season opens in early August, when the coastal hills are dry and the temperatures often hit the 90s or higher. Deer are in their summer pattern, bedding in shade and feeding early and late. Meat care is the big issue. Plan to get a deer skinned and cooled within hours.

B zones (September and October)

Most B zone rifle seasons open in mid-September and run into late October. Early season bucks are high in the timber. Later in October, the first storms and the start of the rut get bucks moving. The B4 zone runs about a month earlier than the rest of the B zones.

D zones (September to November)

The northern and central D zones open in late September and run to around November 1. The southern D zones open in October and run into November, and D12 doesn’t open until November. In the Sierra, the first snow can push mule deer down toward winter range late in the season.

X zones (mostly October)

X zone general seasons are short, usually about two weeks in October. That is when migratory mule deer start moving off summer range. Weather plays a big role. A storm can move deer quickly.

Archery seasons

Bowhunters get the earliest seasons in every zone. The statewide Archery Only tag lets you hunt the A, B, and D zones during both their archery and general seasons, using archery equipment only. That means one tag can cover a long stretch of the year if you’re willing to travel between zones.

How to pick your season

• Want to hunt in summer? A zone archery in July or the A zone general season in August.
• Want a classic fall blacktail hunt? A B zone in October.
• Want mule deer on the move? An X zone or a late D zone in October and November.
• Want to stretch one tag? The Archery Only tag across the A, B, and D zones.
• Going with an outfitter? Ask which weeks they have the best success. Ranch outfitters often book the opening weeks first.

Key license dates for 2026

• Big Game Drawing applications: April 15 – June 2
• Drawing results: on or around June 15
• New license year starts: July 1
• Leftover premium tags on sale: July 2, 8 a.m.
• Tag report deadline: within 30 days of a kill or January 31, whichever comes first

Read our step-by-step guide to the California deer draw

Related: How California draw points work · Draw odds by unit · California Deer Hunting Guide · Zone tags explained · Cost of a California deer hunt

Season dates are CDFW’s approved 2026 deer seasons by zone. Confirm the dates for your zone or hunt in the current CDFW Big Game Hunting Digest.