Elk season in California runs Oct 3 – Oct 25 across 46 Zones.
| Zone | Type | Dates | Harvest | Pressure | Public |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | General | Sep 2 — Sep 24 | — | — | — |
| Zone 1 | General | Sep 2 — Sep 24 | — | — | — |
| Zone 1 | General | Sep 2 — Sep 24 | — | — | — |
| Zone 10 | General | Aug 11 — Aug 14 | — | — | — |
| Zone 10 | General | Aug 11 — Aug 14 | — | — | — |
| Zone 10 | General | Aug 13 — Aug 16 | — | — | — |
| Zone 10 | General | Aug 13 — Aug 16 | — | — | — |
| Zone 10 | General | Sep 3 — Sep 6 | — | — | — |
| Zone 10 | General | Sep 8 — Sep 11 | — | — | — |
| Zone 10 | General | Sep 10 — Sep 13 | — | — | — |
| Zone 10 | General | Sep 15 — Sep 18 | — | — | — |
| Zone 10 | General | Sep 17 — Sep 20 | — | — | — |
| Zone 10 | General | Sep 22 — Sep 25 | — | — | — |
| Zone 10 | General | Sep 22 — Sep 25 | — | — | — |
| Zone 12 | General | Oct 10 — Oct 26 | — | — | — |
| Zone 13 | General | Oct 3 — Oct 25 | — | — | — |
| Zone 14 | General | Nov 14 — Dec 6 | — | — | — |
| Zone 14 | General | Nov 14 — Dec 6 | — | — | — |
| Zone 15 | General | Oct 3 — Dec 1 | — | — | — |
| Zone 15 | General | Oct 3 — Dec 1 | — | — | — |
| Zone 16 | General | Nov 21 — Nov 29 | — | — | — |
| Zone 16 | General | Dec 22 — Jan 3 | — | — | — |
| Zone 16 | General | Dec 22 — Jan 3 | — | — | — |
| Zone 16 | General | Dec 22 — Jan 3 | — | — | — |
| Zone 17 | General | Oct 10 — Nov 1 | — | — | — |
+ 113 more
| Zone | Type | Dates | Harvest | Pressure | Public |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 15 | Archery | Sep 1 — Sep 30 | — | — | — |
| Zone 15 | Archery | Sep 1 — Sep 30 | — | — | — |
| Zone 16 | Archery | Aug 1 — Aug 9 | — | — | — |
| Zone 16 | Archery | Nov 7 — Nov 15 | — | — | — |
| Zone 17 | Archery | Sep 1 — Sep 30 | — | — | — |
| Zone 17 | Archery | Sep 1 — Sep 30 | — | — | — |
| Zone 19 | Archery | Aug 8 — Aug 16 | — | — | — |
| Zone 22 | Archery | Sep 12 — Sep 27 | — | — | — |
| Zone 23 | Archery | Aug 8 — Aug 16 | — | — | — |
| Zone 24 | Archery | Aug 8 — Aug 16 | — | — | — |
| Zone 25 | Archery | Sep 12 — Sep 27 | — | — | — |
| Zone 26 | Archery | Aug 8 — Aug 16 | — | — | — |
| Zone 26 | Archery | Sep 12 — Sep 27 | — | — | — |
| Zone 26 | Archery | Sep 12 — Sep 27 | — | — | — |
| Zone 3 | Archery | Aug 26 — Sep 8 | — | — | — |
| Zone 4 | Archery | Sep 2 — Sep 13 | — | — | — |
| Bishop Zone | Archery | Aug 8 — Aug 16 | — | — | — |
| Central Coast | Archery | Sep 1 — Sep 30 | — | — | — |
| Central Coast | Archery | Sep 1 — Sep 30 | — | — | — |
| Fort Hunter Liggett | Archery | Aug 1 — Aug 9 | — | — | — |
| Fort Hunter Liggett | Archery | Nov 7 — Nov 15 | — | — | — |
| Goodale Zone | Archery | Aug 8 — Aug 16 | — | — | — |
| Independence Zone | Archery | Aug 8 — Aug 16 | — | — | — |
| La Panza | Archery | Sep 1 — Sep 30 | — | — | — |
| La Panza | Archery | Sep 1 — Sep 30 | — | — | — |
+ 6 more
| Zone | Type | Dates | Harvest | Pressure | Public |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 19 | Muzzleloader | Sep 12 — Sep 27 | — | — | — |
| Zone 23 | Muzzleloader | Sep 12 — Sep 27 | — | — | — |
| Bishop Zone | Muzzleloader | Sep 12 — Sep 27 | — | — | — |
| Independence Zone | Muzzleloader | Sep 12 — Sep 27 | — | — | — |
| Zone | Type | Dates | Harvest | Pressure | Public |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2 | Muzzleloader_archery | Oct 31 — Nov 8 | — | — | — |
| Marble Mountains | Muzzleloader_archery | Oct 31 — Nov 8 | — | — | — |
Elk season in California currently runs Oct 3 to Oct 25, across 175 season rows and 46 Zones, split by weapon (General, Archery, Muzzleloader, Muzzleloader_archery).
The best Zones for elk in California depend on harvest success and public-land access, both shown per Zone above. Compare units before you apply for a tag or plan your hunt.
View Zone boundaries, public land, and walk-in access areas on our interactive map.
Also see California seasons, public land, and license.