California Elk Hunting 2025

Application Deadlines Non-Resident Fees Resident Fees Big Game Season Dates Draw Result Dates State Contact Information

June 2, 2025

UP-FRONT FEES
Adult Hunting License	$219.81
Junior Hunting License	$16.46
Application Fee per Species (Sheep, Elk, and Antelope)	$8.13
Deer Permit (90% Refundable if Unsuccessful)	$368.20
POST DRAW FEES (IF SUCCESSFUL)
Bighorn Sheep Permit	$1,986.75
Elk Permit	$1,825.85
Antelope Permit	$613.60
Bear Permit (OTC)	$387.85
Wild Pig Permit Validation	$98.85

UP-FRONT FEES
Adult Hunting License	$62.90
Junior Hunting License	$16.46
Application Fee per Species (Sheep, Elk, and Antelope)	$8.13
Deer Permit (90% Refundable if Unsuccessful)	$41.30
POST DRAW FEES (IF SUCCESSFUL)
Bighorn Sheep Permit	$571.90
Elk Permit	$595.25
Antelope Permit	$200.62
Bear Permit (OTC)	$61.30
Wild Pig Permit Validation	$27.57

CALIFORNIA DEER SEASON DATES
Archery	Jul - Sep 2025 (varies by unit/zone)
Rifle	Aug – Nov, 2025 (varies by unit/zone)
CALIFORNIA ELK SEASON DATES
Rifle (Tule Elk)	Aug - Jan, 2025 (varies by unit)
Archery (Tule Elk)	Sep 1 - 30, 2025 (varies by unit)
Any Weapon (Roosevelt)	Sep–Dec 2025 (varies by unit)
Any weapon (Rocky Mountain elk)	Sep–Nov 2025 (varies by unit)
CALIFORNIA PRONGHORN SEASON DATES
Archery	Aug 9 – Aug 17, 2025
Rifle	Aug – Sep 2025 (varies by unit)
Apprentice / Youth (Controlled)	Aug 23 – Aug 31, 2025
CALIFORNIA BIGHORN SHEEP SEASON DATES
Desert Bighorn (Any Weapon)	Aug 2025 - Feb 2026 (varies by unit)
CALIFORNIA BEAR SEASON DATES
Archery – Rifle	Concurrent with deer seasons – Dec 28, 2025
CALIFORNIA WILD PIG SEASON DATES
Wild Pig (Where Legal)	Year-Round (no bag limit under CDFW)

Disclaimer: California big game season dates vary by species, unit, and hunt type. Emergency orders may change seasons. Always verify current regulations with CDFW.

YEAR	RESULTS POSTED
2025	June 10
2024	June 11
2023	June 13
2022	June 10
2021	June 11
2020	June 11
2019	June 11
2018	June 13
2017	June 12

California Department of Fish & Wildlife

1416 9th Street, 12th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
ph. 916-322-8911

APPLY CHECK POINTS

California is the only state that offers all three subspecies of elk. You have the choice of applying for Tule elk, Roosevelt elk, or Rocky Mountain elk. The bad news is that there is only one elk permit for any species available to non-residents in the California draw. That means that once an elk tag is drawn by a non-resident, each of the other elk tags will be issued to residents. With only one elk tag available, we only cover the top units in the state as there is no reason to be applying for a subpar unit. If you are in the market for a Rocky Mountain or Roosevelt elk, there are a lot better states to accomplish that goal in.

UNIT	COMMENTS
Northeastern California (Archery)	Rocky Mountain elk: early archery hunt. 350"+ potential. Located in the northeast corner bordering OR/NV. Strong genetics but can be tough to locate bulls when not rutting. Huge unit on public land with mixed rough and rolling thick terrain.
Northeastern California (Rifle)	Rocky Mountain elk: rifle hunt. 350"+ potential. Same as above but with later season dates to coincide with peak rut—easier to find bugling bulls.
Tehachapi Bull	Rocky Mountain elk: rifle hunt. 350"+ potential. New in 2023; elk on private property only. Access restricted with steep trespass fees. Expect heavy pre-season legwork and recurring private-land challenges.
Siskiyou	Roosevelt elk: rifle hunt. 260–310"+ potential. Northcentral along OR border. Predominantly private land requiring trespass fees; some public pockets with low elk densities. Recent uptick in antler points harvested.
Marble Mountains	Roosevelt elk: rifle hunt. 260–310"+ potential. Northcentral bordering OR. Best public land option—large unit with mixed access. Consider pack-in in Klamath Mountains; private ranches need trespass fees.
Northwestern California Bull	Roosevelt elk: rifle hunt. 260–310"+ potential. Northwest corner along OR coast. Mostly private—trespass fees required. Elk concentrated on coastal dairy farms and foothills. Permit odds reflect tag increases, not fewer applicants.
Owens Valley Multiple Zones	Tule elk: archery hunt. 260–320"+ potential. Top Tule bull hunt. Bulls on lower valley marshes—mid‐rut timing makes calling highly effective. Valid in Bishop, Independence, Goodale, Lone Pine, etc.
East Park Reservoir	Tule elk: muzzleloader hunt. 240–280" potential. On BOR land in northwest CA; mandatory orientation. Many elk move onto private land—trespass fees apply. Firearms/archery prohibited by county ordinance; muzzleloader allowed by variance.
La Panza	Tule elk: first rifle hunt. 280–320"+ potential. Some of the largest bulls in the state. Outfitter strongly recommended. Public land herd limited; two public hunters randomly drawn to hunt state ranch with superior bulls.
Grizzly Island	Tule elk: first rifle hunt. 280–320"+ potential. Conducted on Grizzly Island State Wildlife Area; mandatory orientation and camping/road restrictions. Some roadless pockets hold mature bulls—great for public‐land rut hunting.

HFA002-5

Alaska Peninsula Coast

Species: Brown Bear

Cost: $ 29,500.00

Location: Alaska, United States

HFA091-1

New Mexico Unit 36

Species: Rocky Mountain Elk

Cost: $ 8,000.00

Location: New Mexico, United States

HFA396-3

All-Inclusive Guided Stone

Species: Stone Sheep

Cost: $ 89,250.00

Location: British Columbia, Canada

HFA038-5

Trophy Canadian Moose

Species: Canadian Moose

Cost: $ 9,800.00

Location: British Columbia, Canada

HFA127-2

Wyoming Antelope Hunt

Species: Pronghorn Antelope

Cost: $ 4,500.00

Location: Wyoming, United States

HFA245-8

Montana Mountain Lion

Species: Mountain Lion

Cost: $ 6,800.00

Location: Montana, United States

HFA392-4

Idaho Trophy Mule Deer

Species: Mule Deer

Cost: $ 5,900.00

Location: Idaho, United States

CALIFORNIA ELK HUNTS	2025 SEASON DATES
Rifle (Tule Elk)	Aug - Jan, 2025 (varies by unit)
Archery (Tule Elk)	Sep 1 - 30, 2025 (varies by unit)
Any Weapon (Roosevelt)	Sep–Dec 2025 (varies by unit)
Any weapon (Rocky Mountain elk)	Sep–Nov 2025 (varies by unit)

Disclaimer: California elk seasons are controlled hunts with dates that vary by unit and may change via emergency regulation. Always verify current regulations with CDFW.

California is the only state that has Tule elk available. Your options are to apply in the draw for the one non-resident elk permit, which will have limited draw odds, or buy a guided hunt with a landowner tag, which can run over $35,000. Grizzly Island has the worst draw odds in the state for Tule elk, but it is a great hunt for a mature bull on public land. There are many good rifle hunts in the Owens Valley, including Lone Pine and Goodale as well as the Owens Valley multiple zone archery permit. In recent years, the Department added a new hunt for Tules.

The Central Coast hunt could be an excellent hunt but will be extremely limited on access, especially if you do not have access to Camp Roberts ($1,000 access fee for archery Tule elk and $5,000 for rifle). They also charge a land use surcharge as well, especially if they have a good bull shot on the property. On the other end of the spectrum, Tule elk is broken and highly accessible for Rocky Mountain elk as well. In August, you will still need to be able to cover a few bulls to locate one that is intact.

If you want to apply for Rocky Mountain or Roosevelt elk, California has decent hunting for the north and northwest part of the state. The new hunt in Tehachapi for Rocky Mountain elk was a welcome and expected win as the state expanded the number of private land licenses. They added permits to the hunt for 2023, but the drought continues to be an issue. Hopefully, 2025 will continue to be green. You will have to choose between divisions between the northern units and the hunters lucky enough to draw a public tag. The Siskiyou, Northwestern, and White Mountains are all Roosevelt elk units, with the best unit for public land access being Marble Mountains, but plan to use pack animals and to deal with high temperatures on this physically difficult hunt. If you are already buying the license, you might as well spend the $8.13 and apply for the elk. We encourage all hunters who are already applying in California to apply for Tule elk.

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