California has a wide array of mule deer habitat with everything from high altitude forests of the Sierra Nevada down to the dry desolate deserts in the southern parts of the state. California is home to a number of mule deer subspecies. Rocky Mountain mule deer are located in the northeast corner of the state. California and Inyo mule deer are located in the central part of the state. Burro and Southern mule deer are located in the southern part of the state. Columbian Blacktail are along the western coast of the state. The state isn’t known as a destination state for giant mule deer, but over the years it has produced a few trophy class animals. The northeastern part of the state has been producing the better deer in recent years. Most deer harvested in the state are big 2 or 3 points with a few 4 points mixed in. There’s a lot of opportunities to hunt deer, but the better hunts are quite limited and could take a few years to draw a permit.

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Boone and Crockett entries: Typical

** Zones listed below may not have a current hunt for this species. Zones in this table are included if any part of the zone is found within the county.

Boone and Crockett entries: Nontypical

** Zones listed below may not have a current hunt for this species. Zones in this table are included if any part of the zone is found within the county.