CDFW News

CDFW Now Accepting Applications for Deer Hunting Opportunities at Cosumnes River Ecological Reserve

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:29:59 GMT

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is now accepting applications for deer hunting opportunities at the Cosumnes River Ecological Reserve in Sacramento County for the 2025 A Zone general season and the D-5 Zone archery and general seasons.

CDFW initiated a limited deer hunting program within the ecological reserve in 2021. The program proved safe and popular with hunters and was expanded in 2022, doubling the number of access permits offered to eight.

Permits will be issued for eight separate one-week hunting periods – four permits for the A Zone and four for the D-5 Zone seasons that fall within the reserve’s boundaries. Each permit will accommodate up to two hunters. Only archery equipment may be used during the A Zone archery season and D-5 Zone archery season. Only archery equipment or shotguns with nonlead slugs may be used during the general season hunt dates. Rifles, pistols or muzzleloaders will not be allowed due to safety concerns. Harvest is limited to one legal buck per hunter per access period.

The A Zone hunts take place in July through September within the reserve’s Arno Unit, located west of Highway 99. The D-5 Zone hunts are offered in mid-August through early November within the reserve’s Dillard Unit, east of Highway 99.

Hunters can download the applications online at the Cosumnes River Ecological Reserve web page. Hunters can also request an access permit application by calling CDFW’s Rancho Cordova office at (916) 358-2900 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. Applications may be submitted via e-mail to Dustin.Wallis@wildlife.ca.gov or mailed to CDFW’s Rancho Cordova office at 1701 Nimbus Road, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.

For the A Zone, Arno Unit general hunt applications must be received by 2 p.m. on July 7, 2025. For the D-5 Zone Dillard archery and general hunts, applications must be received by 2 p.m. on Aug 4, 2025. Permits will be awarded by a computerized, random drawing. Successful applicants will be notified by email or phone call/text message within two working days of the drawing, and will receive additional information, including maps and special instructions, prior to the hunt. Results will not be given over the phone.

Up to two people may apply for the hunt as one party by including all required information on the application form. Junior hunting license holders who are 12 years of age or older may also apply if accompanied by an adult hunter. Applicants may apply for one access permit on one area only. An individual’s name may appear in the drawing only once. Any individual’s name who appears on more than one application will cause all applications with that individual’s name present to be disqualified.

Hunters selected for an access permit for the Arno Unit (A Zone) or Dillard Unit (D-5 Zone) must possess the necessary A Zone, D3-5 Zones or Archery Only deer tag for the 2025 season. All hunters selected for a permit must also possess a 2025-26 California hunting license.

CDFW photo.

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Media Contacts:
Dustin Wallis, CDFW North Central Region, (916) 282-8977
Peter Tira, CDFW Communications, (916) 215-3858

California’s 2022 General Deer Seasons Set to Begin

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 13:25:02 GMT

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) general deer season is set to open in many parts of the state Saturday, September 17. Deer season is already underway in California’s A and B4 zones along the coast. Hunters are advised to visit CDFW’s Emergency Closures web page for information and resources before heading to their favorite hunting spots.

The majority of California’s general deer hunting zones – B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, D6 and D7 – open Saturday, September 17, along with premium hunting zones C1, C2, C3, C4, X9a, X9b and X12 in portions of Siskiyou, Shasta, Tehama, Mono and Inyo counties and surrounding areas. Several other general deer hunting zones – D3, D4, D5, D8, D9 and D10 – open the following week, on Saturday, September 24, as does premium hunting zones X8 and X10 in portions of Alpine and Tulare counties and surrounding areas.

To improve the accuracy of deer population estimates and monitoring, CDFW is transitioning to updated approaches that employ recent innovations in population modeling. These models allow scientists to combine data from a variety of sources to generate estimates of population processes. Over the last few years, CDFW has employed numerous methods for collecting the data for each of the parameters needed to fit its models. One of the primary methods is to walk along transects, pick up deer scat, send samples to a lab to sequence the DNA for identifying individual deer, and then estimate total population size based on the frequency that collectors re-encounter scat from the same individual over space and time.

Hunters are reminded that deer tag reporting is mandatory – even for hunters who are unsuccessful or those who did not have a chance to hunt at all. CDFW has produced a video on how to properly complete, attach and report your deer tag (Video).

As a friendly reminder, California has phased out the use of lead ammunition for hunting. Nonlead ammunition is required for all wildlife harvest with a firearm. Additional deer hunting information, including hunt zone descriptions, maps and special hunts, is available at CDFW’s deer hunting web page.

CDFW also encourages hunters to participate in the state’s chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance program. Stop by a CWD sampling station after harvesting deer or elk in California to have samples taken for testing or ask your local meat processor or taxidermist if they are participating in the program. While CWD doesn’t exist in California, robust surveillance allows for early detection and better options if it is detected. Please help to protect California’s deer and elk populations and hunting opportunities.

A list of CWD sampling stations can also be found on the CDFW website.

Photo Credit: Robert / stock.adobe.com

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Media Contact:
Peter Tira, CDFW Communications, (916) 215-3858

CDFW Expands Deer Hunting Opportunities at Cosumnes River Ecological Reserve in Sacramento County; Now Accepting Applications for September, October Hunt Dates

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 10:29:01 GMT

CDFW initiated a limited deer hunting program within the ecological reserve in 2021 by offering three deer hunting access permits to property not typically open to deer hunting. The program proved safe and popular with hunters, and CDFW has doubled the number of deer hunting access permits it will offer during the 2022 general seasons.

Permits will be issued for six separate, one-week hunting periods – two permits for the A Zone and four for the D-5 Zone general seasons that fall within the reserve’s boundaries. Each permit will accommodate up to two hunters. Only archery equipment or shotguns with nonlead slugs may be used. Rifles, pistols or muzzleloaders will not be allowed due to safety concerns. Harvest is limited to one legal buck per hunter per access period.

The A Zone hunts take place in September within the reserve’s Arno Unit west of Highway 99. The D-5 Zone hunts are offered in late September and throughout October within the reserve’s Dillard Unit east of Highway 99.

Hunters can download the A Zone or D-5 Zone application online at the Cosumnes River Ecological Reserve web page. Hunters can also request an access permit application by calling CDFW’s Rancho Cordova office at (916) 358-2900 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on weekdays. Applications may be submitted via email to Rylee.Owen@Wildlife.ca.gov or mailed to CDFW’s Rancho Cordova office at 1701 Nimbus Road, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.

For the A Zone, Arno Unit hunts, applications must be received by 1:00 p.m. on September 6, 2022. For the D-5 Zone, Dillard Unit hunts, applications must be received by 1:00 p.m. on September 20, 2022. Permits will be awarded by a computerized drawing. Successful applicants will be notified by email or phone call/text message within two working days of the drawing, and will receive additional information, including maps and special instructions, prior to the hunt. Results will not be given over the phone.

Up to two people may apply for the hunt as one party by including all required information on the application form. Junior hunting license holders who are 12 years of age or older may also apply if accompanied by an adult hunter. Applicants may apply for one access permit on one area only. An individual’s name may appear in the drawing only once and additional or duplicate applications will be disqualified from the drawing.

Hunters selected for an access permit for the Arno Unit (A Zone) or Dillard Unit (D-5 Zone) must possess the necessary A Zone, D3-5 Zones or Archery Only deer tag for the 2022 season. All hunters selected for a permit must also possess a 2022-23 California hunting license.

Media Contacts:
Eric Kleinfelter, CDFW North Central Region, (209) 401-8806
Peter Tira, CDFW Communications, (916) 215-3858