California X2 mule deer tag

My wife drew a California X2 mule deer tag. I've pretty much scouted the entire zone. Just curious if anybody has drawn this tag and could provide your experience?

I've hunted it as A4 and from x9c down to 12.
I'm not a resident anymore, the only tag I seriously put in for there now is the gooddale one since I have the points. I'll probably never get it as a non res, even with max points.

That said, I've never not been successful out there. If you still want help. It's a big area, and they ain't by the road and the herds really aren't huge. If that's how you scout and hunt; I can't help you. I know how yall be out yonder.

Where specificly did you go?

We busted leather on some country on both scouting trips. Founds some deer. Yes I agree with the small herds. I have a buddy local to the area. Hunts x3b more. His claim was the weather needs to hit 60s or low 70s before the deer really move around. It's was high 70s low 80s this past weekend. Collins Timber isn't allowing access anymore. They doesn't help since they own the higher ground. Just curious of others insight on the area.

I have heard mixed reviews on hunter population in the old burn area. We have covered the whole unit in 9 total days of scouting. Not many places to get out and walk long distances. I am a backpack hunter so walking is my game. Lol

I think that's hunters lore. They are out feeding in the morning and evening like everywhere else out there. Normally they'd be up high but, that area really isn't that high in general. That said, yeah, you won't see them move a ton during the day or if at all. You'll have to use your glass for a lot it. They are about .5 mile form a water source in cover, by the food.

So, some areas are thick, but like I was saying above there some area they DO come out where you can put them to bed. In my case, I found a guy just bedded down midday. Either works. Just don't expect to lucky on an ambush.

Did you find the guzzler in badger wells?

You glass the areas north of clear lake on foot? Down in the buttes?

The area north of clear lake is one our top spots to hunt. It's on the radar. I heard about the guzzler, bud did not go look at it. I think those deer travel from those buttes to the lake to feed on green grass during low lake levels. We seen a lot of travel areas in there.

So badger wells statistically has more deer killed in that area per year. Physically finding the guzzler is is not super important except to make sure there's water in it. I don't use game cams I think they're dumb for mule deer, but that would be a spot for that as well.

If you're looking at the guzzler and staring at the treeline, you're in the food area. Watch your wind. Glass the tree line from afar. It's not guaranteed they're there every day. It's because they kind of traverse into other areas, especially because of the cat density and as hunter pressure ramps up.

There's like 7 other areas. I would find them, then find the food.

I will look in to that. Thank you. I agree with you on the trail cams for mule deer. Nothing has found me more deer than time in the field with my glass.

I'll leave you with this,
So for archery the success rate last year was 0%. It's a hard hunt despite being a premium x tag. Out of 190 tags issued for the general season, 83.6 bucks were killed, for an estimated 44% total success.


That's because stalking during archery is hard. They don't really move that much out there so it has a nothing to do with how they move or it being summer. Summer is actually easier to find them.

That means you have the potential of at least 80 bucks or more. They are out there. Of those 83.6 bucks, 33.4 of them are 4 point bruisers.. which makes up 40% of the 44% total success of X2. If you look at prior years the data is similar, and there are more bucks then tags issued, or kills reported.

I don't usually don't come at people with statistics, but I want to leave you with the potential that area has. Don't get locked in some area, but manage your time. These numbers are the reported numbers via the DFG annual digest, which is compiled from hunter reporting, and biologist counts.


Good luck to ya'll.

Appreciate it! I have some good areas picked out. Your comments backs one of them up. That's a great confidence boost. When it comes to CA I usually draw the more high mountain areas. I'm a mountain alpine guy. I don't hunt under 6500ft very often unless it's A zone. This rocky flat stuff if a change for sure. Appreciate your input.

JD284win said:

My wife drew a California X2 mule deer tag. I've pretty much scouted the entire zone. Just curious if anybody has drawn this tag and could provide your experience?

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The wolves are in that country they have ruined the zones California is a mess

Mark carter said:

The wolves are in that country they have ruined the zones California is a mess

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Yes, sir. I agree. It's not the old days. Most the wolves have migrated south into Lassen county. If my wife kills a good one. It will make the reward that much sweeter. Perspective, my guy. Most western states have wolves to some extent.

All the x zones have wolves. They've been there a decade or more ago. People, way of the internet are just now coming around to it.

I also doubt they have made a "return" all by themselves the way fish and wildlife claim, but that's beside the point.


The cats do more damage to herds I think the most. Second to winter kill, then coyotes killing fawns.

dfanonymous said:

All the x zones have wolves. They've been there a decade or more ago. People, way of the internet are just now coming around to it.

I also doubt they have made a "return" all by themselves the way fish and wildlife claim, but that's beside the point.


The cats do more damage to herds I think the most. Second to winter kill, then coyotes killing fawns.

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The one I found interesting after talking to a biologist. The bears will take a cat kill. So a cat can kill 2+ times just to feed. The bears are bad in California. I hunt the high country in B zone alot. Almost always see multiple bears in most areas.

I would say 33.4 Bruiser 4 point bucks is stretching it. Last year I saw 2, 4 points killed(4x4 and 4x3)... 1 was a nice one... the other was a spindly 20in one... the numbers shown by CA DFG do not give any idea as to the maturity of the animal or the hunters ability to count points correctly. That unit has 1/4 of the deer it used to have. It is not remotely close to being worth the amount of points it takes to draw.

Trophy Units in CA should be managed by Age Class not by the # of points an animal supposedly has. CA could be an awesome mule deer state but years of extremely poor management have ran it into the ground.