Siskiyou County’s large hunting territory and varied terrain, including lush forests, grassy flatland valleys, high plateau deserts, and high mountain wilderness, is home to a wide variety of huntable game.
Big game species include Columbian blacktail and mule deer, Roosevelt elk, antelope, and black bear. Small and upland game species include Miriam and Rio Grande wild turkey, California mountain and valley quail, grouse, pheasant, dove and pigeon, with a wide variety of waterfowl and small animals.
Columbian blacktail deer reside mainly on the west side of Siskiyou County in the deer zones of B6, B2, C1 and C2, while mule deer inhabit the X1 deer zone in the eastern areas of the county. Both species of deer are huntable by tag drawing for those zones.
Black bear range throughout the entire county and require a tag drawing. Elk hunting is confined to two special drawing hunts. One held in Butte and Shasta Valleys is called the Siskiyou Elk Hunt. The Marble Mountains Elk Hunt is located in the Marble Mountain area. Antelope also have a special tag drawing and are hunted out of the Mount Dome area.
Wildlife areas in Butte Valley and eastern Siskiyou County offer unparalleled duck hunting, with 3/4 of the migrating bird population on the Pacific Flyway stopping twice yearly in this area. Each wildlife area and refuge has specific hunting regulations, so contact the area you are interested in for details or visit the California Fish & Game Web site.