Zone C3, California

CDFW describes Zone C-3 as covering a large geographic area where the terrain can be very steep and rugged. Deer move to higher elevations, above 2,500 feet, in late spring and remain there until the first heavy fall storms push them down below the snow line into the western portions of the zone. Per the Section 360 boundary description, the zone lies in Shasta County, bounded by Interstate 5 and the Sacramento River on the west, the Pit River and Highway 89 at Lake Britton on the north and east, and Highway 44 and Battle Creek on the south. Named hunting landmarks include Hatchet Mountain, Burney Mountain, Latour Butte, Logan Lake, North Battle Creek Reservoir, and the Whitmore Burn.

Zone C-3 is bounded by Interstate 5 and the Sacramento River on the west, the Pit River on the north, Highway 89 on the northeast, and Highway 44 on the south — these four corridors also serve as the primary entry routes into the zone. From the west, I-5 (Exit 667 area near Cottonwood/Anderson) and US-99/SR-273 through Redding connect to SR-44 eastbound and SR-299 eastbound, the two main arteries that penetrate the interior. SR-299 runs east–west across the northern half of the zone through Shasta Lake City, Palo Cedro, and on toward Burney (home of the Hat Creek Ranger District office at 43225 E. Hwy. 299, Fall River Mills); SR-44 bisects the southern half through Shingletown and Old Station before meeting SR-89 at the zone's northeast corner. From these highways, county roads, USFS roads, and BLM roads branch into the public land. The Lassen National Forest (Hat Creek Ranger District) administers the bulk of public land in the eastern and northern portions of the zone, with named staging campgrounds along Hat Creek — Cave Campground (at the Hwy 44/89 junction near Old Station) and Hat Creek Campground (1.5 miles south of that junction) — providing practical base camps. LaTour Demonstration State Forest (9,033 acres, CAL FIRE-managed) lies in the central-southern portion near Shingletown; its forest roads are open to vehicle travel approximately late June through November, with four primitive campgrounds on site, but road access is seasonal and snow can close the area from winter through early spring. The Shasta-Trinity National Forest (Shasta Lake Ranger District) covers portions west of SR-299 north of Shasta Lake, and BLM Redding Field Office manages scattered tracts primarily in the lower-elevation western fringe. Overall the zone is estimated at roughly 18% public land, so the majority of the landscape is private; hunters must have written permission on private lands, and trespass laws are strictly enforced. Some private timber and ranch lands near the Whitmore and Oak Run communities allow foot access but are closed to motorized vehicles — verify current status by contacting the landowner or watching for posted signs. Ranches enrolled in CDFW's Private Lands Management (PLM) Program may provide additional permitted access; contact the CDFW Northern Region 1 office in Redding (530-225-2300) for current PLM opportunities. No designated wilderness areas (non-motorized only) fall within C-3's boundaries, so motor vehicles are permitted on open USFS/BLM roads subject to each forest's Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM); obtain the Lassen NF and Shasta-Trinity NF MVUMs before traveling off paved roads.

Per CDFW, vegetation is highly varied, ranging from mixed/montane chaparral, oak-woodland, aspen, hardwood, and hardwood-conifer to dense conifer habitats; cover can be extremely dense. Deer respond favorably to brush-enhancing disturbance such as wildfire and timber harvest. Brush stands of buckbrush, deerbrush, and bitter cherry, riparian areas, recently burned areas, re-sprouted clearcuts, and acorn-producing oak stands are noted as good places to hunt. Lower deer densities occur in more densely forested areas and older, decadent brushlands.

CDFW states the deer in Zone C-3 are primarily Columbian black-tailed deer and are generally considered migratory, with an east-to-west migration pattern. They move to higher elevations (above 2,500 ft) in late spring and stay until the first heavy fall storms force them down below the snow line into the western portions of the zone; this downslope movement often occurs during the hunting season, so hunters should be prepared to move to lower areas later in the season after stormy weather. The population is considered stable to slightly declining and is considerably below levels seen in the late 1960s and 1970s, consistent with a long-term decline CDFW attributes to land management practices that precluded fire, producing more mature, less diverse habitat; short-term fluctuations are attributed to weather effects on forage production.