Zone X6a, California

Large geographic area that can be very steep and rugged. GoHunt's X-6a profile lists an elevation range of roughly 3,500 to 8,300 feet. Per CDFW, weather is highly variable: usually hot and dry, but early storms are not uncommon and heavy rains can make many roads very difficult to travel. Primary access roads are Highways 395, 89, 36, and 70.

Zone X-6a spans portions of Lassen and Plumas counties and is framed by four state highways that serve as the primary entry points: US-395 along the northeastern edge (Susanville to Milford to Herlong), SR-89 along the western edge, SR-36 along the northwestern edge, and SR-70 along the southern edge at Blairsden. The legal zone boundary runs along these highways and named county and Forest Service roads, including County Road 336 (southwest from Milford), Forest Service Road 26N16 (near the Plumas-Lassen county line), FS Road 28N03 (to Doyle Crossing), FS Road 29N43 (south to Antelope Lake at Flournoy Bridge), County Road 111, FS Road 24N08, and County Road 112 at Lake Davis — all of which also function as interior access roads. Public land is managed by the Lassen National Forest (Eagle Lake Ranger District, 477-050 Eagle Lake Road, Susanville; and the Susanville office at 2550 Riverside Drive), the Plumas National Forest (Mt. Hough Ranger District and Beckwourth Ranger District, headquartered in Quincy at 159 Lawrence Street), and the BLM Eagle Lake Field Office (2550 Riverside Drive, Susanville). The Antelope Lake Recreation Area (Mt. Hough Ranger District, Plumas NF) is a primary staging area near the zone's western interior, reached via FS Road 29N43 (Antelope Lake Road). Bass Hill Wildlife Area, roughly 6 miles southeast of Susanville adjacent to US-395, is accessible from Byers Pass Road, Sunnyside Road, and Bass Hill Road off Highway 395. Road closures exist in the Wildcat Ridge, Diamond Mountain, and Red Rock areas — the Diamond Mountain area carries a Limited Vehicular Access designation with seasonal motorized closures; contact the Plumas National Forest Mt. Hough Ranger District (530-283-0555) for current closure details. The zone contains no designated wilderness areas. Most USFS and BLM roads are dirt and suitable for high-clearance or 4WD vehicles; heavy rain can render many of them impassable. Private land is extensive throughout — written permission is required; additional access may be available through CDFW's Private Lands Management (PLM) program.

Highly varied vegetation throughout the zone, per CDFW ranging from low sage, sagebrush, bitterbrush, montane chaparral, aspen, juniper, and hardwood and conifer up to subalpine habitats. Vegetation can be extremely dense. CDFW notes deer respond favorably to disturbances that enhance brush species, and that riparian areas, recently burned areas, and resprouted clear-cuts are good places to hunt, while densely forested or decadent stands hold lower deer densities.

Per CDFW, the deer are primarily Columbian black-tailed deer with some Rocky Mountain mule deer. The population is at low density and considered stable to slightly declining, well below levels seen in the 1960s and 1970s. Most deer in the zone are migratory: they move to higher elevations west of the Sierra Crest in late spring and remain until the first heavy fall storms push them down below the snowline toward Honey Lake Valley south of Susanville. This downward movement often occurs during the hunting season, so hunters should be prepared to move to lower elevations later in the season after storms.