Unit B2 Zone B2
California's biggest B zone — Trinity Alps high country, the Trinity Divide and the timbered Klamath ranges, the state's top blacktail harvest.
Northwest California — Klamath & Trinity Mountains · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
3,846
sq mi
Public land
60%
approx.
Elevation
1,000–9,000
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
Zone B-2 is the flagship of the B-zone blacktail country, a sprawling 3,800-square-mile block reaching across portions of Trinity, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Humboldt counties. It wraps the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath and Six Rivers national forests, from the granite peaks and glacial basins of the Trinity Alps Wilderness down through timbered mid-slopes, cut blocks and oak-woodland foothills to the Trinity River canyons. It is the largest and highest-harvest B zone in the state, and the country is big, steep and rugged enough that the successful hunters are the ones who hike well off the roads.
Terrain
Rugged Klamath and Trinity mountain terrain — river canyons and oak foothills rising through dense conifer mid-slopes to the granite crest of the Trinity Alps. Very steep, dissected country with brush fields, timber and scattered high meadows.
Cover: Oak-woodland and mixed chaparral on the low canyons, hardwood-conifer and dense conifer forest through the mid-elevations, brush fields (snowbrush, deerbrush) on burns and cuts, and alpine meadow and rock in the Trinity Alps.
Landmarks: Trinity Alps Wilderness · Trinity (Clair Engle) Lake · Mumbo Basin / Trinity Divide · Granite Peak · Swift, Coffee & Eagle creeks · Hayfork / South Fork Trinity River
Access
A mix of public and private. National forest dominates the mid and high country with a dense web of USFS and BLM roads branching off the highways, but private timber and ranch parcels are scattered throughout the foothills and along the river bottoms — written permission is required and trespass laws are enforced. The Trinity Alps Wilderness is foot- and pack-stock only and requires a wilderness permit.
Managers: USFS Shasta-Trinity NF, USFS Klamath NF, USFS Six Rivers NF, BLM (Redding Field Office), private timber & ranch
Access points: Interstate 5 (eastern edge) · Highway 3 (north-south spine, Weaverville–Callahan) · Highway 299 (central, Redding–Willow Creek) · Highway 36 (southern) · Highway 96 (northern, Salmon River)
Species notes
Blacktail Deer
common opportunityColumbian black-tailed deer, the reason to be here. Most B-2 deer are residents that move up in spring and drop below the snow line with fall storms; deer summering in the Trinity Alps are truly migratory, crossing Trinity Lake to winter on ranges to the east. Highest total harvest of any B zone, but success is roughly a quarter of tag-holders — a hike-and-glass hunt.
- →Scout pre-season to pin bedding, feeding and trail sign — you won't see much from the road
- →Early season, hunt high: timber by day, meadow edges at dawn and dusk, brush fields for bucks by late September
- →After the first storms, drop to lower brush fields and oak flats with acorns, and work migration ground east of Trinity Lake
- →Hunt burns and re-sprouted clearcuts where snowbrush and deerbrush have come back
- →Get into wilderness or roadless pockets (Granite Peak, Swift/Coffee/Eagle creeks) for undisturbed summering deer
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears are widespread through the timbered Trinity and Klamath country and are commonly taken by deer hunters working the same brush fields, burns and berry pockets.
- →Glass burns, clearcuts and berry-heavy brush fields in the mornings
- →Check acorn-producing oak flats in the foothills
- →Watch riparian corridors and creek bottoms in the timber
Roosevelt Elk
limited qualityRoosevelt elk hold in the far western reaches of the zone toward the Six Rivers forest and the Willow Creek / South Fork Trinity country; a separate, hard-to-draw limited elk tag rather than part of the general deer hunt.
- →Focus on the western drainages near Six Rivers NF and the South Fork Trinity
- →Glass meadow openings and river benches at first and last light
- →Treat it as a draw-only opportunity and scout the specific herd areas
Pro tips
- →Hunt the country, not the road — the successful crowd is a mile-plus off the truck
- →Early season stay high in the Trinity Divide/Mumbo Basin; save the migration ground east of Trinity Lake for after a storm
- →Chase disturbance: burns, cut blocks and re-sprouted brush hold the most deer
- →Glass hard with good optics — this is spot-and-stalk terrain over long distances
- →For roadless summering bucks, pack into Granite Peak or the eastern Trinity Alps creeks
Watch out for
- !Private timber and ranch parcels are scattered throughout — get written permission and know your boundaries
- !Trinity Alps Wilderness requires a permit and bans motorized/mechanized travel
- !Steep, dense, remote terrain — easy to get in over your head packing meat out
- !Fall fire closures and fire-permit rules can affect access and camping
- !Rain can strand vehicles on backcountry dirt roads
Logistics
Redding on I-5 is the full-service hub for the eastern side; Weaverville and Hayfork serve the Trinity interior, and Yreka anchors the north. Highways 3, 299, 36 and 96 form the skeleton, with countless USFS and BLM spurs into the timber. Carry a good spare, shovel and extra water — the backcountry is remote, and heavy rain can turn dirt roads to muck fast. Wilderness travel is foot or pack stock only.
Nearest towns: Redding, Weaverville, Hayfork, Yreka, Callahan
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official California sources:
Research sources: CDFW Zone B-2 General Deer Hunting Information (2025) · CDFW Deer Hunting Zones · USFS Shasta-Trinity National Forest
FAQ
- How big is Unit B2 in California?
- Unit B2 (Zone B2) covers about 3,846 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,000 to 9,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit B2?
- Approximately 60% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Shasta-Trinity NF, USFS Klamath NF, USFS Six Rivers NF, BLM (Redding Field Office), private timber & ranch. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit B2?
- Blacktail Deer, Black Bear, Roosevelt Elk. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official California agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit B2 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.