Unit C3 Zone C3
East-to-west migratory Cascade blacktail on the burns and brush ridges east of Redding
Southern Cascades — Hat Creek & Burney foothills · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,315
sq mi
Public land
—
approx.
Elevation
900–6,800
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
Zone C-3 lies entirely within Shasta County, a block of Cascade foothill and mid-elevation country bounded by Interstate 5 and Shasta Lake on the west, the Pit River and Highway 89 on the north, Highway 44 and Old Station on the east, and the North Fork of Battle Creek and Cottonwood Creek on the south. It runs from the oak-and-chaparral foothills east of Redding up onto the Hatchet and Burney Mountain highlands and the volcanic benches of the southern Cascades. The deer are primarily Columbian black-tailed deer and, unlike the resident herds to the north, they are migratory on an east-to-west pattern — moving above 2,500 feet in late spring and drifting back west and down into the lower zone as fall storms push them below the snowline during the season.
Terrain
Oak-woodland and chaparral foothills east of Redding climbing to timbered volcanic highlands around Hatchet and Burney mountains and the Latour Butte country.
Cover: Mixed and montane chaparral, oak-woodland and hardwood on the lower west end, grading to hardwood-conifer and dense conifer up high; wildfire-driven edge cover and young brush sprouts are the key feed, so burns hunt well.
Landmarks: Hatchet Mountain · Burney Mountain · Latour Butte · Logan Lake · North Battle Creek Reservoir · Whitmore Burn · Pit River · Lake Britton
Access
A mixture of public and private land with extensive, well-roaded tracts of national forest. Public ground is administered by the Lassen and Shasta-Trinity national forests and BLM, but Shasta County is heavy Sierra Pacific Industries timber ground, so expect a national-forest / private-industrial-timber checkerboard — verify ownership and carry written permission for private parcels. Highway 299 crosses the north end and Highway 44 the south, with many county, USFS and BLM roads branching off.
Managers: USFS Lassen NF, USFS Shasta-Trinity NF, BLM Redding Field Office, Sierra Pacific Industries (private timber), private ranch
Access points: Highway 299 (Burney, Round Mountain, Montgomery Creek) · Highway 44 south end (Shingletown, Viola, Old Station) · Whitmore and Latour Butte roads off the foothills east of Redding · USFS roads into Hatchet Mountain and Burney Mountain
Species notes
Blacktail Deer
common opportunityMigratory Columbian black-tailed deer are the primary quarry, summering up high on the Cascade benches and drifting west and down with fall weather; a general C-zone tag hunt where reading the migration and hunting burns is the game.
- →Early season hunt high: Hatchet Mountain, Burney Mountain, Logan Lake, North Battle Creek Reservoir, Latour Butte and the Whitmore Burn
- →Glass regenerating brush and burns at first and last light for feeding deer
- →As storms hit, shift west and downhill to catch deer migrating toward winter range
- →Get off the roads and into the brush ridges — spotting scopes earn their keep on the open burns
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears are common through the Cascade foothill timber and burns, keying on berries, acorns and riparian feed.
- →Glass open brush and berry slopes morning and evening
- →Hunt acorn flats in the oak-woodland belt in fall
- →Work burn edges and creek bottoms where bears feed
Pro tips
- →Learn the east-to-west migration: sit high early, then chase the deer downhill and west once storms hit.
- →Hunt the burns — Whitmore Burn and other recent fires create the young brush that concentrates deer.
- →Sort the national-forest-vs-Sierra-Pacific checkerboard on an ownership map before you commit to a drainage.
- →Cover ground on foot and glass the open brush ridges rather than road-hunting.
- →Watch the sky: rain makes the clay spur roads treacherous, but the storm that traps a truck is the one that moves the deer.
Watch out for
- !Sierra Pacific Industries and other private timber interlaced with national forest — carry an ownership map and get written permission before hunting private
- !Steep, rugged terrain and extremely dense brush
- !Slick, difficult roads after early storms
- !Fire-season closures and campfire restrictions on USFS/BLM land
- !Statewide non-lead ammunition requirement for all big game
Logistics
Redding is the full-service hub on the west edge with everything a hunter needs; Burney anchors the north end for fuel, food and lodging, and Shingletown serves the south. USFS and BLM campgrounds are scattered through the zone, from primitive to developed. Bring a shovel, a good spare and extra water — many spur roads turn greasy and difficult after rain.
Nearest towns: Burney, Redding, Shingletown, Round Mountain, Fall River Mills
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official California sources:
Research sources: CDFW Zone C-3 and Area-Specific Archery A-1 General Deer Hunt Information · CDFW Deer Hunting · USFS Lassen National Forest
FAQ
- How big is Unit C3 in California?
- Unit C3 (Zone C3) covers about 1,315 square miles, ranging from roughly 900 to 6,800 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit C3?
- Blacktail Deer, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official California agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit C3 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.