Unit D10 Zone D10
A private-land deer zone straddling the Tehachapis, where access is everything
Southern California — Tehachapi Mountains & Tejon Ranch country · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,382
sq mi
Public land
5%
approx.
Elevation
1,200–7,900
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
Zone D-10 covers south-central Kern and northwestern Los Angeles counties, a wedge of the Tehachapi Mountains and Tejon uplands bounded by Highways 99, 58, 14, 138 and Interstate 5. It holds California mule deer of the resident Tejon Deer Herd on a landscape that is almost entirely private ranch and timber ground. Sprawling Tejon Ranch is the dominant landowner and offers limited fee hunting through CDFW's Private Lands Management (PLM) program; scattered BLM parcels exist but most are landlocked behind private holdings. Without landowner permission, huntable ground is very limited despite the zone's respectable buck success.
Terrain
Rolling foothills and grassland valleys rising into the steep, rugged Tehachapi Mountains, with brushy canyons and oak benches between rocky ridges.
Cover: Highly varied: oak woodland and mixed chaparral on the foothills, juniper-pinyon and hardwood-conifer at mid elevations, denser conifer on high ridges, grading to desert scrub on the eastern/Antelope Valley edge.
Landmarks: Tehachapi Mountains · Cummins Mountain · Tejon Ranch · Tejon Pass / Grapevine · Antelope Valley edge · Bear Mountain
Access
The zone is almost entirely private. Legal hunting hinges on landowner permission or buying into Tejon Ranch's PLM program; written permission is required and trespass laws are strictly enforced. BLM parcels are small and frequently surrounded by private land with no legal access.
Managers: Tejon Ranch (private, PLM fee hunts), Numerous small private ranches, BLM (scattered, often landlocked)
Access points: Interstate 5 (Grapevine/Tejon Pass) · State Highway 58 · State Highway 138 · State Highway 14 · Tehachapi-area county roads
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityCalifornia (Tejon Herd) mule deer, largely resident with only minor elevational shifts. Population is stable to declining but the zone posts solid success on managed private ground, especially Tejon Ranch PLM hunts.
- →Secure Tejon Ranch PLM access or private permission before the season — this is the single biggest success factor
- →Scout burns from the last 5-10 years and oak stands producing acorns; bucks favor rough, brushy ridges over open meadows
- →Glass with binoculars/spotting scope from vantage points at dawn; deer are rarely seen from roads
- →After early storms, drop to intermediate elevations where browse shrubs concentrate deer
Black Bear
limited opportunityBlack bear occur in the forested and chaparral canyons of the higher Tehachapis, but at low density and mostly on private ground.
- →Focus on oak draws and berry-brush in the higher timbered canyons
- →Access constraints mirror the deer hunt — private permission is usually required
Pro tips
- →Treat access as the hunt: line up Tejon Ranch PLM or private permission months ahead
- →Hunt recent burns and acorn-heavy oak woodlands where brush has re-sprouted
- →Put in miles on foot and glass — road-hunting produces poorly here
- →Watch the forecast; after heavy snow storms deer shift to lower brushy benches
Watch out for
- !Overwhelmingly private land — trespass laws strictly enforced, written permission mandatory
- !Many BLM parcels are landlocked with no legal access
- !Steep, rugged terrain and dense chaparral; carry recovery gear and extra water
- !Fire-season travel and campfire restrictions on BLM ground
Logistics
Base out of Tehachapi or the I-5 Grapevine corridor (Lebec/Frazier Park) for fuel, lodging and supplies; Bakersfield is the nearest full-service city. No public campgrounds exist in the zone, so most hunters day-hunt from town or camp on the private land they have access to. Carry a shovel, good spare tire and extra water — country is remote and roads rough.
Nearest towns: Tehachapi, Lebec, Frazier Park, Gorman, Bakersfield
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official California sources:
Research sources: CDFW Zone D-10 General Deer Hunting Information (2025) · CDFW Deer Hunting Zones
FAQ
- How big is Unit D10 in California?
- Unit D10 (Zone D10) covers about 1,382 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,200 to 7,900 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit D10?
- Approximately 5% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Tejon Ranch (private, PLM fee hunts), Numerous small private ranches, BLM (scattered, often landlocked). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit D10?
- Mule 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 D10 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.