Zone X-9a located in portions of Fresno, Inyo, Madera and Mono counties.

This area is a 4 - 5-hour drive from Los Angeles, if no traffic, making it an ideal zone for southern California hunters seeking a public land hunting environment.Located in the east central part of the state bordering Nevada, including the town of Mammoth Lakes. Contains Mono Lakes, Lake Crowley, and several small lakes in a mix of BLM land and mountainous Inyo National Forest. Expect temperature extremes, 70s to 40s.

Popular and well known geographical features in the zone include the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada, including the Rock Creek drainage; Mammoth Mountain and the Mammoth Lakes Basin; the Owens River, which winds its way through Long Valley to Crowley Lake; the Glass Mountains, a small, isolated mountain range located on the northside of Long Valley; the Mono Basin and Mono Lake; the June Lake Loop, including June, Gull, Silver, and Grant Lakes; and the Conway Summit area.

Zone X-9a is an ecologically diverse zone, supporting a variety of deer habitats distributed across elevations ranging from 5,000-11,000 feet. The zone comprises winter, summer, and transition ranges; however, during the archery and general hunting seasons most deer are concentrated on the summer range. Some of the more conspicuous habitat types occupied by mule deer on the summer range include Great Basin sagebrush, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland, Jeffrey Pine Forest, Montane Chaparral, Montane Riparian Forest, and Subalpine Conifer Forest. Great Basin sagebrush scrub is an upland habitat type associated with the drier valley bottoms and alluvial fans occurring in Long Valley and the Mono Basin. This habitat type supports numerous shrub species that provide quality forage and cover for deer, including big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, snowberry, and mountain whitethorne. Pinyon-Juniper Woodland habitat occurs in association with Great Basin sagebrush scrub on mid-elevation deer transition and summer ranges located in the Mono Basin and the Glass Mountains. Pinyon pine and western juniper, the dominant tree species, provide important thermal and security cover for deer. Jeffrey pine is a dry land forest habitat that dominates vegetation east of Highway 395 from the upper Owens River north to Mono Lake and east through the Glass Mountains. This forest habitat typically supports understory shrubs that provide nutritious browse for deer.

Montane chaparral habitat occurs primarily along the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada at elevations ranging from 7,000-9,000 feet. This habitat type supports a variety of shrubs that provide deer with nutritious summer browse and dense concealment cover. Montane Riparian Forest is a tree dominated habitat that occurs along the many stream courses that flow east from the Sierra Nevada escarpment. Common tree species associated with riparian forest habitat include quaking aspen, lodegepole pine, black cottonwood, and Jeffrey pine. This habitat type also supports various shrubs including willow, water birch, and gooseberry that provide important forage and cover for deer. Subalpine Conifer Forest is dominated by a mixture of evergreen tree species that occur at higher elevations of the summer range along the Sierra Nevada escarpment and in the Glass Mountains.

Water is generally well distributed throughout Zone X-9a, especially to the west of Highway 395 along the Sierra Nevada escarpment from Tom’s Place and north to Conway Summit. The numerous streams and seeps that flow from the Sierra Nevada Crest not only provide water during the warm summer months, but also support the lush forage conditions favored by deer. Conditions to the east of Highway 395 are generally much drier with water primarily isolated to the meadows and drainages that flow from the Glass Mountain Range and the upper Owens River. Along with the occasional spring or seep, stock watering tanks in Long Valley and the Mono Basin also provide important water sources for deer on the summer range.

The majority of Zone X-9a is public land however some private land occurs within the zone primarily within the Long Valley, Crowley Lake, Mammoth Lakes, and June Lake areas. Public land is administered by the Inyo National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

There are numerous USFS, BLM, and Inyo/Mono County campgrounds located on public lands within Zone X-9a. Many of these campgrounds are open until the end of October however some higher elevation campgrounds close prior to deer season. Overnight camping is not allowed on Los Angeles Department of Water and Power lands.

For areas where informal camping is allowed, you need to obtain a California Campfire Permit for the use of any open flame (including gas stoves, lanterns, wood fires, charcoal fires, or smoking). These permits can be obtained at no cost from any Inyo National Forest Ranger Station, BLM office, or Visitor Center. Open flame of any kind may be restricted during times of high fire danger; check with the local Forest Service office for current restrictions.

Zone X-9a encompasses a large geographic area with topography ranging from flat in the lower elevation valleys to very steep and rocky in the higher mountains of the Sierra Nevada. Most services are located within the various towns scattered along the base of the Sierra Nevada escarpment, including Bishop, Toms Place, Mammoth Lakes, June Lake, and Lee Vining. Hunters are advised to have full gasoline tanks when entering the field and to carry snow chains, shovel, serviceable spare tire, and extra food and water. Four-wheel-drive vehicles should be used when traveling on unimproved roads within the zone.