The Tule Elk Tag That Doesn't Require the Draw.
California’s PLM program creates a private path to a Tule Elk tag. We’re building that list now.
Private Land Management Tags Outside the Draw System
A different path to a California Tule Elk tag.
Most California hunters know one path to a Tule Elk tag: enter the draw, earn preference points, wait. For premium Central Coast zones, that wait is measured in years — and for some hunters, in decades.
There is another path. The CDFW Private Land Management (PLM) program allocates a limited number of Tule Elk tags directly to qualifying private landowners as part of herd management on their property. No draw. No preference points. No application window.
Frontera Big Game is developing its PLM program on 10,000+ acres of Central Coast ranchland. We are building the list now. When tags are allocated, we go to list members first — in the order they signed up.
What You Need to Know About PLM Tags
PLM is a CDFW program. It is not a workaround or a loophole — it is a formal wildlife management tool that has existed for decades. Qualifying private landowners who manage Tule Elk habitat on their property can apply to CDFW for PLM tag allocations. Those tags are then made available outside the public draw system.
For hunters, this means a private arrangement. No competing against thousands of applicants. No preference point accumulation. No annual draw window. When Frontera Big Game secures PLM tag allocations, we will contact the waitlist directly.
Why sign up now rather than later:
Tags are allocated in limited numbers — the list determines priority
Frontera’s program is in active development — early list members have the longest lead time
There is no cost and no obligation — one email when tags are available
The draw lottery is not going anywhere — signing up here does not affect your annual application
Join the PLM Waitlist
Leave your name and email below. When Frontera Big Game secures PLM Tule Elk tag allocations, we will contact list members directly in the order they signed up. No spam. No obligation. One email when the time comes.
Keep Applying. But Cover Both Angles.
The draw is not going away and neither should your application. Keep entering every year — preference points accumulate, and eventually your name comes up.
But the PLM program is a parallel path that most California elk hunters have never used, because most outfitters have never offered it.
Getting on the waitlist here does not replace your annual draw application. It adds a second track. If PLM tags are allocated before your draw tag comes through, you will hear from us first.
Applications open April 15. Deadline: June 2.
For draw statistics and season info: CDFW Big Game Hunting Digest
Frequently Asked Questions — PLM Tags
PLM stands for Private Land Management. The CDFW PLM program allocates a limited number of Tule Elk tags directly to qualifying private landowners as part of herd management programs on their property. These tags exist entirely outside the general draw lottery system and do not require a draw application or preference points to access.
A standard Tule Elk draw tag requires entering the CDFW Big Game Drawing each year and competing against thousands of applicants. In premium Central Coast zones, draw odds for a bull tag are often under one percent — meaning most hunters apply for years or decades before drawing. PLM tags are allocated directly to qualifying private landowners and require no draw entry, no preference points, and no application window. Frontera Big Game is pursuing PLM tag allocations on its Central Coast properties and will contact the waitlist when tags become available.
We are actively developing the PLM program and building the list now. Tags are not yet available. When allocations are secured, we will contact waitlist members in the order they signed up. There is no cost to join and no obligation — one email when the time comes.
Yes, two ways. If you draw a Zone 15 Central Coast tag through the state system, Frontera Big Game guides fully supported 5-day hunts on private ranchland — contact us immediately when your tag comes through, as prime dates fill fast. If you want to hunt the same private Central Coast land without a draw tag, Frontera also offers Aoudad (Barbary Sheep) hunts year-round with no tag or license required.
Be First When PLM Tags Become Available.
No draw required. No preference points. One email when the time comes.