Suddenly, there he was! A buck magically materialized on the slope well ahead of me . . . and then another and another. They were going to pass me on the far side of the wash, less than 100 yards away.

I sat down next to a juniper to break up my outline. I was excited and more than ready when the first buck -- a fair 4x4 -- paused long enough for me to let me shoot.

My buck wasn't monstrous, but he was the first one to come through a nearby DFG checkpoint. And he impressed a group of hunters who up until that moment hadn't even seen a deer, let alone a legal buck.

Before that X5a hunt, I had been drawn for Zone X5b. I hunted with local Doran Wheeler and scored another nice 4x4.

TAGS
Twenty years ago, tags for the X Zones were easier to get than they are today. For one thing, many more tags were available, so the odds of getting one were good.

However, demand remained high, while the tag quota diminished. As a result, some hunters seemed to get picked regularly, but others became discouraged with the process.

Eventually, some of them quit trying for X-Zone tags altogether. At least some of them looked to other states for their mule deer hunting.

Today things are better -- or worse, depending on your point of view.

To level the playing field somewhat, a preference point system was initiated in 2002. Tags for the A, B, C and D zones are still issued on request until tag quotas are filled. However, the DFG classifies tags for the X Zones as premium deer tags because they are all awarded every year in the June drawing.

Tags for additional hunts, including general-methods hunts, muzzleloader hunts, archery hunts and junior hunts are also awarded in the drawing.

To enter the drawing, you must buy a hunting license and a first-deer tag application, and you must meet the early June deadline.

Most premium tags go to those with the highest number of preference points, which are earned at a rate of 1 per year. However, 10 percent of the tags go to applicants who have few preference points, or none.

All told, you have three choices in the drawing. When you fill out your application, you can put down an X Zone as choice No. 1, then list two other tags as your second and third choices. If you don't draw your first-choice tag, you'll get a preference point. And if your second choice is sold out before your number comes up (which could happen in the C Zone and some of the D Zones), you may -- depending on your pick -- get your third-choice tag.

After all that, if you still receive an unsuccessful draw notice, you can still get a leftover tag, or a refund.

For more details on how the drawing works, consult the DFG's California Hunting Digest, Big Game.

You can also view it online at www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/biggame/biggamebook.html.