Many deer hunting areas are closed

Outdoor Report by Tony Riley
Desert Dispatch - Barstow, CA

Hunters, if you have a deer tag for D-17 the fires this summer in the East Mojave National Preserve have forced the Department of Fish and Game and the Park Service to close many areas. The area is used by many hunters in D-17. They include Hole-in-the-Wall to Mid Hills, Wildhorse Mesa and Canyon, Gold and Round Valley, Table Top, Barnett Mine, Pinto Mountain and Basin, Fourth of July canyon and Hackberry Mountain. Hunters should contact the Department of Fish and Game at 909-484-0167 if they want a refund on their deer tags.

Right now Mid Hills Campground is closed due to a recent fire. Hole-in-the-Wall Campground is open. Mitchell Caverns is also open. Wild Horse Canyon Road is closed. The unpaved portion of Lanfair Road is open to 4-wheel drive traffic only. The Mojave Road through Lanfair Valley has been severely eroded. Use caution there.