Book Cliffs (Little Creek/South) bison unit: draw, harvest and public land
Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South is a 1,380-square-mile once-in-a-lifetime bison unit in DWR's Southeastern Region of Utah. Once-in-a-lifetime bison hunters here took 25 bison on 29 permits in 2025, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 95.7% public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (697,623 acres), measured from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: DWR's 2026 guidebook. Harvest: DWR's reports, 2022 to 2025. Draw: DWR's 2024 and 2025 results. Land: UGRC, 2023.
BLMState trust land (SITLA)DWR wildlife landTribal land (tribe's rules)Military land (closed)State park (park rules)State sovereign land (lake and river beds)Other public land (highways, other state land)Book Cliffs, Little Creek/SouthNeighboring bison unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Southeastern Region (Price office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 883,053 acres (1,380 square miles) |
| Public land | 95.7% (844,947 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 4 (DWR guidebook) |
| Bison harvested, 2025 | 25 on 29 permits |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 89 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 1,032 residents, 2,323 nonresidents (30 drew) |
| Wildlife management areas | 2, 7,868 acres inside the unit |
| Towns in and near it | Thompson Springs and Green River |
When are the 2026 bison hunts on Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 4 once-in-a-lifetime bison hunts on this unit, shown here with the 2025 draw for the same hunt number where DWR used it.
| Hunt number | Hunt | 2026 season | 2025 first-choice applicants (residents) | 2025 permits drawn (residents) | 2025 first-choice applicants (nonresidents) | 2025 permits drawn (nonresidents) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BI6528 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 11 | 125 | 5 | ||
| BI6529 | Rifle (any legal weapon) (cow only) | Oct. 17-Oct. 27 | 107 | 8 | ||
| BI6531 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Sept. 21-Oct. 2 | 370 | 7 | ||
| BI6537 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Nov. 7, 2026-Jan. 31, 2027 | 430 | 5 | 2,323 | 5 |
Source: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook, hunt tables, page 65; boundaries from DWR Hunt Planner hunt table. DWR can change a season during the year: check the Utah Hunt Planner before you go.
How many bison are taken on Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South each year?
DWR's harvest reports cover Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South's once-in-a-lifetime bison hunts in 4 years from 2022 to 2025. In 2025, 28 hunters afield took 25 bison, 89 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 15 from 20 hunters on 21 permits.
| Year | Hunts reported | Permits | Hunters afield | Bison harvested | Harvest per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 89 |
| 2024 | 4 | 21 | 20 | 15 | 75 |
| 2023 | 6 | 71 | 67 | 46 | 69 |
| 2022 | 5 | 84 | 82 | 63 | 77 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2022 to 2025, every once-in-a-lifetime bison hunt DWR printed for this unit's name each year, added up by FilledTag. CWMU, landowner, conservation and sportsman permits are not included. Harvest per 100 hunters is worked out from DWR's own two numbers.
Each 2025 hunt on Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bison harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BI6528 | Archery | 5 | 5 | 5 | 100% | 2 | 5 |
| BI6529 | Rifle (any legal weapon) (cow only) | 5 | 5 | 4 | 80% | 1.8 | 4.8 |
| BI6531 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 8 | 7 | 6 | 85.7% | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| BI6537 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 11 | 11 | 10 | 90.9% | 3.7 | 4.6 |
Source: DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South by weapon, year by year
Bison harvested of permits issued, by weapon, for each year DWR reported since 2022:
| Weapon | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 5 of 5 | 1 of 3 | 10 of 10 | 6 of 8 |
| Muzzleloader | 0 of 14 | 12 of 18 | ||
| Rifle (any legal weapon) | 16 of 19 | 14 of 18 | 36 of 47 | 45 of 58 |
| Rifle (any legal weapon) (cow only) | 4 of 5 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2022 to 2025. An empty cell means DWR printed no hunt of that kind on this unit that year.
How many hunters apply for Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South bison permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 1,032 residents put a Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South bison hunt first and 25 drew a permit, 2.4% of them; 2,323 nonresidents applied first choice and 5 drew (0.2%). In 2024, 910 residents applied first choice and 24 drew. Limited-entry and once-in-a-lifetime permits are drawn on bonus points: DWR reserves half of each hunt's permits for the applicants with the most points and draws the rest at random (Utah Admin. Rule R657-62-8).
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BI6528 | Bison archery (hunter's choice) | 125 | 5 | ||
| BI6529 | Bison (cow only) | 107 | 8 | ||
| BI6531 | Bison (hunter's choice) | 370 | 7 | ||
| BI6537 | Bison (hunter's choice) | 430 | 5 | 2,323 | 5 |
| Hunt | Residents, reserved permits: points | Residents, random permits: points | Nonresidents, reserved permits: points | Nonresidents, random permits: points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BI6528 | 21 to 25 | 0 to 3 | ||
| BI6529 | 16 to 19 | 2 to 16 | ||
| BI6531 | 26 | 1 to 14 | ||
| BI6537 | 24 to 27 | 3 to 11 | 27 to 28 | 6 to 11 |
From DWR's 2025 drawing results, which list each point level's permits from the reserved half (most points first) and from the random half. A blank cell means no permit of that kind went to the group.
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BI6528 | Bison archery (hunter's choice) | 146 | 4 | 269 | 1 |
| BI6529 | Bison (cow only) | 118 | 4 | 79 | 1 |
| BI6530 | Bison (hunter's choice) | 270 | 3 | 293 | 1 |
| BI6531 | Bison (hunter's choice) | 117 | 4 | 205 | 1 |
| BI6537 | Bison (hunter's choice) | 259 | 9 | 385 | 1 |
Source: DWR 2025 drawing results and DWR 2024 drawing results, first-choice applications only, as DWR reports them; DWR leaves out second to fifth choices. The share who drew in a past year is not a forecast for the next draw. Deadlines and fees: Utah draw deadlines and fees.
How much of Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South is public land?
95.7% of the Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South bison unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 844,947 of 883,053 acres. The largest share is BLM, 697,623 acres or 79% of the unit. 137 acres are tribal land, hunted only under the tribe's own rules.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 697,623 | 79% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 139,447 | 15.8% |
| DWR wildlife land | 7,877 | 0.9% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 827 | 0.1% |
| Military land (closed) | 566 | 0.1% |
| Tribal land (tribe's rules) | 137 | under 0.1% |
| State sovereign land (lake and river beds) | 21 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 36,555 | 4.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside DWR's 2026 boundary from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023). State trust land (SITLA) is open to hunting where it can be reached legally; many sections touch no public road. A permit does not allow hunting on CWMUs, tribal land or national parks.
DWR wildlife management areas inside the unit: Book Cliffs Roadless WMA (6,690 acres) and Nash Wash WMA (1,178 acres).
What other hunts share the Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South bison unit's ground?
Utah draws a separate map of units for each species and hunt type. These units cover part of the same ground, measured from DWR's 2026 boundaries:
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Book Cliffs | limited-entry deer | 100% |
| Book Cliffs, South | once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | 94% |
| Book Cliffs, South | limited-entry deer | 94% |
| Book Cliffs, South | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 94% |
| Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek/East | limited-entry bull elk | 62% |
| Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek/East | general-season spike elk (over the counter) | 62% |
| Book Cliffs, Floy Canyon | limited-entry deer | 32% |
| Book Cliffs, Floy Canyon | general-season any bull elk (over the counter) | 32% |
| Book Cliffs, Little Creek Roadless | general-season spike elk (over the counter) | 6% |
| Book Cliffs, Little Creek Roadless | limited-entry bull elk | 6% |
How do you get to the Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South unit?
Highways through the unit: US 50, I-70 and US 6 (one road, about 102 miles inside it) and US 191 (about 29 miles inside it). Towns inside: Thompson Springs. Nearby: Green River (2 miles). Rivers: Green River (7 miles).
Which bison units border or overlap Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bison harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek | 2,199 | 58.5% | 14 (2025) |
| Nine Mile | 2,574 | 69.1% | 0 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 bison hunts on Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 4 once-in-a-lifetime bison hunts on Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 11 (BI6528), Rifle (any legal weapon) (cow only) Oct. 17-Oct. 27 (BI6529), Rifle (any legal weapon) Sept. 21-Oct. 2 (BI6531) and Rifle (any legal weapon) Nov. 7, 2026-Jan. 31, 2027 (BI6537).
How many bison were harvested on Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South in 2025?
25, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 28 hunters afield on 29 permits, 89 bison for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 15.
How many people apply for Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South bison permits?
1,032 residents and 2,323 nonresidents made a Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 25 residents and 5 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South mostly public land?
Yes. 95.7% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (697,623 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South bison unit?
Thompson Springs is inside the unit. Just outside: Green River (2 miles).
Get a Utah hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Utah are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Utah included.
Where these numbers come from
- Harvest, permits, hunters, days and satisfaction: DWR harvest reports, 2013 to 2025 (2025 preliminary).
- 2026 hunts and season dates: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook; boundary names: DWR Hunt Planner hunt table.
- Applicants and permits drawn: DWR drawing results, 2024 and 2025.
- Unit boundary: DWR 2026 hunt unit boundaries. Public land: UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023). WMAs: DWR public access properties (WMAs). Walk-In Access: DWR Walk-In Access properties (December 17, 2025).
- Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Numbers are copied from DWR and the State of Utah, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Utah hunting units Southeastern Region Utah draw deadlines Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek