Box Elder deer unit: harvest, draw and public land
Box Elder is an 8,973-square-mile general-season deer unit in DWR's Northern Region of Utah. Hunters on its general-season buck deer hunts took 1,123 bucks in 2025, with 3,870 hunters afield across 4 hunts, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 36% public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (1,634,608 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, 2013 to 2025. Draw: DWR's 2024 and 2025 results. Land: UGRC, 2023.
National forestBLMState trust land (SITLA)DWR wildlife landNational wildlife refugeNational park or monument (NPS, no hunting)Military land (closed)State park (park rules)State sovereign land (lake and river beds)Box ElderNeighboring deer unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Northern Region (Ogden office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 5,742,909 acres (8,973 square miles) |
| Public land | 36% (2,070,147 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 4 general-season, plus 1 limited-entry (DWR guidebook) |
| Bucks harvested, 2025 | 1,123 (3,870 hunters afield) |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 29 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 3,923 residents, 307 nonresidents (3,027 drew) |
| Wildlife management areas | 10, 111,779 acres inside the unit |
| Towns in and near it | Salt Lake City, Hooper, Howell, Kaysville, Willard and Tremonton |
When are the 2026 deer hunts on Box Elder?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 4 general-season buck deer 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1501 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 11 | 408 | 404 | 32 | 32 |
| DB1531 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Oct. 17-Oct. 25 | 2,420 | 1,317 | 228 | 147 |
| DB1561 | Muzzleloader | Sept. 23-Oct. 1 | 480 | 473 | 19 | 19 |
| DB1631 | Early rifle | Oct. 7-Oct. 11 | 615 | 607 | 28 | 28 |
Source: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook, hunt tables, pages 43, 44, 45 and 46; 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 bucks are taken on the Box Elder deer unit?
DWR's harvest reports for the Box Elder general-season deer hunts, by weapon: bucks harvested, with hunters afield in brackets. In 2024, hunters took 1,328 bucks here.
| Year | Archery: bucks (hunters) | Muzzleloader: bucks (hunters) | Early rifle: bucks (hunters) | Rifle: bucks (hunters) | All these hunts: bucks | All these hunts: hunters afield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 164 (711) | 164 (680) | 222 (784) | 573 (1,695) | 1,123 | 3,870 |
| 2024 | 185 (714) | 198 (709) | 945 (2,353) | 1,328 | 3,776 | |
| 2023 | 26 (351) | 127 (632) | 459 (1,508) | 612 | 2,491 | |
| 2022 | 33 (355) | 190 (634) | 776 (1,982) | 999 | 2,971 | |
| 2021 | 22 (313) | 159 (531) | 583 (1,357) | 764 | 2,201 | |
| 2020 | 45 (294) | 134 (591) | 359 (1,444) | 538 | 2,329 | |
| 2019 | 19 (301) | 117 (674) | 491 (1,693) | 627 | 2,668 | |
| 2018 | 30 (255) | 248 (701) | 685 (1,723) | 963 | 2,679 | |
| 2017 | 29 (274) | 180 (588) | 634 (1,502) | 843 | 2,364 | |
| 2016 | 41 (324) | 185 (627) | 740 (1,656) | 966 | 2,607 | |
| 2015 | 56 (338) | 127 (577) | 616 (1,563) | 799 | 2,478 | |
| 2014 | 28 (297) | 107 (586) | 494 (1,568) | 629 | 2,451 | |
| 2013 | 25 (341) | 114 (496) | 623 (1,838) | 762 | 2,675 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2013 to 2025. "All these hunts" adds DWR's archery, muzzleloader, early rifle and rifle rows (restricted muzzleloader and restricted rifle hunts in those columns); youth and Dedicated Hunter rows and extended archery are not in these tables. 2025 is DWR's preliminary report.
Each 2025 hunt on Box Elder
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1501 | Archery | 935 | 711 | 164 | 23.1% | 9.5 | 3.2 |
| DB1531 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 1,982 | 1,695 | 573 | 33.8% | 4.1 | 3.2 |
| DB1561 | Muzzleloader | 837 | 680 | 164 | 24.1% | 4.1 | 3.1 |
| DB1631 | Early rifle | 963 | 784 | 222 | 28.3% | 3.1 | 3 |
Source: DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary). DWR works out percent success from its survey answers, so it can differ a little from harvest divided by hunters.
Are there limited-entry deer hunts on Box Elder?
Yes. DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 1 limited-entry buck deer hunt on the Box Elder unit, drawn on bonus points. In 2025, those hunts had 24 permits and hunters took 13 bucks (DWR).
| Hunt number | Hunt | 2026 season | 2025 first-choice applicants (residents) | 2025 permits drawn (residents) | 2025 first-choice applicants (nonresidents) | 2025 permits drawn (nonresidents) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1077 | Muzzleloader | Oct. 28-Nov. 5 | 62 | 22 | 27 | 3 |
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1077 | Muzzleloader | 24 | 23 | 13 | 56.5% | 4.7 | 3.8 |
Sources: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook; DWR 2025 drawing results; DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
How many hunters apply for Box Elder deer permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 3,923 residents put a Box Elder deer hunt first and 2,801 drew a permit, 71.4% of them; 307 nonresidents applied first choice and 226 drew (73.6%). In 2024, 3,083 residents applied first choice and 2,690 drew. General-season buck deer permits are drawn on preference points.
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1501 | General season, archery | 408 | 404 | 32 | 32 |
| DB1531 | General season, any legal weapon | 2,420 | 1,317 | 228 | 147 |
| DB1561 | General season, muzzleloader | 480 | 473 | 19 | 19 |
| DB1631 | General season, any legal weapon | 615 | 607 | 28 | 28 |
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1501 | General season, archery | 425 | 402 | 39 | 39 |
| DB1531 | General season, any legal weapon | 2,237 | 1,879 | 192 | 190 |
| DB1561 | General season, muzzleloader | 421 | 409 | 11 | 11 |
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 Box Elder is public land?
36% of the Box Elder deer unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 2,070,147 of 5,742,909 acres. The largest share is BLM, 1,634,608 acres or 28.5% of the unit. 187 acres are tribal land, hunted only under the tribe's own rules. 2,215 acres are National Park Service land, closed to hunting.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Box Elder |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 1,634,608 | 28.5% |
| State sovereign land (lake and river beds) | 1,293,323 | 22.5% |
| Military land (closed) | 357,971 | 6.2% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 248,906 | 4.3% |
| National wildlife refuge | 73,927 | 1.3% |
| National forest | 71,868 | 1.3% |
| DWR wildlife land | 40,838 | 0.7% |
| State park (park rules) | 14,306 | 0.2% |
| National park or monument (NPS, no hunting) | 2,215 | under 0.1% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 537 | under 0.1% |
| Tribal land (tribe's rules) | 187 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 2,004,223 | 34.9% |
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: Farmington Bay WMA (28,700 acres), Locomotive Springs WMA (18,460 acres), Ogden Bay WMA (16,656 acres), Willard Spur WMA (13,940 acres), Public Shooting Grounds WMA (13,356 acres), Harold Crane WMA (9,848 acres), Salt Creek WMA (6,205 acres), Howard Slough WMA (2,547 acres), Timpie Springs WMA (1,402 acres) and Blackhawk WMA (665 acres).
DWR's Walk-In Access program has 7 active hunting properties on private land in the unit, about 7,801 acres. Each has its own rules: DWR Walk-In Access.
What other hunts share the Box Elder deer 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 Box Elder it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Box Elder | once-in-a-lifetime bull moose | 100% |
| Box Elder, Hansel Mountain | general-season any bull elk (over the counter) | 41% |
| Box Elder, West | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 26% |
| Box Elder, Newfoundland Mountain | once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | 20% |
| Box Elder, Promontory | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 18% |
| Box Elder, Snowville | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 15% |
| Box Elder, Pilot Mountain | limited-entry bull elk | 12% |
| Box Elder, Grouse Creek | limited-entry bull elk | 10% |
| Box Elder, Grouse Creek | general-season spike elk (over the counter) | 10% |
| Box Elder, Puddle Valley | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 5% |
| Box Elder, Sawtooth | general-season any bull elk (over the counter) | 4% |
How do you get to the Box Elder unit?
Highways through the unit: I-80 (about 164 miles inside it), I-84 (about 144 miles inside it), I-15 (about 139 miles inside it), I-215 (about 13 miles inside it) and US 89 (about 10 miles inside it). Towns inside: Salt Lake City, Hooper, Howell, Plain City, West Haven and Syracuse. Nearby: Kaysville (on the line), Willard (on the line), Tremonton (on the line) and Lake Point (on the line). Rivers: Bear River (33 miles), Weber River (21 miles) and Jordan River (12 miles).
Which deer units border or overlap Box Elder?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bucks harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cache | 1,832 | 47.1% | 899 (2025) |
| Cedar/Stansbury | 2,222 | 52.9% | 286 (2025) |
| East Canyon | 631 | 18.7% | 325 (2025) |
| Ogden | 633 | 25.5% | 566 (2025) |
| Oquirrh/Tintic | 2,164 | 33.4% | 796 (2025) |
| West Desert, Swasey | 6,152 | 68.7% | 77 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 deer hunts on Box Elder?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 4 general-season hunts on Box Elder: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 11 (DB1501), Rifle (any legal weapon) Oct. 17-Oct. 25 (DB1531), Muzzleloader Sept. 23-Oct. 1 (DB1561) and Early rifle Oct. 7-Oct. 11 (DB1631).
How many bucks were harvested on Box Elder in 2025?
1,123, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 3,870 hunters afield, 29 bucks for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 1,328.
How many people apply for Box Elder deer permits?
3,923 residents and 307 nonresidents made a Box Elder hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 2,801 residents and 226 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is Box Elder mostly public land?
No. 36% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (1,634,608 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map. Most of the rest is private land.
What is the closest town to the Box Elder deer unit?
Salt Lake City, Hooper and Howell are inside the unit. Just outside: Kaysville (on the line), Willard (on the line) and Tremonton (on the line).
DWR's boundary description for Box Elder
Box Elder, Davis, Salt Lake, Tooele and Weber counties: Boundary begins at the Utah-Idaho state line and I-15; west on this state line to the Utah-Nevada state line; south on this state line to I-80; east on I-80 to I-15; north on I-15 to the Utah-Idaho state line. This hunt is comprised of all or largely private property. Excludes all CWMUs. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Bonneville Salt Flat, Grouse Creek, Jackpot, Newfoundland Mountains, Promontory Point, Salt Lake City, Tooele, Tremonton, Wells, Wendover. Boundary questions? Call the Ogden office, 801-476-2740.
From DWR's 2026 unit layer.
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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 Northern Region Utah draw deadlines Cache East Canyon Ogden