La Sal Mountains deer unit: harvest, draw and public land
La Sal Mountains is a 2,477-square-mile general-season deer unit in DWR's Southeastern Region of Utah. Hunters on its general-season buck deer hunts took 673 bucks in 2025, with 1,275 hunters afield across 3 hunts, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 78.4% public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (940,254 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, 2016 to 2025. Draw: DWR's 2024 and 2025 results. Land: UGRC, 2023.
National forestBLMState trust land (SITLA)DWR wildlife landNational park or monument (NPS, no hunting)Tribal 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)La Sal MountainsNeighboring deer unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Southeastern Region (Price office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,585,236 acres (2,477 square miles) |
| Public land | 78.4% (1,243,026 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 3 general-season, plus 1 limited-entry (DWR guidebook) |
| Bucks harvested, 2025 | 673 (1,275 hunters afield) |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 53 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 2,134 residents, 441 nonresidents (1,162 drew) |
| Wildlife management areas | 1, 426 acres inside the unit |
| Towns in and near it | Castle Valley, Moab, La Sal, Green River and Monticello |
When are the 2026 deer hunts on La Sal Mountains?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 3 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1509 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 11 | 375 | 212 | 103 | 24 |
| DB1539 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Oct. 17-Oct. 25 | 1,421 | 624 | 278 | 70 |
| DB1569 | Muzzleloader | Sept. 23-Oct. 1 | 338 | 208 | 60 | 24 |
Source: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook, hunt tables, pages 43, 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 La Sal Mountains deer unit?
DWR's harvest reports for the La Sal Mountains general-season deer hunts, by weapon: bucks harvested, with hunters afield in brackets. In 2024, hunters took 543 bucks here.
| Year | Archery: bucks (hunters) | Muzzleloader: bucks (hunters) | Rifle: bucks (hunters) | All these hunts: bucks | All these hunts: hunters afield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 112 (232) | 116 (216) | 445 (827) | 673 | 1,275 |
| 2024 | 74 (216) | 97 (198) | 372 (623) | 543 | 1,037 |
| 2023 | 95 (197) | 94 (178) | 230 (410) | 419 | 785 |
| 2022 | 53 (158) | 77 (183) | 236 (517) | 366 | 858 |
| 2021 | 58 (209) | 95 (196) | 216 (464) | 369 | 869 |
| 2020 | 96 (205) | 78 (173) | 136 (418) | 310 | 796 |
| 2019 | 77 (235) | 92 (247) | 189 (604) | 358 | 1,086 |
| 2018 | 97 (254) | 118 (256) | 189 (567) | 404 | 1,077 |
| 2017 | 75 (284) | 123 (315) | 275 (712) | 473 | 1,311 |
| 2016 | 63 (266) | 133 (294) | 278 (710) | 474 | 1,270 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2016 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 La Sal Mountains
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1509 | Archery | 266 | 232 | 112 | 48.3% | 6.1 | 4 |
| DB1539 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 944 | 827 | 445 | 53.8% | 3.9 | 3.7 |
| DB1569 | Muzzleloader | 260 | 216 | 116 | 53.7% | 4.1 | 3.8 |
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 La Sal Mountains?
Yes. DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 1 limited-entry buck deer hunt on the La Sal Mountains unit, drawn on bonus points. In 2025, those hunts had 9 permits and hunters took 5 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1081 | Muzzleloader | Oct. 28-Nov. 5 | 38 | 8 | 10 | 1 |
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1081 | Muzzleloader | 9 | 9 | 5 | 55.6% | 5.9 | 2.8 |
Sources: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook; DWR 2025 drawing results; DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
How many hunters apply for La Sal Mountains deer permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 2,134 residents put a La Sal Mountains deer hunt first and 1,044 drew a permit, 48.9% of them; 441 nonresidents applied first choice and 118 drew (26.8%). In 2024, 2,205 residents applied first choice and 877 drew. General-season buck deer permits are drawn on preference points.
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1509 | General season, archery | 375 | 212 | 103 | 24 |
| DB1539 | General season, any legal weapon | 1,421 | 624 | 278 | 70 |
| DB1569 | General season, muzzleloader | 338 | 208 | 60 | 24 |
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1509 | General season, archery | 441 | 188 | 101 | 24 |
| DB1539 | General season, any legal weapon | 1,425 | 502 | 240 | 58 |
| DB1569 | General season, muzzleloader | 339 | 187 | 43 | 23 |
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 La Sal Mountains is public land?
78.4% of the La Sal Mountains deer unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 1,243,026 of 1,585,236 acres. The largest share is BLM, 940,254 acres or 59.3% of the unit. 208,518 acres are National Park Service land, closed to hunting.
| Manager | Acres | Share of La Sal Mountains |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 940,254 | 59.3% |
| National park or monument (NPS, no hunting) | 208,518 | 13.2% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 161,756 | 10.2% |
| National forest | 140,592 | 8.9% |
| State sovereign land (lake and river beds) | 12,665 | 0.8% |
| State park (park rules) | 7,596 | 0.5% |
| Military land (closed) | 1,872 | 0.1% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 556 | under 0.1% |
| DWR wildlife land | 424 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 111,003 | 7% |
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 area inside the unit: Scott and Norma Matheson Wetlands Preserve WMA (426 acres).
What other hunts share the La Sal Mountains 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 La Sal Mountains it covers |
|---|---|---|
| La Sal Mountains | limited-entry bull elk | 100% |
| La Sal Mountains | once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat | 100% |
| La Sal Mountains | general-season spike elk (over the counter) | 100% |
| La Sal, Potash/South Cisco | once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep | 59% |
| La Sal, Potash/South Cisco | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 59% |
| San Juan, Hatch Point | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 13% |
| Castle Valley | limited-entry deer | 4% |
| Moab Valley | limited-entry deer | 3% |
How do you get to the La Sal Mountains unit?
Highways through the unit: US 191 (about 65 miles inside it). Towns inside: Castle Valley, Moab, La Sal and Spanish Valley. Nearby: Green River (2 miles) and Monticello (19 miles). Rivers: Colorado River (82 miles) and Green River (63 miles).
Which deer units border or overlap La Sal Mountains?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bucks harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manti/San Rafael | 7,649 | 81.5% | 2,518 (2025) |
| Nine Mile | 2,574 | 69.1% | 402 (2025) |
| San Juan, Abajo Mountains | 2,010 | 72.1% | 990 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 deer hunts on La Sal Mountains?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 3 general-season hunts on La Sal Mountains: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 11 (DB1509), Rifle (any legal weapon) Oct. 17-Oct. 25 (DB1539) and Muzzleloader Sept. 23-Oct. 1 (DB1569).
How many bucks were harvested on La Sal Mountains in 2025?
673, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 1,275 hunters afield, 53 bucks for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 543.
How many people apply for La Sal Mountains deer permits?
2,134 residents and 441 nonresidents made a La Sal Mountains hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 1,044 residents and 118 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is La Sal Mountains mostly public land?
Yes. 78.4% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (940,254 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the La Sal Mountains deer unit?
Castle Valley, Moab and La Sal are inside the unit. Just outside: Green River (2 miles) and Monticello (19 miles).
DWR's boundary description for La Sal Mountains
Grand and San Juan counties: Boundary begins at I-70 and the Green River; south along this river to the Colorado River; north along this river to Kane Springs Creek; southeast along this creek to Hatch Wash; southeast along this wash to US-191; south on US-191 to the Big Indian road; east on this road to the Lisbon Valley road; southeast on this road to the Island Mesa road; east on this road to the Utah-Colorado state line; north on this state line to the Dolores River; west along this river to the Colorado River; north along this river to the Utah-Colorado state line; north on this state line to I-70; west on I-70 to the Green River. Excludes all CWMUs. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: La Sal, Moab, San Rafael Desert, Westwater. Boundary questions? Call Price office, 435-613-3700.
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 Southeastern Region Utah draw deadlines Manti/San Rafael Nine Mile San Juan, Abajo Mountains