Mt Dutton deer unit: harvest, draw and public land
Mt Dutton is a 659-square-mile general-season deer unit in DWR's Southern Region of Utah. Hunters on its general-season buck deer hunts took 141 bucks in 2025, with 318 hunters afield across 3 hunts, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 87.6% public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (253,428 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 park or monument (NPS, no hunting)State park (park rules)Other public land (highways, other state land)Mt DuttonNeighboring deer unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Southern Region (Cedar City office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 421,699 acres (659 square miles) |
| Public land | 87.6% (369,288 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 3 general-season, plus 1 limited-entry (DWR guidebook) |
| Bucks harvested, 2025 | 141 (318 hunters afield) |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 44 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 880 residents, 142 nonresidents (255 drew) |
| Wildlife management areas | 2, 731 acres inside the unit |
| Towns in and near it | Circleville, Panguitch, Kingston, Antimony and Bryce Canyon City |
When are the 2026 deer hunts on Mt Dutton?
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1511 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 11 | 123 | 52 | 9 | 7 |
| DB1541 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Oct. 17-Oct. 25 | 666 | 127 | 114 | 15 |
| DB1571 | Muzzleloader | Sept. 23-Oct. 1 | 91 | 48 | 19 | 6 |
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 Mt Dutton deer unit?
DWR's harvest reports for the Mt Dutton general-season deer hunts, by weapon: bucks harvested, with hunters afield in brackets. In 2024, hunters took 143 bucks here.
| Year | Archery: bucks (hunters) | Muzzleloader: bucks (hunters) | Rifle: bucks (hunters) | All these hunts: bucks | All these hunts: hunters afield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11 (56) | 16 (56) | 114 (206) | 141 | 318 |
| 2024 | 14 (63) | 24 (59) | 105 (185) | 143 | 307 |
| 2023 | 4 (49) | 12 (42) | 44 (97) | 60 | 188 |
| 2022 | 6 (42) | 16 (36) | 45 (123) | 67 | 201 |
| 2021 | 8 (44) | 10 (26) | 38 (92) | 56 | 162 |
| 2020 | 15 (100) | 21 (87) | 45 (207) | 81 | 394 |
| 2019 | 11 (110) | 18 (104) | 75 (237) | 104 | 451 |
| 2018 | 30 (117) | 47 (119) | 141 (275) | 218 | 511 |
| 2017 | 30 (111) | 65 (115) | 174 (292) | 269 | 518 |
| 2016 | 25 (110) | 50 (108) | 178 (288) | 253 | 506 |
| 2015 | 30 (114) | 49 (103) | 140 (285) | 219 | 502 |
| 2014 | 29 (104) | 39 (90) | 133 (260) | 201 | 454 |
| 2013 | 23 (96) | 33 (103) | 134 (265) | 190 | 464 |
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 Mt Dutton
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1511 | Archery | 70 | 56 | 11 | 19.6% | 7.3 | 3.9 |
| DB1541 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 216 | 206 | 114 | 55.3% | 3.9 | 3.5 |
| DB1571 | Muzzleloader | 64 | 56 | 16 | 28.6% | 4.6 | 3.1 |
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 Mt Dutton?
Yes. DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 1 limited-entry buck deer hunt on the Mt Dutton unit, drawn on bonus points. In 2025, those hunts had 5 permits and hunters took 4 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1053 | Muzzleloader | Oct. 28-Nov. 5 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1053 | Muzzleloader | 5 | 5 | 4 | 80% | 6.5 | 4 |
Sources: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook; DWR 2025 drawing results; DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
How many hunters apply for Mt Dutton deer permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 880 residents put a Mt Dutton deer hunt first and 227 drew a permit, 25.8% of them; 142 nonresidents applied first choice and 28 drew (19.7%). In 2024, 688 residents applied first choice and 214 drew. General-season buck deer permits are drawn on preference points.
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1511 | General season, archery | 123 | 52 | 9 | 7 |
| DB1541 | General season, any legal weapon | 666 | 127 | 114 | 15 |
| DB1571 | General season, muzzleloader | 91 | 48 | 19 | 6 |
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1511 | General season, archery | 108 | 48 | 15 | 6 |
| DB1541 | General season, any legal weapon | 476 | 120 | 100 | 14 |
| DB1571 | General season, muzzleloader | 104 | 46 | 17 | 6 |
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 Mt Dutton is public land?
87.6% of the Mt Dutton deer unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 369,288 of 421,699 acres. The largest share is national forest, 253,428 acres or 60.1% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Mt Dutton |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 253,428 | 60.1% |
| BLM | 80,532 | 19.1% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 34,601 | 8.2% |
| DWR wildlife land | 727 | 0.2% |
| State park (park rules) | 24 | under 0.1% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 12 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 52,375 | 12.4% |
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: Kingston Canyon WMA (526 acres) and Black Canyon WMA (205 acres).
What other hunts share the Mt Dutton 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 Mt Dutton it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Mt Dutton/Paunsaugunt | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 100% |
| Mt Dutton | once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat | 100% |
| Mt Dutton | limited-entry bull elk | 100% |
| Mt Dutton | general-season spike elk (over the counter) | 100% |
How do you get to the Mt Dutton unit?
Highways through the unit: US 89 (about 21 miles inside it). Towns inside: Circleville and Panguitch. Nearby: Kingston (on the line), Antimony (on the line), Bryce Canyon City (on the line) and Junction (2 miles). Rivers: Sevier River (45 miles).
Which deer units border or overlap Mt Dutton?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bucks harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver, East | 799 | 87.1% | 663 (2025) |
| Boulder/Kaiparowits | 5,344 | 75.7% | 693 (2025) |
| Monroe | 690 | 75.4% | 446 (2025) |
| Panguitch Lake | 882 | 77.9% | 941 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 deer hunts on Mt Dutton?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 3 general-season hunts on Mt Dutton: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 11 (DB1511), Rifle (any legal weapon) Oct. 17-Oct. 25 (DB1541) and Muzzleloader Sept. 23-Oct. 1 (DB1571).
How many bucks were harvested on Mt Dutton in 2025?
141, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 318 hunters afield, 44 bucks for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 143.
How many people apply for Mt Dutton deer permits?
880 residents and 142 nonresidents made a Mt Dutton hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 227 residents and 28 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is Mt Dutton mostly public land?
Yes. 87.6% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (253,428 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the Mt Dutton deer unit?
Circleville and Panguitch are inside the unit. Just outside: Kingston (on the line), Antimony (on the line) and Bryce Canyon City (on the line).
DWR's boundary description for Mt Dutton
Garfield and Piute counties: Boundary begins at US-89 and SR-62; south on US-89 to SR-12; east on SR-12 to the Widtsoe-Antimony Road; north on this road to SR-22; north on SR-22 to SR-62; west on SR-62 to US-89. Excludes all CWMUs. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Beaver, Escalante, Loa, Panguitch. Boundary questions? Call the Cedar City office, 435-865-6100.
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 Southern Region Utah draw deadlines Beaver, East Boulder/Kaiparowits Monroe Panguitch Lake