Nebo deer unit: harvest, draw and public land
Nebo is a 1,472-square-mile general-season deer unit in DWR's Central Region of Utah. Hunters on its general-season buck deer hunts took 1,417 bucks in 2025, with 3,834 hunters afield across 3 hunts, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 49.1% public land open to hunting; the largest share is BLM (191,891 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 landBureau of ReclamationTribal 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)NeboNeighboring deer unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Central Region (Springville office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 941,894 acres (1,472 square miles) |
| Public land | 49.1% (462,528 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 3 general-season, plus 1 limited-entry (DWR guidebook) |
| Bucks harvested, 2025 | 1,417 (3,834 hunters afield) |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 37 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 4,181 residents, 170 nonresidents (3,100 drew) |
| Wildlife management areas | 14, 42,414 acres inside the unit |
| Towns in and near it | Spanish Fork, Payson, Salem, Scipio, Centerfield and Ephraim |
When are the 2026 deer hunts on Nebo?
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1504 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 11 | 683 | 672 | 29 | 29 |
| DB1534 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Oct. 17-Oct. 25 | 3,050 | 1,820 | 129 | 127 |
| DB1564 | Muzzleloader | Sept. 23-Oct. 1 | 448 | 440 | 12 | 12 |
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 Nebo deer unit?
DWR's harvest reports for the Nebo general-season deer hunts, by weapon: bucks harvested, with hunters afield in brackets. In 2024, hunters took 987 bucks here.
| Year | Archery: bucks (hunters) | Muzzleloader: bucks (hunters) | Rifle: bucks (hunters) | All these hunts: bucks | All these hunts: hunters afield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 123 (641) | 141 (649) | 1,153 (2,544) | 1,417 | 3,834 |
| 2024 | 89 (711) | 148 (688) | 750 (2,081) | 987 | 3,480 |
| 2023 | 88 (576) | 161 (623) | 426 (1,460) | 675 | 2,659 |
| 2022 | 102 (578) | 187 (631) | 819 (1,878) | 1,108 | 3,087 |
| 2021 | 79 (553) | 222 (589) | 520 (1,341) | 821 | 2,483 |
| 2020 | 75 (643) | 170 (657) | 382 (1,452) | 627 | 2,752 |
| 2019 | 123 (639) | 146 (633) | 396 (1,460) | 665 | 2,732 |
| 2018 | 162 (615) | 200 (599) | 599 (1,419) | 961 | 2,633 |
| 2017 | 121 (625) | 183 (672) | 518 (1,511) | 822 | 2,808 |
| 2016 | 164 (708) | 287 (688) | 660 (1,591) | 1,111 | 2,987 |
| 2015 | 125 (691) | 175 (681) | 585 (1,582) | 885 | 2,954 |
| 2014 | 89 (638) | 120 (627) | 566 (1,590) | 775 | 2,855 |
| 2013 | 125 (681) | 200 (667) | 595 (1,570) | 920 | 2,918 |
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 Nebo
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1504 | Archery | 763 | 641 | 123 | 19.2% | 8.3 | 3.3 |
| DB1534 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 2,798 | 2,544 | 1,153 | 45.3% | 4.1 | 3.4 |
| DB1564 | Muzzleloader | 755 | 649 | 141 | 21.7% | 4.1 | 3.2 |
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 Nebo?
Yes. DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 1 limited-entry buck deer hunt on the Nebo unit, drawn on bonus points. In 2025, those hunts had 27 permits and hunters took 21 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1080 | Muzzleloader | Oct. 28-Nov. 5 | 74 | 22 | 8 | 3 |
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1080 | Muzzleloader | 27 | 27 | 21 | 77.8% | 4.8 | 3.4 |
Sources: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook; DWR 2025 drawing results; DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
How many hunters apply for Nebo deer permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 4,181 residents put a Nebo deer hunt first and 2,932 drew a permit, 70.1% of them; 170 nonresidents applied first choice and 168 drew (98.8%). In 2024, 4,297 residents applied first choice and 2,821 drew. General-season buck deer permits are drawn on preference points.
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1504 | General season, archery | 683 | 672 | 29 | 29 |
| DB1534 | General season, any legal weapon | 3,050 | 1,820 | 129 | 127 |
| DB1564 | General season, muzzleloader | 448 | 440 | 12 | 12 |
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1504 | General season, archery | 742 | 702 | 29 | 29 |
| DB1534 | General season, any legal weapon | 3,052 | 1,639 | 122 | 118 |
| DB1564 | General season, muzzleloader | 503 | 480 | 12 | 12 |
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 Nebo is public land?
49.1% of the Nebo deer unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 462,528 of 941,894 acres. The largest share is BLM, 191,891 acres or 20.4% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Nebo |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 191,891 | 20.4% |
| National forest | 190,406 | 20.2% |
| DWR wildlife land | 40,663 | 4.3% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 39,568 | 4.2% |
| Military land (closed) | 678 | 0.1% |
| State park (park rules) | 81 | under 0.1% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 77 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 478,530 | 50.8% |
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: Loafer Mountain WMA (14,301 acres), Spencer Fork WMA (7,365 acres), Santaquin WMA (4,836 acres), Triangle Ranch WMA (2,840 acres), Levan WMA (2,197 acres), Nephi Canyon WMA (2,118 acres), Mona Bench WMA (2,076 acres), Christensen Springs WMA (1,559 acres), Apple Tree Springs WMA (1,211 acres) and Deep Creek WMA (1,202 acres), and 4 more.
What other hunts share the Nebo 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 Nebo it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Wasatch Mountains/Central Mountains | once-in-a-lifetime bull moose | 100% |
| Nebo | once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | 100% |
| Nebo | once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat | 100% |
| Nebo/San Pitch Mountains | limited-entry bull elk | 66% |
| Nebo/San Pitch Mountains | general-season spike elk (over the counter) | 66% |
| Valley Mountains | general-season any bull elk (over the counter) | 28% |
| Nebo, Moroni Hills | general-season any bull elk (over the counter) | 6% |
How do you get to the Nebo unit?
Highways through the unit: US 89 (about 45 miles inside it), I-15 (about 28 miles inside it), US 6 (about 21 miles inside it), US 50 (about 10 miles inside it), UT 147 (about 3 miles inside it) and UT 115 (about 3 miles inside it). Towns inside: Spanish Fork, Payson, Salem, Mount Pleasant, Elk Ridge and Woodland Hills. Nearby: Scipio (on the line), Centerfield (on the line), Ephraim (on the line) and Manti (on the line). Rivers: Sevier River (56 miles).
Which deer units border or overlap Nebo?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bucks harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fillmore | 1,978 | 70.4% | 873 (2025) |
| Manti/San Rafael | 7,649 | 81.5% | 2,518 (2025) |
| Oquirrh/Tintic | 2,164 | 33.4% | 796 (2025) |
| Wasatch Mountains, West | 1,220 | 59% | 1,175 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 deer hunts on Nebo?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 3 general-season hunts on Nebo: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 11 (DB1504), Rifle (any legal weapon) Oct. 17-Oct. 25 (DB1534) and Muzzleloader Sept. 23-Oct. 1 (DB1564).
How many bucks were harvested on Nebo in 2025?
1,417, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 3,834 hunters afield, 37 bucks for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 987.
How many people apply for Nebo deer permits?
4,181 residents and 170 nonresidents made a Nebo hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 2,932 residents and 168 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is Nebo mostly public land?
No. 49.1% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (191,891 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map. Most of the rest is private land.
What is the closest town to the Nebo deer unit?
Spanish Fork, Payson and Salem are inside the unit. Just outside: Scipio (on the line), Centerfield (on the line) and Ephraim (on the line).
DWR's boundary description for Nebo
Juab, Millard, Sanpete, Sevier and Utah counties: Boundary begins at US-6 and I-15 at Spanish Fork; southeast on US-6 to US-89 near Thistle; south on US-89 to US-50 at Salina; northwest on US-50 to I-15 at Scipio; north on I-15 to US-6 at Spanish Fork. Excludes all CWMUs. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Maps: Delta, Manti, Nephi, Provo, Salina. Boundary questions? Call the Springville office, 801-491-5678.
From DWR's 2026 unit layer.
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 Central Region Utah draw deadlines Fillmore Manti/San Rafael Wasatch Mountains, West