North Slope deer unit: harvest, draw and public land
North Slope is a 1,224-square-mile general-season deer unit in DWR's Northern Region of Utah. Hunters on its general-season buck deer hunts took 685 bucks in 2025, with 2,227 hunters afield across 4 hunts, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 89% public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (598,133 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 landNorth SlopeNeighboring deer unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Northern Region (Ogden office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 783,523 acres (1,224 square miles) |
| Public land | 89% (697,223 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 4 general-season, plus 1 limited-entry (DWR guidebook) |
| Bucks harvested, 2025 | 685 (2,227 hunters afield) |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 31 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 2,756 residents, 120 nonresidents (2,126 drew) |
| Wildlife management areas | 6, 7,200 acres inside the unit |
| Towns in and near it | Dutch John, Manila and Flaming Gorge |
When are the 2026 deer hunts on North Slope?
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1513 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 11 | 536 | 443 | 28 | 28 |
| DB1543 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Oct. 17-Oct. 25 | 1,195 | 756 | 50 | 50 |
| DB1573 | Muzzleloader | Sept. 23-Oct. 1 | 395 | 392 | 16 | 16 |
| DB1598 | Early rifle | Oct. 7-Oct. 11 | 630 | 415 | 26 | 26 |
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 North Slope deer unit?
DWR's harvest reports for the North Slope general-season deer hunts, by weapon: bucks harvested, with hunters afield in brackets. In 2024, hunters took 424 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 | 51 (384) | 95 (410) | 147 (474) | 392 (959) | 685 | 2,227 |
| 2024 | 49 (384) | 38 (370) | 85 (349) | 252 (717) | 424 | 1,820 |
| 2023 | 33 (343) | 68 (328) | 58 (278) | 130 (523) | 289 | 1,472 |
| 2022 | 25 (357) | 98 (362) | 94 (304) | 297 (757) | 514 | 1,780 |
| 2021 | 22 (356) | 73 (363) | 54 (254) | 163 (540) | 312 | 1,513 |
| 2020 | 41 (611) | 95 (602) | 146 (878) | 282 | 2,091 | |
| 2019 | 33 (494) | 106 (503) | 194 (1,211) | 333 | 2,208 | |
| 2018 | 52 (491) | 180 (487) | 439 (1,204) | 671 | 2,182 | |
| 2017 | 48 (486) | 146 (542) | 300 (1,160) | 494 | 2,188 | |
| 2016 | 85 (509) | 150 (486) | 441 (1,196) | 676 | 2,191 | |
| 2015 | 69 (494) | 149 (491) | 398 (1,239) | 616 | 2,224 | |
| 2014 | 64 (487) | 173 (554) | 356 (1,324) | 593 | 2,365 | |
| 2013 | 52 (571) | 121 (555) | 316 (1,386) | 489 | 2,512 |
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 North Slope
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1513 | Archery | 506 | 384 | 51 | 13.3% | 8.8 | 3.2 |
| DB1543 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 1,114 | 959 | 392 | 40.9% | 4.3 | 3.2 |
| DB1573 | Muzzleloader | 510 | 410 | 95 | 23.2% | 4.6 | 3.1 |
| DB1598 | Early rifle | 563 | 474 | 147 | 31% | 3.3 | 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 North Slope?
Yes. DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 1 limited-entry buck deer hunt on the North Slope unit, drawn on bonus points. In 2025, those hunts had 15 permits and hunters took 12 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1065 | Muzzleloader | Oct. 28-Nov. 5 | 49 | 13 | 7 | 2 |
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1065 | Muzzleloader | 15 | 15 | 12 | 80% | 5.8 | 3.4 |
Sources: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook; DWR 2025 drawing results; DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
How many hunters apply for North Slope deer permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 2,756 residents put a North Slope deer hunt first and 2,006 drew a permit, 72.8% of them; 120 nonresidents applied first choice and 120 drew (100%). In 2024, 2,813 residents applied first choice and 1,557 drew. General-season buck deer permits are drawn on preference points.
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1513 | General season, archery | 536 | 443 | 28 | 28 |
| DB1543 | General season, any legal weapon | 1,195 | 756 | 50 | 50 |
| DB1573 | General season, muzzleloader | 395 | 392 | 16 | 16 |
| DB1598 | General season, any legal weapon | 630 | 415 | 26 | 26 |
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1513 | General season, archery | 596 | 348 | 46 | 40 |
| DB1543 | General season, any legal weapon | 1,116 | 579 | 48 | 48 |
| DB1573 | General season, muzzleloader | 413 | 346 | 17 | 17 |
| DB1598 | General season, any legal weapon | 688 | 284 | 41 | 38 |
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 North Slope is public land?
89% of the North Slope deer unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 697,223 of 783,523 acres. The largest share is national forest, 598,133 acres or 76.3% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of North Slope |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 598,133 | 76.3% |
| BLM | 63,546 | 8.1% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 29,817 | 3.8% |
| DWR wildlife land | 5,727 | 0.7% |
| State sovereign land (lake and river beds) | 16 | under 0.1% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 9 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 86,275 | 11% |
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: Red Creek WMA (2,400 acres), Browns Park WMA (1,729 acres), Cook WMA (1,593 acres), Goslin Mountain WMA (1,199 acres), Trail Creek WMA (159 acres) and Bare Top Mountain WMA (120 acres).
DWR's Walk-In Access program has 1 active hunting property on private land in the unit, about 238 acres. Each has its own rules: DWR Walk-In Access.
What other hunts share the North Slope 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 North Slope it covers |
|---|---|---|
| North Slope, Summit/West Daggett | once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | 82% |
| North Slope, Summit | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 50% |
| North Slope, Three Corners/West Daggett | once-in-a-lifetime bull moose | 50% |
| North Slope, Three Corners/West Daggett | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 50% |
| North Slope, Summit | once-in-a-lifetime bull moose | 50% |
| North Slope, Summit | general-season any bull elk (over the counter) | 50% |
| North Slope, West Daggett | general-season any bull elk (over the counter) | 32% |
| High Uintas East | once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat | 23% |
| High Uintas West | once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat | 18% |
| North Slope, Three Corners | once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | 18% |
| North Slope, Three Corners | limited-entry bull elk | 18% |
| High Uintas Central | once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat | 13% |
How do you get to the North Slope unit?
Highways through the unit: US 191 (about 23 miles inside it) and UT 150 (about 11 miles inside it). Towns inside: Dutch John, Manila and Flaming Gorge. Rivers: Green River (41 miles) and Blacks Fork (3 miles).
Which deer units border or overlap North Slope?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bucks harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chalk Creek | 617 | 10.1% | 532 (2025) |
| Vernal/Bonanza | 2,062 | 72.8% | 634 (2025) |
| Yellowstone | 1,947 | 49.8% | 544 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 deer hunts on North Slope?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 4 general-season hunts on North Slope: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 11 (DB1513), Rifle (any legal weapon) Oct. 17-Oct. 25 (DB1543), Muzzleloader Sept. 23-Oct. 1 (DB1573) and Early rifle Oct. 7-Oct. 11 (DB1598).
How many bucks were harvested on North Slope in 2025?
685, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 2,227 hunters afield, 31 bucks for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 424.
How many people apply for North Slope deer permits?
2,756 residents and 120 nonresidents made a North Slope hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 2,006 residents and 120 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is North Slope mostly public land?
Yes. 89% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (598,133 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the North Slope deer unit?
Dutch John, Manila and Flaming Gorge are inside the unit.
DWR's boundary description for North Slope
Daggett and Summit counties: Boundary begins SR-150 and the Summit-Duchesne county line at Hayden Pass (summit of the Uinta Mountains); north on SR-150 to the Utah-Wyoming state line; east on this state line to the Utah-Colorado state line; south on this state line to the Green River; west along this river to Flaming Gorge Reservoir; west along the south shoreline of this reservoir to Cart Creek; south along this creek to US-191; south on US-191 to the Uintah-Daggett County line (summit of the Uinta Mountains); west along the summit of the Uinta mountains to SR-150 at Hayden Pass. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Dutch John, Kings Peak. Boundary questions? Call the Vernal office, 435-781-9453.
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 Chalk Creek Vernal/Bonanza Yellowstone