Southwest Desert deer unit: harvest, draw and public land
Southwest Desert is a 5,205-square-mile general-season deer unit in DWR's Southern Region of Utah. Hunters on its general-season buck deer hunts took 137 bucks in 2025, with 382 hunters afield across 3 hunts, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 88.8% public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (2,569,718 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)Tribal land (tribe's rules)State park (park rules)Southwest DesertNeighboring deer unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Southern Region (Cedar City office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 3,331,118 acres (5,205 square miles) |
| Public land | 88.8% (2,956,769 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 3 general-season, plus 1 limited-entry (DWR guidebook) |
| Bucks harvested, 2025 | 137 (382 hunters afield) |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 36 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 1,115 residents, 220 nonresidents (285 drew) |
| Wildlife management areas | 1, 10,260 acres inside the unit |
| Towns in and near it | Minersville, Milford, Cedar City, Hinckley and Enoch |
When are the 2026 deer hunts on Southwest Desert?
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1524 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 11 | 99 | 56 | 20 | 7 |
| DB1554 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Oct. 17-Oct. 25 | 928 | 142 | 155 | 16 |
| DB1584 | Muzzleloader | Sept. 23-Oct. 1 | 88 | 57 | 45 | 7 |
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 Southwest Desert deer unit?
DWR's harvest reports for the Southwest Desert general-season deer hunts, by weapon: bucks harvested, with hunters afield in brackets. In 2024, hunters took 126 bucks here.
| Year | Archery: bucks (hunters) | Muzzleloader: bucks (hunters) | Rifle: bucks (hunters) | All these hunts: bucks | All these hunts: hunters afield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11 (64) | 20 (73) | 106 (245) | 137 | 382 |
| 2024 | 19 (76) | 25 (76) | 82 (251) | 126 | 403 |
| 2023 | 7 (44) | 12 (48) | 38 (126) | 57 | 218 |
| 2022 | 10 (51) | 18 (61) | 88 (228) | 116 | 340 |
| 2021 | 6 (100) | 28 (106) | 50 (307) | 84 | 513 |
| 2020 | 23 (127) | 37 (132) | 66 (311) | 126 | 570 |
| 2019 | 16 (121) | 36 (123) | 53 (301) | 105 | 545 |
| 2018 | 31 (115) | 52 (114) | 117 (338) | 200 | 567 |
| 2017 | 17 (106) | 25 (109) | 118 (286) | 160 | 501 |
| 2016 | 22 (104) | 39 (116) | 105 (310) | 166 | 530 |
| 2015 | 31 (121) | 39 (112) | 144 (358) | 214 | 591 |
| 2014 | 27 (106) | 27 (115) | 66 (316) | 120 | 537 |
| 2013 | 4 (111) | 31 (111) | 101 (314) | 136 | 536 |
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 Southwest Desert
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1524 | Archery | 77 | 64 | 11 | 17.2% | 8.1 | 3.2 |
| DB1554 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 255 | 245 | 106 | 43.3% | 4.8 | 2.9 |
| DB1584 | Muzzleloader | 76 | 73 | 20 | 27.4% | 5.1 | 2.6 |
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 Southwest Desert?
Yes. DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 1 limited-entry buck deer hunt on the Southwest Desert unit, drawn on bonus points. In 2025, those hunts had 5 permits and hunters took 3 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1040 | Muzzleloader | Oct. 28-Nov. 5 | 63 | 4 | 37 | 1 |
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1040 | Muzzleloader | 5 | 5 | 3 | 60% | 7.4 | 2.8 |
Sources: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook; DWR 2025 drawing results; DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
How many hunters apply for Southwest Desert deer permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 1,115 residents put a Southwest Desert deer hunt first and 255 drew a permit, 22.9% of them; 220 nonresidents applied first choice and 30 drew (13.6%). In 2024, 1,047 residents applied first choice and 271 drew. General-season buck deer permits are drawn on preference points.
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1524 | General season, archery | 99 | 56 | 20 | 7 |
| DB1554 | General season, any legal weapon | 928 | 142 | 155 | 16 |
| DB1584 | General season, muzzleloader | 88 | 57 | 45 | 7 |
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1524 | General season, archery | 92 | 70 | 28 | 9 |
| DB1554 | General season, any legal weapon | 812 | 140 | 139 | 16 |
| DB1584 | General season, muzzleloader | 143 | 61 | 34 | 8 |
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 Southwest Desert is public land?
88.8% of the Southwest Desert deer unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 2,956,769 of 3,331,118 acres. The largest share is BLM, 2,569,718 acres or 77.1% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Southwest Desert |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 2,569,718 | 77.1% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 321,257 | 9.6% |
| National forest | 55,535 | 1.7% |
| DWR wildlife land | 10,259 | 0.3% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 211 | under 0.1% |
| State park (park rules) | 10 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 374,128 | 11.2% |
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: Indian Peaks WMA (10,260 acres).
What other hunts share the Southwest Desert 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 Southwest Desert it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Southwest Desert | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 100% |
| Southwest Desert | general-season spike elk (over the counter) | 100% |
| Southwest Desert, South | limited-entry bull elk | 51% |
| Southwest Desert, North | limited-entry bull elk | 49% |
How do you get to the Southwest Desert unit?
Highways through the unit: US 50 and US 6 (one road, about 27 miles inside it) and I-15 (about 6 miles inside it). Towns inside: Minersville and Milford. Nearby: Cedar City (on the line), Hinckley (on the line), Enoch (on the line) and Delta (6 miles). Rivers: Beaver River (52 miles) and Sevier River (52 miles).
Which deer units border or overlap Southwest Desert?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bucks harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver, West | 987 | 74% | 198 (2025) |
| Fillmore | 1,978 | 70.4% | 873 (2025) |
| Panguitch Lake | 882 | 77.9% | 941 (2025) |
| Pine Valley | 2,606 | 71% | 817 (2025) |
| West Desert, Swasey | 6,152 | 68.7% | 77 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 deer hunts on Southwest Desert?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 3 general-season hunts on Southwest Desert: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 11 (DB1524), Rifle (any legal weapon) Oct. 17-Oct. 25 (DB1554) and Muzzleloader Sept. 23-Oct. 1 (DB1584).
How many bucks were harvested on Southwest Desert in 2025?
137, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 382 hunters afield, 36 bucks for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 126.
How many people apply for Southwest Desert deer permits?
1,115 residents and 220 nonresidents made a Southwest Desert hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 255 residents and 30 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is Southwest Desert mostly public land?
Yes. 88.8% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (2,569,718 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the Southwest Desert deer unit?
Minersville and Milford are inside the unit. Just outside: Cedar City (on the line), Hinckley (on the line) and Enoch (on the line).
DWR's boundary description for Southwest Desert
Beaver, Iron and Millard counties: Boundary begins at the Utah-Nevada state line and US-6/50; east on US-6/50 to SR-257; south on SR-257 to SR-21; south on SR-21 to SR-130; south on SR-130 to I-15; south on I-15 to SR-56; west on SR-56 to the Lund highway; northwest on this highway to Lund and the Union Pacific railroad tracks; southwest along these tracks to the Utah-Nevada state line; north on this state line to US-6/50. Excludes all CWMUs. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Beaver, Caliente, Cedar City, Delta, Garrison, Richfield, Tule Valley, Wah Wah Mountains North, Wah Wah Mountains South, Wilson Creek Range. Boundary questions? Call the Cedar City office, 435-865-6100.
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 Southern Region Utah draw deadlines Beaver, West Fillmore Panguitch Lake Pine Valley