Vernal/Bonanza deer unit: harvest, draw and public land
Vernal/Bonanza is a 2,062-square-mile general-season deer unit in DWR's Northeastern Region of Utah. Hunters on its general-season buck deer hunts took 634 bucks in 2025, with 1,009 hunters afield across 3 hunts, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 72.8% public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (557,966 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 wildlife refugeNational park or monument (NPS, no hunting)Tribal land (tribe's rules)State park (park rules)State sovereign land (lake and river beds)Vernal/BonanzaNeighboring deer unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Northeastern Region (Vernal office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,319,989 acres (2,062 square miles) |
| Public land | 72.8% (960,369 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 3 general-season, plus 1 limited-entry (DWR guidebook) |
| Bucks harvested, 2025 | 634 (1,009 hunters afield) |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 63 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 3,546 residents, 180 nonresidents (779 drew) |
| Wildlife management areas | 2, 1,022 acres inside the unit |
| Towns in and near it | Naples, Vernal, Maeser, Dutch John, Ballard and Roosevelt |
When are the 2026 deer hunts on Vernal/Bonanza?
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1522 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 11 | 589 | 221 | 39 | 25 |
| DB1552 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Oct. 17-Oct. 25 | 2,608 | 338 | 121 | 38 |
| DB1582 | Muzzleloader | Sept. 23-Oct. 1 | 349 | 141 | 20 | 16 |
Source: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook, hunt tables, pages 43, 45 and 47; 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 Vernal/Bonanza deer unit?
DWR's harvest reports for the Vernal/Bonanza general-season deer hunts, by weapon: bucks harvested, with hunters afield in brackets. In 2024, hunters took 491 bucks here.
| Year | Archery: bucks (hunters) | Muzzleloader: bucks (hunters) | Rifle: bucks (hunters) | All these hunts: bucks | All these hunts: hunters afield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 129 (327) | 115 (184) | 390 (498) | 634 | 1,009 |
| 2024 | 105 (293) | 87 (156) | 299 (396) | 491 | 845 |
| 2023 | 58 (222) | 64 (138) | 217 (291) | 339 | 651 |
| 2022 | 75 (318) | 101 (180) | 362 (471) | 538 | 969 |
| 2021 | 67 (310) | 87 (185) | 270 (368) | 424 | 863 |
| 2020 | 91 (420) | 109 (229) | 265 (492) | 465 | 1,141 |
| 2019 | 100 (440) | 124 (261) | 321 (505) | 545 | 1,206 |
| 2018 | 148 (382) | 150 (238) | 344 (458) | 642 | 1,078 |
| 2017 | 118 (354) | 140 (209) | 281 (398) | 539 | 961 |
| 2016 | 102 (406) | 181 (265) | 391 (488) | 674 | 1,159 |
| 2015 | 99 (263) | 166 (241) | 360 (505) | 625 | 1,009 |
| 2014 | 74 (242) | 121 (221) | 387 (553) | 582 | 1,016 |
| 2013 | 90 (289) | 109 (267) | 342 (553) | 541 | 1,109 |
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 Vernal/Bonanza
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1522 | Archery | 366 | 327 | 129 | 39.4% | 10.2 | 3.3 |
| DB1552 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 534 | 498 | 390 | 78.3% | 3.4 | 3.6 |
| DB1582 | Muzzleloader | 206 | 184 | 115 | 62.5% | 3.9 | 3.7 |
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 Vernal/Bonanza?
Yes. DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 1 limited-entry buck deer hunt on the Vernal/Bonanza unit, drawn on bonus points. In 2025, those hunts had 6 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1086 | Muzzleloader | Oct. 28-Nov. 5 | 28 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1086 | Muzzleloader | 6 | 5 | 4 | 80% | 3.3 | 4.5 |
Sources: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook; DWR 2025 drawing results; DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
How many hunters apply for Vernal/Bonanza deer permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 3,546 residents put a Vernal/Bonanza deer hunt first and 700 drew a permit, 19.7% of them; 180 nonresidents applied first choice and 79 drew (43.9%). In 2024, 3,631 residents applied first choice and 558 drew. General-season buck deer permits are drawn on preference points.
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1522 | General season, archery | 589 | 221 | 39 | 25 |
| DB1552 | General season, any legal weapon | 2,608 | 338 | 121 | 38 |
| DB1582 | General season, muzzleloader | 349 | 141 | 20 | 16 |
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1522 | General season, archery | 682 | 179 | 28 | 24 |
| DB1552 | General season, any legal weapon | 2,594 | 270 | 144 | 31 |
| DB1582 | General season, muzzleloader | 355 | 109 | 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 Vernal/Bonanza is public land?
72.8% of the Vernal/Bonanza deer unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 960,369 of 1,319,989 acres. The largest share is BLM, 557,966 acres or 42.3% of the unit. 86,651 acres are tribal land, hunted only under the tribe's own rules. 52,973 acres are National Park Service land, closed to hunting.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Vernal/Bonanza |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 557,966 | 42.3% |
| National forest | 285,816 | 21.7% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 107,339 | 8.1% |
| Tribal land (tribe's rules) | 86,651 | 6.6% |
| National park or monument (NPS, no hunting) | 52,973 | 4% |
| National wildlife refuge | 7,493 | 0.6% |
| State sovereign land (lake and river beds) | 6,787 | 0.5% |
| State park (park rules) | 4,317 | 0.3% |
| DWR wildlife land | 1,676 | 0.1% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 79 | under 0.1% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 39 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 208,853 | 15.8% |
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: Stewart Lake WMA (688 acres) and Little Hole WMA (334 acres).
What other hunts share the Vernal/Bonanza 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 Vernal/Bonanza it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Vernal/Bonanza | general-season any bull elk (over the counter) | 100% |
| Diamond Mountain/Vernal | once-in-a-lifetime bull moose | 61% |
| Vernal | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 61% |
| Diamond Mountain/Bonanza | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 39% |
| High Uintas Leidy Peak | once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat | 18% |
How do you get to the Vernal/Bonanza unit?
Highways through the unit: US 191 (about 51 miles inside it). Towns inside: Naples, Vernal, Maeser, Jensen, Bonanza and Lapoint. Nearby: Dutch John (on the line), Ballard (5 miles), Roosevelt (7 miles) and Myton (12 miles). Rivers: Green River (97 miles), White River (28 miles) and Uinta River (17 miles).
Which deer units border or overlap Vernal/Bonanza?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bucks harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nine Mile | 2,574 | 69.1% | 402 (2025) |
| North Slope | 1,224 | 89% | 685 (2025) |
| Yellowstone | 1,947 | 49.8% | 544 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 deer hunts on Vernal/Bonanza?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 3 general-season hunts on Vernal/Bonanza: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 11 (DB1522), Rifle (any legal weapon) Oct. 17-Oct. 25 (DB1552) and Muzzleloader Sept. 23-Oct. 1 (DB1582).
How many bucks were harvested on Vernal/Bonanza in 2025?
634, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 1,009 hunters afield, 63 bucks for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 491.
How many people apply for Vernal/Bonanza deer permits?
3,546 residents and 180 nonresidents made a Vernal/Bonanza hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 700 residents and 79 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is Vernal/Bonanza mostly public land?
Yes. 72.8% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (557,966 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the Vernal/Bonanza deer unit?
Naples, Vernal and Maeser are inside the unit. Just outside: Dutch John (on the line), Ballard (5 miles) and Roosevelt (7 miles).
DWR's boundary description for Vernal/Bonanza
Daggett, Duchesne and Uintah counties: Boundary begins at the Utah-Colorado state line and the White River; west along this river to the Green River; north along this river to the Duchesne River; north along this river to the Uinta River; north along this river to Whiterocks river; north along this river to the East Fork of the Whiterocks River; north along this river to Whiterocks Lake and USFS Trail #025; northeast on this trail to the Dry Fork-Whiterocks drainage divide; north atop this divide to the Daggett-Uintah county line (summit of the Uinta Mountains); east along the summit of the Uinta Mountains to US-191; north on US-191 to Cart Creek; north along this creek to Flaming Gorge Reservoir; east along the south shoreline of Flaming Gorge Reservoir to the Green River; east along this river to Gorge Creek; south along Gorge Creek to the USFS/private land boundary at the head of Davenport Draw; south along the USFS/private land boundary on the west side of Davenport Draw to the BLM boundary; south along the BLM boundary approximately one-third of a mile to the rim of Diamond Mountain; south and easterly along this rim until the rim intersects the Diamond Mountain road (Jones Hole Road); southwest on this road to Brush Creek road; south on this road to Island Park road; east on this road to Dinosaur National Monument Boundary; northeast on this monument boundary to the Utah-Colorado state line; south on this state line to the White River. EXCLUDES ALL NATIVE AMERICAN TRUST LANDS WITHIN THIS BOUNDARY. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Dutch John, Kings Peak, Seep Ridge, Vernal. Boundary questions? Call 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 Northeastern Region Utah draw deadlines Nine Mile North Slope Yellowstone