Wasatch Mountains (East) deer unit: harvest, draw and public land
Wasatch Mountains, East is a 1,631-square-mile general-season deer unit in DWR's Northeastern Region of Utah. Hunters on its general-season buck deer hunts took 1,658 bucks in 2025, with 4,573 hunters afield across 3 hunts, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 54.2% public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (399,887 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, 2016 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)State park (park rules)Other public land (highways, other state land)Wasatch Mountains, EastNeighboring deer unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Northeastern Region (Vernal office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,043,757 acres (1,631 square miles) |
| Public land | 54.2% (566,144 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 3 general-season, plus 1 limited-entry (DWR guidebook) |
| Bucks harvested, 2025 | 1,658 (4,573 hunters afield) |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 36 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 7,851 residents, 414 nonresidents (3,959 drew) |
| Wildlife management areas | 10, 131,566 acres inside the unit |
| Towns in and near it | Independence, Heber, Timber Lakes, Francis, Tabiona and Duchesne |
When are the 2026 deer hunts on Wasatch Mountains, East?
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1525 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 11 | 1,479 | 725 | 70 | 67 |
| DB1555 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Oct. 17-Oct. 25 | 5,376 | 2,131 | 304 | 237 |
| DB1585 | Muzzleloader | Sept. 23-Oct. 1 | 996 | 760 | 40 | 39 |
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 Wasatch Mountains, East deer unit?
DWR's harvest reports for the Wasatch Mountains, East general-season deer hunts, by weapon: bucks harvested, with hunters afield in brackets. In 2024, hunters took 1,071 bucks here.
| Year | Archery: bucks (hunters) | Muzzleloader: bucks (hunters) | Rifle: bucks (hunters) | All these hunts: bucks | All these hunts: hunters afield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 160 (789) | 217 (789) | 1,281 (2,995) | 1,658 | 4,573 |
| 2024 | 114 (793) | 156 (756) | 801 (2,285) | 1,071 | 3,834 |
| 2023 | 101 (684) | 181 (623) | 521 (1,512) | 803 | 2,819 |
| 2022 | 164 (686) | 240 (621) | 1,043 (1,873) | 1,447 | 3,180 |
| 2021 | 134 (601) | 246 (620) | 657 (1,508) | 1,037 | 2,729 |
| 2020 | 140 (658) | 211 (665) | 594 (1,593) | 945 | 2,916 |
| 2019 | 126 (624) | 159 (620) | 501 (1,478) | 786 | 2,722 |
| 2018 | 150 (654) | 285 (635) | 746 (1,578) | 1,181 | 2,867 |
| 2017 | 125 (757) | 185 (688) | 626 (1,659) | 936 | 3,104 |
| 2016 | 177 (813) | 337 (704) | 770 (1,729) | 1,284 | 3,246 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2016 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 Wasatch Mountains, East
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1525 | Archery | 912 | 789 | 160 | 20.3% | 8 | 3.4 |
| DB1555 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 3,325 | 2,995 | 1,281 | 42.8% | 3.9 | 3.4 |
| DB1585 | Muzzleloader | 917 | 789 | 217 | 27.5% | 4.2 | 3.3 |
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 Wasatch Mountains, East?
Yes. DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 1 limited-entry buck deer hunt on the Wasatch Mountains, East unit, drawn on bonus points. In 2025, those hunts had 30 permits and hunters took 19 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1041 | Muzzleloader | Oct. 28-Nov. 5 | 221 | 26 | 27 | 3 |
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1041 | Muzzleloader | 30 | 30 | 19 | 63.3% | 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 Wasatch Mountains, East deer permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 7,851 residents put a Wasatch Mountains, East deer hunt first and 3,616 drew a permit, 46.1% of them; 414 nonresidents applied first choice and 343 drew (82.9%). In 2024, 8,437 residents applied first choice and 3,086 drew. General-season buck deer permits are drawn on preference points.
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1525 | General season, archery | 1,479 | 725 | 70 | 67 |
| DB1555 | General season, any legal weapon | 5,376 | 2,131 | 304 | 237 |
| DB1585 | General season, muzzleloader | 996 | 760 | 40 | 39 |
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1525 | General season, archery | 1,608 | 675 | 77 | 73 |
| DB1555 | General season, any legal weapon | 5,579 | 1,714 | 242 | 234 |
| DB1585 | General season, muzzleloader | 1,250 | 697 | 43 | 36 |
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 Wasatch Mountains, East is public land?
54.2% of the Wasatch Mountains, East deer unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 566,144 of 1,043,757 acres. The largest share is national forest, 399,887 acres or 38.3% of the unit. 77,287 acres are tribal land, hunted only under the tribe's own rules.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Wasatch Mountains, East |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 399,887 | 38.3% |
| DWR wildlife land | 115,190 | 11% |
| Tribal land (tribe's rules) | 77,287 | 7.4% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 33,220 | 3.2% |
| BLM | 17,847 | 1.7% |
| State park (park rules) | 7,366 | 0.7% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 52 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 392,908 | 37.6% |
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: Tabby Mountain WMA (50,055 acres), Strawberry River WMA (22,930 acres), Currant Creek WMA (14,977 acres), Horse Ridge WMA (14,283 acres), Rabbit Gulch WMA (9,199 acres), Lake Canyon WMA (7,587 acres), Wildcat WMA (6,709 acres), Skitzy WMA (5,198 acres), Starvation WMA (368 acres) and Wallsburg WMA (260 acres).
What other hunts share the Wasatch Mountains, East 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 Wasatch Mountains, East it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Wasatch Mountains/Central Mountains | once-in-a-lifetime bull moose | 100% |
| Wasatch Mountains | general-season spike elk (over the counter) | 100% |
| Wasatch Mountains | limited-entry bull elk | 100% |
How do you get to the Wasatch Mountains, East unit?
Highways through the unit: US 40 (about 58 miles inside it) and US 191 and US 6 (one road, about 21 miles inside it). Towns inside: Independence, Heber and Timber Lakes. Nearby: Francis (on the line), Tabiona (on the line), Duchesne (on the line) and Daniel (on the line). Rivers: Strawberry River (73 miles), Duchesne River (30 miles) and Price River (14 miles).
Which deer units border or overlap Wasatch Mountains, East?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bucks harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kamas | 343 | 59.1% | 199 (2025) |
| Manti/San Rafael | 7,649 | 81.5% | 2,518 (2025) |
| Nine Mile | 2,574 | 69.1% | 402 (2025) |
| Wasatch Mountains, West | 1,220 | 59% | 1,175 (2025) |
| Yellowstone | 1,947 | 49.8% | 544 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 deer hunts on Wasatch Mountains, East?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 3 general-season hunts on Wasatch Mountains, East: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 11 (DB1525), Rifle (any legal weapon) Oct. 17-Oct. 25 (DB1555) and Muzzleloader Sept. 23-Oct. 1 (DB1585).
How many bucks were harvested on Wasatch Mountains, East in 2025?
1,658, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 4,573 hunters afield, 36 bucks for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 1,071.
How many people apply for Wasatch Mountains, East deer permits?
7,851 residents and 414 nonresidents made a Wasatch Mountains, East hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 3,616 residents and 343 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is Wasatch Mountains, East mostly public land?
Yes. 54.2% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (399,887 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map. Most of the rest is private land.
What is the closest town to the Wasatch Mountains, East deer unit?
Independence, Heber and Timber Lakes are inside the unit. Just outside: Francis (on the line), Tabiona (on the line) and Duchesne (on the line).
DWR's boundary description for Wasatch Mountains, East
Carbon, Duchesne, Utah and Wasatch counties: Boundary begins SR-87 and US-40 in Duchesne; north on SR-87 to SR-35; west on SR-35 to SR-32 at Francis; west on SR-32 to US-40; southeast on US-40 to Strawberry Bay Marina Road; south on this road to USFS Road 042 (Indian Creek); south and west on this road to USFS Road 051; south on this road to US-6; southeast on US-6 to US-191; north on US-191 to US-40; east on US-40 to SR-87 in Duchesne. EXCLUDES ALL NATIVE AMERICAN TRUST LANDS WITHIN THIS BOUNDARY. Excludes all CWMUs. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Duchesne, Nephi, Price, Provo, Salt Lake City. Boundary questions? Call the Springville office, 801-491-5678 or 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 Northeastern Region Utah draw deadlines Kamas Manti/San Rafael Nine Mile Wasatch Mountains, West Yellowstone