West Desert (Vernon) limited-entry deer unit: draw, harvest and public land
West Desert, Vernon is a 1,521-square-mile limited-entry deer unit in DWR's Central Region of Utah. Limited-entry deer hunters here took 209 bucks on 264 permits in 2025, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 89.4% public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (677,743 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 landMilitary land (closed)West Desert, VernonNeighboring limited-entry deer unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Central Region (Springville office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 973,280 acres (1,521 square miles) |
| Public land | 89.4% (870,482 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 4 (DWR guidebook) |
| Bucks harvested, 2025 | 209 on 264 permits |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 80 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 3,527 residents, 682 nonresidents (221 drew) |
| Towns in and near it | Vernon, Lynndyl, Eureka, Leamington and Oak City |
When are the 2026 limited-entry deer hunts on West Desert, Vernon?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 4 limited-entry 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1016 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 11 | 368 | 39 | 91 | 4 |
| DB1024 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Oct. 17-Oct. 25 | 2,659 | 115 | 462 | 12 |
| DB1042 | Muzzleloader | Sept. 23-Oct. 1 | 300 | 40 | 60 | 4 |
| DB1048 | Multiseason | All limited-entry seasons | 200 | 6 | 69 | 1 |
Source: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook, hunt tables, pages 50, 51 and 53; 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 West Desert, Vernon each year?
DWR's harvest reports cover West Desert, Vernon's limited-entry deer hunts in 13 years from 2013 to 2025. In 2025, 261 hunters afield took 209 bucks, 80 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 185 from 244 hunters on 245 permits.
| Year | Hunts reported | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | Harvest per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | 264 | 261 | 209 | 80 |
| 2024 | 4 | 245 | 244 | 185 | 76 |
| 2023 | 4 | 251 | 243 | 164 | 67 |
| 2022 | 4 | 242 | 239 | 164 | 69 |
| 2021 | 4 | 269 | 267 | 193 | 72 |
| 2020 | 4 | 266 | 266 | 204 | 77 |
| 2019 | 4 | 240 | 239 | 186 | 78 |
| 2018 | 4 | 220 | 217 | 177 | 82 |
| 2017 | 4 | 208 | 204 | 156 | 76 |
| 2016 | 4 | 203 | 200 | 154 | 77 |
| 2015 | 4 | 204 | 201 | 152 | 76 |
| 2014 | 3 | 209 | 209 | 150 | 72 |
| 2013 | 3 | 234 | 232 | 170 | 73 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2013 to 2025, every limited-entry deer hunt DWR printed for this unit's name each year, added up by FilledTag. CWMU, landowner, conservation and sportsman permits are not included. Harvest per 100 hunters is worked out from DWR's own two numbers.
Each 2025 hunt on West Desert, Vernon
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1016 | Archery | 51 | 51 | 29 | 56.9% | 8.8 | 4.1 |
| DB1024 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 154 | 151 | 129 | 85.4% | 4.4 | 3.5 |
| DB1042 | Muzzleloader | 50 | 50 | 44 | 88% | 4.6 | 3.7 |
| DB1048 | Multiseason | 9 | 9 | 7 | 77.8% | 11 | 3.6 |
Source: DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
West Desert, Vernon by weapon, year by year
Bucks harvested of permits issued, by weapon, for each year DWR reported since 2018:
| Weapon | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 29 of 51 | 25 of 45 | 21 of 48 | 11 of 44 | 17 of 53 | 30 of 48 | 27 of 45 | 24 of 41 |
| Multiseason | 7 of 9 | 6 of 6 | 3 of 6 | 5 of 6 | 6 of 7 | 6 of 7 | 6 of 7 | 5 of 6 |
| Muzzleloader | 44 of 50 | 27 of 47 | 40 of 56 | 36 of 56 | 42 of 57 | 42 of 56 | 45 of 52 | 34 of 46 |
| Rifle (any legal weapon) | 129 of 154 | 127 of 147 | 100 of 141 | 112 of 136 | 128 of 152 | 126 of 155 | 108 of 136 | 114 of 127 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2018 to 2025. An empty cell means DWR printed no hunt of that kind on this unit that year.
How many hunters apply for West Desert, Vernon limited-entry deer permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 3,527 residents put a West Desert, Vernon limited-entry deer hunt first and 200 drew a permit, 5.7% of them; 682 nonresidents applied first choice and 21 drew (3.1%). In 2024, 3,680 residents applied first choice and 182 drew. Limited-entry and once-in-a-lifetime permits are drawn on bonus points: DWR reserves half of each hunt's permits for the applicants with the most points and draws the rest at random (Utah Admin. Rule R657-62-8).
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1016 | Limited-entry archery buck deer | 368 | 39 | 91 | 4 |
| DB1024 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) buck deer | 2,659 | 115 | 462 | 12 |
| DB1042 | Limited-entry muzzleloader buck deer | 300 | 40 | 60 | 4 |
| DB1048 | Multi-season limited-entry buck deer | 200 | 6 | 69 | 1 |
| Hunt | Residents, reserved permits: points | Residents, random permits: points | Nonresidents, reserved permits: points | Nonresidents, random permits: points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1016 | 12 to 16 | 1 to 12 | 19 | 8 to 11 |
| DB1024 | 16 to 22 | 0 to 16 | 22 to 25 | 10 to 18 |
| DB1042 | 14 to 21 | 2 to 14 | 20 to 23 | 2 to 7 |
| DB1048 | 21 | 6 to 9 | 11 |
From DWR's 2025 drawing results, which list each point level's permits from the reserved half (most points first) and from the random half. A blank cell means no permit of that kind went to the group.
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1016 | Limited-entry archery buck deer | 373 | 36 | 93 | 3 |
| DB1024 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) buck deer | 2,716 | 104 | 559 | 11 |
| DB1042 | Limited-entry muzzleloader buck deer | 364 | 37 | 64 | 3 |
| DB1048 | Multi-season limited-entry buck deer | 227 | 5 | 78 | 1 |
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 West Desert, Vernon is public land?
89.4% of the West Desert, Vernon limited-entry deer unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 870,482 of 973,280 acres. The largest share is BLM, 677,743 acres or 69.6% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of West Desert, Vernon |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 677,743 | 69.6% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 99,699 | 10.2% |
| National forest | 93,040 | 9.6% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 6 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 102,792 | 10.6% |
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.
What other hunts share the West Desert, Vernon limited-entry 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 West Desert, Vernon it covers |
|---|---|---|
| House/Tintic | general-season any bull elk (over the counter) | 100% |
| West Desert, Riverbed | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 87% |
| West Desert, Rush Valley | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 13% |
How do you get to the West Desert, Vernon unit?
Highways through the unit: US 6 (about 19 miles inside it). Towns inside: Vernon and Lynndyl. Nearby: Eureka (3 miles), Leamington (4 miles), Oak City (8 miles) and Delta (8 miles).
Which limited-entry deer units border or overlap West Desert, Vernon?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bucks harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar/Stansbury | 2,222 | 52.9% | 286 (2025) |
| Fillmore | 1,978 | 70.4% | 873 (2025) |
| Oquirrh/Tintic | 2,164 | 33.4% | 796 (2025) |
| West Desert, Swasey | 6,152 | 68.7% | 77 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 limited-entry deer hunts on West Desert, Vernon?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 4 limited-entry deer hunts on West Desert, Vernon: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 11 (DB1016), Rifle (any legal weapon) Oct. 17-Oct. 25 (DB1024), Muzzleloader Sept. 23-Oct. 1 (DB1042) and Multiseason All limited-entry seasons (DB1048).
How many bucks were harvested on West Desert, Vernon in 2025?
209, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 261 hunters afield on 264 permits, 80 bucks for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 185.
How many people apply for West Desert, Vernon limited-entry deer permits?
3,527 residents and 682 nonresidents made a West Desert, Vernon hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 200 residents and 21 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is West Desert, Vernon mostly public land?
Yes. 89.4% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (677,743 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the West Desert, Vernon limited-entry deer unit?
Vernon and Lynndyl are inside the unit. Just outside: Eureka (3 miles), Leamington (4 miles) and Oak City (8 miles).
DWR's boundary description for West Desert, Vernon
Unit 19b - Vernon - Tooele, Juab, and Millard counties: Boundary begins at SR-36 and the Pony Express road; south on SR-36 to US-6; southwest on US-6 to SR-174 (IPP/Brush Highway road); northwest on SR-174 to the Delta road, northwest on this road to the 14-mile road; north on this road to the Pony Express road; northeast on this road to SR-36. Boundary questions? Call the Springville office, 801-491-5678.: A hunting permit does not authorize the permit holder to hunt on Native American trust lands, CWMUs (unless you specifically have a permit for that CWMU) or on National Park lands. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of hunters to learn if hunting is allowed and what specific rules and regulations may apply on National Monuments, National Wildlife Refuges, State Parks, UDWR Wildlife and Waterfowl Management areas, military installations and within the boundaries of cities, towns and municipalities. Written permission is required to hunt private lands.
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.
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