Boulder elk unit: draw, harvest and public land
Boulder is a 1,849-square-mile limited-entry bull elk unit in DWR's Southern Region of Utah. Limited-entry bull elk hunters here took 96 bulls on 135 permits in 2025, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 86.8% public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (563,737 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, 2021 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)Other public land (highways, other state land)BoulderNeighboring elk unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Southern Region (Cedar City office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,183,450 acres (1,849 square miles) |
| Public land | 86.8% (1,026,802 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 7 (DWR guidebook) |
| Bulls harvested, 2025 | 96 on 135 permits |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 72 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 2,852 residents, 1,552 nonresidents (126 drew) |
| Wildlife management areas | 2, 1,014 acres inside the unit |
| Towns in and near it | Boulder, Antimony, Loa, Bicknell, Lyman and Koosharem |
When are the 2026 elk hunts on Boulder?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 7 limited-entry bull elk 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3145 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 15 | 362 | 28 | 347 | 2 |
| EB3148 | Early rifle | Sept. 16-Sept. 20 | 1,177 | 11 | 652 | 1 |
| EB3151 | Late rifle | Nov. 7-Nov. 15 | 266 | 19 | 126 | 2 |
| EB3154 | Muzzleloader | Sept. 21-Oct. 2 | 297 | 17 | 214 | 2 |
| EB3156 | Multiseason | Limited-entry seasons | 304 | 4 | ||
| EB3190 | Late archery | Nov. 28-Dec. 13 | 21 | 4 | 10 | 1 |
| EB3191 | Midseason rifle | Oct. 3-Oct. 15 | 425 | 32 | 203 | 3 |
Source: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook, hunt tables, pages 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59 and 60; 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 bulls are taken on Boulder each year?
DWR's harvest reports cover Boulder's limited-entry bull elk hunts in 5 years from 2021 to 2025. In 2025, 133 hunters afield took 96 bulls, 72 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 98 from 131 hunters on 132 permits.
| Year | Hunts reported | Permits | Hunters afield | Bulls harvested | Harvest per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | 135 | 133 | 96 | 72 |
| 2024 | 7 | 132 | 131 | 98 | 75 |
| 2023 | 7 | 121 | 120 | 80 | 67 |
| 2022 | 5 | 86 | 85 | 68 | 80 |
| 2021 | 5 | 84 | 84 | 77 | 92 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2021 to 2025, every limited-entry bull elk 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 Boulder
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bulls harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3145 | Archery | 32 | 30 | 15 | 50% | 14.2 | 3.7 |
| EB3148 | Early rifle | 14 | 14 | 13 | 92.9% | 2.4 | 4.3 |
| EB3151 | Late rifle | 22 | 22 | 18 | 81.8% | 4.8 | 4.3 |
| EB3154 | Muzzleloader | 19 | 19 | 17 | 89.5% | 6.4 | 3.8 |
| EB3156 | Multiseason | 5 | 5 | 4 | 80% | 14 | 3.6 |
| EB3190 | Late archery | 5 | 5 | 1 | 20% | 11.3 | 2.3 |
| EB3191 | Midseason rifle | 38 | 38 | 28 | 73.7% | 6.2 | 4.5 |
Source: DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
Boulder by weapon, year by year
Bulls harvested of permits issued, by weapon, for each year DWR reported since 2021:
| Weapon | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 15 of 32 | 21 of 32 | 13 of 29 | 11 of 22 | 17 of 21 |
| Early rifle | 13 of 14 | 13 of 15 | 11 of 13 | 30 of 30 | 27 of 30 |
| Late archery | 1 of 5 | 0 of 3 | 2 of 5 | ||
| Late rifle | 18 of 22 | 18 of 21 | 13 of 19 | 14 of 19 | 19 of 19 |
| Midseason rifle | 28 of 38 | 26 of 37 | 23 of 34 | ||
| Multiseason | 4 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 3 of 4 | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
| Muzzleloader | 17 of 19 | 15 of 19 | 15 of 17 | 10 of 12 | 11 of 11 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2021 to 2025. An empty cell means DWR printed no hunt of that kind on this unit that year.
How many hunters apply for Boulder elk permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 2,852 residents put a Boulder elk hunt first and 115 drew a permit, 4% of them; 1,552 nonresidents applied first choice and 11 drew (0.7%). In 2024, 2,926 residents applied first choice and 116 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3145 | Limited-entry archery bull elk | 362 | 28 | 347 | 2 |
| EB3148 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - early | 1,177 | 11 | 652 | 1 |
| EB3151 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - late | 266 | 19 | 126 | 2 |
| EB3154 | Limited-entry muzzleloader bull elk | 297 | 17 | 214 | 2 |
| EB3156 | Limited-entry multi-season bull elk | 304 | 4 | ||
| EB3190 | Limited-entry archery bull elk - late | 21 | 4 | 10 | 1 |
| EB3191 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - mid | 425 | 32 | 203 | 3 |
| Hunt | Residents, reserved permits: points | Residents, random permits: points | Nonresidents, reserved permits: points | Nonresidents, random permits: points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3145 | 16 to 25 | 2 to 16 | 27 | 18 |
| EB3148 | 26 to 27 | 2 to 26 | 4 | |
| EB3151 | 18 to 20 | 4 to 15 | 24 | 9 |
| EB3154 | 24 to 27 | 3 to 20 | 29 | 21 |
| EB3156 | 29 to 30 | 23 to 27 | ||
| EB3190 | 7 | 2 to 4 | 9 | |
| EB3191 | 20 to 24 | 2 to 19 | 26 | 18 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3145 | Limited-entry archery bull elk | 380 | 28 | 371 | 2 |
| EB3148 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - early | 1,224 | 11 | 659 | 1 |
| EB3151 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - late | 281 | 19 | 108 | 2 |
| EB3154 | Limited-entry muzzleloader bull elk | 312 | 17 | 204 | 2 |
| EB3156 | Limited-entry multi-season bull elk | 284 | 4 | ||
| EB3190 | Limited-entry archery bull elk - late | 12 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
| EB3191 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - mid | 433 | 33 | 200 | 4 |
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 Boulder is public land?
86.8% of the Boulder elk unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 1,026,802 of 1,183,450 acres. The largest share is national forest, 563,737 acres or 47.6% of the unit. 87,583 acres are National Park Service land, closed to hunting.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Boulder |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 563,737 | 47.6% |
| BLM | 328,900 | 27.8% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 133,057 | 11.2% |
| National park or monument (NPS, no hunting) | 87,583 | 7.4% |
| State park (park rules) | 1,389 | 0.1% |
| DWR wildlife land | 1,108 | 0.1% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 151 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 67,525 | 5.7% |
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: Bicknell Bottoms WMA (627 acres) and Black Canyon WMA (387 acres).
DWR's Walk-In Access program has 1 active hunting property on private land in the unit, about 87 acres. Each has its own rules: DWR Walk-In Access.
What other hunts share the Boulder elk 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 Boulder it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Boulder/Kaiparowits | general-season spike elk (over the counter) | 100% |
| Boulder/Kaiparowits | general-season deer | 100% |
| Plateau | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 100% |
How do you get to the Boulder unit?
No numbered highway crosses the unit. Towns inside: Boulder, Antimony, Loa and Teasdale. Nearby: Bicknell (on the line), Lyman (on the line), Koosharem (on the line) and Escalante (on the line). Rivers: Fremont River (28 miles) and Escalante River (20 miles).
Which elk units border or overlap Boulder?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bulls harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barney Top/Kaiparowits | 3,389 | 69.5% | 7 (2025) |
| Fishlake/Thousand Lakes | 1,191 | 74.5% | 231 (2025) |
| Monroe | 690 | 75.4% | 39 (2025) |
| Mt Dutton | 659 | 87.6% | 59 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 elk hunts on Boulder?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 7 limited-entry bull elk hunts on Boulder: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 15 (EB3145), Early rifle Sept. 16-Sept. 20 (EB3148), Late rifle Nov. 7-Nov. 15 (EB3151), Muzzleloader Sept. 21-Oct. 2 (EB3154), Multiseason Limited-entry seasons (EB3156) and Late archery Nov. 28-Dec. 13 (EB3190), and 1 more in the table above.
How many bulls were harvested on Boulder in 2025?
96, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 133 hunters afield on 135 permits, 72 bulls for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 98.
How many people apply for Boulder elk permits?
2,852 residents and 1,552 nonresidents made a Boulder hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 115 residents and 11 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is Boulder mostly public land?
Yes. 86.8% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (563,737 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the Boulder elk unit?
Boulder, Antimony and Loa are inside the unit. Just outside: Bicknell (on the line), Lyman (on the line) and Koosharem (on the line).
DWR's boundary description for Boulder
Garfield, Piute, Sevier and Wayne counties: Boundary begins at SR-24 and SR-62; south on SR-62 to SR-22; south on SR-22 to the Main Canyon-Sweetwater road; east on Main Canyon-Sweetwater road to SR-12; east on SR-12 to Boulder and the Burr Trail road; east on this road to the Notom road; north on this road to SR-24; west on SR-24 to SR-62. Excludes all CWMUs. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Escalante, Loa, Panguitch, Salina. Boundary questions? Call Cedar City office, 435-865-6100.
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 Southern Region Utah draw deadlines Barney Top/Kaiparowits Fishlake/Thousand Lakes Monroe Mt Dutton