Box Elder (Pilot Mountain) elk unit: draw, harvest and public land
Box Elder, Pilot Mountain is a 1,339-square-mile limited-entry bull elk unit in DWR's Northern Region of Utah. Limited-entry bull elk hunters here took 9 bulls on 15 permits in 2025, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 57.2% public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (438,248 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.
BLMState trust land (SITLA)Military land (closed)State park (park rules)Other public land (highways, other state land)Box Elder, Pilot MountainNeighboring elk unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Northern Region (Ogden office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 857,146 acres (1,339 square miles) |
| Public land | 57.2% (490,564 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 2 (DWR guidebook) |
| Bulls harvested, 2025 | 9 on 15 permits |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 60 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 376 residents, 136 nonresidents (13 drew) |
| Towns in and near it | Wendover |
When are the 2026 elk hunts on Box Elder, Pilot Mountain?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 2 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3031 | Early rifle | Sept. 12-Oct. 2 | 355 | 9 | 136 | 1 |
| EB3130 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 6 | 21 | 3 |
Source: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook, hunt tables, pages 54 and 56; 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 Box Elder, Pilot Mountain each year?
DWR's harvest reports cover Box Elder, Pilot Mountain's limited-entry bull elk hunts in 13 years from 2013 to 2025. In 2025, 15 hunters afield took 9 bulls, 60 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 7 from 15 hunters on 15 permits.
| Year | Hunts reported | Permits | Hunters afield | Bulls harvested | Harvest per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 60 |
| 2024 | 2 | 15 | 15 | 7 | 47 |
| 2023 | 2 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 83 |
| 2022 | 2 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 88 |
| 2021 | 2 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 67 |
| 2020 | 1 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 100 |
| 2019 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 100 |
| 2018 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 100 |
| 2017 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 100 |
| 2016 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 100 |
| 2015 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 100 |
| 2014 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 100 |
| 2013 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 67 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2013 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 Box Elder, Pilot Mountain
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bulls harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3031 | Early rifle | 12 | 12 | 9 | 75% | 8 | 2.7 |
| EB3130 | Archery | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0% | 13.7 | 1.3 |
Source: DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
Box Elder, Pilot Mountain by weapon, year by year
Bulls harvested of permits issued, by weapon, for each year DWR reported since 2018:
| Weapon | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 0 of 3 | 0 of 4 | 1 of 4 | 2 of 3 | 1 of 3 | |||
| Early rifle | 9 of 12 | 14 of 14 | 13 of 14 | |||||
| Rifle (any legal weapon) | 7 of 11 | 11 of 15 | 14 of 14 | 11 of 11 | 12 of 12 |
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 Box Elder, Pilot Mountain elk permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 376 residents put a Box Elder, Pilot Mountain elk hunt first and 12 drew a permit, 3.2% of them; 136 nonresidents applied first choice and 1 drew (0.7%). In 2024, 399 residents applied first choice and 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3031 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - early | 355 | 9 | 136 | 1 |
| EB3130 | Limited-entry archery bull elk | 21 | 3 |
| Hunt | Residents, reserved permits: points | Residents, random permits: points | Nonresidents, reserved permits: points | Nonresidents, random permits: points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3031 | 21 to 26 | 4 to 16 | 16 | |
| EB3130 | 9 | 0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3031 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - early | 367 | 9 | 160 | 1 |
| EB3130 | Limited-entry archery bull elk | 32 | 3 |
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 Box Elder, Pilot Mountain is public land?
57.2% of the Box Elder, Pilot Mountain elk unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 490,564 of 857,146 acres. The largest share is BLM, 438,248 acres or 51.1% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Box Elder, Pilot Mountain |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 438,248 | 51.1% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 52,316 | 6.1% |
| State park (park rules) | 1,196 | 0.1% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 217 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 365,169 | 42.6% |
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 Box Elder, Pilot Mountain 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 Box Elder, Pilot Mountain it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Box Elder | general-season deer | 79% |
| Box Elder | once-in-a-lifetime bull moose | 79% |
| Box Elder, West | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 79% |
How do you get to the Box Elder, Pilot Mountain unit?
Highways through the unit: I-80 (about 41 miles inside it). Nearby: Wendover (on the line).
Which elk units border or overlap Box Elder, Pilot Mountain?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bulls harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box Elder, Grouse Creek | 876 | 50.5% | 19 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 elk hunts on Box Elder, Pilot Mountain?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 2 limited-entry bull elk hunts on Box Elder, Pilot Mountain: Early rifle Sept. 12-Oct. 2 (EB3031) and Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 6 (EB3130).
How many bulls were harvested on Box Elder, Pilot Mountain in 2025?
9, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 15 hunters afield on 15 permits, 60 bulls for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 7.
How many people apply for Box Elder, Pilot Mountain elk permits?
376 residents and 136 nonresidents made a Box Elder, Pilot Mountain hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 12 residents and 1 nonresident drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is Box Elder, Pilot Mountain mostly public land?
Yes. 57.2% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (438,248 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map. Most of the rest is private land.
What is the closest town to the Box Elder, Pilot Mountain elk unit?
No town is inside it. The nearest: Wendover (on the line).
DWR's boundary description for Box Elder, Pilot Mountain
Box Elder and Tooele counties: Boundary begins at SR-30 and the Utah-Nevada state line; east on SR-30 to the township line between R15W and R16W; south on this line to I-80; west on I-80 to Pilot Creek Valley road; north along this road to SR-30; east on SR-30 to the Utah-Nevada state line. Elk hunters with this permit may hunt Nevada’s portion of this interstate unit (091) and abide by Nevada laws. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Newfoundland Mtns., Bonneville Salt Flats, Wells, Wendover. Boundary questions? Call the Ogden office, 801-476-2740. Nevada hunt regulation questions? Call NDOW, (775) 777-2300.
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 Northern Region Utah draw deadlines Box Elder, Grouse Creek