Wasatch Mountains elk unit: draw, harvest and public land
Wasatch Mountains is a 2,568-square-mile limited-entry bull elk unit in DWR's Central Region of Utah. Limited-entry bull elk hunters here took 417 bulls on 740 permits in 2025, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 57.6% public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (761,859 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 landBureau of ReclamationNational park or monument (NPS, no hunting)Tribal land (tribe's rules)Military land (closed)State park (park rules)State sovereign land (lake and river beds)Other public land (highways, other state land)Wasatch MountainsNeighboring elk unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Central Region (Springville office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,643,410 acres (2,568 square miles) |
| Public land | 57.6% (946,300 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 7 (DWR guidebook) |
| Bulls harvested, 2025 | 417 on 740 permits |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 58 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 7,458 residents, 1,395 nonresidents (714 drew) |
| Wildlife management areas | 16, 148,060 acres inside the unit |
| Towns in and near it | Provo, Independence, Lehi, Francis, Tabiona and Duchesne |
When are the 2026 elk hunts on Wasatch Mountains?
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3022 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 15 | 1,018 | 160 | 273 | 16 |
| EB3072 | Early rifle | Sept. 16-Sept. 20 | 2,573 | 65 | 369 | 6 |
| EB3073 | Late rifle | Nov. 7-Nov. 15 | 1,089 | 110 | 194 | 11 |
| EB3100 | Muzzleloader | Sept. 21-Oct. 2 | 605 | 96 | 169 | 9 |
| EB3124 | Multiseason | Limited-entry seasons | 586 | 19 | 80 | 2 |
| EB3127 | Midseason rifle | Oct. 3-Oct. 15 | 1,560 | 190 | 301 | 21 |
| EB3199 | Late archery | Nov. 28-Dec. 13 | 27 | 8 | 9 | 1 |
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 Wasatch Mountains each year?
DWR's harvest reports cover Wasatch Mountains' limited-entry bull elk hunts in 13 years from 2013 to 2025. In 2025, 717 hunters afield took 417 bulls, 58 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 420 from 820 hunters on 830 permits.
| Year | Hunts reported | Permits | Hunters afield | Bulls harvested | Harvest per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | 740 | 717 | 417 | 58 |
| 2024 | 7 | 830 | 820 | 420 | 51 |
| 2023 | 7 | 959 | 942 | 438 | 46 |
| 2022 | 6 | 953 | 940 | 523 | 56 |
| 2021 | 6 | 933 | 915 | 465 | 51 |
| 2020 | 6 | 934 | 914 | 493 | 54 |
| 2019 | 6 | 904 | 888 | 475 | 53 |
| 2018 | 6 | 855 | 843 | 489 | 58 |
| 2017 | 6 | 806 | 798 | 464 | 58 |
| 2016 | 5 | 736 | 727 | 428 | 59 |
| 2015 | 5 | 757 | 745 | 467 | 63 |
| 2014 | 5 | 675 | 670 | 420 | 63 |
| 2013 | 5 | 656 | 652 | 414 | 63 |
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 Wasatch Mountains
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bulls harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3022 | Archery | 182 | 169 | 43 | 25.4% | 13.4 | 3.3 |
| EB3072 | Early rifle | 76 | 74 | 50 | 67.6% | 3.3 | 3.7 |
| EB3073 | Late rifle | 124 | 123 | 91 | 74% | 4.6 | 4 |
| EB3100 | Muzzleloader | 109 | 108 | 71 | 65.7% | 5.3 | 3.9 |
| EB3124 | Multiseason | 24 | 24 | 16 | 66.7% | 14.9 | 3.6 |
| EB3127 | Midseason rifle | 215 | 211 | 145 | 68.7% | 6 | 3.8 |
| EB3199 | Late archery | 10 | 8 | 1 | 12.5% | 8.4 | 3.3 |
Source: DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
Wasatch Mountains 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 | 43 of 182 | 37 of 203 | 58 of 236 | 57 of 237 | 70 of 277 | 50 of 283 | 58 of 266 | 63 of 256 |
| Early rifle | 50 of 76 | 57 of 89 | 60 of 101 | 145 of 219 | ||||
| Late archery | 1 of 10 | 1 of 8 | 3 of 10 | |||||
| Late rifle | 91 of 124 | 93 of 140 | 89 of 161 | 127 of 165 | ||||
| Midseason rifle | 145 of 215 | 129 of 241 | 139 of 277 | 89 of 160 | ||||
| Multiseason | 16 of 24 | 21 of 27 | 20 of 31 | 24 of 30 | 24 of 30 | 22 of 28 | 23 of 30 | 28 of 29 |
| Muzzleloader | 71 of 109 | 82 of 122 | 69 of 143 | 81 of 142 | 92 of 190 | 123 of 186 | 110 of 184 | 103 of 171 |
| Rifle (any legal weapon) | 279 of 436 | 298 of 437 | 284 of 424 | 295 of 399 |
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 Wasatch Mountains elk permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 7,458 residents put a Wasatch Mountains elk hunt first and 648 drew a permit, 8.7% of them; 1,395 nonresidents applied first choice and 66 drew (4.7%). In 2024, 7,781 residents applied first choice and 733 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3022 | Limited-entry archery bull elk | 1,018 | 160 | 273 | 16 |
| EB3072 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - early | 2,573 | 65 | 369 | 6 |
| EB3073 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - late | 1,089 | 110 | 194 | 11 |
| EB3100 | Limited-entry muzzleloader bull elk | 605 | 96 | 169 | 9 |
| EB3124 | Limited-entry multi-season bull elk | 586 | 19 | 80 | 2 |
| EB3127 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - mid | 1,560 | 190 | 301 | 21 |
| EB3199 | Limited-entry archery bull elk - late | 27 | 8 | 9 | 1 |
| Hunt | Residents, reserved permits: points | Residents, random permits: points | Nonresidents, reserved permits: points | Nonresidents, random permits: points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3022 | 6 to 16 | 0 to 6 | 15 to 17 | 3 to 13 |
| EB3072 | 16 to 24 | 0 to 14 | 23 to 25 | 2 to 17 |
| EB3073 | 10 to 20 | 1 to 10 | 17 to 19 | 6 to 8 |
| EB3100 | 10 to 17 | 0 to 10 | 19 to 20 | 11 to 17 |
| EB3124 | 21 to 25 | 5 to 21 | 22 | 13 |
| EB3127 | 10 to 21 | 0 to 13 | 18 to 21 | 0 to 15 |
| EB3199 | 5 to 6 | 0 to 4 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3022 | Limited-entry archery bull elk | 1,057 | 181 | 381 | 19 |
| EB3072 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - early | 2,769 | 72 | 546 | 7 |
| EB3073 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - late | 1,030 | 124 | 208 | 13 |
| EB3100 | Limited-entry muzzleloader bull elk | 652 | 109 | 154 | 10 |
| EB3124 | Limited-entry multi-season bull elk | 621 | 21 | 80 | 3 |
| EB3127 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - mid | 1,620 | 217 | 257 | 24 |
| EB3199 | Limited-entry archery bull elk - late | 32 | 9 | 8 | 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 Wasatch Mountains is public land?
57.6% of the Wasatch Mountains elk unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 946,300 of 1,643,410 acres. The largest share is national forest, 761,859 acres or 46.4% of the unit. 77,287 acres are tribal land, hunted only under the tribe's own rules. 254 acres are National Park Service land, closed to hunting.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Wasatch Mountains |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 761,859 | 46.4% |
| DWR wildlife land | 130,989 | 8% |
| Tribal land (tribe's rules) | 77,287 | 4.7% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 34,067 | 2.1% |
| State park (park rules) | 32,791 | 2% |
| BLM | 19,043 | 1.2% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 342 | under 0.1% |
| National park or monument (NPS, no hunting) | 254 | under 0.1% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 214 | under 0.1% |
| State sovereign land (lake and river beds) | 172 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 586,392 | 35.7% |
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: Tabby Mountain WMA (50,055 acres), Strawberry River WMA (22,930 acres), Currant Creek WMA (14,977 acres), Horse Ridge WMA (14,283 acres), Wallsburg WMA (13,404 acres), Rabbit Gulch WMA (9,199 acres), Lake Canyon WMA (7,587 acres), Wildcat WMA (6,709 acres), Skitzy WMA (5,198 acres) and Timpanogos WMA (2,347 acres), and 6 more.
What other hunts share the Wasatch Mountains 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 Wasatch Mountains 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, East | general-season deer | 64% |
| Wasatch Mountains, West | general-season deer | 36% |
| Wasatch Mountains, West | once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | 36% |
| Wasatch Mountains, Provo Peak | once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat | 8% |
| Wasatch Mountains, Timpanogos | once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat | 4% |
| Wasatch Mountains, Box Elder Peak | once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat | 3% |
How do you get to the Wasatch Mountains unit?
Highways through the unit: US 40 (about 77 miles inside it), US 189 (about 40 miles inside it), US 89 (about 38 miles inside it), US 6 (about 30 miles inside it), US 191 (about 21 miles inside it) and UT 92 (about 9 miles inside it). Towns inside: Provo, Independence, Lehi, Draper, Heber and Orem. Nearby: Francis (on the line), Tabiona (on the line), Duchesne (on the line) and Spanish Fork (on the line). Rivers: Strawberry River (78 miles), Provo River (44 miles) and Duchesne River (30 miles).
Which elk units border or overlap Wasatch Mountains?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bulls harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manti | 2,561 | 73.5% | 439 (2025) |
| Nebo/San Pitch Mountains | 965 | 50.9% | 64 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 elk hunts on Wasatch Mountains?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 7 limited-entry bull elk hunts on Wasatch Mountains: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 15 (EB3022), Early rifle Sept. 16-Sept. 20 (EB3072), Late rifle Nov. 7-Nov. 15 (EB3073), Muzzleloader Sept. 21-Oct. 2 (EB3100), Multiseason Limited-entry seasons (EB3124) and Midseason rifle Oct. 3-Oct. 15 (EB3127), and 1 more in the table above.
How many bulls were harvested on Wasatch Mountains in 2025?
417, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 717 hunters afield on 740 permits, 58 bulls for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 420.
How many people apply for Wasatch Mountains elk permits?
7,458 residents and 1,395 nonresidents made a Wasatch Mountains hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 648 residents and 66 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is Wasatch Mountains mostly public land?
Yes. 57.6% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (761,859 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map. Most of the rest is private land.
What is the closest town to the Wasatch Mountains elk unit?
Provo, Independence and Lehi 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
Carbon, Duchesne, Summit, Utah and Wasatch counties-Boundary begins at the junction of I-15 and 12300 south in Salt Lake; east on this road to 700 East; south on this road to Pioneer road: east on this road to Highland Drive; south on this road to Upper Corner Canyon Road; east on this road to the Salt Lake/Utah county line; east on this county line to the Salt Lake/Wasatch county line; northeast on this county line to the Wasatch/Summit county line; east on this county line to US-40; south on US-40 to SR-32; east on SR-32 to SR-35; southeast on SR-35 to SR-87; south on SR-87 to Duchesne and US-191; south on US-191 to US-6; northwest on US-6 to I-15; north on I-15 to 12300 south in Salt Lake City. EXCLUDING ALL NATIVE AMERICAN TRUST LAND WITHIN THIS BOUNDARY. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Duchesne, Nephi, Price, Provo, Salt Lake City. Boundary questions? Call the Springville office, 801-491-5678.
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 Central Region Utah draw deadlines Manti Nebo/San Pitch Mountains