West Desert (Deep Creek) elk unit: draw, harvest and public land
West Desert, Deep Creek is a 656-square-mile limited-entry bull elk unit in DWR's Central Region of Utah. Limited-entry bull elk hunters here took 19 bulls on 27 permits in 2025, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 84.5% public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (331,744 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)DWR wildlife landNational wildlife refugeTribal land (tribe's rules)Military land (closed)West Desert, Deep CreekNeighboring elk unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Central Region (Springville office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 419,790 acres (656 square miles) |
| Public land | 84.5% (354,576 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 2 (DWR guidebook) |
| Bulls harvested, 2025 | 19 on 27 permits |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 70 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 196 residents, 96 nonresidents (28 drew) |
| Towns in and near it | Wendover |
When are the 2026 elk hunts on West Desert, Deep Creek?
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3137 | September archery | Sept. 1-Sept. 30 | 100 | 13 | 65 | 1 |
| EB3144 | HAMSS | Nov. 7-Nov. 30 | 96 | 13 | 31 | 1 |
Source: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook, hunt tables, pages 55 and 61; 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 West Desert, Deep Creek each year?
DWR's harvest reports cover West Desert, Deep Creek's limited-entry bull elk hunts in 13 years from 2013 to 2025. In 2025, 27 hunters afield took 19 bulls, 70 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 18 from 26 hunters on 26 permits.
| Year | Hunts reported | Permits | Hunters afield | Bulls harvested | Harvest per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 27 | 27 | 19 | 70 |
| 2024 | 2 | 26 | 26 | 18 | 69 |
| 2023 | 2 | 27 | 26 | 14 | 54 |
| 2022 | 2 | 27 | 27 | 18 | 67 |
| 2021 | 2 | 23 | 22 | 14 | 64 |
| 2020 | 6 | 23 | 22 | 17 | 77 |
| 2019 | 6 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 86 |
| 2018 | 6 | 22 | 22 | 11 | 50 |
| 2017 | 6 | 26 | 26 | 17 | 65 |
| 2016 | 6 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 83 |
| 2015 | 5 | 40 | 40 | 23 | 57 |
| 2014 | 5 | 37 | 37 | 23 | 62 |
| 2013 | 5 | 46 | 45 | 27 | 60 |
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 West Desert, Deep Creek
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bulls harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3137 | September archery | 13 | 13 | 8 | 61.5% | 10.9 | 4.3 |
| EB3144 | HAMSS | 14 | 14 | 11 | 78.6% | 8.2 | 3.8 |
Source: DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
West Desert, Deep Creek 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 | 2 of 5 | 4 of 5 | 1 of 5 | |||||
| HAMSS | 11 of 14 | 10 of 13 | 4 of 12 | 10 of 12 | 7 of 11 | |||
| Multiseason | 1 of 2 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 2 | |||||
| Muzzleloader | 3 of 3 | 5 of 5 | 2 of 3 | |||||
| Rifle (any legal weapon) | 11 of 13 | 9 of 10 | 7 of 12 | |||||
| September archery | 8 of 13 | 8 of 13 | 10 of 15 | 8 of 15 | 7 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 West Desert, Deep Creek elk permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 196 residents put a West Desert, Deep Creek elk hunt first and 26 drew a permit, 13.3% of them; 96 nonresidents applied first choice and 2 drew (2.1%). In 2024, 159 residents applied first choice and 24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3137 | Limited-entry september archery bull elk | 100 | 13 | 65 | 1 |
| EB3144 | Limited-entry HAMSS bull elk | 96 | 13 | 31 | 1 |
| Hunt | Residents, reserved permits: points | Residents, random permits: points | Nonresidents, reserved permits: points | Nonresidents, random permits: points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3137 | 10 to 14 | 1 to 8 | 9 | |
| EB3144 | 10 to 13 | 0 to 8 | 13 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3137 | Limited-entry september archery bull elk | 82 | 12 | 52 | 1 |
| EB3144 | Limited-entry HAMSS bull elk | 77 | 12 | 20 | 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, Deep Creek is public land?
84.5% of the West Desert, Deep Creek elk unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 354,576 of 419,790 acres. The largest share is BLM, 331,744 acres or 79% of the unit. 49,181 acres are tribal land, hunted only under the tribe's own rules.
| Manager | Acres | Share of West Desert, Deep Creek |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 331,744 | 79% |
| Tribal land (tribe's rules) | 49,181 | 11.7% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 22,831 | 5.4% |
| Military land (closed) | 2,340 | 0.6% |
| DWR wildlife land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 13,693 | 3.3% |
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, Deep Creek 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 West Desert, Deep Creek it covers |
|---|---|---|
| West Desert, Swasey | general-season deer | 100% |
| West Desert, Swasey | limited-entry deer | 100% |
| West Desert, Snake Valley | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 100% |
| West Desert, Deep Creek | general-season spike elk (over the counter) | 100% |
How do you get to the West Desert, Deep Creek unit?
No numbered highway crosses the unit. Nearby: Wendover (16 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 elk hunts on West Desert, Deep Creek?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 2 limited-entry bull elk hunts on West Desert, Deep Creek: September archery Sept. 1-Sept. 30 (EB3137) and HAMSS Nov. 7-Nov. 30 (EB3144).
How many bulls were harvested on West Desert, Deep Creek in 2025?
19, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 27 hunters afield on 27 permits, 70 bulls for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 18.
How many people apply for West Desert, Deep Creek elk permits?
196 residents and 96 nonresidents made a West Desert, Deep Creek hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 26 residents and 2 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is West Desert, Deep Creek mostly public land?
Yes. 84.5% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (331,744 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the West Desert, Deep Creek elk unit?
No town is inside it. The nearest: Wendover (16 miles).
DWR's boundary description for West Desert, Deep Creek
Juab and Tooele counties: Boundary begins at the Pleasant Valley road and the Utah-Nevada state line; north along this state line to the Salt Springs (Blue Lake) road; south on this road to the Pleasant Valley road; northwest on this road to the Utah-Nevada state line. EXCLUDES ALL NATIVE AMERICAN TRUST LAND WITHIN THIS BOUNDARY. Access is limited. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Fish Springs, Wildcat Mountain. 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.