Book Cliffs (Bitter Creek) pronghorn unit: draw, harvest and public land
Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek is a 2,199-square-mile limited-entry buck pronghorn unit in DWR's Northeastern Region of Utah. Limited-entry buck pronghorn hunters here took 60 bucks on 72 permits in 2025, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 58.5% public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (613,199 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)State sovereign land (lake and river beds)Other public land (highways, other state land)Book Cliffs, Bitter CreekNeighboring pronghorn unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Northeastern Region (Vernal office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,407,509 acres (2,199 square miles) |
| Public land | 58.5% (823,869 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 2 (DWR guidebook) |
| Bucks harvested, 2025 | 60 on 72 permits |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 86 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 165 residents, 228 nonresidents (69 drew) |
| Wildlife management areas | 4, 17,042 acres inside the unit |
| Towns in and near it | Green River, Ballard and Myton |
When are the 2026 pronghorn hunts on Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 2 limited-entry buck pronghorn 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PB5001 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 11 | 23 | 13 | 32 | 1 |
| PB5026 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Sept. 12-Sept. 20 | 142 | 49 | 196 | 6 |
Source: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook, hunt tables, pages 61 and 63; 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 Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek each year?
DWR's harvest reports cover Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek's limited-entry buck pronghorn hunts in 13 years from 2013 to 2025. In 2025, 70 hunters afield took 60 bucks, 86 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 56 from 62 hunters on 66 permits.
| Year | Hunts reported | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | Harvest per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 72 | 70 | 60 | 86 |
| 2024 | 2 | 66 | 62 | 56 | 90 |
| 2023 | 2 | 62 | 59 | 52 | 88 |
| 2022 | 2 | 49 | 47 | 42 | 89 |
| 2021 | 2 | 37 | 36 | 36 | 100 |
| 2020 | 2 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 89 |
| 2019 | 2 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 100 |
| 2018 | 2 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 94 |
| 2017 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 100 |
| 2016 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 91 |
| 2015 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 100 |
| 2014 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 100 |
| 2013 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 100 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2013 to 2025, every limited-entry buck pronghorn 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 Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PB5001 | Archery | 14 | 14 | 12 | 85.7% | 2.5 | 4.2 |
| PB5026 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 58 | 56 | 48 | 85.7% | 1.9 | 3.9 |
Source: DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek 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 | 12 of 14 | 11 of 13 | 7 of 11 | 6 of 9 | 7 of 7 | 4 of 5 | 4 of 4 | 3 of 3 |
| Rifle (any legal weapon) | 48 of 58 | 45 of 53 | 45 of 51 | 36 of 40 | 29 of 30 | 20 of 22 | 18 of 18 | 12 of 14 |
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 Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek pronghorn permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 165 residents put a Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek pronghorn hunt first and 62 drew a permit, 37.6% of them; 228 nonresidents applied first choice and 7 drew (3.1%). In 2024, 188 residents applied first choice and 58 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PB5001 | Limited-entry archery buck pronghorn | 23 | 13 | 32 | 1 |
| PB5026 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) buck pronghorn | 142 | 49 | 196 | 6 |
| Hunt | Residents, reserved permits: points | Residents, random permits: points | Nonresidents, reserved permits: points | Nonresidents, random permits: points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PB5001 | 1 to 3 | 0 | 12 | |
| PB5026 | 2 to 8 | 0 to 3 | 16 | 9 to 15 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PB5001 | Limited-entry archery buck pronghorn | 18 | 12 | 11 | 1 |
| PB5026 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) buck pronghorn | 170 | 46 | 166 | 5 |
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 Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek is public land?
58.5% of the Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek pronghorn unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 823,869 of 1,407,509 acres. The largest share is BLM, 613,199 acres or 43.6% of the unit. 518,668 acres are tribal land, hunted only under the tribe's own rules.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 613,199 | 43.6% |
| Tribal land (tribe's rules) | 518,668 | 36.9% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 193,637 | 13.8% |
| DWR wildlife land | 17,033 | 1.2% |
| State sovereign land (lake and river beds) | 1,012 | 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 63,960 | 4.5% |
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: Two Waters WMA (10,897 acres), Willow Creek (Uintah/Grand) WMA (3,712 acres), Bitter Creek WMA (2,195 acres) and Book Cliffs Roadless WMA (238 acres).
What other hunts share the Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek pronghorn 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 Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Book Cliffs | limited-entry deer | 100% |
| Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek/East | limited-entry bull elk | 100% |
| Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek/East | general-season spike elk (over the counter) | 100% |
| Book Cliffs, North | limited-entry deer | 100% |
| Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek | once-in-a-lifetime bison | 100% |
| Nine Mile, Jack Creek | once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | 60% |
How do you get to the Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek unit?
No numbered highway crosses the unit. Nearby: Green River (19 miles), Ballard (19 miles) and Myton (19 miles). Rivers: Green River (53 miles) and White River (40 miles).
Which pronghorn units border or overlap Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bucks harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book Cliffs, South | 1,291 | 95.4% | 43 (2025) |
| Diamond Mountain/Bonanza | 1,227 | 77.5% | 82 (2025) |
| Nine Mile, Anthro-Myton Bench | 1,027 | 65.6% | 135 (2025) |
| Nine Mile, Range Creek | 1,546 | 71.4% | 16 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 pronghorn hunts on Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 2 limited-entry buck pronghorn hunts on Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 11 (PB5001) and Rifle (any legal weapon) Sept. 12-Sept. 20 (PB5026).
How many bucks were harvested on Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek in 2025?
60, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 70 hunters afield on 72 permits, 86 bucks for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 56.
How many people apply for Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek pronghorn permits?
165 residents and 228 nonresidents made a Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 62 residents and 7 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek mostly public land?
Yes. 58.5% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (613,199 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek pronghorn unit?
No town is inside it. The nearest: Green River (19 miles), Ballard (19 miles) and Myton (19 miles).
DWR's boundary description for Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek
Grand and Uintah counties: Boundary begins at the Utah-Colorado state line and the White River; south along this state line to the Book Cliffs summit (north-south drainage divide); west along this summit and drainage divide to Ten Mile Knoll and the Steer Ridge road; north and west along the Steer Ridge road (atop the drainage divide) to the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation Boundary (NW 1/4 Sec 7, T17S R21E); north along this boundary to the Uintah-Grand county line; west along this county line to the Green River; north along this river to the White River; east along this river to the Utah-Colorado state line. EXCLUDING ALL NATIVE AMERICAN TRUST LAND WITHIN THIS BOUNDARY. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Huntington, Vernal, Price, Westwater, Seep Ridge. Boundary questions? Call the Vernal Office, 435-781-9453.
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 Northeastern Region Utah draw deadlines Book Cliffs, South Nine Mile, Anthro-Myton Bench Nine Mile, Range Creek