Box Elder (Puddle Valley) pronghorn unit: draw, harvest and public land
Box Elder, Puddle Valley is a 452-square-mile limited-entry buck pronghorn unit in DWR's Central Region of Utah. Limited-entry buck pronghorn hunters here took 17 bucks on 21 permits in 2025, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 87.4% public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (209,555 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 landMilitary land (closed)State park (park rules)State sovereign land (lake and river beds)Other public land (highways, other state land)Box Elder, Puddle ValleyNeighboring pronghorn unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Central Region (Springville office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 289,584 acres (452 square miles) |
| Public land | 87.4% (253,204 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 2 (DWR guidebook) |
| Bucks harvested, 2025 | 17 on 21 permits |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 89 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 166 residents, 86 nonresidents (20 drew) |
| Towns in and near it | Grantsville |
When are the 2026 pronghorn hunts on Box Elder, Puddle Valley?
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PB5004 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 11 | 16 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| PB5029 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Sept. 12-Sept. 20 | 150 | 14 | 80 | 2 |
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 Box Elder, Puddle Valley each year?
DWR's harvest reports cover Box Elder, Puddle Valley's limited-entry buck pronghorn hunts in 13 years from 2013 to 2025. In 2025, 19 hunters afield took 17 bucks, 89 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 21 from 22 hunters on 22 permits.
| Year | Hunts reported | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | Harvest per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 89 |
| 2024 | 2 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 95 |
| 2023 | 2 | 28 | 28 | 22 | 79 |
| 2022 | 2 | 28 | 28 | 24 | 86 |
| 2021 | 2 | 28 | 28 | 21 | 75 |
| 2020 | 2 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 88 |
| 2019 | 2 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 100 |
| 2018 | 2 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 100 |
| 2017 | 2 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 100 |
| 2016 | 2 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 94 |
| 2015 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 100 |
| 2014 | 2 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 100 |
| 2013 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 90 |
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 Box Elder, Puddle Valley
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PB5004 | Archery | 4 | 3 | 3 | 100% | 2.3 | 4.7 |
| PB5029 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 17 | 16 | 14 | 87.5% | 2.2 | 4.1 |
Source: DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
Box Elder, Puddle Valley 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 | 3 of 4 | 4 of 4 | 2 of 6 | 1 of 5 | 3 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 4 of 4 |
| Rifle (any legal weapon) | 14 of 17 | 17 of 18 | 20 of 22 | 23 of 23 | 18 of 23 | 16 of 21 | 20 of 20 | 18 of 18 |
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, Puddle Valley pronghorn permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 166 residents put a Box Elder, Puddle Valley pronghorn hunt first and 17 drew a permit, 10.2% of them; 86 nonresidents applied first choice and 3 drew (3.5%). In 2024, 168 residents applied first choice and 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PB5004 | Limited-entry archery buck pronghorn | 16 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| PB5029 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) buck pronghorn | 150 | 14 | 80 | 2 |
| Hunt | Residents, reserved permits: points | Residents, random permits: points | Nonresidents, reserved permits: points | Nonresidents, random permits: points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PB5004 | 4 | 3 | 5 | |
| PB5029 | 6 to 8 | 3 to 6 | 12 | 9 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PB5004 | Limited-entry archery buck pronghorn | 18 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| PB5029 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) buck pronghorn | 150 | 14 | 47 | 2 |
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, Puddle Valley is public land?
87.4% of the Box Elder, Puddle Valley pronghorn unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 253,204 of 289,584 acres. The largest share is BLM, 209,555 acres or 72.4% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Box Elder, Puddle Valley |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 209,555 | 72.4% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 43,649 | 15.1% |
| State sovereign land (lake and river beds) | 16,098 | 5.6% |
| Military land (closed) | 5,826 | 2% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 129 | under 0.1% |
| State park (park rules) | 1 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 14,326 | 4.9% |
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, Puddle Valley 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 Box Elder, Puddle Valley it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Box Elder, Newfoundland Mountain | once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | 100% |
| Box Elder | general-season deer | 100% |
| Box Elder | once-in-a-lifetime bull moose | 100% |
How do you get to the Box Elder, Puddle Valley unit?
Highways through the unit: I-80 (about 40 miles inside it). Nearby: Grantsville (13 miles).
Which pronghorn units border or overlap Box Elder, Puddle Valley?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bucks harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Desert, Riverbed | 3,665 | 72% | 91 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 pronghorn hunts on Box Elder, Puddle Valley?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 2 limited-entry buck pronghorn hunts on Box Elder, Puddle Valley: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 11 (PB5004) and Rifle (any legal weapon) Sept. 12-Sept. 20 (PB5029).
How many bucks were harvested on Box Elder, Puddle Valley in 2025?
17, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 19 hunters afield on 21 permits, 89 bucks for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 21.
How many people apply for Box Elder, Puddle Valley pronghorn permits?
166 residents and 86 nonresidents made a Box Elder, Puddle Valley hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 17 residents and 3 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is Box Elder, Puddle Valley mostly public land?
Yes. 87.4% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (209,555 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the Box Elder, Puddle Valley pronghorn unit?
No town is inside it. The nearest: Grantsville (13 miles).
DWR's boundary description for Box Elder, Puddle Valley
Tooele County: Boundary begins at I-80 and the Rowley road(AMAX Magnesium) at Exit 77; north from this exit cross-country to the shoreline of the Great Salt Lake; north along this shoreline to Utah Test and Training Range boundary; west along boundary to the USPCI road; south on this road to I-80; east on I-80 to the Rowley road at Exit 77.
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 West Desert, Riverbed