West Desert (Rush Valley) pronghorn unit: draw, harvest and public land
West Desert, Rush Valley is a 2,833-square-mile limited-entry buck pronghorn unit in DWR's Central Region of Utah. Limited-entry buck pronghorn hunters here took 42 bucks on 46 permits in 2025, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 37.7% public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (449,510 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)West Desert, Rush ValleyNeighboring pronghorn unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Central Region (Springville office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,813,278 acres (2,833 square miles) |
| Public land | 37.7% (683,506 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 2 (DWR guidebook) |
| Bucks harvested, 2025 | 42 on 46 permits |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 93 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 371 residents, 62 nonresidents (45 drew) |
| Wildlife management areas | 7, 2,743 acres inside the unit |
| Towns in and near it | Eagle Mountain, Erda, Grantsville, Lehi, Leamington and South Salt Lake |
When are the 2026 pronghorn hunts on West Desert, Rush 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PB5020 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 11 | 34 | 8 | 5 | 1 |
| PB5051 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Sept. 12-Sept. 20 | 337 | 32 | 57 | 4 |
Source: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook, hunt tables, pages 62 and 64; 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 West Desert, Rush Valley each year?
DWR's harvest reports cover West Desert, Rush Valley's limited-entry buck pronghorn hunts in 13 years from 2013 to 2025. In 2025, 45 hunters afield took 42 bucks, 93 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 31 from 42 hunters on 42 permits.
| Year | Hunts reported | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | Harvest per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 46 | 45 | 42 | 93 |
| 2024 | 2 | 42 | 42 | 31 | 74 |
| 2023 | 2 | 42 | 41 | 30 | 73 |
| 2022 | 2 | 36 | 36 | 31 | 86 |
| 2021 | 2 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 89 |
| 2020 | 2 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 95 |
| 2019 | 2 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 83 |
| 2018 | 2 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 88 |
| 2017 | 2 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 90 |
| 2016 | 2 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 100 |
| 2015 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 100 |
| 2014 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 73 |
| 2013 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 85 |
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 West Desert, Rush Valley
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bucks harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PB5020 | Archery | 9 | 9 | 8 | 88.9% | 5.6 | 4.4 |
| PB5051 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | 37 | 36 | 34 | 94.4% | 1.9 | 4.4 |
Source: DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
West Desert, Rush 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 | 8 of 9 | 2 of 8 | 5 of 8 | 5 of 7 | 6 of 6 | 3 of 4 | 1 of 4 | 1 of 4 |
| Rifle (any legal weapon) | 34 of 37 | 29 of 34 | 25 of 34 | 26 of 29 | 19 of 23 | 16 of 17 | 18 of 19 | 14 of 15 |
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, Rush Valley pronghorn permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 371 residents put a West Desert, Rush Valley pronghorn hunt first and 40 drew a permit, 10.8% of them; 62 nonresidents applied first choice and 5 drew (8.1%). In 2024, 354 residents applied first choice and 37 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PB5020 | Limited-entry archery buck pronghorn | 34 | 8 | 5 | 1 |
| PB5051 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) buck pronghorn | 337 | 32 | 57 | 4 |
| Hunt | Residents, reserved permits: points | Residents, random permits: points | Nonresidents, reserved permits: points | Nonresidents, random permits: points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PB5020 | 3 to 4 | 0 to 3 | 0 | |
| PB5051 | 7 to 12 | 0 to 6 | 15 | 2 to 5 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PB5020 | Limited-entry archery buck pronghorn | 25 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| PB5051 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) buck pronghorn | 329 | 30 | 69 | 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 West Desert, Rush Valley is public land?
37.7% of the West Desert, Rush Valley pronghorn unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 683,506 of 1,813,278 acres. The largest share is BLM, 449,510 acres or 24.8% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of West Desert, Rush Valley |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 449,510 | 24.8% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 121,894 | 6.7% |
| National forest | 103,738 | 5.7% |
| State sovereign land (lake and river beds) | 96,868 | 5.3% |
| Military land (closed) | 68,791 | 3.8% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 5,136 | 0.3% |
| DWR wildlife land | 3,228 | 0.2% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 1,087 | 0.1% |
| State park (park rules) | 44 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 962,982 | 53.1% |
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: Lee Kay WMA (892 acres), West Hills WMA (754 acres), James Walter Fitzgerald WMA (442 acres), Provo River Delta WMA (260 acres), Nephi WMA (152 acres), Burraston Ponds WMA (140 acres) and Mona WMA (103 acres).
DWR's Walk-In Access program has 4 active hunting properties on private land in the unit, about 2,902 acres. Each has its own rules: DWR Walk-In Access.
What other hunts share the West Desert, Rush 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 West Desert, Rush Valley it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Oquirrh/Tintic | limited-entry deer | 76% |
| Oquirrh/Tintic | general-season deer | 76% |
| Oquirrh | general-season any bull elk (over the counter) | 56% |
| House/Tintic | general-season any bull elk (over the counter) | 27% |
| Fillmore, Oak Creek | once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | 20% |
| Oquirrh-Stansbury, West | once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | 17% |
| Cedar/Stansbury | limited-entry deer | 17% |
| Cedar/Stansbury | general-season deer | 17% |
| Cedar/Stansbury | general-season any bull elk (over the counter) | 17% |
How do you get to the West Desert, Rush Valley unit?
Highways through the unit: I-15 (about 163 miles inside it), US 6 (about 40 miles inside it), I-80 (about 24 miles inside it), I-215 (about 22 miles inside it), US 89 (about 16 miles inside it) and UT 147 (about 8 miles inside it). Towns inside: Eagle Mountain, Erda, Grantsville, West Valley City, West Jordan and Fairfield. Nearby: Lehi (on the line), Leamington (on the line), South Salt Lake (on the line) and Payson (on the line). Rivers: Jordan River (38 miles) and Sevier River (21 miles).
Which pronghorn units border or overlap West Desert, Rush Valley?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bucks harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fillmore, Oak Creek South | 1,478 | 67.5% | 70 (2025) |
| West Desert, Riverbed | 3,665 | 72% | 91 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 pronghorn hunts on West Desert, Rush Valley?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 2 limited-entry buck pronghorn hunts on West Desert, Rush Valley: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 11 (PB5020) and Rifle (any legal weapon) Sept. 12-Sept. 20 (PB5051).
How many bucks were harvested on West Desert, Rush Valley in 2025?
42, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 45 hunters afield on 46 permits, 93 bucks for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 31.
How many people apply for West Desert, Rush Valley pronghorn permits?
371 residents and 62 nonresidents made a West Desert, Rush Valley hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 40 residents and 5 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is West Desert, Rush Valley mostly public land?
No. 37.7% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (449,510 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map. Most of the rest is private land.
What is the closest town to the West Desert, Rush Valley pronghorn unit?
Eagle Mountain, Erda and Grantsville are inside the unit. Just outside: Lehi (on the line), Leamington (on the line) and South Salt Lake (on the line).
DWR's boundary description for West Desert, Rush Valley
Juab, Salt Lake, Tooele and Utah counties: Boundary begins at I-15 and I-80 in Salt Lake City; south on I-15 to Exit 207 and the Mills road; west on this road to the railroad tracks; west on these tracks to the Sevier River; north along this river to SR-132; west on SR-132 to US-6; north on US-6 to SR-36; north on SR-36 to Cherry Creek Road; west on this road to the top of the drainage divide(summit of the Sheeprocks) near Keg Spring; west and north along this divide (summits of the Sheeprocks, Onaqui, and Stansbury Mountains) to I-80; east on I-80 to I-15 in Salt Lake City. Excludes all CWMUs. EXCLUDES ALL NATIVE AMERICAN TRUST LANDS WITHIN THIS BOUNDARY. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Lynndyl, Nephi, Provo, Rush Valley, Salt Lake City, Tooele. 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 Fillmore, Oak Creek South West Desert, Riverbed