Apple Tree Springs WMA: hunting, access and rules
Apple Tree Springs WMA is a 1,234-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Sanpete County, in DWR's Central Region, managed for big game winter range. DWR's seasonal closure: Closed Dec. 1 to April 30. Within 3 miles of it, 25.9% of the land is public, mostly BLM.
Data updated October 2026. Property facts: DWR's public access properties layer. Units: DWR's 2026 boundaries. Land around it: UGRC, 2023.
National forestBLMState trust land (SITLA)DWR wildlife landApple Tree Springs WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 1,234 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Sanpete |
| DWR region | Central Region |
| Managed for | Big game winter range |
| Seasonal closure | Closed Dec. 1 to April 30 |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1978 |
| Nearest towns | Fountain Green (4 mi), Moroni (5 mi) and Fairview (5 mi) |
| A point inside it | 39.5988, -111.5630 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Apple Tree Springs WMA?
Seasonal closure: Closed Dec. 1 to April 30. Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads. DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet.
DWR runs Apple Tree Springs under its habitat management plan of 2015.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Apple Tree Springs WMA in?
Apple Tree Springs WMA lies in 4 units with a page of their own; on the Nebo general-season deer unit as a whole, hunters took 1,417 bucks in 2025 (DWR):
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of the WMA in it |
|---|---|---|
| Nebo | general-season deer | 100% |
| Wasatch Mountains/Central Mountains | once-in-a-lifetime bull moose | 100% |
| Nebo | once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | 100% |
| Nebo | once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat | 100% |
Shares measured by FilledTag from DWR's 2026 unit boundaries and the WMA boundary. Harvest: DWR harvest reports, 2013 to 2025; each unit's page has it year by year.
What wildlife does DWR list for Apple Tree Springs WMA?
Mule deer, elk, mountain lion, bobcat, chuckar, mourning dove, cottontail, bald eagle, coyote, neotropical migratory birds and small mammals.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Apple Tree Springs WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 25.9% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (5,443 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 5,443 | 16.1% |
| DWR wildlife land | 2,553 | 7.6% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 745 | 2.2% |
| Private and other land not shown | 24,995 | 74.1% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Apple Tree Springs WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Christensen Springs WMA (1,559 acres, 3 miles northeast), Fountain Green WMA (382 acres, 3 miles west), Big Hollow WMA (825 acres, 4 miles north), White Hill WMA (1,597 acres, 11 miles south), Levan WMA (2,197 acres, 13 miles west) and Nephi Canyon WMA (2,106 acres, 13 miles northwest).
How do you get to Apple Tree Springs WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: US 89. Nearest towns: Fountain Green (4 miles), Moroni (5 miles), Fairview (5 miles) and Mount Pleasant (5 miles). DWR also lists it under the older name Fountain Green WMA.
Questions hunters ask
When is Apple Tree Springs WMA closed?
Closed Dec. 1 to April 30, by DWR's listing for the area. Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads.
Do you need a permit to enter Apple Tree Springs WMA?
DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet, by DWR's 2026 listing for Sanpete County.
How much public land is around Apple Tree Springs WMA?
25.9% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (5,443 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Apple Tree Springs WMA in?
The Nebo general-season deer unit, by DWR's 2026 boundaries. Hunting on the WMA follows that unit's seasons and DWR's rules for the property.
Get a Utah hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Utah are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Utah included.
Sources: DWR property data, DWR's WMA page, DWR unit boundaries, UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023). FilledTag is not part of DWR.