Bitter Creek WMA: hunting, access and rules
Bitter Creek WMA is a 2,194-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Uintah County, in DWR's Northeastern Region, managed for big game winter range. DWR lists no seasonal closure dates for it. Within 3 miles of it, 94.8% 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.
BLMState trust land (SITLA)DWR wildlife landTribal land (tribe's rules)Bitter Creek WMALake or riverHighway
| Size | 2,194 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Uintah |
| DWR region | Northeastern Region |
| Managed for | Big game winter range |
| Seasonal closure | None listed by DWR |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1995 |
| Nearest towns | None within 30 miles |
| A point inside it | 39.4693, -109.1421 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Bitter Creek WMA?
DWR lists no seasonal closure dates. Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads. DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet.
DWR runs Bitter Creek under its habitat management plan of 2003.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Bitter Creek WMA in?
Bitter Creek WMA lies in 5 units with a page of their own:
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of the WMA in it |
|---|---|---|
| Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek/East | limited-entry bull elk | 100% |
| Book Cliffs | limited-entry deer | 100% |
| Book Cliffs, North | limited-entry deer | 100% |
| Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 100% |
| Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek | once-in-a-lifetime bison | 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 Bitter Creek WMA?
Canyon bottom/riparian, elk, deer.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Bitter Creek WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 94.8% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (65,115 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 65,115 | 82.4% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 8,709 | 11% |
| DWR wildlife land | 1,163 | 1.5% |
| Tribal land (tribe's rules) | 765 | 1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 3,318 | 4.2% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Bitter Creek WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Two Waters WMA (10,897 acres, 20 miles northwest) and Willow Creek (Uintah/Grand) WMA (3,748 acres, 25 miles west).
How do you get to Bitter Creek WMA?
No numbered highway within 8 miles. DWR also lists it under the older names Willow Creek WMA, Cripple Cowboy Ranch.
Questions hunters ask
When is Bitter Creek WMA closed?
DWR lists no seasonal closure dates for Bitter Creek WMA. Its rules: Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads.
Do you need a permit to enter Bitter Creek WMA?
DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet, by DWR's 2026 listing for Uintah County.
How much public land is around Bitter Creek WMA?
94.8% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (65,115 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Bitter Creek WMA in?
The Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek/East limited-entry elk 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.