Cook WMA: hunting, access and rules
Cook WMA is a 1,647-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Daggett County, in DWR's Northeastern Region, managed for big game. DWR lists no seasonal closure dates for it. Within 3 miles of it, 57.8% of the land is public, mostly national forest.
Data updated October 2026. Property facts: DWR's public access properties layer. Units: DWR's 2026 boundaries. Land around it: UGRC, 2023.
National forestState trust land (SITLA)Cook WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 1,647 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Daggett |
| DWR region | Northeastern Region |
| Managed for | Big game |
| Seasonal closure | None listed by DWR |
| Access | Administrative Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 2024 |
| Nearest towns | Manila (8 mi) and Dutch John (25 mi) |
| A point inside it | 40.9618, -109.8994 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Cook WMA?
DWR lists no seasonal closure dates. walk-in access only. DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet.
DWR runs Cook under its habitat management plan.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Cook WMA in?
Cook WMA lies in 4 units with a page of their own; on the North Slope general-season deer unit as a whole, hunters took 685 bucks in 2025 (DWR):
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of the WMA in it |
|---|---|---|
| North Slope | general-season deer | 100% |
| North Slope, Three Corners/West Daggett | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 100% |
| North Slope, Three Corners/West Daggett | once-in-a-lifetime bull moose | 100% |
| North Slope, Summit/West Daggett | once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | 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 Cook WMA?
Aspen, Douglas fir; Mule deer, elk, moose, pronghorn, Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep, black bear, cougar.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Cook WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 57.8% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (9,507 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 9,507 | 29.7% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 8,972 | 28% |
| Private and other land not shown | 13,517 | 42.2% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Cook WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Bare Top Mountain WMA (120 acres, 17 miles east) and Trail Creek WMA (159 acres, 21 miles east).
How do you get to Cook WMA?
No numbered highway within 8 miles. Nearest towns: Manila (8 miles) and Dutch John (25 miles). DWR also lists it under the older name Phil Pico Mountain.
Questions hunters ask
When is Cook WMA closed?
DWR lists no seasonal closure dates for Cook WMA. Its rules: walk-in access only.
Do you need a permit to enter Cook WMA?
DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet, by DWR's 2026 listing for Daggett County.
How much public land is around Cook WMA?
57.8% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (9,507 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Cook WMA in?
The North Slope 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.