Dairy Fork WMA: hunting, access and rules
Dairy Fork WMA is a 4,953-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Utah County, in DWR's Central Region, managed for big game winter range. DWR's seasonal closure: Closed December 1 to April 30. Within 3 miles of it, 85.1% 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 forestBLMState trust land (SITLA)DWR wildlife landOther public land (highways, other state land)Dairy Fork WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 4,953 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Utah |
| DWR region | Central Region |
| Managed for | Big game winter range |
| Seasonal closure | Closed December 1 to April 30 |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1978 |
| Nearest towns | Mapleton (14 mi), Woodland Hills (15 mi) and Elk Ridge (16 mi) |
| A point inside it | 39.9606, -111.3727 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Dairy Fork WMA?
Seasonal closure: Closed December 1 to April 30. Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads. Anyone 18 or older needs a Utah hunting, fishing or combination license or DWR's free digital access permit to enter.
DWR runs Dairy Fork under its habitat management plan of 2019.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Dairy Fork WMA in?
Dairy Fork WMA lies in 3 units with a page of their own; on the Manti/San Rafael general-season deer unit as a whole, hunters took 2,518 bucks in 2025 (DWR):
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of the WMA in it |
|---|---|---|
| Manti/San Rafael | general-season deer | 99% |
| Manti | limited-entry bull elk | 99% |
| Wasatch Mountains/Central Mountains | once-in-a-lifetime bull moose | 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 Dairy Fork WMA?
Mule deer, elk, chukar partridge, dusky grouse, mourning dove, turkey, cottontail rabbit, white-tailed and black-tailed jackrabbit, golden eagle, bear, cougar, coyote, and neotropical birds. Various fish species in Soldier and Starvation creeks.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Dairy Fork WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 85.1% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (35,108 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 35,108 | 81.8% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 650 | 1.5% |
| BLM | 401 | 0.9% |
| DWR wildlife land | 335 | 0.8% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 13 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 6,394 | 14.9% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Dairy Fork WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Lake Fork WMA (2,765 acres, 7 miles west), Diamond Fork WMA (170 acres, 8 miles northwest), Birdseye WMA (998 acres, 9 miles west), Lasson Draw WMA (2,881 acres, 10 miles southwest), Starvation WMA (8,022 acres, 12 miles southeast) and Spencer Fork WMA (7,488 acres, 13 miles southwest).
How do you get to Dairy Fork WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: US 6 and US 89. Nearest towns: Mapleton (14 miles), Woodland Hills (15 miles), Elk Ridge (16 miles) and Salem (16 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Dairy Fork WMA closed?
Closed December 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 Dairy Fork WMA?
Anyone 18 or older needs a Utah hunting, fishing or combination license or DWR's free digital access permit to enter, by DWR's 2026 listing for Utah County.
How much public land is around Dairy Fork WMA?
85.1% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (35,108 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Dairy Fork WMA in?
The Manti/San Rafael general-season deer unit and the Manti 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.