Harold Crane WMA: hunting, access and rules
Harold Crane WMA is a 9,848-acre waterfowl management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Weber and Box Elder counties, in DWR's Northern Region, managed for waterfowl habitat. DWR's seasonal closure: End of the waterfowl hunting season until the Thursday before the Youth Waterfowl Hunt. Within 3 miles of it, 3.9% of the land is public, mostly national wildlife refuge.
Data updated October 2026. Property facts: DWR's public access properties layer. Units: DWR's 2026 boundaries. Land around it: UGRC, 2023.
DWR wildlife landNational wildlife refugeState park (park rules)State sovereign land (lake and river beds)Harold Crane WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 9,848 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Weber, Box Elder |
| DWR region | Northern Region |
| Managed for | Waterfowl habitat |
| Seasonal closure | End of the waterfowl hunting season until the Thursday before the Youth Waterfowl Hunt |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1989 |
| Nearest towns | Plain City (2 mi), Farr West (5 mi) and Willard (5 mi) |
| A point inside it | 41.3304, -112.1702 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Harold Crane WMA?
Seasonal closure: End of the waterfowl hunting season until the Thursday before the Youth Waterfowl Hunt. Motorized travel is allowed only on the road leading to the parking lot. No dogs from the end of the waterfowl hunting season through the Thursday before the Youth Waterfowl Hunt. On parts of this WMA, anyone 18 or older needs a Utah hunting, fishing or combination license or DWR's free digital access permit.
DWR runs Harold Crane under its habitat management plan of 2010.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Harold Crane WMA in?
Harold Crane WMA lies in 2 units with a page of their own; on the Box Elder general-season deer unit as a whole, hunters took 1,123 bucks in 2025 (DWR):
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of the WMA in it |
|---|---|---|
| Box Elder | general-season deer | 100% |
| Box Elder, Promontory | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 37% |
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 Harold Crane WMA?
Crucial year-round habitat for a variety of avian species, but particularly for waterfowl and shorebirds. It is an important winter foraging area for the bald eagle, a state species of concern.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Harold Crane WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 3.9% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it national wildlife refuge (1,972 acres). State sovereign land (lake and river beds) covers 40.4% of the ring (21,424 acres); it is not counted above, and its own rules apply.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| State sovereign land (lake and river beds) | 21,424 | 40.4% |
| State park (park rules) | 7,614 | 14.4% |
| National wildlife refuge | 1,972 | 3.7% |
| DWR wildlife land | 88 | 0.2% |
| Private and other land not shown | 21,943 | 41.4% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Harold Crane WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Willard Spur WMA (13,441 acres, 4 miles north), Ogden Bay WMA (16,656 acres, 10 miles south), Brigham Face WMA (4,595 acres, 13 miles northeast), Howard Slough WMA (2,546 acres, 15 miles south), Weber Face WMA (563 acres, 19 miles southeast) and Public Shooting Grounds WMA (13,356 acres, 20 miles north).
How do you get to Harold Crane WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: I-84, I-15 and US 89. Nearest towns: Plain City (2 miles), Farr West (5 miles), Willard (5 miles) and Marriott-Slaterville (5 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Harold Crane WMA closed?
End of the waterfowl hunting season until the Thursday before the Youth Waterfowl Hunt, by DWR's listing for the area. Motorized travel is allowed only on the road leading to the parking lot. No dogs from the end of the waterfowl hunting season through the Thursday before the Youth Waterfowl Hunt.
Do you need a permit to enter Harold Crane WMA?
On parts of this WMA, anyone 18 or older needs a Utah hunting, fishing or combination license or DWR's free digital access permit, by DWR's 2026 listing for Weber and Box Elder counties.
How much public land is around Harold Crane WMA?
3.9% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it national wildlife refuge (1,972 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Harold Crane WMA in?
The Box Elder 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.