Mona Bench WMA: hunting, access and rules
Mona Bench WMA is a 2,086-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Juab 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, 47.9% 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 forestBLMDWR wildlife landMona Bench WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 2,086 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Juab |
| 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 | 1971 |
| Nearest towns | Mona (next to it), Rocky Ridge (4 mi) and Nephi (6 mi) |
| A point inside it | 39.8380, -111.8098 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Mona Bench WMA?
Seasonal closure: Closed December 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 Mona Bench under its habitat management plan of 2024.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Mona Bench WMA in?
Mona Bench WMA lies in 5 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% |
| Nebo/San Pitch Mountains | limited-entry bull elk | 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 Mona Bench WMA?
Mule deer, elk, white-tailed and black-tailed jackrabbit, golden eagle, bear, cougar and coyote, dusky grouse, Rio Grande turkey, cottontail rabbit, mourning dove, neotropical migratory birds, sagabrush and mountainbrush habitats, short-eared owl, long-b.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Mona Bench WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 47.9% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (20,179 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 20,179 | 42.6% |
| DWR wildlife land | 2,502 | 5.3% |
| Private and other land not shown | 24,716 | 52.1% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Mona Bench WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Burraston Ponds WMA (140 acres, 4 miles southwest), Mona WMA (103 acres, 4 miles southwest), Santaquin WMA (4,851 acres, 6 miles north), West Hills WMA (774 acres, 6 miles northwest), Nephi WMA (152 acres, 7 miles southwest) and Nephi Canyon WMA (2,106 acres, 9 miles south).
How do you get to Mona Bench WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: I-15 and US 6. Nearest towns: Mona (next to it), Rocky Ridge (4 miles), Nephi (6 miles) and Santaquin (7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Mona Bench 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 Mona Bench WMA?
DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet, by DWR's 2026 listing for Juab County.
How much public land is around Mona Bench WMA?
47.9% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (20,179 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Mona Bench WMA in?
The Nebo general-season deer unit and the Nebo/San Pitch Mountains 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.