Nine Mile WMA: hunting, access and rules
Nine Mile WMA is a 2,500-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Sanpete County, in DWR's Central Region, managed for big game, winter range. DWR lists no seasonal closure dates for it. Within 3 miles of it, 60.2% 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 landState park (park rules)Nine Mile WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 2,500 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Sanpete |
| DWR region | Central Region |
| Managed for | Big game, winter range |
| Seasonal closure | None listed by DWR |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1943 |
| Nearest towns | Sterling (next to it), Mayfield (3 mi) and Manti (5 mi) |
| A point inside it | 39.1792, -111.6714 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Nine Mile 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 Nine Mile under its habitat management plan of 2025.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Nine Mile WMA in?
Nine Mile 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 | 100% |
| Manti | limited-entry bull elk | 100% |
| 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 Nine Mile WMA?
Mule deer, elk, black bear, mountain lion, furbearers (bobcat, etc), upland game, raptors, neotropical migratory birds and small mammals.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Nine Mile WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 60.2% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (11,369 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 11,369 | 32.6% |
| DWR wildlife land | 5,291 | 15.2% |
| BLM | 4,099 | 11.7% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 252 | 0.7% |
| State park (park rules) | 240 | 0.7% |
| Military land (closed) | 120 | 0.3% |
| Private and other land not shown | 13,541 | 38.8% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Nine Mile WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Six Mile WMA (2,782 acres, 3 miles northeast), North Hollow WMA (3,601 acres, 3 miles south), Manti Meadows WMA (469 acres, 4 miles north), Twelve Mile WMA (9,150 acres, 8 miles south), Manti Face WMA (2,536 acres, 8 miles northeast) and Maple Canyon WMA (1,160 acres, 9 miles north).
How do you get to Nine Mile WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: US 89. Nearest towns: Sterling (next to it), Mayfield (3 miles), Manti (5 miles) and Gunnison (6 miles). DWR also lists it under the older name 9 Mile WMA.
Questions hunters ask
When is Nine Mile WMA closed?
DWR lists no seasonal closure dates for Nine Mile WMA. Its rules: Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads.
Do you need a permit to enter Nine Mile WMA?
DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet, by DWR's 2026 listing for Sanpete County.
How much public land is around Nine Mile WMA?
60.2% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (11,369 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Nine Mile 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.