Public Shooting Grounds WMA: hunting, access and rules
Public Shooting Grounds WMA is a 13,356-acre waterfowl management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Box Elder County, 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, 36.8% 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.
BLMState trust land (SITLA)DWR wildlife landNational wildlife refugeState sovereign land (lake and river beds)Public Shooting Grounds WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 13,356 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | 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 | 1926 |
| Nearest towns | Corinne (7 mi), Bear River City (7 mi) and Tremonton (8 mi) |
| A point inside it | 41.5921, -112.3139 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Public Shooting Grounds WMA?
Seasonal closure: End of the waterfowl hunting season until the Thursday before the Youth Waterfowl Hunt. Motorized travel is allowed only on main gravel roads and established parking lots. No dogs from the end of the waterfowl hunting season through the Thursday before the Youth Waterfowl Hunt. DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet.
DWR runs Public Shooting Grounds under its habitat management plan of 2010.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Public Shooting Grounds WMA in?
Public Shooting Grounds 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 | 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 Public Shooting Grounds WMA?
PSGWMA provides crucial year-round habitat for a variety of avian species, but particularly for waterfowl, pheasant and shorebirds. The wintering bald eagles utilize the area for foraging. This area is used by short-eared owl, burrowing owl and long-bill.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Public Shooting Grounds WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 36.8% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it national wildlife refuge (14,126 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuge | 14,126 | 23.6% |
| BLM | 4,102 | 6.9% |
| DWR wildlife land | 3,771 | 6.3% |
| State sovereign land (lake and river beds) | 2,215 | 3.7% |
| Private and other land not shown | 35,617 | 59.5% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Public Shooting Grounds WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Salt Creek WMA (6,205 acres, 5 miles northeast), Coldwater Canyon WMA (1,043 acres, 14 miles east), Willard Spur WMA (13,441 acres, 15 miles southeast), Brigham Face WMA (4,595 acres, 19 miles southeast), Harold Crane WMA (9,848 acres, 20 miles south) and Bud Phelps WMA (272 acres, 22 miles northeast).
How do you get to Public Shooting Grounds WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: I-84 and I-15. Nearest towns: Corinne (7 miles), Bear River City (7 miles), Tremonton (8 miles) and Elwood (8 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Public Shooting Grounds 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 main gravel roads and established parking lots. 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 Public Shooting Grounds WMA?
DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet, by DWR's 2026 listing for Box Elder County.
How much public land is around Public Shooting Grounds WMA?
36.8% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it national wildlife refuge (14,126 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Public Shooting Grounds 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.