Rabbit Gulch WMA: hunting, access and rules
Rabbit Gulch WMA is a 9,198-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Duchesne County, in DWR's Northeastern Region, managed for big game winter range. DWR lists no seasonal closure dates for it. Within 3 miles of it, 0% of the land is public, mostly DWR wildlife land.
Data updated October 2026. Property facts: DWR's public access properties layer. Units: DWR's 2026 boundaries. Land around it: UGRC, 2023.
DWR wildlife landTribal land (tribe's rules)State park (park rules)Rabbit Gulch WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 9,198 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Duchesne |
| DWR region | Northeastern Region |
| Managed for | Big game winter range |
| Seasonal closure | None listed by DWR |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1961 |
| Nearest towns | Duchesne (6 mi), Tabiona (11 mi) and Altamont (11 mi) |
| A point inside it | 40.2053, -110.5635 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Rabbit Gulch 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 Rabbit Gulch under its habitat management plan of 1998.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Rabbit Gulch WMA in?
Rabbit Gulch WMA lies in 3 units with a page of their own; on the Wasatch Mountains, East general-season deer unit as a whole, hunters took 1,658 bucks in 2025 (DWR):
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of the WMA in it |
|---|---|---|
| Wasatch Mountains, East | general-season deer | 100% |
| Wasatch Mountains | 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 Rabbit Gulch WMA?
Sagebrush, pinyon-juniper, mountain brush, deer, elk.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Rabbit Gulch WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 0% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it DWR wildlife land (31 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| Tribal land (tribe's rules) | 10,566 | 15.1% |
| State park (park rules) | 4,322 | 6.2% |
| DWR wildlife land | 31 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 55,002 | 78.7% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Rabbit Gulch WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Skitzy WMA (5,198 acres, 8 miles south), Tabby Mountain WMA (50,226 acres, 11 miles northwest), Cottonwood Ridge WMA (6,751 acres, 12 miles southeast), Lake Canyon WMA (7,586 acres, 12 miles south), Currant Creek WMA (14,977 acres, 18 miles west) and Wildcat WMA (6,809 acres, 21 miles west).
How do you get to Rabbit Gulch WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: US 40 and US 191. Nearest towns: Duchesne (6 miles), Tabiona (11 miles), Altamont (11 miles) and Myton (21 miles). DWR also lists it under the older name Blacktail Ridge.
Questions hunters ask
When is Rabbit Gulch WMA closed?
DWR lists no seasonal closure dates for Rabbit Gulch WMA. Its rules: Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads.
Do you need a permit to enter Rabbit Gulch WMA?
DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet, by DWR's 2026 listing for Duchesne County.
How much public land is around Rabbit Gulch WMA?
0% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it DWR wildlife land (31 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Rabbit Gulch WMA in?
The Wasatch Mountains, East general-season deer unit and the Wasatch 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.