Richmond WMA: hunting, access and rules
Richmond WMA is a 2,048-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Cache County, in DWR's Northern Region, managed for big game winter range. DWR's seasonal closure: Closed January 1 to second Saturday in April. Within 3 miles of it, 40.8% 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 forestDWR wildlife landRichmond WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 2,048 acres (measured by FilledTag from DWR's boundary; DWR lists no acreage) |
|---|---|
| County | Cache |
| DWR region | Northern Region |
| Managed for | Big game winter range |
| Seasonal closure | Closed January 1 to second Saturday in April |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1988 |
| Nearest towns | Richmond (next to it), Lewiston (5 mi) and Smithfield (5 mi) |
| A point inside it | 41.9491, -111.7587 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Richmond WMA?
Seasonal closure: Closed January 1 to second Saturday in April. Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads. DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet.
DWR runs Richmond under its habitat management plan of 1992.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Richmond WMA in?
Richmond WMA lies in 3 units with a page of their own; on the Cache general-season deer unit as a whole, hunters took 899 bucks in 2025 (DWR):
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of the WMA in it |
|---|---|---|
| Cache | general-season deer | 100% |
| Cache, North | limited-entry bull elk | 100% |
| Cache | 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 Richmond WMA?
Big game. Browse is a secondary forage component on both WMA units. Composition consists of a mixture of small and large growth-form species. Among the former are woods rose and Oregon hollygrape, both numerous but provide little forage.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Richmond WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 40.8% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (15,952 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 15,952 | 40.8% |
| DWR wildlife land | 3 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 23,178 | 59.2% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Richmond WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Swan Creek WMA (699 acres, 17 miles east), Bud Phelps WMA (272 acres, 18 miles southwest), Millville-Providence WMA (5,874 acres, 23 miles south), Hardware WMA (14,466 acres, 24 miles southeast) and Coldwater Canyon WMA (1,043 acres, 25 miles southwest).
How do you get to Richmond WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: US 91. Nearest towns: Richmond (next to it), Lewiston (5 miles), Smithfield (5 miles) and Amalga (7 miles). DWR also lists it under the older names Oxkiller WMA, Cherry Creek WMA.
Questions hunters ask
When is Richmond WMA closed?
Closed January 1 to second Saturday in April, by DWR's listing for the area. Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads.
Do you need a permit to enter Richmond WMA?
DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet, by DWR's 2026 listing for Cache County.
How much public land is around Richmond WMA?
40.8% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (15,952 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Richmond WMA in?
The Cache general-season deer unit and the Cache, North 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.