Quick Tips
- Big tiger muskies in Pineview Reservoir (catch and release only)
- Trout fishing in the Weber and South Fork of the Ogden rivers
- Lots of ruffed and dusky grouse in oakbrush, maple brush and timber
- White bass/striper hybrids at Willard Bay
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Elk | Raghorn | 280"+ |
On The Ground
This unit, which is composed of valleys and mountains east of Ogden, has low to moderate numbers of elk on a mixture of private and public land. Most public tracts are steep and hard to reach, with some landlocked by private property.
Hunters may buy tags over-the-counter to hunt bull elk, but find hunting to be difficult on public land that is limited, usually steep, and covered with dense brush and trees.
Terrain
This unit lies between the Blacksmith Fork and Weber rivers and includes part of the Wasatch Range and the Bear River Mountains. Some of the steepest and most rugged mountains in the state are in this unit. Sheer cliffs of the Wasatch range loom over Willard and Mount Ogden above Snow Basin as well as the aptly named Scare Canyon. Elevations vary considerably with valleys ranging from about 4,250 feet above sea level to mountains rising well over 9,000 feet.
Roughly 634 square miles
26% public land
Elevations from 4,250-9,700 feet
Vegetation
Gambel oak brush is the most common cover along with sagebrush, maple brush, mountain mahogany, junipers, firs, aspen, spruce, and several species of pines. Most elk winter on the grassy pastures of Hardware Ranch Wildlife Management Area, which is in the northeastern corner of this unit as well as in the bordering South Cache Unit. Elk are fed hay there during harsh, snowy winters.
Access
Most of this unit is private or public land that is hard to reach without access through private land. Some public access is through roadless terrain that is so steep and rugged that even horses are difficult or impossible to ride. Public land that hunters can reach includes the Snow Basin area near Pineview Reservoir, land on the western and southern sides of Mount Ogden north of the Weber River, more than 7,000 acres of national forest land in South Canyon between Paradise and Ogden Valley, parts of Coldwater and Jumpoff canyons east of Ogden, Forest Service property around Willard, and Ben Lomond peaks. A piece of 8,000 contiguous acres of state trust lands known as the Cinnamon Creek Parcel is near State Road 39 and straddles the Cache County-Weber County line. The state has access through surrounding private land, so this area gets a lot of hunting pressure. Some large ranches are Cooperative Wildlife Management Units with their own tags and seasons.
Some public tracts are landlocked by private property
Scout before the season to determine access to public land
Carry a GPS and land ownership maps
Camping and Lodging
Camping is allowed along public roads on state and federal land. Willard Basin Campground offers tent sites about eight miles south of Mantua on Forest Road 84. Anderson Cove Campground offers tent and RV sites on the south side of Pineview Reservoir. Tent and camping trailer sites are at Jefferson Hunt Campground, situated where the South Fork of the Ogden River enters Pineview. Weber County offers 181 campsites at North Fork Park near Eden. South Fork Campground is on the South Fork of the Ogden River about seven miles from Huntsville. Weber Memorial Park campground is just east of the unit near Causey Reservoir.
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