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Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek

Last Updated: Sep 27, 2023
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Quick Tips

  • Cover lots of country glassing
  • Carry a camera to photograph deer and elk, bison and wild horses
  • Take extra fuel, spare tires and water because this unit is far from towns
speciesgeneral Sizetrophy potential
Antelope65"-75"75"+

On The Ground

Located 20 miles south of Vernal, the eastern boundary is the Utah/Colorado state line. This unit has great access and good overall antelope numbers which make this a very good unit.

This unit has a lot of public land and the antelope are spread out throughout the unit. Antelope will be found in the mesas and flats on the north end of the unit. There is a very limited amount of tags issued on this unit every year. This unit gives hunters an easy physical hunt and good access but requires pre-season scouting.

Terrain

The majority of the antelope terrain will be low elevation flats with sagebrush-covered rolling hills. This part of Utah can be challenging and has many mesas and plateaus with some hills. There are some pinyon/juniper patches that will checker the flats and small hills. There are also some springs and stock ponds that the antelope will use for a water source. Hunters will be able to glass and cover large tracts of country in this unit.

  • Roughly 2,200 square miles

  • 59% public land

  • Elevations from about 4,200-8,800 feet

The high land is timbered with pines, firs, and aspens with grass, sagebrush, oak brush, and serviceberries on ridges and slopes. Middle elevations are primarily canyons with pockets of aspens, meadows, sagebrush and scrub oak along with some pinyon/juniper. The lower elevation terrain is primarily covered with sagebrush or pinyon/juniper woodlands along with expanses of oak brush.

Most of the land in this unit is public, but there are tribal lands within the unit. Hunters can hike or find ATV trails around almost all private tracts, which are mostly a square mile or less. ATVs are not allowed on the tribal land so they must be trailered across the access roads. Most hunters will take State Route 45 to access the unit. Once hunters cross the White River there are a number of good roads that reach into canyons or follow ridges between canyons and draws. There are ATV trails and four-wheel-drive trails on the high ridges and plateaus. Some parts of the eastern Book Cliffs can be reached from roads that start in Colorado.

  • ATVs are recommended

  • Snow and rain can impede travel on dirt roads

  • Four-wheel-drive is necessary to travel most roads in bad weather

  • Great vehicle and ATV access

  • Lots of country to hunt

Vernal has lodging, gas, groceries and other supplies. Camping is permitted on most public land in the unit.

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