Waterfowl hunting in nearby Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Cell phone service is spotty in some parts of the unit
On The Ground
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Bordering Idaho, this unit consists of private and public lands. It holds a small number of dispersed elk in the Hansel Mountains, occasionally in the West Hills and rarely in the Promontory Mountains.
Elk numbers are so low in this unit that most hunters never see one. Ranchers see a bull from time to time, but elk rarely stay in the same place for long. A few ranches have the right mixture of cover, feed, and water to hold a small herd of elk consistently enough that hunters can target bulls. Most bulls taken are spikes and raghorns.
This unit consists of desert flats and valleys, foothills, and three mountain ranges. The mountain ranges are the Promontory Mountains, the West Hills on the west side of Interstate 15 near Tremonton, and the Hansel Mountains. The valleys are Curlew, Blue Creek, and Hansel. Other flat areas include Rozel Flat on the west side of the Promontory Mountains and marshes, dry farms, and pastures along the Great Salt Lake and the west side of Malad Valley. Lowlands are mainly 4,200 to 5,000 feet above sea level. Most elk are found in foothills and mountains between 5,500 and 6,750 feet. There are a few higher peaks, such as 7,372-foot Messix Peak and 6,979-foot Mount Tarpey in the Promontory Mountains.
Lowlands are dry and typically barren of trees and high brush. There are a few interesting plants growing in the desert lowlands and flats along the Great Salt Lake, such as iodine bush, shad scale, salt grasses, and pickleweed along with several types of sagebrush and bunch grasses. The foothills and low mountains are covered with sagebrush, junipers, pinyon pines, bigtooth maple, and oak brush. Bitterbrush and serviceberry bushes provide excellent browse for the elk. Conifers such as Douglas fir grow in very few places throughout the unit. Aspens fill the north slopes of a few canyons and grow in small patches in places above 5,500 feet.
Most elk are found on private land where they can live for a few weeks without constantly encountering humans. The animals are rare enough and dispersed enough that ranchers and outfitters do not offer regular guided hunts although occasionally a hunter can pay a small access or trade services for access to a ranch that often has elk. The eastern half of the unit contains some sections of state land, but most of it is arranged in a checkerboard pattern with alternating sections of private land. Much of the state land is inaccessible without permission to cross private land. Most of Curlew Valley is BLM land, but virtually no elk venture into the valley.
Roughly 2,016 square miles
29% public land
Elevations from 4,200-7,372 feet
Most roads are open to ATV use
ATVs are handy on rough, rocky private roads
Most public roads are graded and graveled
Campgrounds are scarce and are found mostly on private land. Crystal Hot Springs in nearby Honeyville has campsites and a naturally heated swimming pool. Hunters can find lodging in Tremonton. Options include the Western Inn, the Sandman Motel & Studio Suites, and a Hampton Inn.