Quick Tips
- Excellent fishing for pan-size trout
- Hundreds of clear lakes and dozens of streams
- Hunt low after snowstorms
- Be bear aware
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 130"-150" | 160"+ |
On The Ground
Located in the northeast corner of Utah, this unit has healthy herds of mule deer. The unit borders Wyoming and a small section of Colorado. Some deer winter in the other states, but typically are in Utah during the hunting seasons.
Mule deer are found throughout the entire unit but will be spread out in the unit. This unit is a general season deer unit and is not managed for trophy quality. There are still some good bucks harvested every year.
Terrain
This unit is the North Slope of the High Uintas, the highest mountain range in Utah and the biggest East-West range in the Lower 48. Some peaks are more than 12,000 feet above sea level, and there are a few peaks over 13,000 feet. Some trailheads are more than 10,000 feet high. Timberline is at about 11,000 feet in most areas. Foothills trail off into Wyoming and oversee sagebrush flats that are at elevations of 7,000-7,500 feet.
Roughly 1,224 square miles
89% public land
Elevations from about 7,000-13,528-foot Kings Peak
Vegetation
Low elevations have sage and grassy flats with hay meadows, some private alfalfa fields, and willow, cottonwood-lined creeks. Middle elevations consist mainly of sage and grassy ridges with pines, firs, aspens, and spruces on north slopes with aspens, bitterbrush, serviceberry, and junipers on south slopes. High elevations above 11,000 feet have alpine meadows and slopes, short spruce, and other low bushes. From 10,000-11,000 feet are heavy timber of conifers with scattered meadows and creeks that sometimes spread a quarter-mile wide with willows and swampy muskeg.
Access
Most of the area is designated wilderness, so you must walk or ride horses. Maintained trails lead south up every major drainage, ridge, and to most high peaks. Popular access roads include Highway 150 south of Evanston and the Spirit Lake access road west of McKinnon, Wyoming. Hunters should be prepared for the weather to change very suddenly in this unit.
To drive on the Mirror Lake Highway, you must buy an access stamp
ATVs are not necessary, pickups can access most public roads
Carry a GPS with extra batteries and a compass
Some peaks require 40-mile round-trip hikes
Camping and Lodging
Most hunters camp in unimproved campgrounds or along dirt roads. Backpack hunters usually camp near streams or lakes. Motels are in Manila as well as in Evanston, Wyoming; both towns are a good distance from most deer areas.
Be familiar with camping regulations in the wilderness
Bear River Lodge offers cabin and lodge accommodations in the west
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