Quick Tips
- Bucks in the San Pitch Mountains are mostly nocturnal
- Hike around private land to reach prime sites
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 140"-160" | 160"+ |
On The Ground
This largely public unit, 75-miles-long, holds deer year-round but also is winter range for herds from the east. Elevation changes are extreme, starting at 4,550 feet in Utah Valley and topping out on 11,877-foot-high Mount Nebo.
Herds are low but building. Hunting pressure is heavy, but some bucks survive long enough to grow old. Hunters often are surprised at the lack of deer in ideal habitat.
Terrain
Elevation changes are extreme in this unit, which averages about 20 miles from east to west and 75 miles from north to south. Several mountain peaks of 10,000 feet or more as well as the unit’s namesake, 11,877-foot-high Mount Nebo, towers over valleys that are 4,550-5,000 feet above sea level. The Mount Nebo Wilderness in the Uinta National Forest and the San Pitch Mountains in the Manti-La Sal National Forest hold deer during all seasons with bucks moving south, east and west to lower altitudes as snow builds. The southern end of the unit is composed of the Valley Mountains east of Scipio and the southern tip of the San Pitch Mountains. Both areas are winter range for deer but with hills as high as 8,189 feet also hold deer all year.
Roughly 1,700 square miles
50% public land
Elevations from 4,550-11,877 feet
Vegetation
Low elevations consist mainly of grass and sagebrush with a few croplands at lower elevations. Middle elevations have foothills covered with pinyon, juniper, sagebrush, Bigtooth Maple, and oak brush with grassy ridges. High elevations consist of aspen, firs, and spruce with lots of grassy and brushy openings that grow prime deer feed, such as chokecherry. The high parts of mountains in the north are largely free of timber with vast slopes cleared by forest fires.
Access
Private property largely surrounds the Valley Mountains and the San Pitch Mountains, but most of the public land in those ranges are accessed by dirt roads and ATV trails that can be reached from public roads, such as Highway 28, which separates the two ranges. The Nebo Loop Road bisects the northern part of the unit, accessing trailheads to the high peaks in the Uinta National Forest.
Four-wheel-drive recommended during wet or snowy weather
ATVs necessary on some roads
Most ranches hunted by landowner families and guests
Hikers can access much land blocked by private roads
Camping and Lodging
Most hunters in this unit camp along dirt roads in the Uinta National Forest and the Manti La Sal National Forest, but there are numerous campgrounds, including some that are open during all or part of rifle deer season. Numerous motels offer lodging in Spanish Fork, Nephi, Ephraim, Manti and Gunnison.
Maple Canyon Campground west of Moroni open through October
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