Utah Mule Deer Black Bear

Unit Chalk Creek/east Canyon/morgan-south Rich (Chalk Creek/East Canyon/Morgan-South Rich)

Utah Hunting Guide — Mule Deer, Black Bear

This Utah deer unit covers the foothill-to-mountain country along Chalk Creek, East Canyon, and Morgan-South Rich — a mosaic of USFS, SITLA, BLM, and private ground in Morgan, Summit, and Rich counties. UDWR manages this geography under its statewide mule deer plan with documented buck:doe objectives and a limited-entry structure in portions.

View Draw Odds Utah Hunting Guide

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit Chalk Creek/east Canyon/morgan-south Rich

Where to Find Mule Deer in Chalk Creek/East Canyon/Morgan-South Rich

Classic foothill mule deer habitat — identify ownership, work the edges, and glass hard.

Mountain Mahogany Benches

Mid-elevation mahogany is the go-to bedding habitat.

Aspen Stringers at Higher Elevations

Scattered aspen stringers along the Wasatch spine hold the biggest bucks.

Sage-Juniper Transition

Lower foothill sage-juniper ecotone concentrates rut activity in late October.

How to Hunt Chalk Creek/East Canyon/Morgan-South Rich

Ownership-aware glassing and stalking.

First-Light Glass

Bucks feed out in the last hour of darkness and bed before sunrise — be on a point at first light.

Mid-Day Still-Hunts

Slip through mahogany on calm days at 100 yards per hour.

Boundary Discipline

This unit has abundant private inholdings — verify every stalk with OnX or the UDWR hunt planner.

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Mule Deer Success Rates

Muzzleloader20%

Rifle deer success in this unit typically runs 35-55% depending on weather and buck:doe trends. With 43 tags over three years, pressure is managed but not minimal — scouting makes the difference.

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Muzzleloader— Limited Entry	39	220	17.7%	12

Data from 2022 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Chalk Creek/East Canyon/Morgan-South Rich deer tags draw through Utah's weighted bonus-point lottery — 50% of tags to max-point hunters and 50% random-weighted by points. With 232 applicants for 43 tags over three years, it's mid-tier accessibility for point builders.

Black Bear Hunting in Unit Chalk Creek/east Canyon/morgan-south Rich

We cover the combined Chalk Creek / East Canyon / Morgan-South Rich black bear unit as one of northern Utah's broader bear draws. Over the last three seasons we counted roughly 125 applicants against 11 tags (UDWR draw summaries, 2023-2025). Public ground is a patchwork of USFS, SITLA, and small BLM parcels, and we chase bears through oak-brush canyons, aspen ridges, and chokecherry benches.

Where to Find Bears in Chalk Creek/East Canyon/Morgan-South Rich

This large combined unit offers varied bear habitat across three drainages.

Oak-Brush Canyons

Lower canyon walls hold bears during acorn-heavy years.

Aspen Ridges

Mid-elevation aspen ridges provide bedding and cooler summer habitat.

Chokecherry Benches

Mid-summer chokecherry and serviceberry benches concentrate bears in predictable spots.

How We Hunt the Combined Bear Unit

With three drainages to pick from, we split scouting time based on berry phenology.

Bait Where Legal

We register sites in shaded north slopes near water and escape cover.

Glass Berry Benches

We glass south-facing chokecherry and serviceberry from opposite ridges each evening.

Cover Miles of Roads

Fresh sign on forest roads narrows scouting — we keep a scat and track log in our phone.

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Black Bear Success Rates

Northern Utah bear units typically run 40-60% success with bait or hounds and 15-25% spot-and-stalk. The combined Chalk Creek/East Canyon/Morgan-South Rich unit tracks in that band per UDWR data.

Black Bear Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Limited Entry	6	88	6.8%	15

Data from 2024 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

This unit moves under Utah's 50% max-points / 50% weighted-random structure. With ~125 applicants against 11 tags, mid-point applicants can draw in the random half while max-point applicants clean up the top half.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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Camp Sites

USFS developed and dispersed camping on Uinta-Wasatch-Cache.

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Water

Moderate — streams and springs, especially in Chalk Creek.

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Road Conditions

Paved I-80, I-84, and US-89 corridors; interior is USFS and ranch-maintained.

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Terrain Difficulty

Moderate — foothill mountain terrain with some steep canyons.

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Hunting Pressure

Moderate — proximity to the Wasatch Front draws hunters.

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Weather

Classic Wasatch fall — cold mornings, possible snow by late rifle.

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Cell Service

Workable along highway corridors; thin in drainages.

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Nearest Town

Morgan, Coalville, and Randolph.

Note: Access planning is critical — checkerboard ownership rewards hunters who map land status before the season.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Chalk Creek/East Canyon/Morgan-South Rich unit limited-entry?

Portions of the geography are managed under limited-entry rules. Always verify the current hunt type and boundary in the UDWR Big Game Guidebook before applying.

Which drainage is best for a first-time bear hunter?

We typically recommend Chalk Creek because of its roaded access and productive oak-brush, making it friendlier for hunters new to bait or spot-and-stalk.

Can I use hounds?

Yes, where Utah's pursuit and harvest regulations allow. Check current UDWR rules for houndsman-specific permit requirements and season dates.

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Sources & Verification

Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-04-17.

Utah Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Statewide deer buck:doe ratio objectives drive unit management · accessed 2026-04-17
Utah Big Game Application Guidebook and Field Regulations index — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Chalk Creek/East Canyon/Morgan-South Rich listed as deer hunt area with defined boundary · accessed 2026-04-17
Utah Hunt Boundary Interactive Map — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources — Hunt Planner · supports: Authoritative GIS polygon for Chalk Creek/East Canyon/Morgan-South Rich deer unit · accessed 2026-04-17
Utah Black Bear Hunting — Rules, Seasons, and Unit Listings — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Chalk Creek/East Canyon/Morgan-South Rich listed as a combined limited-entry bear unit, Bear tags allocated under Utah's 50% max-points / 50% weighted-random structure · accessed 2026-04-17
Utah Big Game Harvest & Survey Data Index — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Annual black bear harvest and effort summaries by unit · accessed 2026-04-17