Utah Bear

Unit Diamond Mtn/vernal/bonanza (Diamond Mountain/Vernal/Bonanza)

Utah Hunting Guide — Bear

Diamond Mountain/Vernal/Bonanza is a sprawling black bear unit in Uintah County, covering the Diamond Mountain Plateau north of Vernal, the Bonanza oil country, and the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache foothills. It runs from 5,000-foot sage benches up to 8,000-foot aspen parks. UDWR logged 344 applicants for 35 tags over three years. We rate this unit as one of northeastern Utah's most consistent bear hunts — a solid mix of BLM, Ute Indian Tribal land edges, and USFS with good bear densities in the oak-service-berry benches.

View Draw Odds Utah Hunting Guide

Bear Hunting in Unit Diamond Mtn/vernal/bonanza

Where to Find Black Bear on Diamond Mountain

Bears across this unit use classic elevation-based seasonal movement. We target food sources that change month to month.

Diamond Mountain Aspens

Summering bears work aspen parks and chokecherry patches on top of Diamond Mountain. Glass meadow edges at first and last light.

Oak-Service-Berry Benches

By September, acorns and service-berry pull bears onto the mid-elevation benches between 6,000 and 7,500 feet. This is the prime fall hunting zone.

Bonanza Canyons

Lower canyon heads in the Bonanza area hold bears through warm early seasons. Look for sign at spring seeps.

How to Hunt Black Bear on Diamond Mountain

Utah prohibits baiting, so the effective approaches are spot-and-stalk or hound-assisted pursuit.

Spring Pursuit for Scouting

The spring pursuit-only hunt is a terrific scouting season. Cut fresh tracks after a rain, run dogs, photograph bears, and mark locations for fall.

Fall Glassing of Oak Benches

Our main tactic is glassing open oak-service-berry benches from mid-morning through afternoon. Bears feed hard in September — a dark shape moving against yellow oak is visible at a mile.

Trail Cameras on Mast Crops

Cameras on productive oak patches and spring seeps let you pattern individuals. Bears return to the same patches day after day once they find food.

Bear Judging

Look for small ears relative to head size, a sway-backed posture, and a belly that touches the ground for mature boars. This unit produces several 300-plus-pound bears each season.

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Bear Success Rates

Diamond Mountain/Vernal/Bonanza success rates vary by weapon — hound pursuit runs 65 to 80%, fall any-weapon without dogs lands 25 to 35%, and archery sits at 10 to 20% in recent UDWR summaries. The unit produces reliably mature bears and occasional Boone & Crockett animals.

Bear Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Limited Entry	7	92	7.6%	20

Data from 2024 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Utah's weighted bonus-point lottery splits bear tags 50/50 between the max-points pool and a random-weighted pool where each bonus point increases your number of chances. With 344 applicants for 35 tags over three years, headline odds are near 10%. Bear draws less demand than deer or elk — a resident with 2 to 5 points has meaningful random-pool odds annually.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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RV Sites

Red Fleet and Steinaker accommodate trailers with hookups. Commercial parks in Vernal.

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Camp Sites

Red Fleet State Park, Steinaker State Park, and Forest Service developed sites near the Uintas. Dispersed camping on BLM throughout.

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Water

Good. Multiple springs and creeks across the plateau and in adjacent drainages.

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Road Conditions

US-191 and UT-44 paved through the region. Diamond Mountain road is maintained gravel to the top. Interior two-tracks are high-clearance.

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Terrain Difficulty

Moderate. Rolling plateau country with some steep canyon-rim sections.

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Hunting Pressure

Moderate. The unit is large enough that pressure disperses, but bear hunters often concentrate on Diamond Mountain oaks.

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Weather

Spring pursuit season can see muddy road conditions. Fall hunts have classic northeast Utah weather — cool nights, mild days. Early snow possible by late October.

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Cell Service

Usable in Vernal and on main ridges; limited in canyon interiors.

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Nearest Town

Vernal (30 minutes to Diamond Mountain and Bonanza access); Dutch John for north-end approach.

Note: Avoid Ute Indian Tribal lands along the unit's southern edge — those lands require tribal permits separate from your UDWR tag.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run hounds on Diamond Mountain bear hunts?

Yes. Utah allows hound-assisted pursuit and harvest on designated bear hunts. Verify your specific permit's legal methods in the current Big Game Guidebook.

Is spring pursuit worth applying for?

Yes, especially if you plan to pursue a fall any-weapon tag on the same unit. Spring pursuit functions as photo-release scouting and builds your knowledge of the bear population.

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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 Black Bear Hunting — unit overview and season structure — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Diamond Mtn/Vernal/Bonanza is a limited-entry black bear unit, Hunts offered as spring pursuit-only, archery, and fall any-weapon · accessed 2026-04-17
2025 Utah Big Game Field Regulations Guidebook — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Baiting is not legal for black bear in Utah, Hounds are legal for pursuit and harvest on designated hunts, Bear tags drawn through the weighted bonus-point lottery · accessed 2026-04-17
Vernal Field Office — Diamond Mountain and Bonanza access — Bureau of Land Management — Vernal Field Office · supports: Diamond Mountain and Bonanza areas are a mix of BLM and SITLA public lands, Road network supports bear hunting with workable access · accessed 2026-04-17