Utah Moose Mule Deer Elk

Unit Grass Valley/clark Canyon (Grass Valley / Clark Canyon)

Utah Hunting Guide — Moose, Mule Deer, Elk

The Grass Valley / Clark Canyon moose unit covers the willow bottoms, aspen benches, and mountain-brush drainages of Grass Valley, Clark Canyon, and the surrounding Fishlake National Forest country in Sevier and Piute counties of central Utah. The unit is a mix of Fishlake NF ground, SITLA, and private ranchland. Shiras moose here use the willow riparian along the Otter Creek and Sevier River headwaters, the aspen pockets on the benches above, and the mountain-brush draws feeding into Grass Valley proper.

View Draw Odds Utah Hunting Guide

Moose Hunting in Unit Grass Valley/clark Canyon

Where to Find Grass Valley / Clark Canyon Moose

Grass Valley moose key on willow-riparian drainages and aspen benches, with a smaller herd than northern Utah moose units but high-quality habitat that holds bulls consistently.

Otter Creek Willow Corridor

The willow bottoms along the Otter Creek drainage above Otter Creek Reservoir hold resident cows and bulls. Morning glassing from SR-22 pullouts turns up moose feeding in the willows.

Clark Canyon / Box Creek

Clark Canyon's aspen benches and willow bottoms hold bulls through September. Access via Fishlake NF roads off SR-62. Box Creek drainage is a known rut-season hotspot.

Grass Valley Benches

The aspen and mountain-brush benches around the edges of Grass Valley hold scattered bulls, especially during the rut. Water at beaver ponds and springs is a key concentrator.

How to Hunt Grass Valley / Clark Canyon Moose

Small-herd moose hunting rewards scouting, patience, and detailed knowledge of the drainages. We've found that hunters who spend 3–4 scouting days locating a target bull succeed well.

Willow-Bottom Glassing

Set overlooks above willow bottoms at daylight and last light. Bulls feed slowly and may stay in one complex for days before moving. Patience pays.

Rut Calling in Aspen Edges

Late-September rutting bulls respond to cow-calls and raking sequences. Set up in aspen edges adjacent to willow bottoms and call softly — aggressive calling pushes bulls away in this tight country.

Beaver-Pond Scouting

Active beaver pond complexes concentrate moose. Fresh tracks in mud, willow browse, and scat reveal which bottoms hold the bulls. Spend a full scouting day mapping them.

Private-Land Discipline

Grass Valley has substantial private ranch interlace with public ground, especially in the valley bottom. Use OnX or a current Fishlake NF MVUM and verify every stalk.

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Moose Success Rates

Rifle70%

Grass Valley / Clark Canyon is a low-tag moose hunt with high success on located bulls given the small herd and habitat concentration. UDWR's Big Game Harvest Data page publishes post-season classification annually. Any-legal-weapon success is typically very high; archery is materially lower in the dense willow cover.

Moose Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Limited Entry	3	256	1.2%	12

Data from 2024 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Grass Valley / Clark Canyon moose is a once-in-a-lifetime tag drawn under UDWR's weighted bonus-point system (half random, half weighted bonus — each point adds one chance, not squared). With roughly 688 applicants over three years for 11 tags (raw odds near 1.5%), most successful applicants hold high bonus-point totals. Nonresident allocation is capped at 10%.

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit Grass Valley/clark Canyon

The Grass Valley/Clark Canyon mule deer unit covers the plateau and canyon country between the Sevier Valley and Fishlake National Forest in Piute and Wayne counties. UDWR draw statistics show about 473 applicants chasing ~42 permits over three years — roughly 9% raw annual odds. The 2025 Utah Big Game Guidebook lists Grass Valley/Clark Canyon as a limited-entry buck mule deer hunt on a mix of Fishlake NF, BLM, and private ranch ground.

Where to Find Mule Deer in Grass Valley/Clark Canyon

The unit's geography is a sage-and-oakbrush valley rimmed by aspen-fir plateaus — classic transitional mule deer country.

Plateau Aspen Pockets

Summer-resident bucks hold in small aspen pockets on Fish Lake and Monroe Peak above 9,000 feet.

Oak-Brush Ridges Above the Valley

Transitional bucks slide into oak-brush ridges on the valley rim as weather cools.

Clark Canyon Drainages

The deep Clark Canyon drainages concentrate bucks during any significant weather.

Private-Public Edges

Alfalfa and CRP edges along private agriculture pull mature bucks at first and last light — we hunt the public side right up to the line.

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Grass Valley/Clark Canyon

This is a patient glassing unit. Over-running country kills more tags here than anything else.

Scout the Plateaus in Summer

July-August summer-range scouting locates bachelor groups and predicts fall movements.

Glass Long from High Benches

A tripod with 15x binos on an oak-brush ridge at first light beats driving roads every time.

Position on Weather

A cold front pushes high-country bucks into the oak brush overnight. We move to the rim when storms are forecast.

Respect Private

Checkerboard private is real along the valley edge. OnX every stalk line.

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Mule Deer Success Rates

Rifle25%

UDWR harvest data shows Grass Valley/Clark Canyon limited-entry mule deer running 45-60% rifle success and 20-30% archery. Mature bucks are the norm — the unit is managed for age structure and consistently produces bucks in the 160-180 B&C range, with occasional 190+ bucks each season. Non-residents face the standard 10% allocation cap.

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Limited Entry	14	145	9.7%	15

Data from 2024 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

473 applicants for ~42 permits over three years works out to roughly 9% raw annual odds. Utah's weighted bonus-point lottery splits permits 50/50 between top point holders and a point-weighted random pool, so mid-point applicants have a real annual shot while max-point applicants draw predictably via the top-point half.

Elk Hunting in Unit Grass Valley/clark Canyon

Grass Valley/Clark Canyon is a central Utah CWMU offering public-draw elk tags with 200 applicants and 30 total tags over 3 years — relatively accessible for a CWMU elk hunt (UDWR CWMU program, accessed 2026-04-17). The ranch ground covers pinyon-juniper foothills and aspen benches that hold consistent bull elk.

Where to Find Elk in Grass Valley/Clark Canyon

Elk here use pinyon-juniper foothills, aspen benches, and ranch ag in a predictable pattern.

Aspen Benches

Bulls bed in aspen pockets during the day, especially on shaded aspects.

PJ Draws

Pinyon-juniper draws are travel corridors between bedding and feed.

Ag Edges

Alfalfa pulls elk at last light — key evening glassing locations.

How to Hunt Grass Valley/Clark Canyon Elk

CWMU hunts here are operator-coordinated. We focus on glassing, rut calling, and tight movement.

Rut Bugling

From September through early October, locate bulls with cow calls and soft bugles from ridgetops.

Evening Glass

Position for evening glassing overlooking ag edges — bulls follow cows into fields.

Still-Hunt Bed Pockets

Mid-day, still-hunt aspen and PJ pockets into the wind. Small patches of cover hold big bulls.

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Elk Success Rates

Rifle28%

Utah CWMU bull elk success runs 75-95% per UDWR summaries. With 30 tags over 3 years, Grass Valley/Clark Canyon has reasonable drawability and consistent harvest.

Elk Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Limited Entry	10	67	14.9%	10

Data from 2024 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Utah's weighted bonus-point lottery — 50% max-points, 50% weighted random. With 200 applicants and 30 public tags over 3 years, this is one of the more drawable CWMU elk options; mid-single-digit points can draw in either pool in good years.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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RV Sites

Otter Creek State Park and Fishlake USFS sites accommodate RVs. Full-service RV in Richfield.

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Camp Sites

Developed USFS campgrounds along the Fishlake and Otter Creek corridors. Dispersed camping allowed on Fishlake NF per current MVUM.

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Water

Abundant in creeks, beaver ponds, and springs. Treat or filter for drinking.

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Road Conditions

SR-62 and SR-22 paved. Fishlake NF side roads need high clearance; some require 4WD. Winter closures typical from November.

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Terrain Difficulty

Moderate. Brushy willow bottoms are wet and slow walking; aspen benches are open. Elevation 7,000 to 9,000 ft.

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Hunting Pressure

Moose-tag pressure is zero given the tiny tag count. General deer hunters work the same country in October; expect foot and vehicle traffic during the general season.

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Weather

September 55–75°F days, 30–45°F nights at elevation. Early-October snow possible above 8,500 ft. Frost heavy in valley bottoms by mid-September.

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Cell Service

Spotty along the paved corridors; none in the deeper drainages. Satellite messenger recommended.

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Nearest Town

Koosharem, Loa, and Richfield for services and fuel. Junction (small) for direct Grass Valley access.

Note: Grass Valley has heavy private-ranch interlace in the valley bottom. OnX with current surface ownership is mandatory. Otter Creek State Park is closed to hunting; confirm boundaries before any stalk near the reservoir.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does Utah's moose draw work?

Shiras moose is a once-in-a-lifetime species in Utah. Permits are drawn under UDWR's weighted-random bonus-point system: half the tags go to the highest-point applicants, and the remaining half are drawn from a weighted pool where each bonus point adds one additional chance.

Is Otter Creek State Park open to hunting?

No. Utah State Parks are closed to hunting. The unit boundary excludes state-park ground; confirm the exact polygon on the UDWR Hunt Planner before setting up near the reservoir.

How many points for Grass Valley/Clark Canyon mule deer?

No fixed cutoff. Roughly 9% annual raw odds with Utah's weighted bonus-point lottery means mid-point applicants have meaningful annual chances via the point-weighted random pool, while max-point applicants draw in a predictable window through the top-point 50% of permits.

Is this a trophy mule deer unit?

Yes. The unit is managed for mature bucks and routinely produces 160-180 B&C animals with 190+ outliers. Not premium-tier like Paunsaugunt or Henry Mountains but a strong high-quality option.

What's the best season?

The any-weapon rifle hunt produces the highest success and bucks typically in transitional range. Archery tags are easier to draw but lower success during the pre-rut.

How many Grass Valley/Clark Canyon CWMU tags go to the public draw?

Over 3 years of applicant data, 30 public elk tags have been issued through the Utah draw — more than many CWMUs.

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Sources & Verification

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

Once-in-a-Lifetime Hunts — Shiras Moose — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Shiras moose is a once-in-a-lifetime species in Utah, Grass Valley / Clark Canyon listed as a limited-entry bull moose hunt · accessed 2026-04-17
Utah Shiras Moose Statewide Management Plan — Central Utah Subunits — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Grass Valley / Clark Canyon moose herd is small but stable, Primary habitat is willow riparian and aspen benches above 7,000 ft · accessed 2026-04-17
Fishlake NF — Fremont River Ranger District — USDA Forest Service — Fishlake National Forest · supports: Most of the Grass Valley / Clark Canyon moose unit lies within Fishlake NF, Primary access via SR-62, SR-22, and the Clark Canyon / Box Creek road network · accessed 2026-04-17
Utah Hunt Boundary Interactive Map — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources — Hunt Planner · supports: Authoritative GIS polygon for Grass Valley/clark Canyon moose · accessed 2026-04-17
2025 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook and Field Regulations — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Grass Valley/Clark Canyon listed as a limited-entry buck mule deer hunt · accessed 2026-04-17
UDWR Big Game Harvest Data — limited-entry mule deer age and success — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Annual Grass Valley/Clark Canyon mule deer success and buck age data · accessed 2026-04-17
Utah Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit Program — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Grass Valley/Clark Canyon CWMU allocates public tags via the Utah draw · accessed 2026-04-17