Utah Bear

Unit Manti South/san Rafael North (Manti South / San Rafael North)

Utah Hunting Guide — Bear

This combined bear unit stretches from the southern Manti Plateau across to the north San Rafael Swell — a transition from high Manti-La Sal National Forest aspen and fir down into pinyon-juniper and slickrock. Sanpete, Sevier, and Emery counties all contribute. The unit produces a consistent number of bears annually through UDWR's limited-entry bear draw across spring, summer, and fall seasons.

View Draw Odds Utah Hunting Guide

Bear Hunting in Unit Manti South/san Rafael North

Where to Find Bears in Manti South / San Rafael North

Bears in this unit follow the food from high Manti aspen down toward the San Rafael breaks through the season.

Manti Plateau Aspen Belts (8,000–10,000 ft)

Spring bears emerge in the low-elevation oak and chokecherry then move up onto the Manti aspen benches as green-up progresses. Target south-facing aspen edges in May and June.

Oakbrush Ribbons along the Wasatch Plateau Edge

Where the Manti Plateau breaks off toward Castle Valley, oakbrush acorn crops drive heavy fall bear activity from mid-August into October. Glass the edges of oak draws early and late.

San Rafael North Riparian Corridors

Boars use the Price River and San Rafael River corridors and associated wash bottoms as travel lanes. Fruit-bearing shrubs along creeks hold bears into fall when high country freezes up.

How to Hunt Bears in Manti South / San Rafael North

This unit offers all three of Utah's legal bear methods, and each produces.

Spring Bait Sites in the Oakbrush

Run baits on the Manti Plateau transition zones — roughly 7,000–8,500 feet — where spring bears concentrate after denning. UDWR bait registration is required. Place baits on established bear trails between cover and water.

Houndsmen on Manti Aspen

Pursuit hunters work the Manti aspen with hounds in summer and fall, cutting tracks on dew-soaked logging roads pre-dawn. The aspen-fir matrix on the plateau holds scent well for dogs.

Spot-and-Stalk in the Oakbrush

Fall spot-and-stalk on oakbrush ridges is highly productive — set up with glass before dawn overlooking dense oak pockets and wait for bears to move between feeding sites. Wind management on these convoluted slopes is critical.

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Bear Success Rates

Manti South / San Rafael North runs above the Utah statewide bear success average — harvest success for bait and pursuit permits commonly exceeds 40%. Spot-and-stalk success is lower at 15–25% but produces the largest average bears since hunters are selective. Mast crop strength year-over-year is the single biggest driver of success variability.

Bear Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Limited Entry	12	272	4.4%	19

Data from 2024 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

This is a popular mid-tier Utah bear unit drawn through UDWR's weighted bonus point system — weighted by points, not by squared points. With roughly 55 tags per year against 898 applicants over a rolling 3-year window, most residents draw within 3–6 bonus points for the less-pressured seasons. Bait and pursuit seasons typically draw faster than spot-and-stalk. Non-residents face longer waits due to the 10% cap on non-resident allocation.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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RV Sites

Joe's Valley and Ferron Reservoir accommodate medium trailers. Manti town and Price have full-hookup RV parks for basing.

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Camp Sites

Joe's Valley, Ferron Reservoir, and Twelvemile Creek developed campgrounds on Manti. Dispersed BLM camping throughout the San Rafael Swell.

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Water

Abundant on the Manti side — springs, creeks, and reservoirs throughout. Limited on the San Rafael side — carry all water for multi-day backcountry hunts.

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Road Conditions

Skyline Drive on the plateau is high-clearance gravel, blocked by snow most years until late June. San Rafael Swell access is BLM gravel, passable in dry conditions but treacherous when wet.

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Terrain Difficulty

Moderate to strenuous. Manti side involves 8,000–10,000 ft elevation with steep aspen canyons. San Rafael side is 5,500–7,500 ft with slickrock and loose scree side canyons.

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Hunting Pressure

Light on spot-and-stalk, moderate where bait permits cluster. Pursuit hunters cover large ground and rarely overlap with stand hunters.

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Weather

Manti side holds snow into June; summer storms arrive daily. San Rafael side is desert — extreme temperature swings, flash flood risk in canyons.

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Cell Service

Spotty Manti side, none in the San Rafael interior. Carry an InReach or ZOLEO for multi-day backcountry hunts.

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Nearest Town

Ephraim and Manti on the west side of the plateau (30 minutes to Manti access), Ferron and Castle Dale on the east side (20 minutes to Joe's Valley and Ferron Reservoir), Price (45 minutes to San Rafael access).

Note: Bait registration must be completed with UDWR before placement. Bait-site rules include distance-from-road and distance-from-water minimums — review the Utah Bear Guidebook each season.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hunt bears with bait in this unit?

Yes — if you draw the bait-eligible limited-entry permit. Bait stations must be registered with UDWR and comply with placement and signage rules in the Utah Black Bear Guidebook.

When is the best season for Manti South bears?

Late-summer spot-and-stalk in oakbrush (August) and fall after first frost (September) are the strongest windows. Spring bait hunters do best in late May once bears are fully active.

Are there grizzlies in this unit?

No. Utah has no grizzly bear population — all bears encountered are black bears. Color phases range from blonde to cinnamon to true black.

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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 — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Utah black bear is a limited-entry species with spring, summer, and fall hunts, Bait, pursuit, and spot-and-stalk methods all permitted with appropriate permits · accessed 2026-04-17
Manti-La Sal National Forest — USDA Forest Service — Manti-La Sal National Forest · supports: Southern Manti portion of unit administered by Manti-La Sal NF (Sanpete Ranger District), Ferron Reservoir and Joe's Valley Reservoir provide developed access · accessed 2026-04-17
BLM Price Field Office — Bureau of Land Management — Price Field Office · supports: North San Rafael Swell portion of unit is predominantly BLM-administered · accessed 2026-04-17
Utah Hunt Boundary Interactive Map — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources — Hunt Planner · supports: Authoritative GIS polygon for Manti South / San Rafael North bear unit · accessed 2026-04-17