Utah Mule Deer Elk

Unit Oquirrh-stansbury (Oquirrh-Stansbury)

Utah Hunting Guide — Mule Deer, Elk

The Oquirrh-Stansbury unit covers two island mountain ranges west of the Wasatch Front in Tooele County — the Oquirrh and Stansbury mountains. UDWR manages this as a limited-entry mule deer unit because of its proximity to the Salt Lake Valley and the resulting trophy-class deer genetics in low-pressure pockets. We find a mix of BLM, USFS, SITLA and private ground; access requires homework but the reward is a high-buck-to-doe ratio and excellent trophy potential just an hour from the airport.

View Draw Odds Utah Hunting Guide

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit Oquirrh-stansbury

Where to Find Mule Deer in the Oquirrh-Stansbury

These are classic Great Basin island ranges — deer use elevation and aspect more than vast horizontal country.

North-Facing Oquirrh Benches

Mature bucks bed in the shaded oakbrush and mountain mahogany on north faces in the upper Oquirrh. Glass from paved canyon roads at first light before deer push into cover.

Stansbury High Country

The Stansbury rises to Deseret Peak at 11,031 ft. Trophy bucks summer in alpine basins and drop into mid-elevation mahogany during the rifle seasons.

Foothill Transition Zones

The sage-to-mahogany ecotone around 6,500-7,500 ft concentrates deer during the late rifle hunt as they stage toward winter range.

How to Hunt Oquirrh-Stansbury Mule Deer

Pick your access points carefully; a large fraction of the unit is private or industrial.

Glass the Bowls at First Light

Bucks bed before sunrise. We glass upper bowls from a spotter position and plan a mid-day stalk once a buck beds in visible cover.

Still-Hunt the Mahogany

On calm days, slip through mountain mahogany pockets at a deer's pace — 100 yards an hour — stopping every few steps to glass ahead.

Respect Private Boundaries

Kennecott mining ground and private ranches dominate the Oquirrh west slope. Use OnX or the UDWR hunt planner to verify you're on legal ground before every stalk.

Pro Members Only

Unlock Oquirrh-Stansbury tactics

Upgrade to Pro — $49/yr

Mule Deer Success Rates

Muzzleloader20%

Limited-entry rifle success on the Oquirrh-Stansbury trends in the 45-65% range in most years, with archery 20-30%. The unit produces a handful of B&C-class bucks every season thanks to age structure from restricted tag numbers.

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Muzzleloader— Limited Entry	12	66	18.2%	4

Data from 2024 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Oquirrh-Stansbury is a classic weighted-lottery build unit. UDWR draws half the tags from the max-point pool and half at random weighted by points — residents routinely need 10-15+ points to be competitive, and nonresidents face even steeper odds because only 10% of limited-entry tags are allocated to them.

Elk Hunting in Unit Oquirrh-stansbury

The Oquirrh-Stansbury unit covers the twin island mountain ranges west of Salt Lake, with 28 tags against 165 applicants across three years (ProHunt draw database). We cover it because it is one of Utah's most accessible limited-entry bull hunts, with strong herds on both the Stansbury Mountains public lands and the Oquirrh side where Kennecott lease access is critical.

Where to Find Elk in Oquirrh-Stansbury

Both ranges are classic island-range habitat — oak and maple on the slopes, aspen and conifer on top.

North Stansburys

Aspen benches and conifer stringers from South Willow Creek north hold most of the bull population.

South Oquirrhs

Bulls live along the Kennecott boundary and summer in the upper Butterfield drainage.

Transition Basins

South-facing basins fill with feeding elk in October as frost cures the grasses.

How We Hunt Oquirrh-Stansbury Elk

The Stansburys hunt like a mountain unit; the Oquirrhs hunt like a Kennecott-access puzzle.

Stansbury Range Glassing

We glass aspen benches from ridge points at first and last light and cover ground on foot to close distance.

Oquirrh Access Strategy

Coordinate with Kennecott permit windows. Most shooters stage at the permit gate early and hunt the mid-elevation pinyon-juniper.

Rut Calling

Aggressive rut bugling works on the Stansbury side where pressure is light and bulls answer cold calls.

Pro Members Only

Unlock Pro tactics for Oquirrh-Stansbury

Upgrade to Pro — $49/yr

Elk Success Rates

Archery18%

Rifle28%

Rifle tags trend 55-75% success across the unit. Archery runs 25-35%. Weather drives the late-season rifle more than any other factor.

Elk Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Archery— Limited Entry	13	58	22.4%	18
Rifle— Limited Entry	13	76	17.1%	11

Data from 2022 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Oquirrh-Stansbury runs through Utah's 50% max-points / 50% weighted-random lottery. With 28 tags against 165 applicants, we plan for 5-8 bonus points in the max-points half and treat the weighted-random half as a reasonable second chance.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

⛺

Camp Sites

Dispersed camping on USFS and BLM ground; a few developed USFS sites in South Willow Canyon.

💧

Water

Limited on the desert faces; springs are documented on USFS maps but bring your own.

🛣️

Road Conditions

Paved highways around the perimeter; interior roads range from maintained gravel to rough two-track.

🥾

Terrain Difficulty

Moderate to strenuous — steep side slopes, loose scree, and altitude up to 11,000 ft on the Stansbury.

👥

Hunting Pressure

Low for deer due to limited-entry tags, but the range sees heavy recreation traffic.

🌦️

Weather

Summer-like in early archery; snow possible at elevation by late rifle.

📱

Cell Service

Surprisingly decent from ridgelines due to Salt Lake Valley towers; dead in most drainages.

🏘️

Nearest Town

Tooele (central to both ranges); Salt Lake City is 45 minutes to Oquirrh trailheads.

Note: Watch for Kennecott industrial boundaries on the Oquirrh west slope — they're strictly enforced.

Pro Members Only

Unlock Oquirrh-Stansbury logistics

Upgrade to Pro — $49/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hunt the Oquirrh-Stansbury as a nonresident?

Yes, but nonresidents compete for only about 10% of limited-entry tags in Utah. Expect a long point-building timeline and check the UDWR guidebook each year for current allocation.

Do we need a Kennecott permit for the Oquirrh side?

Yes. Most of the Oquirrh bulls live on Kennecott property or adjacent SITLA inholdings that require corporate or SITLA access arrangements.

How many points for Oquirrh-Stansbury elk?

We plan for 5-8 bonus points in the max-points half of the draw; weighted-random can hit with fewer.

Plan Your Hunt with ProHunt Pro+AI

Unlock advanced tactics, the Tag-to-Trail Planner, AI hunt strategy assistant, and personalized camp and trip execution plans.

Upgrade to Pro+AI — $79/yr

Sources & Verification

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

Utah Big Game Application Guidebook and Field Regulations index — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Oquirrh-Stansbury listed as limited-entry mule deer unit in UDWR guidebook · accessed 2026-04-17
Utah Statewide Mule Deer Management Plan — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Limited-entry deer units managed for 25-35 bucks per 100 does post-season · accessed 2026-04-17
Utah Hunt Boundary Interactive Map — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources — Hunt Planner · supports: Authoritative GIS polygon for Oquirrh-Stansbury deer hunt boundary · accessed 2026-04-17
Utah Statewide Elk Management Plan — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Population and harvest objectives for Utah elk units · accessed 2026-04-17