Utah Moose Mule Deer Elk

Unit Skull Crack (Skull Crack)

Utah Hunting Guide — Moose, Mule Deer, Elk

The Skull Crack moose unit covers the Skull Crack drainage and surrounding terrain in the southern Uinta Mountains of Duchesne County, Utah. Shiras moose use the dense willow corridors, beaver pond complexes, and aspen-conifer forests of this high-elevation unit at 8,000–10,500 feet. The remote character of this southern Uinta drainage ensures minimal human pressure and excellent moose habitat conditions. This is a once-in-a-lifetime limited-entry permit with very few tags issued annually.

View Draw Odds Utah Hunting Guide

Moose Hunting in Unit Skull Crack

Where to Find Moose in Skull Crack

Shiras moose in the Skull Crack unit concentrate in willow-choked stream bottoms and beaver pond complexes in the lower reaches of the drainage. Higher terrain in the unit offers aspen and subalpine conifer stands where bulls bed during hot weather. In the early morning, moose move actively between feeding areas in willow flats and adjacent timber cover.

During the September–October rut, bulls become vocal and respond to cow calls. Listen for breaking brush, antler thrashing on willows, and grunting to locate active bulls. The watershed character of the Skull Crack drainage means moose concentrate along the riparian corridor — work the stream system systematically.

How to Hunt Skull Crack Moose

Walk-and-call is the primary method in the Skull Crack unit during the rut. Move along stream corridors, calling every 15–20 minutes with a cow call or antler-rake sequence. Set up in clearings where a responding bull can see you — moose often hang up in thick willows if they can't visually confirm the source of calling.

Archery hunters targeting the rut should focus on early morning and evening when bulls are most vocal. For rifle hunters with mid or late-season permits, still-hunting through aspen groves and glassing willow flats from elevated terrain is effective. Pack-out logistics require planning — mature Shiras bulls average 800–1,000 lbs field dressed. Plan for multiple pack loads or pack stock access if available in this terrain.

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Moose Success Rates

Rifle70%

As with all Utah once-in-a-lifetime moose permits, hunters in the Skull Crack unit achieve very high success rates — typically 85–95%. The once-in-a-lifetime nature of the tag motivates hunters to invest full effort. Bull quality in southern Uinta moose units is excellent, with animals reflecting the productive habitat of the high-elevation Uinta drainage systems.

Moose Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Limited Entry	2	411	0.5%	14

Data from 2024 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Moose tags in Utah are among the hardest to draw regardless of unit. The Skull Crack unit's small size means tag numbers are very limited — typically 2–6 permits total. Hunters should plan on accumulating 15–25+ bonus points before having a realistic chance. This is a multi-decade commitment for most applicants, but the reward is a truly exceptional once-in-a-lifetime Uinta Mountains moose hunt.

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit Skull Crack

Skull Crack is a cooperative wildlife management unit (CWMU) offering limited public-draw mule deer tags on private ground in northern Utah. We cover it because the 3-year data shows 212 applicants chasing just 3 public tags — it's a premium opportunity for hunters willing to commit the points (UDWR CWMU listings, accessed 2026-04-17). Deer quality on CWMU ground is typically excellent due to tight harvest control.

Where to Find Mule Deer on Skull Crack

Skull Crack is private working ground — the habitat mix of ag edges, sage-covered draws, and timbered benches concentrates deer predictably.

Ag Edges

Alfalfa and stubble fields draw deer at last light. We glass field edges from nearby benches in the evenings.

Sage Draws

Bucks bed up in cover within sage-choked draws during the day. Work a draw slowly from the top and glass every pocket.

Timbered Benches

Older bucks hold in the timber pockets above the ag ground. These pockets are small and easy to cover on foot.

How to Hunt Skull Crack Mule Deer

CWMU hunts typically come with a landowner or operator-provided hunt plan, but we still prepare as if we're hunting unguided.

Coordinate with the Operator

Contact the CWMU operator at least a month out. They'll share access gates, boundary lines, and preferred glassing points. We always confirm which species/sex the tag covers and any party restrictions.

Glass at Dawn and Dusk

Deer pattern hard on ag ground. First and last light are when mature bucks expose themselves.

Mid-Day Still Hunt

Small bedding pockets mean a careful mid-day still hunt into the wind can bump bucks into the open.

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Mule Deer Success Rates

Rifle25%

CWMU mule deer hunts in northern Utah typically run 70-90% success on any-legal-buck tags and 40-55% on trophy-class tags per UDWR CWMU harvest summaries. The Skull Crack public-draw tag is infrequent (3 total tags over the last 3 years of applicant data), so every tag matters.

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Limited Entry	1	67	1.5%	3

Data from 2024 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Utah's weighted bonus-point lottery splits tags 50% max-points / 50% weighted random. With 212 applicants over 3 years chasing 3 public tags, the max pool typically requires mid- to high-teen bonus points to clear, and the weighted random pool is a long shot. We build points patiently and throw in as a second or third choice to avoid burning the max pool.

Elk Hunting in Unit Skull Crack

Skull Crack's CWMU elk hunt pulled 188 applicants and produced 3 public tags over 3 years — a tight-odds northern Utah bull hunt (UDWR CWMU program, accessed 2026-04-17).

Where to Find Skull Crack Elk

Northern Utah CWMU elk use aspen, oak brush, and ag.

Aspen

Day beds in shaded pockets.

Oak Brush

Travel corridors.

Ag

Evening feed.

How to Hunt Skull Crack Elk

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Elk Success Rates

Rifle28%

CWMU elk success averages 75-95% per UDWR summaries.

Elk Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Limited Entry	1	66	1.5%	0

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. 188 applicants chasing 3 tags over 3 years means max-pool clearance around low-teen bonus points.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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Terrain Difficulty

Moderate to difficult — high-elevation Uinta terrain, stream crossings, dense willows and timber

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Hunting Pressure

Extremely low — once-in-a-lifetime permit with very few tags; remote drainage

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Nearest Town

Duchesne, UT (Duchesne County seat, approx. 40–50 mi south); Roosevelt, UT (approx. 45 mi southeast)

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Permit Notes

Once-in-a-lifetime limited-entry moose tag — harvesting eliminates future Utah moose eligibility. Apply through UDWR annually. Very limited tags (typically 2–6 per season). Access via Uinta Mountain south-slope roads from Duchesne County. Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF land predominates.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What access routes serve the Skull Crack moose unit?

The Skull Crack unit is accessed from the south slope of the Uinta Mountains via Duchesne County roads and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest roads. The main approach routes run north from Duchesne and Roosevelt. Check with the USFS Duchesne Ranger District for current road conditions, as high-elevation forest roads can be closed by early snow in October.

Can the public hunt Skull Crack CWMU?

Yes — a limited number of Skull Crack tags are allocated through the UDWR public draw each year, with the rest retained by the landowner.

Is Skull Crack elk a separate CWMU from Skull Crack deer?

They share a name and likely a ranch footprint, but tags are species-specific — you apply separately for deer and elk tags.

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Sources & Verification

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

UDWR Big Game Application Guidebook — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Skull Crack moose permit details, Once-in-a-lifetime designation, Tag quota, Season dates · accessed 2026-04-17
UDWR Hunt Boundary Interactive Map — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Skull Crack unit boundary, Uintah Basin access routes · accessed 2026-04-17
UDWR Big Game Harvest Data — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Moose harvest data for Skull Crack unit, Bull statistics · accessed 2026-04-17
Utah Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit Program — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: CWMU program issues public tags through the Utah big game draw, Landowners manage access and harvest in cooperation with UDWR · accessed 2026-04-17

Unit Skull Crack (Skull Crack)

Moose Hunting in Unit Skull Crack

Where to Find Moose in Skull Crack

How to Hunt Skull Crack Moose

Moose Success Rates

Moose Draw Odds

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit Skull Crack

Where to Find Mule Deer on Skull Crack

Ag Edges

Sage Draws

Timbered Benches

How to Hunt Skull Crack Mule Deer

Coordinate with the Operator

Glass at Dawn and Dusk

Mid-Day Still Hunt

Mule Deer Success Rates

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Elk Hunting in Unit Skull Crack

Where to Find Skull Crack Elk

Aspen

Oak Brush

Ag

How to Hunt Skull Crack Elk

Bugling

Field Glass

Still Hunt

Elk Success Rates

Elk Draw Odds

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

Terrain Difficulty

Hunting Pressure

Nearest Town

Permit Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

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Sources & Verification