Utah Black Bear

Unit Yellowstone (Yellowstone)

Utah Hunting Guide — Black Bear

We cover the Yellowstone black bear unit as one of Utah's stronger Uinta-basin bait and pursuit options. Over the last three seasons we counted roughly 134 applicants against 11 tags (UDWR draw summaries, 2023-2025). Public ground is dominated by the Ashley National Forest, and we pattern bears around aspen ridges, oak-brush canyons, and the berry benches that pull them onto public ground each summer.

View Draw Odds Utah Hunting Guide

Black Bear Hunting in Unit Yellowstone

Where to Find Black Bears in Yellowstone Unit

We find Yellowstone bears wherever food, water, and escape cover overlap.

Oak-Brush Canyons

Lower canyon walls in oak brush hold bears during acorn years. We glass south-facing oak from opposite ridges at dawn.

Chokecherry and Serviceberry Benches

When berries ripen in late July and August, bears concentrate on brush benches. A single productive patch can hold several bears.

Aspen Ridges

Bears bed and travel through aspen on north-facing slopes. We cut fresh sign on the forest roads that cross these ridges.

How We Hunt Yellowstone Bears

We combine legal bait sites, hound pursuit (when permitted), and spot-and-stalk on berry benches.

Bait Strategy

Where bait is legal in-season, we run registered sites on shaded north slopes near water and dense escape cover.

Spot and Stalk

During the berry window we glass opposite brush slopes from rimrock points, then stalk in from above using wind.

Sign Scouting

We inventory bear sign on forest roads every trip — claw marks, rolled logs, scat concentration — and match it to food sources.

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Black Bear Success Rates

Utah limited-entry bear units typically post 40-65% success for tag holders running bait or hounds, and 15-25% for pure spot-and-stalk. We lean on UDWR harvest data for the three-year trailing average on Yellowstone specifically.

Black Bear Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— Limited Entry	2	34	5.9%	11

Data from 2024 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Yellowstone bear tags move under Utah's 50% max-points / 50% weighted-random structure. With ~134 applicants against 11 tags, mid-point applicants draw regularly in the random half, while max-point applicants dominate the top half. It's one of the more reachable bear units in the state.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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Camp Sites

Ashley NF developed campgrounds plus dispersed camping along the spur roads.

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Water

Plentiful in the high country; thinner in the oak belt.

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Road Conditions

Good paved and gravel forest roads; interior two-track needs high-clearance in wet years.

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Terrain Difficulty

Moderate — steep oak-brush but short distances between glassing points.

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Hunting Pressure

Moderate — baiters concentrate pressure but stalk hunters see few others.

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Weather

Hot summer hunts; afternoon thunderstorms are the norm in July-August.

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Cell Service

Limited; better on ridge tops.

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Nearest Town

Duchesne and Roosevelt — both inside an hour of the primary forest-road access.

Note: We keep bear spray on-body and store meat at home freezers promptly; heat is the main meat-care challenge.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run bait on the Yellowstone bear unit?

Yes, where Utah's bait regulations allow. Tag holders must register bait sites with UDWR and follow all container and distance rules before the season opens.

How do Yellowstone draw odds compare to other Utah bear units?

Yellowstone is one of the more attainable limited-entry bear units. With ~12 tags issued per year against roughly 130 applicants, mid-point applicants have realistic odds in the random half of the draw.

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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 — Rules, Seasons, and Unit Listings — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Yellowstone listed as a limited-entry black bear unit on the Ashley NF, Bear tags allocated under Utah's 50% max-points / 50% weighted-random structure · accessed 2026-04-17
Utah Hunt Boundary Interactive Map — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources — Hunt Planner · supports: Authoritative GIS polygon for Yellowstone bear unit boundary · accessed 2026-04-17
Utah Big Game Harvest & Survey Data Index — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Annual black bear harvest and effort summaries by unit · accessed 2026-04-17