At a Glance
Quick Tips
- Located near Bryce Canyon National Park
- Glass into deep timber and burned areas
- Good trout fishing at Otter Creek Reservoir
Terrain
Access
Historical Temperatures
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Hunters considering the late muzzleloader deer hunt in Utah's Mt. Dutton unit should be aware that while this hunt has limited historical data, it offers an opportunity to pursue mature bucks in a challenging terrain, particularly due to its rough and remote sections. Success rates have fluctuated, with an 80% success in 2017 dropping to 25% in 2018, indicating the influence of environmental factors such as drought on game population and behavior. The unit is a general season area that follows the rifle hunt, requiring hunters to set realistic expectations and prepare for a demanding pursuit. For those targeting antlerless tags, fluctuations in applicant numbers have created challenges, emphasizing the need to stay informed on draw odds and point systems which can evolve year-to-year.
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Located south of Otter Creek Reservoir and northeast of Panguitch. Highway 89 is the western boundary with State Road 22 acting as the eastern boundary. This unit has become increasingly popular among deer hunters over the past few years.
This is a popular unit among hunters that like to backpack hunt or use horses. This can be a very strenuous hunt with most deer found 1-2 miles away from the nearest road. This unit provides several remote areas for hunters looking to get away from other hunters. This is a good unit for glassing large areas. The remoteness of this unit allows bucks to reach a mature age.
This is a very rocky and steep unit with a lot of roadless area to hunt. Most of the deep canyons run east and west. Most of the canyons have small creeks that run the length of the canyon. Much of the east end of the unit was burned leaving limited vegetation. Some of the canyons have a maintained hiking or horseback trail that runs up the bottom of the canyon giving hunters access to the high elevations. Several hunters will find glassing spots near roads that allow them to view parts of the roadless areas. This allows hunters to look into roadless areas without much physical effort. There is very little private property on this unit. Most of the private property is located in lower elevations.
There is limited access to this unit. There are a few roads and ATV trails on the south end of the unit near Clarence Creek and East Hunt Creek. There is limited access to the east end of the unit with most hunters using the hiking trail systems that run through most of the canyons. Forest Service Road 125 starts on the north end of the unit in Antimony and nearly runs the length of the unit from north to south. This is the road that several hunters will use as they can gain elevation to access glassing points. This is also the only road that will give you access to the heart of the unit. Hunters can also use the roads near Sanford Creek and Smith Canyon on the east end of the unit and the roads near Table Top Mountain on the north end of the unit. Most roads in this unit are not maintained and can be hazardous when traveling in cold weather. Parts of Forest Service Road 125 can be dangerous when wet. Hunters traveling this area late in the year should be prepared.
High elevations contain dense Engelmann spruce, lodgepole pines and some ponderosa pines. Middle elevations have Douglas fir, aspens, grass meadows and sagebrush, while low elevations have pinyon/juniper, sagebrush, oak brush, grasses and other browse. Water can be found in springs, small lakes and perennial streams.
Panguitch and Antimony have lodging, gas, groceries and other supplies. Camping permitted on most public land.
Roughly 658 square miles
88% public land
Elevations from about 5,600-11,041 feet
ATVs are recommended, but not necessary
Snow and rain can impede travel
A lot of remote areas to hunt