The West Desert unit in Utah is recognized as a challenging hunting area, mainly due to its sparse elk population, making it a difficult zone for successful harvests, particularly of bulls. Despite this, the reported success rate with archery equipment appears surprisingly high at 32-33%, which could be attributed mainly to cow harvests during past seasons, as noted in 2014 when nearly 80% of harvested elk were cows. Concerns about the unit's tough terrain and fluctuating wildlife numbers further confuse hunters, as does the way state-reported success rates are compiled and updated. Hunters embarking on trips to this unit should be prepared for the low elk density and consider focusing on cow elk if success is a primary goal, with realistic expectations of difficulty in spotting and tracking these animals.
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Elk | Raghorn-250" | 280"+ |
High
Low
Limited numbers of elk are found in the desert mountains of this unit, which is west of Utah Lake and east of Dugway Valley and includes part of the Sevier Desert and the west and east Tintic ranges.
This is one of the more difficult elk hunting areas in the West with very few elk found in the unit.
This unit features the east and west Tintic ranges, the Sheeprock Mountains, part of the Sevier Desert, the Simpson Mountains, wide desert valleys and farm and rangelands. It includes the Lake Mountains on the west side of Utah Lake. Parts of the mountains are steep and rugged. Much of the unit is composed of flat desert shrublands ranging from about 4,600 feet to 5,200 feet in elevation.
Most of the elk habitat is on public land, including the Sheeprock Mountains, which are in the Wasatch National Forest. The BLM controls most of the other land, including Keg Mountain, the Simpson Mountains, and thousands of acres of desert flats. Most of the private land is in the eastern third of the unit near Utah Lake, in Cedar Valley, Goshen Valley, and Juab Valley. I15, Highway 6, and Pony Express road all contain branch roads that can take you further into the unit. No shooting is allowed at Little Sahara Recreation Area.
Lowlands are covered by low desert shrubs, including sagebrush, bitterbrush, rabbitbrush, and greasewood. Ridges and foothills have open slopes covered with shrubs, oak brush, forbs, and grass as well as forested slopes that are timbered by junipers and pinyon. Mountains above 7,500 feet are forested with pinyons, firs, junipers, and other evergreens.
Roughly 2,928 square miles
72% public land
Elevations from 4,600-9,200 feet
ATVs are limited to designated routes
Carry water, spare tires, fuel and tools
Dispersed camping is allowed almost anywhere. About 300 campsites are in the Little Sahara. Other campgrounds include Simpson Springs just off the northwest corner of the Simpson Mountains and Vernon Reservoir Campground near Vernon.