Deseret CWMU Bull elk

2025 Hunt Info

Please carefully read the hunt details and rules and review the FAQ.

If you are a Utah resident, you can obtain a Deseret CWMU bull elk permit by applying through the public drawing. You cannot apply through the public drawing if you are a non-resident. To learn more about Utah's CWMU program, click HERE. 

Read the following carefully. If you have questions not available in the hunt details, refer to the FAQ section on this page. For any additional questions, use the form below to contact the operator.

Hunt Details

• Meeting location: Cement plant in Croydon, UT, or the Main Ranch check station in Woodruff, UT

• Number of public tags: nineteen (19)

• Hunt Dates:

  • The hunter will be able to choose one of the hunt weeks below. There are four weeks of hunts to choose from, and the number of hunters per week is limited. Once we send out the email and the letter, the hunters can pick their preferred week(s). Please understand that week selection is on a first come, first served basis. Once the week’s limit has been reached, we will not add any more hunters. Hunters can select their weeks from first priority to last priority. Please note you may not get your top priority week.

    • Week 1: Monday, Sep 1, 2025, 10:00 AM — Saturday, Sep 6, 2025, 12:00 PM

      • Week 1 can be extremely physically demanding. Hunters need to be able to hike 10+ miles per day through rough terrain. The weather can be hot this time of year, and hunters must be in excellent physical condition.

    • Week 2: Monday, October 20, 2025, 10:00 AM — Saturday, October 25, 2025, 12:00 PM

      • Week 2 can still require hunters to be mobile and be able to do some hiking. Please do not select this week if you need to hunt close to the road and vehicle access areas.

    • Week 3: Sunday, October 26, 2025, 2:00 PM — Friday, October 31, 2025 (departing after the evening hunt)

    • Week 4: Wednesday, November 5, 2025, 2:00 PM — Monday, November 10, 2025 (departing after the evening hunt). We will be hunting on Sunday, November 9th on hunt week 4.

      • Weeks 3 & 4 are the best options for anyone needing to shoot from a road or nearby vehicle access areas. Please note that some hiking may still be required.

• Guided: Yes, two hunters to one guide. NO COST

• Trophy Care: Packing and caping of your trophy.

• Guest Rules:

  • All bull elk hunters are allowed to bring ONE guest on the ranch free of charge.

• Meals/Lodging: Included for the hunter free of charge. Guest meals and lodging are NOT free of charge. Beds/bedding, towels, pillows, restrooms, hot showers, and electricity. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided.

  • Guest meals and lodging are $150 per day.

  • The rooms in the lodge have one queen bed, a private bathroom, and a shower. If you choose to bring a guest and pay the $150 per day (for meals and lodging), please note that there will be only one queen bed in your room. Therefore, you can share the bed with your guest or bring a sleeping cot with bedding for your guest.

  • Hunters who want to bring a guest but choose not to pay the guest fee ($150 per day). You can bring a camp trailer, and you and your guest can camp and provide your own meals in the designated camping area on the Deseret CWMU. You can also find lodging and meals for you and your guest in Evanston, Wyoming or Morgan, UT. Each morning and afternoon, you will drive to meet your guide for the hunt.

• Weapons Allowed: Any legal weapon

• Vehicle:

  • 4x4 Truck or SUV with good off-road tires

    • Hunters will be with the guide during the week of hunting, but the hunters vehicles

  • Please show up to Deseret with a full tank of gas. 

• Our management plan on Deseret is to harvest old/mature bull elk. We consider elk to be mature at 7.5+. Our goal as an outfitter is to present the hunter with opportunities to harvest a mature bull. We will not field judge and score the elk on the hoof. Guides will find and locate mature elk and present opportunities. The hunter will choose if he/she wants to harvest the bull elk.

• We want hunters to be happy with the elk hunt on the ranch. Deseret’s elk herd is impressive, and there aren’t many places like it just due to the sheer number of mature bull elk. That said, most of the bulls on Deseret range from 275-320 B&C. There is potential to harvest larger elk, but we want to be upfront and transparent on the averages. We want hunters to make an informed decision when considering applying for the Deseret CWMU bull elk hunt. See the picture gallery below for references of past harvested bull elk. Also, click here to download the 2022 and 2023 state average elk.

• This hunt is physical. Elk typically do not stay close to the roads, and hiking is necessary to harvest them. Sometimes, bulls are harvested close to roads and vehicle access areas, but this is not common. The more you can hike and be mobile, the higher your chances are of harvesting a bull and seeing more bull elk.

• To ensure a quality hunting experience for all public hunters, all scheduling and inquiring must be done through the Deseret CWMU operator. Individual guides cannot schedule hunts or deviate from the information provided.

• Our goal is to provide you with a quality hunting experience. You will be given the same opportunity as our paying clients. Your job is to enjoy the experience and conduct yourselves so that all other guests have a quality experience.

• If you draw out for this hunt, you will be contacted by the CWMU operator with further information regarding your hunt. Plan on four to six weeks after the draw results (expect to hear from the operator by the middle of June).

Hunting Rules

• Safety comes first.

• Hunting

  • Take time to shoot and sight in your rifle before your hunt. Know your hunting and shooting limits. Understand your rifle. 

  • Hunters are allowed to shoot one, and only one, animal for which they have a permit. Once you hit an animal and/or draw blood, that is your animal. Please be aware of your animal and its surroundings and pick your shots carefully. 

  • All hunters must abide by Utah state laws regarding wildlife. Click HERE for Utah Wildlife Laws.

  • All hunters and guests must always wear a hunter-orange hat and vest while hunting.

  • Most other wildlife species found in the desert are protected by state law and/or require special licenses or permits to ‘take’ these animals. Hunting other wildlife species of any kind is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to coyotes, badgers, ground squirrels, foxes, upland birds, grouse, and waterfowl.

  • No pre-seasons scouting

  • Follow basic gun safety

    • Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

    • Treat every rifle as loaded (even if you don’t think it is).

    • No ammunition in the rifle chamber while driving, hiking, in camp, etc. (ammunition can be left in the magazine/clip)

    • Only put ammunition in the chamber when attempting to make a shot at the big game animal you have the permit for (then quickly remove chamber bullets).

    • Be aware of your surroundings while shooting. Do not shoot toward vehicles, hunters, and guests.

    • Do not rely on the gun’s safety.

    • Be sure of your target, your line of fire, and what lies beyond your target and what is beyond it.

• Vehicles/Driving & Roads etc

  • No ATVs, side-by-sides, or other off-road vehicles are allowed on the ranch, even if they are street-legal (trucks/SUVs/cars only)

  • We recommend a 4x4 vehicle with good off-road tires.

  • Be safe and courteous while driving on the roads. Drive respectively and cautiously.

  • The maximum driving speed is 25 mph.

• Camping/Campsite

  • The use of alcohol or possession of any open alcoholic container is prohibited while hunting or in a vehicle on the premises.

  • No smoking in the lodge.

  • No open campfires.

  • No littering; hunters must remove all their casings, cans, trash, and debris from the premises.

  • Lodging, guide services, packing services, and food: The bull elk hunt is fully guided, and meals are provided for the hunter. 

• The Ranch

  • State laws protect livestock on Deseret Land and Livestock (DLL). Do not harm, harass, or shoot livestock. DLL may file civil charges against anyone for harassing, shooting, or harming livestock.

  • No fishing on the streams or ponds.

  • No other outdoor recreational activities are offered on the property during the hunts.

  • Respect the property and employees.

  • Shed antlers and “dead heads” are Deseret's property. Hunters or guests cannot pick up or remove them from the ranch.

  • Hunters and guests are responsible for familiarizing themselves with and understanding the CWMU’s boundaries.