Beaver, West, Utah

Desert lowlands transitioning to rolling foothills and scattered mountain ranges typical of the Great Basin's Basin-and-Range province. Elevation ranges from approximately 5,000 feet in valley floors to 9,582 feet on higher peaks. The Wah Wah Mountains (peaks to ~9,393 ft) form one of the prominent ridgelines; terrain is steep and rugged on the range flanks but accessible via benches and valley roads. State Route 21 crosses Wah Wah Summit at roughly 6,500 feet. The unit is an arid, isolated landscape; water sources are scarce and springs are uncommon.

Approximately 74% public land, managed primarily by the BLM Cedar City Field Office (Color Country District). Main highway corridors are SR-21 (east-west through the Wah Wah Mountains), SR-257 (northwest from Milford), and SR-130 (southern boundary area). Black Rock Road on the northern portion of the unit forks into a network of gravel and dirt roads providing interior BLM access. Roads around Minersville Reservoir provide southern access. Most of the unit can be reached via two-wheel-drive on dry gravel roads, though some interior routes require high-clearance 4WD. Private-land blocks requiring permission include alfalfa fields near Beaver along the Indian Creek drainage, fields near Manderfield, the Minersville area, and near Sulphurdale. The boundary explicitly excludes all CWMUs and all Native American Trust Lands within the legal perimeter. I-15 fencing limits east-west wildlife movement; the unit is entirely west of I-15.

Valley floors and lower bajadas: salt desert shrub, low sagebrush, and desert grasses. Foothills and mid-elevation benches (roughly 5,500–7,500 ft): sagebrush, pinyon pine, and Utah juniper dominate, interspersed with bitterbrush, serviceberry, and chokecherry — key deer browse. Higher elevations and shadier slopes: scattered aspen patches and mixed conifers (ponderosa pine, some spruce-fir pockets). The Wah Wah Mountains support bristlecone pine stands at the highest elevations. Riparian habitat is limited; Minersville Reservoir on the southern edge provides the most significant water feature.

Mule deer are the primary game species and support good populations relative to habitat. Elk are present but kept intentionally low per the 2023 UDWR Beaver Elk Unit Management Plan — the plan states elk numbers on the Beaver, West portion will be kept as low as possible to reduce agricultural conflicts and range pressure; the unit functions as an any-bull general season elk area as a management lever rather than a high-elk-density destination. Pronghorn occur in the lower valleys and foothills, concentrating near alfalfa fields in the western portions of the broader Beaver basin. Black bear and mountain lion are present given proximity to forested ranges in the greater Beaver area. Chukar occupy rocky canyon slopes and talus at mid-elevations. Sage grouse occupy suitable sagebrush flats. Raptors including golden eagle, peregrine falcon, and ferruginous hawk use the Wah Wah Mountains WSA.

1. RESTRICTED WEAPON UNIT (research study): Beaver, West is one of three general-season units in a UDWR mule deer research study on weapons technology restrictions (confirmed in 2026 Field Regs, p.5 and p.45). The archery season uses STANDARD archery equipment (compound bows allowed) — there is NO restricted archery season on Beaver West. The muzzleloader season requires restricted muzzleloader (flintlock/wheellock/matchlock/musket cap/percussion cap ignition only; no 209 primers; open or peep sights only). The rifle season requires restricted rifle (open or peep sights only; no semi-automatic). Electronic communication for real-time game location aid is prohibited on restricted weapon hunts. 2. ELK NUMBERS INTENTIONALLY LOW: The 2023 UDWR Elk Herd Unit #22 management plan explicitly states elk on the Beaver, West portion (west of I-15) are to be kept 'as low as possible.' This is not a productive elk destination; the any-bull OTC designation is a management tool, not an indication of elk density. 3. CWMU AND TRUST LAND EXCLUSIONS: Both the deer and elk boundary descriptions explicitly exclude all CWMUs and all Native American Trust Lands within the boundary perimeter. Verify access via UDWR Hunt Planner (hunt.utah.gov). 4. PRONGHORN UNIT OVERLAP: Pronghorn appear to be managed under the broader Beaver pronghorn unit (not a dedicated Beaver West boundary). Confirm via UDWR whether a Beaver West-specific pronghorn tag exists before applying. 5. LIMITED ENTRY DEER: A separate limited-entry deer unit for Beaver West also exists (managed for higher buck-to-doe ratio and older bucks). The general-season restricted weapon unit and the limited-entry deer unit are distinct permits. 6. HARVEST STATS UNAVAILABLE: Unit-level deer harvest counts, hunter success percentages, and specific permit quotas for Beaver West were not available in publicly accessible sources at time of research (July 2026). Check wildlife.utah.gov/biggame for current data. 7. BOUNDARY (from UDWR elk plan): Begins at SR-130 and I-15; north on SR-130 to SR-21; north on SR-21 to SR-257; north on SR-257 to Black Rock Road; east on Black Rock Road to I-15; south on I-15 to SR-130. Counties: Beaver, Iron, and Millard.