Cache, Crawford Mtn, Utah

Rolling foothill ridges and creek drainages define the lower portions (roughly 5,900–6,500 ft), giving way to more pronounced ridges in the core Crawford Mountains, which GoHunt places at approximately 6,200–8,000 ft for the unit. The valley farmland borders the western edge; the eastern face grades toward Wyoming. The unit covers approximately 129 square miles. The Crawford Mountains were the site of extensive phosphate mining from the mid-1900s through the 1970s; mining ruins and unstable terrain remain in Brazier Canyon and upper areas.

The primary access corridor is Utah Highway 16, which runs north–south through Randolph (nearest town, approximately 1.7 miles south of the main turn at milepost 22.4). Crawford Mountain Road branches east off UT-16 near milepost 22.4 and is navigable by 2WD passenger vehicle to the upper benches under normal conditions; side roads and the Brazier Canyon road require 4WD or ATV. Mining ruins and unstable cliffs exist in upper areas — a DNR warning sign marks the Brazier Canyon entrance. Most public land is managed by the BLM, which controls the majority of the central Crawford Mountains and winter range; a western portion falls within the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest boundary (summer range). Valley bottomlands are privately owned agricultural ground, and private inholdings appear throughout the lower foothills. Hunters should obtain a detailed land-ownership map before hunting to avoid trespass. The guidebook notes that during the general deer season the Cache unit also includes this Crawford Mtn sub-boundary; no CWMU was confirmed within this specific boundary in available sources.

Sagebrush (big sagebrush and black sagebrush) dominates the mid-elevation slopes and rolling foothills and constitutes the primary mule deer winter range. Scattered patches of pinyon pine and juniper appear on south- and west-facing slopes at mid-elevations. Grasses and forbs fill open benches. Riparian corridors with willows and cottonwoods follow Brazier Canyon and smaller creek drainages. Higher ridge tops and the upper Cache National Forest portions support Douglas fir and aspen patches. Sagebrush density has declined in portions of the unit due to juniper encroachment and drought. Range trend monitoring sites in the South Crawford Mountains (02-31), Brazier Canyon (02-33), Otter Creek (02-34), and State Line (02-30) have been consistently rated in good condition.

Mule deer are the primary big game species and the sole focus of the limited-entry muzzleloader hunt boundary (DB1026). The population is largely migratory — bucks summer on higher-elevation range and in southwestern Wyoming, then migrate through and into the Crawford Mountains during late October and November, arriving on winter range only after meaningful snowfall pushes them down. BLM controls most of the winter range. Migration timing and hunt success are highly weather-dependent. The management plan notes a target postseason buck:doe ratio of 15–17:100 for the Crawford Mountain subunit. The 2024 LE hunt produced 9 permits, 8 bucks harvested, 87.5% success rate, 4.9 average days afield. Mountain lion and black bear are present in the broader Cache Unit (WMU 2); elk use the broader Cache unit (general-season spike OTC and limited-entry any-bull) but elk presence specifically within the Crawford Mtn sub-boundary appears limited per field reports. Upland birds (sage grouse) inhabit sagebrush flats.