Cache, East Rich, Utah

Gentle to rolling arid hills and low mountains, with the Bear River bottoms in the western portion of the unit at roughly 5,920 feet and rising eastward to the Crawford Mountains, with the highest documented point being Black Mountain at approximately 7,707 feet. The unit does not feature dramatic canyon topography; rather, it consists of broad sagebrush slopes, low ridgelines, and scattered draws. Elevation range runs approximately 5,920–7,700 feet.

The unit is bounded on the west by US-89 running along the eastern shore of Bear Lake through Garden City and Laketown, SR-30 to the southeast corner, and SR-16 connecting south toward Randolph and Woodruff along the Wyoming border. Interior access is provided by a network of BLM and state dirt and gravel roads. Primary documented access points are the Crawford Mountain Roads, Rabbit Creek, and South Eden Canyon. Most of the hills and mountains are BLM or state-administered public land; approximately 54% of the unit is public. The Bear River bottoms along the western edge are predominantly private farmland and generally inaccessible without landowner permission; elk concentrate on these private fields seasonally, creating a significant access barrier. There are CWMU (Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit) areas within the boundary — hunters holding a standard OTC or general tag are not authorized to enter CWMUs. Randolph (Rich County seat) lies just outside the southern boundary and provides the nearest services including fuel.

Dominant cover is big sagebrush on mid-elevation slopes and ridge tops, transitioning to Utah juniper on drier draws and south-facing aspects. Mountain mahogany and aspen stands occur on favored north-facing slopes and higher elevations. Shrub browse species including serviceberry, bitterbrush, chokecherry, elderberry, and maple brush provide important browse, particularly in drainages. Riparian corridors along the Bear River bottoms support willows and cottonwood. Crested wheatgrass is widespread on valley floors from historic seeding. Sagebrush density has declined unit-wide due to aging stand structure and competition from cheatgrass and bulbous bluegrass, per UDWR range trend data through 2021. Juniper encroachment is an ongoing habitat concern reducing understory browse quality.

Elk are present throughout the unit in scattered herds; most bulls taken are spikes and raghorns, with mature bulls occasionally drifting in from adjacent units in Wyoming, Idaho, or the bordering Cache-Meadowville unit. Elk use private farmland along the Bear River bottoms heavily during certain seasons but shift to BLM range on the higher slopes. Mule deer inhabit the unit as part of Cache Deer Herd Unit #2, summering at higher elevations on the Bear River Range and wintering on sagebrush slopes in the 6,000–7,000-foot band; the Rich County portion of this deer herd has experienced sagebrush decline and some winter range loss near Garden City from recreational development. Predators including mountain lion and coyote are present; coyotes are commonly encountered throughout the unit. Cottontail rabbits are common along creek bottoms and rimrock draws. Bear Lake, on the western boundary, supports endemic Bonneville cisco and Bonneville cutthroat trout, providing notable fishery adjacent to the unit.