Moroni Hills, Utah

Rolling foothill terrain with gradual slopes and excellent long-range visibility; elevation ranges from approximately 5,500 to 7,100 feet. The low-elevation portions consist of open benches and drainages transitioning from valley agricultural lands into pinyon-juniper-covered ridges. No high-elevation alpine terrain; the unit sits well below the escarpment of the Wasatch Plateau to the east.

The unit is roughly bounded by SR-116 (Main St in Moroni) to the south, US-89 to the east (through Mt. Pleasant), SR-132 to the north (through Fountain Green), and lower foothills to the west. Several county and BLM roads crisscross the unit and provide the primary public access corridors. Private land makes up approximately 75% of the unit — the dominant access challenge is that elk and deer regularly move between huntable public parcels and private agricultural lands. Some private landowners may grant trespass access for a fee. No designated wilderness or roadless areas exist within the unit. No major National Forest lands are present; the Manti-La Sal National Forest (Manti Division) begins east of the San Pitch ridge above this boundary. Public parcels consist primarily of BLM and Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) tracts scattered through the foothills.

Lower portions feature private farmland and alfalfa fields adjacent to the unit. Mid-elevation slopes are characterized by pinyon-juniper woodland interspersed with Wyoming big sagebrush and mountain big sagebrush communities. Bitterbrush and other browse shrubs occur on rocky hillsides. Riparian corridors follow seasonal drainages through the foothills. The sagebrush-steppe and pinyon-juniper mosaic constitutes the primary wildlife habitat; pinyon-juniper encroachment into sagebrush is an active management concern in the broader San Pitch/Nebo area per UDWR deer management plans.

Elk are the primary big game present, with a resident herd that uses the lower foothills and adjacent private agricultural fields, particularly alfalfa. Elk congregate on private lands, making locating animals on publicly accessible parcels the central challenge. Mule deer are present throughout and use the sagebrush and pinyon-juniper winter range; the unit falls within the Central Mountains, Nebo mule deer herd unit (Unit 16A). Black bear and mountain lion occur in the San Pitch Mountain foothills. Wild turkey are present in the broader Sanpete County area including canyon and foothill terrain. The boundary's open rolling topography provides good glassing conditions across much of its area.

1. PUBLIC LAND ~25%: Sourced from GoHunt unit profile (updated Feb 2026). 2. UNIT NAME: The boundary was labeled 'Central Mtns, Moroni Hills' through 2023 and renamed 'Moroni Hills' in 2024 per UDWR simplification; in antlerless elk tables it appears as 'Nebo, Moroni Hills.' 3. MULE DEER: No dedicated Moroni Hills mule deer hunt unit in UDWR tables through 2026; deer hunters use the large Nebo general deer unit permits. 4. ELK ANTLERLESS: 2024 harvest report confirms EA1207 and EA1226 for Nebo, Moroni Hills (both any legal weapon). Combined: 19 permits, 16 hunters afield, 3 elk harvested (~18.75% success). Draft reference to EA1044 as Moroni Hills is incorrect — EA1044 = Morgan-South Rich, South Rich. 5. GENERAL SEASON ELK: Moroni Hills is an any-bull general-season unit; archery Aug 15–Sept 16, any legal weapon Oct 3–9 (early) / Oct 10–16 (late), muzzleloader Oct 28–Nov 5 (2026 field regs confirmed). 6. FOREST CORRECTION: Draft summary referenced 'Manti-La Sal National Forest Nebo vicinity' — corrected to Manti-La Sal NF (Manti Division/Ephraim Ranger District), which is the forest east of Sanpete Valley. 'Nebo' in hunt unit names refers to UDWR's Nebo deer/elk management unit, not a geographic feature of Manti-La Sal NF. 7. CWMU: No CWMUs specifically named for Moroni Hills confirmed. 8. 2026 antlerless guidebook confirms EA1207 Aug 1–19 and EA1226 Sept 12–Oct 2 dates.