Mt Dutton, Utah

The unit covers approximately 642 square miles (410,786 acres per UDWR deer management plan) with elevations ranging from about 5,600 feet on the lower sagebrush winter ranges near US-89 and the Circleville/Panguitch valley to 11,041 feet on the high plateau summit. The core of the unit consists of a broad, rugged plateau with steep canyon drainages running predominantly east-west, deep draws with small year-round creeks, and extensive cliff-and-bench terrain above 8,000 feet that provides escape terrain for mountain goats. The 2002 Sanford Fire (approximately 78,000 acres) reshaped significant portions of the unit by removing mature timber and stimulating high-forage productivity in the burn scar area.

The boundary is defined by US-89 (west), SR-12 (south), the Widtsoe-Antimony road (east), SR-22 (northeast), and SR-62 (north). The unit lies within the Dixie National Forest Powell Ranger District. The interior is largely roadless with very limited motorized access; the 2023 elk management plan notes most elk are found in remote areas, making the unit popular for backpack and horseback hunters. Limited two-track and ATV trails exist on the south end of the unit near Clarence Creek and East Hunt Creek drainages. Highway mortality is documented on US-89 south of Circleville and is concentrated in only a few locations. Private land is concentrated at lower elevations in John's Valley, near Circleville (Horse Valley), Kingston Canyon, and portions of the Panguitch East Bench—the 2020 deer plan shows approximately 10.5% of total unit acreage in private ownership (43,252 acres of 410,786 total) at lower winter ranges. No national parks are within the boundary. CWMUs exist within the broader Greater Plateau Complex but are excluded from general and limited-entry hunt boundaries by regulation.

Vegetation is vertically zoned. Lower winter ranges (5,600–7,000 ft) are characterized by semi-desert black sagebrush and Wyoming big sagebrush communities with significant pinyon-juniper encroachment that UDWR has been managing through chaining, bullhog, and reseeding since 2004 (27,070 acres treated via the Watershed Restoration Initiative per the 2020 deer plan). Key PJ treatment areas include John's Valley, Pole Canyon north into Kingston Canyon, south of Circleville into Horse Valley, and the Panguitch East Bench. Mid-elevation transitional zones (7,000–9,000 ft) support mountain big sagebrush, ponderosa pine, and mixed-conifer stands with riparian deciduous growth along creek drainages including aspen. Above 9,000 feet on the summer range, the unit is dominated by spruce-fir stands with aspen meadows; the 2023 elk management plan notes these upper stands are approaching climax conifer communities with reduced aspen regeneration, prompting ongoing aspen restoration projects. The post-Sanford fire area provides substantially higher forage productivity and diverse shrub regrowth.

Mule deer are the most numerous big game species; the 2020 management plan targets 3,200 wintering deer (10-year average population estimate is 2,570) and the 2019 model estimated 2,500 animals. The unit is managed as a general-season draw unit with a targeted postseason buck-to-doe ratio of 18–20. Rocky Mountain elk occupy the unit as part of the Greater Plateau Complex (units 23, 24, 25A/B, 25C); the Mt. Dutton sub-unit wintering population objective is 1,500–2,000, with a 2022–23 aerial census estimating approximately 1,370 animals. The unit is designated limited-entry only for bull elk with an average age-of-harvest objective of 6.0–6.5 years (lowered from 6.5–7 in 2022); a general-season over-the-counter spike-bull hunt also overlaps the unit boundary. Mountain goats were naturally established from adjacent Beaver/Tushar populations (observed since early 2000s) and subsequently augmented in 2013 (25 goats from Ogden/Willard Peak, released near Cottonwood Peak) and 2015 (21 goats from Willard Peak, released on Cottonwood Peak and Mt. Pierson); the 2019 survey counted 30 adults and 9 kids (approximately 56 total) with a population objective of 125. Modeled goat habitat above 8,000 ft is 157 square miles, 99% USFS land. Mountain lions are the primary predator of mountain goats and are present year-round but are not considered currently limiting. Pronghorn occur on the lower sagebrush flats and are managed under a combined Mt. Dutton/Paunsaugunt boundary (PB5331/PB5332). Black bear and mountain lion populations are present throughout the forested plateau. Turkey presence has not been documented as a hunted species in this specific boundary in available UDWR sources.

1. Square miles: 410,786 total acres per 2020 deer plan = ~642 sq miles; draft cited 659 sq miles (likely a GIS polygon calculation using a slightly different boundary). 2. Public land 88% = FS (246,122) + BLM (77,532) + SITLA (36,411) / 410,786 total = 87.7%, corroborating GoHunt figure. Private = 43,252 acres = 10.5%. 3. Pronghorn managed under combined Mt. Dutton/Paunsaugunt boundary; LE/OIAL report shows 46 hunters/24 harvest; draft's 53 hunters/27 harvest (50.9%) sourced from full annual report including additional permit types. 4. Elk aggregate figures (678 hunters, 151 harvest, 22.3%) from full annual report inclusive of spike OTC hunt; LE-only from 2024 harvest report = 81 hunters, 58 harvest (71.6% LE success). 5. Sanford Fire confirmed as 78,000 acres, 2002, per mountain goat management plan. 6. Goat augmentation confirmed: 2013 from Ogden/Willard Peak (25 animals to Cottonwood Peak); 2015 from Willard Peak (21 animals to Cottonwood Peak and Mt. Pierson). 7. Mountain goat GO6814 is confirmed OIAL in 2024 harvest report. 8. Turkey not listed as a hunted species on this unit in any fetched UDWR source. 9. Black bear and mountain lion included based on documented presence; specific boundary season/harvest data not available in fetched sources.