Mt Dutton/Paunsaugunt, Utah

Highly varied, ranging from about 5,600 feet in lower canyon drainages to 11,050 feet at the summit of Mount Dutton. The Mt Dutton portion of the Sevier Plateau is steep and rocky with deep east-west trending canyons carved by small creeks, significant roadless and backcountry area, and prominent ridgelines above 9,000 feet. The Paunsaugunt Plateau is a dissected high plateau approximately 25 miles long by 10 miles wide, tilted slightly eastward and bounded on the east by the Pink Cliffs eroded into hoodoo country within Bryce Canyon National Park; the plateau top is relatively open at 7,000–9,300 feet. The 78,000-acre Sanford Fire of 2002 on the Mt Dutton portion created extensive burned and regenerating areas that remain important to ungulate forage.

US Highway 89 forms the western boundary of the combined area (running south through Panguitch to Kanab). Utah Highway 12 (an All-American Road) crosses the Paunsaugunt Plateau east-west from US-89 at Bryce Junction through Bryce Canyon National Park and continues east to Escalante — this is the primary paved corridor for the Paunsaugunt portion. The Mt Dutton portion is reached from the north via State Route 62 east from Kingston to Antimony, then Forest Service Road 125 (a graded dirt road) which runs the length of the Mt Dutton unit from north to south; this road allows access to glassing points at elevation. The southern end of Mt Dutton is accessed via dirt roads near Clarence Creek, East Hunt Creek, Sanford Creek, Smith Canyon, and the Tabletop Mountain area. State Route 22 east of Antimony forms the eastern boundary of the Mt Dutton sub-unit. The Widtsoe-Antimony Road (connecting SR-22 south to SR-12 near Escalante) forms the eastern boundary. Significant roadless and back-country terrain exists in the Mt Dutton core; horse and foot travel are common. The Paunsaugunt Plateau has good ATV trail access on its lower half, with connecting trails running the unit. The eastern edge of Paunsaugunt abuts Bryce Canyon National Park (closed to hunting). The combined area is approximately 84–88% public land (predominantly Dixie National Forest); the Mt Dutton sub-unit is approximately 88% public (roughly 60% USFS, 19% BLM, with small private and SITLA parcels). Private land blocks are scattered mainly in valley bottoms along US-89 and in lowland areas around Antimony and Hatch; no identified CWMU exclusions within the pronghorn boundary have been documented in official harvest tables.

Mt Dutton high elevations (above 9,000 ft) support dense Engelmann spruce and lodgepole pine, with scattered ponderosa pine on mid-elevation slopes; lower canyons transition through sagebrush and mountain shrub to desert shrub at the lowest elevations along US-89. The 2002 Sanford fire significantly increased forb and grass production across the Mt Dutton core. The Paunsaugunt Plateau sustains ponderosa pine and mixed conifer at mid elevations, bristlecone pine pockets at upper elevations, alpine meadows and lakes near the plateau rim, extensive aspen stands, and sagebrush-grass parks. Riparian corridors follow the East Fork Sevier River (draining north) and tributaries. Both plateaus receive heavy snowpack (Paunsaugunt averages roughly 200 inches annually) with roughly 200 annual freeze-thaw cycles driving ongoing erosion on the eastern rim.

Mule deer are present across the combined area; the Paunsaugunt sub-unit supports a high-density, high-quality deer herd with elevated buck-to-doe ratios managed as a premium unit; the Mt Dutton sub-unit supports a general-season herd of moderate density. Rocky Mountain elk occupy the Mt Dutton portion, which is managed entirely as a limited-entry unit for bulls; elk use dense timber and burned areas, with the rut typically beginning in early September. The Paunsaugunt sub-unit supports a general-season any-bull elk herd. Pronghorn occupy open sagebrush and grass parks across both plateaus, managed on the combined Mt Dutton/Paunsaugunt boundary as a limited-entry draw. Rocky Mountain mountain goats occupy the high rocky terrain of Mt Dutton above 8,000 feet, derived from natural dispersal from the Tushar range and UDWR augmentation in 2013 and 2015; the population is estimated at roughly 50–60 animals with a management objective of up to 125. Black bears are present across both units (separate spring, summer, and fall limited-entry hunts plus harvest-objective hunts on Mt Dutton). Mountain lions are present; Mt Dutton is cougar management unit 24, the Paunsaugunt is cougar management unit 27. Wild turkey (Merriam's) occur in the Dixie National Forest sections of both plateaus. Deer and elk hunters have reported mountain lion and mountain goat sightings during hunts on Mt Dutton.

1. This unit_code (mt-dutton-paunsaugunt) is the UDWR official combined pronghorn hunt boundary. For deer and elk, hunters apply under separate Mt Dutton or Paunsaugunt sub-unit boundaries. 2. Paunsaugunt is premium limited-entry deer only — NO general season deer. Mt Dutton carries OTC general season deer. 3. Paunsaugunt has NO general-season archery elk hunt (explicitly noted in 2026 UDWR guidebook p.8 and field regs p.8); it does have general-season any-bull rifle/muzzleloader elk. 4. Mountain Goat are present only on the Mt Dutton portion (cougar/goat mgmt unit 24); Paunsaugunt does not have mountain goat. 5. Bryce Canyon National Park abuts the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau and is closed to hunting. 6. The 78,000-acre Sanford Fire of 2002 burned across much of Mt Dutton, substantially improving forage. 7. GO6814 2024 harvest: 2 permits, 1 harvest, 50% success (draft erroneously stated 75%). 8. Cougar hunting in Utah requires only a valid hunting license — no draw permit needed; year-round season (draft incorrectly described Sept 1–Oct 25 as the full season; that is only the harvest-objective bear season window). 9. Bear hunt codes verified from 2026 UDWR Black Bear, Cougar and Furbearer Guidebook: spring BR7009/BR7011, summer BR7109/BR7113, fall BR7210/BR7214. 10. Pronghorn 2024: PB5331 rifle 38 permits/24 harvest/62.9%; PB5332 archery 8 permits/0 harvest/0%.