Nine Mile, Anthro-Myton Bench, Utah

The unit spans roughly 4,100 to 8,100+ feet in elevation (GOHUNT/HuntScore verified range), encompassing deep canyon drainages — most notably Nine Mile Canyon (approximately 46 miles long, BLM confirmed) and its tributaries including Argyle Canyon — rising steeply to high desert benches and forested ridgelines. Canyon floors are generally below 5,500 feet; the surrounding Anthro Mountain benches and the Myton Bench at mid-elevations (6,000–7,500 ft) provide open rolling terrain, while the highest ridges approach 8,000–9,000 feet. The terrain is characterized as rugged with limited road penetration.

The primary access corridor is Nine Mile Canyon Road, a mostly paved backcountry byway administered by the BLM Price Field Office (435-636-3600). From the south, Soldier Creek Road northeast from Wellington (Carbon County) leads into the canyon system. A loop is possible via Gate Canyon Road connecting to Myton (US-40) on the north, but this road requires high-clearance and is impassable in wet weather. US-191 forms the western boundary at Duchesne; US-40 forms the northern edge at Myton. Interior access beyond the canyon road requires hiking — the elk management plan specifically identifies limited public access as a primary barrier to harvest objectives, noting that private land along canyon roads blocks vehicle access to large remote sections of public land. The Argyle Canyon Road (accessed from US-191) and the Nine Mile Canyon Road junction near Bulls Canyon represent key waypoints per the official UDWR boundary description. Cold Springs WMA (managed by UDWR) near Bruin Point provides developed public-land access to high-elevation summer habitat. Yearlong elk range on the Anthro subunit is approximately 76% BLM, 12% Utah State Institutional Trust Lands, 8% USFS, and 3% private (elk plan Table 1); USFS comprises approximately 95% of summer range. Private land is concentrated along canyon bottoms and road corridors. No designated wilderness areas fall within this subunit. Oil and gas infrastructure is present across portions of the Uintah Basin benches. Native American Trust Lands are excluded from the hunt boundary.

Vegetation is strongly elevation-driven. Canyon floors and lower benches support desert shrub — basin big sagebrush, greasewood, and rabbitbrush — with willows and riparian species along Nine Mile Creek. Mid-elevation slopes (5,500–7,500 ft) are covered by pinyon-juniper woodland with mountain big sagebrush parks and patches of mountain mahogany and cliffrose on rocky ridges. Higher elevation north-facing slopes carry Douglas-fir and aspen that serve as the primary summer range for elk; these communities are limited in extent. The UDWR elk management plan (December 2023) notes summer range is limiting on this unit and that conifer encroachment into sagebrush parks is an ongoing management concern. Active habitat treatments (pinyon-juniper removal, bullhog, lop-and-scatter) have occurred across the Anthro ridge and canyon drainages.

Mule deer are widespread, using the full elevation gradient seasonally — wintering on sagebrush benches and canyon slopes, moving to high aspen/conifer ridges in summer. The UDWR deer herd plan (Unit 11, October 2020) targets a total winter population of 8,500 deer for the full Nine Mile unit, with 2,500 in the Anthro subunit and 6,000 in the Range Creek subunit. Elk are present year-round on the Anthro subunit (11A); the December 2023 elk plan estimates 1,200 elk against a target of 700. The Anthro subunit is a spike-only general season elk unit. Bull harvest in the Anthro subunit has been modest (8–20 bulls per year 2017–2022) due to the spike-only restriction and access challenges; antlerless harvest has been higher (30–159/year). Elk summer in limited aspen/Douglas-fir zones on upper ridges and winter on mid-elevation mountain big sagebrush communities. Pronghorn occupy open sagebrush flats and benches, particularly on the Myton Bench and lower drainages; GOHUNT and harvest data confirm very high success rates. Black bear are present; the Nine Mile unit has limited-entry draw bear permits (spring, summer, fall) plus harvest-objective permits (spring quota 25, fall quota 10). Mountain lion are present year-round and are OTC (unit 11, Nine Mile North). Wild horses use portions of the range and are noted in the elk plan as competing with elk for forage. Bison from Ute Tribal Lands are increasing in significance per the elk plan. The Nine Mile unit has an OTC bison permit (sale date July 7, $460 resident) for a very challenging hunt with limited access; 2024 success was 14.3%.

1. The Nine Mile, Anthro-Myton Bench boundary is UDWR Elk Herd Unit 11A. Mule deer general season uses the full Nine Mile unit (11A+11B combined per 2020 deer plan boundary). 2. Elk: Anthro subunit (11A) is spike-only general season; Range Creek subunit (11B) is any-bull — critical distinction. 3. The Nine Mile, Green River Valley Extended Archery Area (EAA) is for DEER only (either-sex, archery, Sep 12–Oct 15) — not for elk. There is no elk EAA on this unit. 4. Pronghorn quotas from 2024 actual harvest stats: PB5011 archery 29 permits, PB5037 any legal weapon 89 permits, PB5059 muzzleloader 29 permits. 5. Black bear is NOT simple OTC — harvest-objective permits are purchased OTC starting March 10 while quota remains; limited-entry draw hunts also available. 6. Bison OTC permit forfeits draw eligibility — noted prominently in field regs. 7. Moose removed from species list: no Nine Mile moose hunt found in 2026 guidebook. 8. Native American Trust Lands are excluded from the hunt boundary. 9. 66% public land figure from HuntScore for combined unit; Anthro subunit elk habitat is ~97% public (yearlong).