North Slope, Utah

The unit ranges from roughly 6,200 feet in the sagebrush foothills and canyon country near Flaming Gorge Reservoir to over 12,000 feet in the High Uintas alpine zone. The landscape is dominated by north-facing mountain slopes, rugged wilderness drainages (Henry's Fork, Burnt Fork, Sheep Creek Canyon, Goslin Mountain), and deeply incised canyon systems feeding into Flaming Gorge and the Green River. The High Uintas Wilderness, where no motorized vehicles are permitted, occupies a large portion of the interior. Terrain transitions from relatively accessible lodgepole and ponderosa foothills near UT-44 and US-191 to remote alpine tundra and talus above timberline.

Primary highway access corridors: SR-150 (Mirror Lake Highway) forms the western boundary, accessible from Kamas (Summit County) to Hayden Pass. US-191 runs along the eastern edge through Dutch John to Vernal. UT-44 provides north-side access from Manila west toward Spirit Lake and the Flaming Gorge Ranger District. USFS Road 058 (North Slope Road) is the primary east-west corridor along the north slope, connecting SR-150 near the Daggett-Summit county line eastward through the Ashley National Forest. Developed recreation sites include Spirit Lake Campground (~10,170 ft), Browne Lake, Deep Creek, and the Sheep Creek Geological Loop (a 13-mile scenic backway off UT-44). Inside the High Uintas Wilderness, no motorized vehicles are permitted; access is by foot or horse. Private land exists within the unit, particularly in lower valleys near Flaming Gorge; at least one CWMU (Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit) operates on private lands within the West Daggett area (EA2005, antlerless elk). Ute Tribal Trust lands within the broader boundary are excluded from UDWR jurisdiction.

Lower elevations (6,200-7,500 ft) support sagebrush-grassland and pinyon-juniper in the drier canyon country near Flaming Gorge and the Green River corridor. Mid-elevations (7,500-10,000 ft) are dominated by mixed lodgepole pine and ponderosa pine with areas of aspen; spruce-fir forests become dominant above approximately 9,500 feet. Above timberline (roughly 10,500-12,000+ ft) the landscape transitions to alpine meadow, tundra, talus, and clear-water lakes. Riparian corridors along Henry's Fork, Burnt Fork, Sheep Creek, and numerous smaller streams support willows and cottonwood. The unit contains hundreds of high-country lakes and dozens of streams.

Mule deer are distributed unit-wide as the primary big game species; CWD has been documented on the unit (2020 management plan). Rocky Mountain elk are managed as a general-season any-bull OTC unit for most of the boundary, with limited-entry bull permits available in the Three Corners subunit only (hunt codes EB3013, EB3053, EB3091, EB3115). Moose support once-in-a-lifetime permit hunts: North Slope Summit (MB6006, 27 permits in 2024, 100% success) and North Slope Three Corners/West Daggett (MB6007, 9 permits in 2024, 100% success). Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep occupy steep canyon terrain around Goslin Mountain, Bare Top, Sheep Creek, Carter Creek/Red Canyon, and Henrys Fork drainages; managed via once-in-a-lifetime permits for North Slope Three Corners (RS6708, 2 permits in 2024) and North Slope Summit/West Daggett (RS6709, 3 permits in 2024). Mountain goats occupy the High Uintas alpine zone in the High Uintas East (GO6806) and High Uintas Leidy Peak (GO6807) hunt units, which fall within the North Slope deer/elk boundary; 3 total permits were issued in 2024 (2 and 1 respectively), hunter's choice/any legal weapon. Pronghorn are present in the open foothills and sagebrush terrain, managed via limited-entry draw permits in North Slope Summit (PB5039) and North Slope Three Corners/West Daggett (PB5040, PB5012, PB5066) subunits. Black bears are present in forested drainages; harvest-objective limited-entry permits issued for Kamas/North Slope Summit and North Slope Three Corners/West Daggett areas. Mountain lions are present throughout forested elevations; no separate permit required in Utah beyond a hunting license.

BOUNDARY: UDWR Herd Unit #8 spans Summit and Daggett counties. For species other than mule deer the unit is subdivided into Summit (west), West Daggett (middle), and Three Corners (east) subunits. DEER HUNT CODES (2024): DB1543 ALW (35.1% success, 252 harvest), DB1513 archery (12.9%), DB1573 ML (10.2%), DB1598 early ALW (24.3%), DB1782 Dedicated Hunter (22%), DB1065 LE ML draw (75%). MOOSE (2024): MB6006 Summit 27 permits/100% success, MB6007 Three Corners/West Daggett 9 permits/100% = 36 total (draft said 34). BIGHORN SHEEP (2024): RS6708 Three Corners 2 permits + RS6709 Summit/West Daggett 3 permits = 5 total (draft said 7). MOUNTAIN GOAT (2024): GO6806 High Uintas East 2 permits + GO6807 Leidy Peak 1 permit = 3 total (draft said 4). These two units are within the North Slope deer/elk boundary; GO6804 Kamas and GO6808 West fall within Kamas/South Slope deer boundaries. PRONGHORN (2024): PB5039 Summit 14 ALW, PB5040 Three Corners/West Daggett 37 ALW, PB5012 archery 12, PB5066 ML 12 = ~75 total draw permits. ELK LE THREE CORNERS (2024): EB3013 archery 8 permits, EB3053 mid-ALW 14 permits, EB3091 ML 4 permits, EB3115 multiseason 2 permits. CWD: Confirmed documented on North Slope Unit per 2020 management plan. MOUNTAIN GOAT NATIVE STATUS: UDWR considers mountain goats indigenous to the Uinta Mountains. Transplants began 1987 (Bald Mountain) not 1983. PUBLIC LAND: Deer management plan shows approx 87% USFS summer range; mountain goat habitat is 98% USFS. The 89% figure from GoHunt is a reasonable composite estimate. TRIBAL LANDS: Ute Tribal Trust lands are excluded from UDWR jurisdiction; not reflected in land ownership totals.