Ogden Extended Archery Area, Utah

Elevation ranges from approximately 4,400 feet near Willard on the valley floor to 9,764 feet at Willard Peak on the Wasatch summit. The western Wasatch face above Willard, Perry, and Ogden is steep and rough, cut by a series of drainages including the Little Bear River, Ogden River, Box Elder Creek, Davenport Creek, Paradise Dry Canyon, Hyrum Dry Canyon, Hyrum Green Canyon, Perry Canyon, and Willard Canyon. Terrain moderates somewhat in Ogden Valley east of Ogden near Huntsville and Pineview Reservoir. The Brigham Face and foothills between Ogden and the valley floor represent transitional terrain that historically served as primary deer winter range but is increasingly developed. Mountain Green and the Morgan County portion of the boundary offer slightly more gentle topography along the SR-167 (Trappers Loop Road) corridor.

Primary highway access is via I-15 along the western valley and SR-89 (US-89) through the valley corridor; SR-167 (Trappers Loop Road) connects Ogden Valley to Morgan County; SR-39 (Ogden Canyon Road) runs east from Ogden through Ogden Canyon to Huntsville and Pineview Reservoir, then continues east toward Woodruff via Ant Flat Road (USFS Road 054) and Hardware Ranch (Cache County). State Road 101 runs northeast toward Hyrum forming the northeast boundary. The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest Ogden Ranger District manages the highest-elevation public land; USFS road access includes SR-39/Ogden Canyon and routes to Snowbasin ski area. UDWR Wildlife Management Areas open to public hunting include Middle Fork WMA (Ogden Valley — closed Jan. 1 through the second Saturday in April to protect wintering wildlife), Brigham Face WMA, and Cinnamon Creek WMA; BLM presence is negligible within this unit. The UDWR administers approximately 15% of deer summer range and 11% of winter range; USFS administers approximately 10% of summer range and 9% of winter range. A majority of winter range (80%) and summer range (70%) is private land, creating serious access constraints in the lower-elevation foothills. Pineview Reservoir area provides a staging area for hunters entering the forest.

Summer range (above approximately 6,500–7,000 feet) consists primarily of aspen stands with some conifer encroachment (Douglas fir, white fir), mountain meadows, and high-elevation shrubs. Mid-elevation slopes (5,100–7,000 feet) support mountain browse communities including sagebrush, bitterbrush (antelope bitterbrush), mountain mahogany, Gambel oak brush, and native grasses — the critical transition zone used by deer in fall. Winter range (4,600–7,000 feet on the Wasatch face) is dominated by sagebrush-bitterbrush shrublands with perennial and annual grasses; browse quality has declined due to cheatgrass invasion, sagebrush senescence, and loss to development. Riparian corridors along major drainages (Little Bear River, Ogden River) support willow and cottonwood. The Monte Cristo, Ant Flat, and Powder Mountain areas hold aspen at higher elevations. Lower foothills transitioning to the valley floor are largely developed or converted to agriculture and residential use.

Mule deer are the primary game species; the target winter herd size for Ogden Deer Herd Unit #3 is 11,000 animals, with postseason population estimated at approximately 9,400 (2016, most recent published plan data). Buck-to-doe ratios ranged from 18–21 bucks per 100 does. Deer use the Brigham Face foothills, Middle Fork and South Fork drainages of Ogden Valley, and canyon systems from Weber Canyon north to the Box Elder County line as primary winter range. In severe winters deer concentrate in Threemile Canyon, East Fork of Little Bear River, Paradise Dry Canyon, Hyrum Dry Canyon, and Perry Canyon. Rocky Mountain elk (general-season any-bull unit, Ogden Elk Herd Unit #3) winter in southern Cache Valley and Ogden Valley; target winter herd is 2,000 elk (estimated 1,950 in spring 2023 survey). Elk summer range is largely in higher national forest elevations and on the Cinnamon Creek WMA; many elk use CWMUs and private agricultural lands, creating depredation conflicts. Other wildlife include mountain lion, black bear, coyote, and various furbearers. Wild turkey may occur in the foothills and canyon bottoms. CWD has not been confirmed within the Ogden unit boundary as of the 2017 herd unit plan, but mandatory CWD sample submission is required for all hunters who harvest a deer during the general-season any legal weapon buck deer hunt (Oct. 17–25, 2026) on the Ogden unit under 2026 regulations.

1. The Ogden Extended Archery Area (hunt code DB0008) allows either-sex archery deer hunting Sept. 12–Nov. 30, 2026. Hunters must hold a general-season archery buck deer permit (OTC or limited-entry) or the draw-only extended archery only permit (DB0008), complete the annual UDWR Archery Ethics Course, and carry proof of completion. HAMSS and antlerless permits are NOT valid on extended archery areas. 2. The boundary follows the Ogden Deer Herd Unit #3 boundary: begins at Hyrum and SR-101; east on SR-101 to Ant Flat Road (Hardware Ranch); south to SR-39; west on SR-39 to SR-167; south on SR-167 to I-84; west on I-84 to I-15; north on I-15 to Exit 364 and US-91; northeast on US-91 to SR-101; east to Hyrum. 3. Public land percentage (41%) is sourced from GoHunt unit profile; UDWR herd unit plan data show private land dominates at ~70–80% of both summer and winter range, suggesting the 41% figure may reflect a different area calculation. 4. The reported buck harvest figure of 929 (2016) reflects all general-season methods on the Ogden deer unit, not the extended archery season alone. 5. Mandatory CWD sample submission is required for hunters harvesting deer during the general-season any legal weapon (Oct. 17–25, 2026) hunt on the Ogden unit; this does not apply to extended archery permit holders unless they also hold an any legal weapon permit. CWD surveillance (voluntary check station) is also conducted on the Ogden unit during the 2026 season. CWD has not been confirmed within the Ogden unit boundary as of 2017 herd plan. 6. Draft reference to 'Monte Carlo' mountain area corrected to 'Monte Cristo' per UDWR deer herd unit plan. 7. Draft claim that Ogden is an elk extended archery area removed — field regs list only Uinta Basin, Wasatch Front, and West Cache as elk extended archery units. 8. Hill Air Force Base claim removed from main profile body — not verifiable from official UDWR or field regs sources reviewed.