San Rafael, South, Utah

Canyon-and-mesa desert terrain carved from the San Rafael Swell anticline, a dome-shaped uplift of sandstone, shale, and limestone eroded into steep-walled canyons, vertical fins, hogbacks, mesas, buttes, and badlands. The San Rafael Reef forms a dramatic east-facing escarpment along the unit's eastern edge. Elevation ranges from approximately 4,200 feet on canyon floors to about 7,900 feet on higher mesa tops, though most hunting ground lies between 4,500 and 6,500 feet. Canyons commonly run 200–1,000 feet deep. Named features within the unit include Hondoo, Chimney, Moroni Slopes, Iron Wash, Crack Canyon, Eardley, Poor Canyon, Cedar Mountain, Muddy Reef, Wild Horse area, Spring Wash, and Keesle Country.

The unit is predominantly public land: BLM manages approximately 88.1% of the modeled bighorn sheep habitat (roughly 334,521 acres within that model), Utah State Institutional Trust Lands (SITLA) account for about 10.9%, Utah State Parks 0.4%, private land is minimal (0.3%), and National Parks 0.2%. No CWMUs are within the boundary per the bighorn sheep management plan. Capitol Reef National Park is explicitly excluded. Interstate 70 forms the northern boundary and provides primary regional access; SR-24 runs through the southern portion of the unit connecting Fremont Junction to Hanksville, and SR-72 forms part of the western boundary near Fremont Junction. The southern boundary follows SR-24 to Caineville, then the Caineville Wash road north to the Cathedral Valley road, west to Rock Springs Bench and the Last Chance Desert road, north to the Blue Flats road, then northeast to the Willow Springs road and Windy Peak road to SR-72. BLM roads off SR-24 provide interior access; the Three Finger Canyon trailhead (approximately 3.5 miles south of SR-24 via the Hatt's Ranch bypass) reaches the San Rafael Reef WSA and requires high-clearance 4WD. Much of the sheep habitat in the interior canyons (Chimney, Crack Canyon, Iron Wash, Hondoo) is accessible only on foot or by ATV on rough two-tracks. The BLM Price Field Office (435-636-3600) administers the area. BLM completed an updated travel plan in December 2024 establishing the current motorized route network.

Approximately 77% of the unit is covered by pinyon-juniper woodland and desert shrub communities, with extensive areas of bare slickrock. Desert shrub-saltbush dominates lower canyon floors and flatter benches; pinyon-juniper woodland occupies intermediate elevations and canyon rims. Sagebrush communities occur on higher benches. Riparian corridors along drainages such as Muddy Creek and smaller wash systems support scattered cottonwood and willow. The unit has high plant endemism including the endangered San Rafael cactus. Cheatgrass encroachment and PJ expansion into former sagebrush habitats are ongoing management concerns.

Desert bighorn sheep are the primary managed big-game species; the unit is part of Herd Unit 12 (San Rafael South), which had a 2018 population estimate of 222 sheep against an objective of 500 (per the 2019 management plan). Population declined 39% between the 2015 and 2018 surveys. Sheep are distributed across rugged canyon habitats including Iron Wash, Chimney, Moroni Slopes, Crack Canyon, Hondoo, Eardley, Cedar Mountain, Poor Canyon, Spring Wash, Keesle Country, Muddy Reef, and Wild Horse areas per the 2021 aerial survey (138 sheep counted). Population has been suppressed by respiratory disease and cougar predation. The San Rafael South bighorn herd was reintroduced in 1983; first hunt held in 1993. Mule deer occur in low densities; UDWR notes that most deer harvest in the San Rafael portion of the Manti/San Rafael unit occurs near agricultural corridors along SR-10, which lies north of this sub-boundary. Mountain lions are present year-round and are recognized as a significant bighorn sheep predator; an average of 7 cougars per year was taken on the broader San Rafael unit in recent years. The unit is designated a bighorn sheep protection area with a liberal cougar harvest quota. Golden eagles, bald eagles, ferruginous hawks, and peregrine falcons inhabit the unit. Wild horses are present on BLM lands. Pronghorn occur in adjacent San Rafael units (Desert and North) but are not managed under a specific San Rafael South pronghorn hunt designation.

1. The 'San Rafael, South' hunt boundary is the official UDWR designation used specifically for the desert bighorn sheep limited-entry draw (DS6610). For mule deer, this geographic area falls within the much larger 'Central Mtns, Manti/San Rafael' general season deer unit; no separate 'San Rafael South' deer hunt number exists. Deer density in the San Rafael portion is explicitly noted as low by UDWR. 2. The public_land_pct of 88 is derived from the bighorn sheep habitat model (BLM 88.1%, per 2019 management plan). 3. No pronghorn hunt is designated specifically for the San Rafael South boundary; the nearest pronghorn units are 'San Rafael, Desert' and 'San Rafael, North.' 4. Capitol Reef National Park is excluded from this hunt boundary (per the management plan boundary description). 5. The bighorn sheep population (est. 222 in 2018, objective 500) declined 39% between 2015 and 2018 surveys; suppressed by respiratory disease and cougar predation. 6. All 2026 deer season dates confirmed from UDWR 2026 Big Game Field Regulations Guidebook. 7. Mountain lion permit requirement was eliminated in 2023 (not 2026); only a valid hunting license needed with mandatory DWR check-in within 48 hours of harvest.