West Cache Extended Archery Area, Utah

Low-relief valley farmland, river bottoms, and rolling foothills; the boundary also includes portions of the western slopes of the Bear River Range (Cache National Forest fringe) near Hyrum, Paradise, Avon, and the Mt. Sterling area. Elevation ranges from approximately 4,400 to 5,700 feet. Drainages include the Blacksmith Fork River and the Little Bear River. The Highline Canal is used as a boundary reference on the eastern/southeastern edge (replacing the former Forest Service boundary that crossed several private properties).

The boundary is almost entirely private land (approximately 3% public). Road access is via US-89/91 along the western edge; SR-165 (Logan to Cache Valley); SR-23 and SR-142 on the northwestern portion near Cutler Reservoir and the Box Elder County line; SR-101 near Logan. A few hundred acres of state land lie west of the Big Hills/Bergeson area east of Cornish. Small Walk-In Access (WIA) parcels (J. Baxter and G. Baxter Walk-In Access areas) provide limited public foot access near the Mt. Pisgah Road area. No National Forest access within the core of the boundary; the Highline Canal now serves as the eastern boundary reference near Hyrum/Paradise/Avon per the 2026 boundary modification. Written permission from private landowners is required for virtually all hunting. A GPS with land ownership data is strongly recommended. Boundary questions are directed to UDWR Ogden office (801-476-2740).

Dominant cover is a mixture of native and exotic grasses, forbs, sagebrush, and agricultural crops (alfalfa and grain fields). River bottoms along the Blacksmith Fork and Little Bear River provide riparian cottonwood and willow corridors. The foothills on the eastern edge transition to mountain brush and limited conifer. The area lacks significant high-elevation timber; most hunting terrain is open agricultural and sagebrush land.

Elk are the primary big game species and the main driver for the boundary's creation; herds move seasonally from Cache National Forest down into private agricultural areas, causing documented depredation on crops and creating safety concerns near communities. Mule deer are also present throughout the sagebrush, farmland, and riparian areas; the extended archery deer season provides bowhunters access to rutting bucks. The mix of alfalfa fields, grain crops, and river-bottom cover concentrates both elk and deer through fall and winter. Elk can often be located by glassing from public roads. Mountain lion and black bear are present in the adjacent Cache National Forest but are not a primary target species within this boundary.

This boundary is ARCHERY-ONLY — there are no general rifle or muzzleloader seasons within it. It is not a limited-entry draw unit in the traditional sense; access requires (1) having drawn a valid Utah archery deer or archery elk permit on any unit (or holding the new extended-archery-only draw permit DB0008 for deer, or Dedicated Hunter Program enrollment), AND (2) completion of the annual UDWR online archery ethics course (wildlife.utah.gov/extendedarchery). The boundary was modified by the Utah Wildlife Board for 2026-27: the eastern edge near Hyrum/Paradise/Avon now follows the Highline Canal (replacing the former Forest Service boundary that crossed private properties); the Mt. Sterling depredation area was added; and the western edge was clarified. The elk season was simultaneously extended from Dec. 15 to Jan. 31. Approximately 97% of the area is private land; meaningful hunting is nearly impossible without landowner permission. The boundary encompasses parts of several Cache County communities including Newton, Cornish, Paradise, Avon, and areas near Logan. USGS reference maps: Logan and Tremonton 1:100,000. Harvest statistics and tag quota data were not publicly available. Mountain goat are present in the adjacent Bear River Range (Cache National Forest) but are not part of this boundary's huntable species. Elk hunting in this area is explicitly a depredation management tool as much as a traditional recreation hunt.