Zion, Utah

The unit spans approximately 2,500 ft elevation (low desert east of St. George) to 10,000 ft (Pine Knoll, northeastern unit). Zion National Park ranges from 3,666 ft at Coalpits Wash to 8,726 ft at Horse Ranch Mountain. The terrain transitions from Mojave Desert basin topography in the southwest through Colorado Plateau canyon country in the park (canyons, mesas, buttes, monoliths, natural arches) to subalpine plateau on the Markagunt. The unit sits at the convergence of the Mojave Desert, Colorado Plateau, and Great Basin.

Primary highway corridors defining the boundary double as access routes: I-15 (west), SR-14 (north), US-89 (east), and US-89A (southeast). Interior access on the north end is via multiple maintained roads branching from SR-14, including Webster Flat Road, Swains Creek Road, and Strawberry Ridge Road, most of which are passable during hunting season. The east end is accessed via Hancock Road and Sand Dunes Road. The North Fork Road and Kolob Reservoir Road provide access to the southern portion of the unit. Kolob Reservoir is reached from the north via Dixie National Forest roads or from the south through the park entrance. Winter range on the west side (Cedar City to Toquerville corridor along I-15) is heavily constrained by private land. Summer range on the Markagunt Plateau is dominated by private property (79% of summer range per UDWR land table), with increased summer-home development limiting hunter access. BLM lands (St. George and Kanab field offices) cover 58% of winter range. National Park Service lands within ZNP are closed to hunting. Two CWMUs operate within the boundary: Mt. Carmel CWMU (~15,000 acres, Muddy Creek drainage, Kane County) and East Zion CWMU (~5,500 acres, Clear Creek drainage). Wilderness and roadless areas within ZNP and the Kolob Canyons section restrict motorized access in the park core. The Dixie National Forest (Cedar City Ranger District) administers USFS summer range (20% of summer range). Private land is the most significant access barrier; hunters are advised to learn property boundaries carefully.

Approximately 33% of the unit is pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) and Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) woodland, which dominates winter range on the west and east lowlands. The southern end features sagebrush-grass flats, oakbrush, and low-elevation mixed browse. The north end (southern Markagunt Plateau) supports ponderosa pine, mixed conifer, large aspen stands, and grass flats. Higher elevation forest includes recovering spruce-fir with bark-beetle disturbance and aspen regeneration projects. Riparian corridors along the Virgin River, La Verkin Creek, Muddy Creek, and associated streams provide willow and cottonwood cover. Navajo Lake and Kolob Reservoir add lacustrine and riparian habitat. Annual precipitation ranges from 7 inches near St. George to 36 inches near Midway Valley; most winter range receives 12-18 inches.

Mule deer are the primary game species; the unit supports a large herd with a 2019 post-season model estimate of ~19,200 deer against a 19,000 objective. Migration patterns are complex — a GPS collar study started in fall/winter 2018-19 (80 adults collared) shows some deer summer on the adjacent Panguitch Lake unit to the north. Buck-to-doe ratios have recently exceeded the 20/100 management threshold. Desert bighorn sheep occupy canyon habitat throughout the unit, concentrated in and around Zion National Park; the 2018 aerial survey estimated 807 animals against a 500-600 objective. The herd tested positive for Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M. ovi) in June 2018, linked to the Kaiparowits herd. Elk are present year-round with a wintering population modeled at ~630 (2023) against a 300-animal objective; they concentrate on the north end, around Kolob Reservoir, and on private land near the park boundary. An aerial survey in February 2021 found ~800 wintering elk, indicating the herd is significantly above objective. Late-season elk move onto NPS lands and are unavailable to hunters. Black bears occupy the northern Markagunt drainages under the combined Panguitch Lake/Zion bear management unit. Mountain lions are active unit-wide and were declared a significant mortality source for deer — 9 of 11 collared adult deer were killed by lions in winter/spring 2020, triggering an active Predator Management Plan effective November 2020. Condor activity occurs in the canyon country near the park, with UDWR and The Peregrine Fund requesting hunters use lead-free ammunition or remove remains.

1. Deer hunter success (55%) and harvest (611) reflect the 2024 main any-weapon hunt (#DB1559, 1,194 permits). Archery (#DB1529): 34.4%, 186 harvest, 603 permits. Muzzleloader (#DB1589): 31.1%, 159 harvest, 570 permits. Early any-weapon (#DB1597): 46.6%, 245 harvest, 585 permits. Dedicated Hunter (#DB1798): 34.5%, 130 harvest, 405 permits. 2. Bighorn tag_quota set to null — annual draw permits ranged 5-12 (not 2-4 as originally drafted); draft figure was incorrect. Hunter success 97% is a rounded average of 2010-2018 data from UDWR harvest table (90-100% annually). 3. The Panguitch Lake/Zion bear unit combines this unit with the adjacent Panguitch Lake unit. Bear tag_quota of 9 reflects the largest per-season resident quota (spring and fall seasons). 4. Elk hunter success rate and reported harvest are not sourced from a published harvest report; no Zion-specific elk harvest table was located. 5. Zion National Park lands are closed to hunting for all species. Two CWMUs (Mt. Carmel ~15,000 ac and East Zion ~5,500 ac) are excluded from general public hunting. Native American Trust Lands within the boundary are also excluded per the elk and deer management plans. 6. Public land percentage (66%) sourced from GoHunt profile; UDWR management plan land tables show BLM at 58% of winter range, USFS at 20% of summer range, NPS at 15% of winter range and 12% of summer range, and private at 59-79% of summer range and 19% of winter range — winter range is predominantly public, summer range is predominantly private. 7. Cougar season confirmed as year-round general with no quota and no permit required beyond a hunting license (2026 Utah Black Bear, Cougar and Furbearer Guidebook p. 31). Prior limited-entry cougar draws were eliminated before 2023. 8. Summary corrected: Kanab removed (not mentioned in UDWR boundary description); Kanarraville and St. George added per management plan town list.