Deseret CWMU Antlerless Elk
2026 Hunt Info
Please carefully read the guided antlerless elk hunt details, the non-guided antlerless elk hunt details, and the hunting rules, and review the FAQ.
If you are a Utah resident, you can obtain a Deseret CWMU Antlerless Elk (Cow Elk) permit by applying through the public drawing. If you are a NON-RESIDENT, you cannot apply for a CWMU permit through the public drawing. To learn more about Utah's CWMU program, click HERE.
If you have questions beyond the hunt details and hunting rules, use the form below to contact the operator. The Deseret CWMU does not sell private antlerless elk tags to residents or non-residents. All the Deseret CWMU antlerless elk tags are state-drawn only. Please do not inquire about private tags, landowner tags, trespass fees, etc.
To ensure a quality hunting experience for all public hunters, all scheduling and inquiries must be done through the Deseret CWMU Operator. Individual guides are NOT permitted to schedule hunts or deviate from the information provided here.
If you draw the Deseret CWMU antlerless elk tag, the Deseret CWMU operator will contact you by mid to late July with detailed instructions on the steps we need you to take.
The Deseret CWMU offers two hunt options for the state antlerless elk hunt. There is a guided option and a non-guided option. Please read below.
Number of permits: three sixty (360)
Hunt #: EA1129
Guided Antlerless Elk Hunt Details
This information is for the guided antlerless elk hunt. Scroll down to find information on the non-guided antlerless elk hunt.
We have a limited number of slots for the guided antlerless hunt for the 2026 season. If you plan to do the guided hunt, you must attend the shooting class on August 8th. There is no other option to select the guided hunt unless you attend the class. You will select your hunt dates after the shooting class.
Hunt Dates: Select days in November and December
The earliest hunt dates will be November 30, 2026.
Guided: 2 hunters to 1 guide
Guest: No
Unless the hunter (the individual with the Deseret CWMU Antlerless Elk Tag) is:
Youth (18 and younger)
Female
And/or disabled (you have a physical or mental condition that makes you unable to hunt without major assistance from another individual)
Mentor Program: We allow Deseret’s guided antlerless elk hunters to participate in the mentor program. The mentor program allows the hunter (the individual with the Deseret antlerless elk tag) to mentor a youth hunter. The hunter and the mentor both have Deseret antlerless elk tags, but only one antlerless elk can be harvested between the two of them. We will not be allowing any additional guests if one participates in the mentor program (only the hunter and the mentor). The mentor is not permitted to bring an extra guest. You will need to handle all paperwork with the UDWR. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Weapons Allowed on the guided hunt: Only rifles allowed (no shotguns, bows, crossbows, open-sight rifles, muzzleloaders, handguns, etc.)
The objective of the guided hunt is to harvest the antlerless elk while also having a great hunting experience. Rifles are our most effective tool for helping to meet the harvest objective.
If you wish to use a weapon other than a rifle with a scope, please do so on the non-guided hunt.
Meeting location: Main ranch check station in Woodruff, UT or Cryodon, UT (dependent on weather)
Meeting time: between 6:00 AM and 7:00 AM, depending on the hunt date
What is provided:
The hunter will ride with the guide in the guide’s vehicle while on the ranch.
The guide will locate elk and help the hunter to make a successful harvest.
The guide will field dress and pack out the elk.
No lodging is available for this hunt.
We plan on meeting at the Main Ranch in Woodruff, UT, for the hunt. We sometimes change the location if elk are not in areas close to the Main Ranch side. Storms can roll in, making hunting and visibility very difficult. Due to weather and hunting conditions, we reserve the right to cancel a hunt date. For this reason, we DO NOT recommend booking a hotel room in advance. If we decide to cancel a hunt or change the meeting location, we will do so by 5:00 PM the day before your hunt. We recommend NOT BOOKING your hotel room in Evanston (if you plan to stay the night before your hunt) until 6:00 PM. Evanston isn’t a tourist hotspot; you could probably walk into any hotel that evening, and they would have a room for you. We want to ensure you avoid any cancellation fees with the hotel if we have to cancel your hunt due to weather or need to change the meeting location.
Second tag: In 2024 and 2025, the UDWR allowed Deseret antlerless elk hunters to purchase a second antlerless elk tag. We have heard the plan is the same for 2026. During the guided hunt, the guide's focus will be on helping both hunters harvest antlerless elk (this hunt is conducted with two hunters per guide). If you plan to do the guided hunt exclusively, plan on only harvesting one elk. Do not purchase a second cow elk tag unless you plan on trying to fill the other tag during the non-guided hunt. The guided hunt pays for one antlerless elk. If you want to harvest two antlerless elk, you must harvest one on the non-guided hunt.
The number of hunt days: 2 days or until you have opportunities. Please note that the days are not back-to-back. Over the past five years, every hunter who has done a guided hunt has shot an elk (note: some were wounded). Typically, most guided hunters harvest on their first day up. But in certain situations, a second day is required.
Cost
We are offering a very informative shooting and gun training class (free of charge). You must attend the shooting class if you want do this hunt guided.
The hunt costs $550 (per hunter). This does not include a tip for your guide.
Tips: Guides use their vehicles and equipment. Although guide tips are not required, they are greatly appreciated. Average tips range from $50-$300 per hunter.
You must attend the shooting class and training to be guided at the $550 rate.
The class is on Saturday, August 8, 2026, from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Main Ranch Check station in Woodruff, UT.
The first class begins at 7:00 AM, and the last will start at 11:30 AM. Classes start every half an hour. We have a limit of 10 hunters/shooters for each half-hour time slot. Most hunters can complete the shooting class in 30-60 minutes.
How to sign up for the class: If you draw the Deseret CWMU tag, you will receive an email and a mailed letter with instructions.
The shooting class is designed to help hunters become more comfortable with shooting, shooting positions, and shooting speed. This will hopefully help with stress on the elk, wounds, and loss. The guides teaching the class are highly educated in this field. The guides' knowledge can help any hunter become a better shot.
Our end goal for the class is for the hunter to be able to shoot from a shooting position (sitting on the ground with shooting sticks) at 300 yards. There are 12-inch metal targets, and we want the hunter to be able to hit the target 2-3 times. If guns are not sighted in and scopes are not mounted correctly, we could use 40-50 rounds per hunter/rifle. This class could last as short as 10 minutes for some hunters or up to 2 hours. The length will depend on how much time we have to spend with the hunter and their rifle to successfully hit the 300-yard target.
If the hunter (the individual with the Deseret tag) is not a female, a youth (18 years old and under), or a disabled hunter, the guest fee is an additional $450, in addition to the guide fee. This would make the guided cost $1,000. With the additional guest, the hunt will be conducted one-on-one (one hunter to one guide). If the hunter pays for one-on-one
Please note that our management plan for the guided hunts to harvest the antlerless elk on the ranch includes walk-in-only areas. Guided hunts will not occur in the ranch's Blue Fork drainage. Non-guided hunters are allowed to hunt the Blue Fork, but access is walk-in only; no vehicle access is allowed.
Non-Guided Antlerless Elk Hunt Details
Guests:
Four (4) guests are allowed per Deseret permit holder.
Only one vehicle is allowed per hunter and his/her guest. Guests CANNOT bring separate vehicles.
Guest cannot have their own vehicles on the property.
Guests must always stay with the hunter (Deseret permit holder). Guests must stay within normal conversation distance.
Mentor program info:
Weapons allowed on the non-guided hunt: any legal weapon.
Vehicles: No ATVs, side-by-sides, horses, etc, are allowed (even street legal)
4x4 vehicles are highly recommended
Good tires and chains for your vehicle are highly recommended
Items to bring for the hunt:
Hunting clothing (Deseret is 15-20 degrees colder than Salt Lake City) or check Woodruff, UT, weather
Hunter orange hat is recommended (a vest is also highly recommended)
Food and drinks
Hunting tag
Rifle and ammunition
Hunting pack
Deseret antlerless elk tag
Number of hunt days for non-guided hunters: 6 days
You are welcome to hunt as few or as many days as you wish from the selected dates.
You DO NOT need to call or inform us which days you are coming.
Non-guided Hunt dates:
Ten (6) total days
November 11th-14th (Wednesday-Saturday)
November 16th-17th (Monday-Tuesday)
These are the ONLY dates for the non-guided cow elk hunt
We recommend you give yourself multiple days to try to harvest an antlerless elk
The meeting entrance location: Main Ranch in Woodruff, UT, or Lost Creek Reservoir in Croydon, UT
Lost Creek Entrance will have access only during these times (6:00 AM-7:00 AM and 6:00 PM-7:00 PM). Please use the Main Ranch entrance if you need to enter or leave the ranch outside these times.
Check-in time begins at 6:00 AM.
If hunters wish to arrive at Deseret earlier than the 6:00 AM meeting time, they need to plan to camp on the CWMU.
Camping: A designated area is available for trailers, camp trucks, and tents. This is the only area where camping is allowed on the CWMU.
You must come through the Main Ranch entrance if you plan on bringing a camper or trailer.
Nights available for camping on the Deseret CWMU.
Novmeber 11th-13th (Wednesay-Friday) & November 16th (Monday)
No overnight camping is allowed on the CWMU the day before each hunt week (Tuesday, November 10th, and Sunday, November 15th). No one will be there to open the gates on those days.
No overnight camping is allowed on the last day of the hunt weeks (Saturday, November 14th, and Tuesday, November 17th). If hunters have tents or trailers on the ranch on Saturday, November 14th, and plan on hunting the following week (Monday, November 16th, and/or Tuesday, November 17th), they are welcome to keep their campers on Deseret on Sunday. Hunters do not need to remove them. But you will not be able to camp and stay on Deseret from Saturday night through Monday morning. NO hunters or hunting allowed on Sunday, November 15th.
Deseret assumes no responsibility for unattended campers, trailers, and tents.
All campers must remove tents and trailers by November 17th.
Every hunter is required to check in before they start hunting (unless they are camping; we will assume you are checked in and hunting) and check out before leaving. Even if an animal is not harvested, we must know you are off the CWMU. If you are camping, you are still required to let us know you have made it safely back to your campsite.
Is a packing service provided: Yes, for a fee of $250. (Cash only accepted. Payment to guide at time of service)
Packout services are only available from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. We do not want to disrupt the elk during peak hunting times and cause other hunters to experience an unsuccessful hunt. If you harvest an antlerless elk after 2:00 p.m. and want to pay for the pack service, we will pack out the animal the following morning at 10:00 a.m.
Packout service does not include gutting and/or quartering of the antlerless elk.
Hunters and guests will need to pack out the antlerless elk to the two tracks in these walk-in-only areas, and then we will pack out the antlerless elk from there.
Please note that the packing service is not available in the Blue Fork area of Deseret. This is a walk-in access area only.
Mentor Program: We allow Deseret’s non-guided antlerless elk hunters to participate in the mentor program. The mentor program allows the hunter (the individual with the Deseret antlerless elk tag) to mentor a youth hunter. The hunter and the mentor both have Deseret antlerless elk tags, but only one antlerless elk can be harvested between the two of them. You will need to handle all paperwork with the UDWR. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Second tag: In 2024 and 2025, the UDWR allowed Deseret antlerless elk hunters to purchase a second antlerless elk tag. We have heard the plan is the same for 2026. If you are doing the non-guided hunt, you are more than welcome to purchase a second tag from the UDWR.
Physical recommendations: This hunt is not easy and is physical. A successful antlerless elk harvest is not guaranteed. The weather can be unpredictable this time of year, and roads can become impassable. While some hunters have success near roads, this is not a road hunt; most hunters should expect to pack harvested animals from 0.5 to 2 miles. The terrain is not flat, and hunters should be prepared for moderate hiking in uneven to steep terrain.
Maps: We provide a simple Deseret CWMU map showing borders, main roads, and roadless areas. We also recommend downloading offline mapping software such as Onxmaps.
Deseret has hundreds of miles of main gravel, graded roads for hunters to drive, and hundreds more available two-tracks. That being said, Deseret also has roadless areas on the ranch. These roadless areas provide excellent hunting opportunities for the antlerless elk. These areas will be marked on a map, and there are marked road blockages. These areas are roadless for vehicle traffic and packing out (no hunters are allowed to use them). Hunters are more than welcome to hunt these areas, as they provide high success rates when hunters put in the effort.
Deseret also closes roads for safety reasons. Some roads become extremely dangerous after the end of October or when the weather no longer permits safe access.
Please make sure to study and understand the map for these roadless areas and know them before applying for the hunt and deciding to do the non-guided option.
Hunting Rules
Safety comes first.
Hunting
Take time to shoot and sight in your rifle before your hunt. Know your rifle and your limitations.
All hunters must abide by Utah state laws regarding wildlife. Click HERE for Utah Wildlife Laws.
We recommend all hunters and guests wear a hunter-orange hat and vest while hunting.
Unload firearms when not used (shooting at the big game species) and leave the action open.
Most other wildlife species found on Deseret are protected by state law and/or require special licenses or permits to ‘take’ these animals. Hunting other wildlife species of any kind is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to: coyotes, badgers, ground squirrels, foxes, upland birds, grouse, and waterfowl.
Follow basic gun safety
Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
Treat every rifle as loaded (even if you don’t think it is).
No ammunition in the rifle chamber while driving, hiking, in camp, etc. (ammunition can be left in the magazine/clip)
Only put ammunition in the chamber when attempting to make a shot at the big game animal you have the permit for (then quickly remove chamber bullets).
Be aware of your surroundings while shooting. Do not shoot toward vehicles, hunters, and guest(s).
Do not rely on the gun’s safety.
Be sure of your target, your line of fire, and what lies beyond your target and what is beyond it.
Vehicles/Driving & Roads etc
No ATVs, side-by-sides, snowmobiles, or other off-road vehicles are allowed on the ranch, even if they are street-legal (trucks/SUVs/cars only)
No horses, llamas, alpacas, goats, etc
We recommend a 4x4 vehicle with good off-road tires (chains are also highly recommended)
Hunters are not to drive off the main gravel roads or well-established two-tracks (these are marked)
No driving past any road blockages. These include, but are not limited to, posted reflectors, locked gates, wood logs across the road, etc. This will be discussed further when you check in for your hunt.
All gates are to remain as they were when you approached them. If they are open, leave them open; if they are closed, close them.
Be safe and courteous while driving on the roads. Drive respectfully and cautiously.
Roads may be closed for safety reasons (Ie, extreme weather).
Care must be taken to avoid damage to Ranch roads.
No chasing, pursuing, pushing, herding, or harassing game with a vehicle.
The maximum driving speed is 25 mph.
Camping/Campsite
The use of alcohol or possession of any open alcoholic container is prohibited while hunting or in a vehicle on the premises.
No open campfires.
No littering; hunters must remove all their casings, cans, trash, and debris from the premises.
The Ranch
State laws protect livestock on Deseret Land and Livestock (DLL). Do not harm, harass, or shoot livestock. DLL may file civil charges against anyone for harassing, shooting, or harming livestock.
No fishing on the streams or ponds.
No other outdoor recreational activities are offered on the property during the hunts.
Respect the property and employees.
Shed antlers and “dead heads” are Deseret's property. Hunters or guests cannot pick up or remove them from the ranch.
Hunters and guests are responsible for familiarizing themselves with and understanding the CWMU’s boundaries.
