Deseret CWMU Buck Deer
2026 Hunt Info
Please carefully read the hunt details and rules.
If you're a Utah resident, you can obtain a Deseret CWMU buck deer permit by applying for it through the public drawing. If you are a NON-RESIDENT, you cannot apply for a CWMU permit through the public drawing. You can, however, purchase a permit directly from Wild Country Outfitters for the Deseret CWMU. To learn more about Utah's CWMU program, click HERE.
If you have questions not answered in the hunt details and rules, use the form below to contact the operator.
Hunt Details
Meeting location: Cement plant in Croydon, UT, or the Main Ranch check station in Woodruff, UT
Number of public tags: thirteen (13)
2025 Draw odds: CLICK HERE
Hunt #: DB1228
Hunt Dates:
The hunter will be able to choose one of the hunt weeks below. There are two weeks of hunts to choose from, and the number of hunters per week is limited. Once we send out the email and the letter, the hunters can pick their preferred week(s). Please understand that week selection is on a first-come, first-served basis. We will not add more hunters once the week’s limit has been reached. Please note that you may not get your top priority week.
If you plan to apply for this season's hunt, please make sure you have both weeks available, or, at a minimum, that the hunter is available for week 2, as there is no limit on the number of hunters for week 2.
Week 1: Monday, October 26, 2026, 10:00 AM — Saturday, October 31, 2026, 12:00 PM
Week 2: Monday, November 2, 2026, 10:00 AM — Saturday, November 7, 2026, 12:00 PM
Guided: Yes, two hunters to one guide. NO COST
There is no option to do this hunt without a guide (Deseret started guiding all state deer hunters in 2025).
Trophy Care: Packing and caping of your trophy.
Guest Rules:
All buck deer hunters are allowed to bring ONE guest free of charge for access to the ranch. (Please read below about the guest fees for meals and lodging)
Mentor program info:
You are welcome to mentor a youth hunter on this hunt on the Deseret CWMU. All paperwork for the mentor program must be submitted through the UDWR. To learn more about the UDWR’s mentor program, CLICK HERE.Please note that a hunter is only allowed one guest. If the hunter chooses to mentor a youth hunter, the mentor hunter qualifies as the hunter’s one guest.
Meals/Lodging: Included for the hunter free of charge. Guest meals and lodging are NOT free of charge. Beds/bedding, towels, pillows, restrooms, hot showers, and electricity. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided.
Guest meals and lodging are $150 per day.
The rooms in the lodge have one queen bed, a private bathroom, and a shower. If you choose to bring a guest and pay the $150 per day (for meals and lodging), please note that there will be only one queen bed in your room. Therefore, you can share the bed with your guest or bring a sleeping cot with bedding for your guest.
Hunters who want to bring a guest but choose not to pay the guest fee ($150 per day). You can bring a camp trailer, and you and your guest can camp and provide your own meals in the designated camping area on the Deseret CWMU. You can also find lodging and meals for you and your guest in Evanston, Wyoming. Each morning and afternoon, you will drive to meet your guide for the hunt.
Weapons allowed: Any legal weapon
Vehicle:
4x4 Truck or SUV with good off-road tires
Hunters will be with the guide during the hunting week, but their vehicles must be able to reach the lodge.
Please show up at Deseret with a full tank of gas.
Our management plan for Deseret is to harvest old/mature buck deer. We consider deer to be mature at 5 years of age. Our goal as an outfitter is to provide hunters with opportunities to harvest a mature buck. We will not field judge and score the deer on the hoof. Guides will find and locate mature deer and present opportunities. The hunter will choose if he/she want to harvest the buck deer.
On the Deseret CWMU, we do not harvest buck deer unless we consider them mature (5 years of age or older). By applying for this hunt as a state hunter, you agree that if a buck deer is considered too young (by your guide, Deseret, or Wild Country Hunting Club) to harvest (under 5 years of age), you will not harvest or attempt to harvest a buck deer regardless of size or score.
Deseret has a wound policy. If a hunter wounds, hits, and/or draws blood on a buck deer, the hunter may not attempt to harvest another buck deer.
We want hunters to be happy with the buck deer hunt on the ranch. Deseret’s deer herd is good, and the hunt is enjoyable. That said, our average scores on the buck deer on the state hunt are 130-165 B&C. There is potential to harvest larger bucks, but we want to be upfront and transparent about the averages. We want hunters to make an informed decision when considering whether to apply for the Deseret CWMU buck deer hunt. See the picture gallery below for references to past harvested buck deer. CLICK HERE to see past state hunter buck deer scores.
Deseret lost 80% of its deer herd during the 2022/2023 winter. Please understand that deer numbers are still below average and are in the process of recovery. The expected full recovery won’t be until 2030.
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 on this page.
Our goal is to provide you with a quality hunting experience. You will have the same opportunity as our paying clients. Your job is to enjoy the experience and conduct yourselves in a manner that ensures all other guests have a quality experience.
If you draw out for this hunt, you will be contacted by the CWMU operator with further information regarding your hunt. Plan on four to six weeks after the draw results (expect to hear from the operator by the middle of June).
Hunting Rules
Safety comes first.
Hunting
Take time to shoot and sight in your rifle before your hunt. Know your hunting and shooting limits. Understand your rifle.
Hunters are allowed to shoot one, and only one, animal for which they have a permit. Once you hit an animal and/or draw blood, that is your animal. Please be aware of your animal and its surroundings, and pick your shots carefully.
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.
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.
No preseason scouting
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 guests.
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)
We recommend a 4x4 vehicle with good off-road tires (chains are also highly recommended)
Be safe and courteous while driving on the roads. Drive respectively, slowly, and cautiously.
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 smoking in the lodge
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.
