Unit 101 Herriman South Valley Extended Archery Area
Urban-interface archery deer in Herriman's backyard mountains
Wasatch Front — Salt Lake Valley / Oquirrh foothills · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
30
sq mi
Public land
25%
approx.
Elevation
4,600–9,000
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
The Herriman South Valley Extended Archery Area is one of Utah's urban deer-management hunts, created to thin the mule deer that spill out of the Oquirrh Mountains into the fast-growing suburbs of Herriman, Riverton and South Jordan on the southwest edge of Salt Lake Valley. It is an archery-only, extended-season deer hunt rather than a backcountry unit — success is about access permission and knowing the bench and foothill draws, not remote wilderness. Deer are the show here; the country is small, developed, and largely privately held.
Terrain
Bench and foothill terrain rising from the valley floor near Herriman into the eastern flank of the Oquirrh Mountains, cut by short brushy draws and canyons.
Cover: Gambel oak and maple brush on the foothills, sagebrush and grass on the benches, scattered pinyon-juniper, with mountain mahogany and conifer higher in the Oquirrhs; irrigated suburban greenbelt at the interface.
Landmarks: Oquirrh Mountains · Butterfield Canyon · Rose Canyon · Herriman · Yellow Fork Canyon
Access
This is a suburban-interface hunt: much of the huntable ground is private (including large Kennecott/Rio Tinto holdings in the Oquirrhs) or lies inside no-discharge municipal areas, so written landowner permission and knowing local safety-zone rules matter more than trailhead logistics. Some county open space (Yellow Fork/Rose Canyon) and SITLA parcels provide public footholds. Confirm boundaries carefully on the DWR Hunt Planner before hunting.
Managers: private, Kennecott/Rio Tinto private, SITLA, Salt Lake County
Access points: Yellow Fork Canyon trailhead · Rose Canyon · Butterfield Canyon Road · Herriman city trailheads
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityResident and seasonally migrating mule deer use the Oquirrh foothills and suburban greenbelt; the hunt exists specifically to reduce urban deer numbers, so opportunity is the point rather than trophy quality, though a mature buck living in the safety zones is always possible.
- →Glass the oak-brush draws and bench edges at first and last light where deer move between bedding cover and irrigated suburban feed
- →Secure private-land permission early — access, not deer density, is the limiting factor
- →Hunt the fringe canyons (Yellow Fork, Rose Canyon, Butterfield) that funnel deer off the Oquirrhs
- →Know and respect municipal no-discharge safety zones; still-hunt slowly through brush
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityA few elk drift through the Oquirrh Mountains, but this extended-archery area is managed for deer and elk are incidental rather than a primary target.
- →Treat any elk encounter as a bonus while deer hunting the higher Oquirrh timber
- →Verify current hunt-choice/either-sex rules before targeting elk here
Pro tips
- →Line up landowner permission and understand city discharge ordinances before opening day — this is a permission hunt
- →Focus on transition edges between suburban greenbelt and oak brush at dawn and dusk
- →Use the DWR Hunt Planner to pin the exact extended-archery boundary and no-hunt zones
- →Yellow Fork and Rose Canyon county open space are reliable public footholds when private access falls through
- →Keep shots and setups clearly inside legal huntable ground given the tight urban interface
Watch out for
- !Extensive private land including Kennecott/Rio Tinto holdings
- !Municipal no-discharge safety zones throughout the interface
- !Suburban development and public-perception concerns — hunt discreetly and legally
- !Small unit with limited public access; crowding on the few open parcels
Logistics
Fully front-country: lodging, gas and processing are minutes away across the south Salt Lake Valley. Day-hunt from home base; the whole area sits within the metro. Plan around suburban traffic and private-access arrangements rather than backcountry camps.
Nearest towns: Herriman, Riverton, South Jordan, Bluffdale
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR — Hunting the extended archery season · UDWR — Dealing with urban deer · KSL — Wildlife officials propose new big game hunts (Herriman/Utah County extended archery)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 101 in Utah?
- Unit 101 (Herriman South Valley Extended Archery Area) covers about 30 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,600 to 9,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 101?
- Approximately 25% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: private, Kennecott/Rio Tinto private, SITLA, Salt Lake County. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 101?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 101 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.