Unit 106 South Wasatch Front Extended Archery Area
Extended archery deer on the mountain wall above Provo and Orem
Wasatch Front — South Wasatch / Utah County · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
133
sq mi
Public land
45%
approx.
Elevation
4,500–11,000
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
The South Wasatch Front Extended Archery Area was created to reduce urban deer conflicts in Utah County, covering the west face of the Wasatch Range from American Fork Canyon south to Hobble Creek Canyon above the cities of Alpine, Highland, Lehi, Orem, Provo and Springville. This is an archery-only, extended-season deer hunt over the steep front-country benches, canyons and timbered slopes below peaks like Mount Timpanogos and Provo Peak. Mule deer are the primary quarry; elk inhabit the higher Wasatch but this area is managed to thin interface deer.
Terrain
The abrupt western wall of the Wasatch Range rising thousands of feet from the Utah Valley floor through oak-brush benches and steep canyons to high alpine peaks.
Cover: Gambel oak and bigtooth maple brush on the lower benches and canyon mouths, sagebrush and grass foothills, dense conifer and aspen higher, alpine tundra on the peaks; irrigated suburban greenbelt along the base.
Landmarks: Mount Timpanogos · Provo Peak · American Fork Canyon · Provo Canyon · Rock Canyon · Hobble Creek Canyon · Y Mountain
Access
The upper slopes lie within the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest (including the Lone Peak and Mount Timpanogos Wilderness areas, which are non-motorized), reached from the major canyon roads — American Fork Canyon (SR-92), Provo Canyon (US-189), Rock Canyon and Hobble Creek Canyon. The lower benches and canyon mouths are heavily developed private and municipal land inside no-discharge safety zones, so hunters concentrate on Forest Service ground up-canyon and must respect city ordinances at the interface.
Managers: USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, private, SITLA, municipal
Access points: American Fork Canyon (SR-92 / Alpine Loop) · Provo Canyon (US-189) · Rock Canyon trailhead · Hobble Creek Canyon · Y Mountain trailhead · Battle Creek / Grove Creek (Pleasant Grove)
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityMule deer are abundant along the Wasatch Front benches and canyons and the extended-archery hunt exists to thin the urban-interface herd; expect plenty of deer and mostly younger bucks, though patient hunters in the steep oak brush can find a mature buck.
- →Glass oak-brush benches and canyon mouths at first and last light for deer moving between cover and suburban feed
- →Hunt the steep canyon terrain — American Fork, Rock, Provo, Hobble Creek — where deer bed and public access is best
- →Still-hunt slowly through thick maple and oak on the benches
- →Late in the season, watch for deer pushed lower onto the front by mountain snow
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk range through the higher Wasatch timber above the front, but this extended-archery area is deer-focused and elk encounters are incidental to the interface hunt.
- →Hunt the higher conifer and aspen basins if pursuing elk, well above the urban benches
- →Confirm current elk-hunting rules for this extended-archery area before targeting them
Pro tips
- →Concentrate on the canyon mouths and steep benches where National Forest access meets deer cover
- →Beat the heat and pressure by hunting first light on the shaded north-facing oak slopes
- →Use the DWR Hunt Planner to pin the exact boundary and the no-discharge municipal zones
- →American Fork, Rock and Hobble Creek canyons offer the most reliable public footholds
- →Deer get nocturnal under early-season heat — hunt the edges hard at dawn and dusk
Watch out for
- !Heavy urban interface with municipal no-discharge safety zones — know exactly where you can hunt
- !Extensive private and developed land at the base of the range
- !Very steep, rugged Wasatch terrain and non-motorized wilderness up high
- !Popular front-country trails shared with heavy recreational use
- !Fire risk and closures on the dry oak-brush benches early season
Logistics
Entirely front-country along the Utah County population corridor: full lodging, fuel and processing minutes from any trailhead. Hunt out of a home base and day-hike the canyons; developed and dispersed camping is available up American Fork and Provo canyons for those who want to stay on the mountain.
Nearest towns: Provo, Orem, Springville, American Fork, Pleasant Grove, Alpine
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 · KSL — Wildlife officials propose new big game hunts (South Wasatch extended archery) · UDWR — Dealing with urban deer
FAQ
- How big is Unit 106 in Utah?
- Unit 106 (South Wasatch Front Extended Archery Area) covers about 133 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,500 to 11,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 106?
- Approximately 45% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, private, SITLA, municipal. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 106?
- 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 106 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.