Unit 117 Morgan-South Rich
A hilly, low-public general-season unit where private land and CWMUs hold most of the deer and elk.
Northern Utah — Wasatch Front / Bear River Range · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
932
sq mi
Public land
20%
approx.
Elevation
5,200–9,234
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
The Morgan-South Rich unit spans Morgan, Rich, Summit and Weber counties, running from Mountain Green near the mouth of Weber Canyon east to the Wyoming line near Evanston and north to the Monte Cristo high country. It is a general-season any-bull elk and general-season buck deer unit, but the defining reality here is land access: very little of the unit is public, and most of the private ground has been consolidated into Cooperative Wildlife Management Units (CWMUs). The main block of open public land is the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest along Monte Cristo Ridge.
Terrain
Rolling hilly to moderately steep mountain country, with valleys following the Weber River and tributary streams below 6,500 ft and ridgelines mostly under 7,000 ft. Durst Mountain at 9,234 ft is a notable high point, and the Monte Cristo ridge holds the highest, most forested ground.
Cover: Sagebrush, oakbrush, bigtooth maple and mountain mahogany on lower and mid slopes, transitioning to aspen and pockets of thick spruce-fir on high north-facing slopes near Monte Cristo.
Landmarks: Monte Cristo Range / Monte Cristo Highway (SR-39) · Durst Mountain · Weber River / Weber Canyon · Echo Canyon (I-80) · Woodruff and South Rich country
Access
Public hunting is concentrated on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest strip along Monte Cristo Ridge near SR-39, plus scattered SITLA parcels. Much of the valley and foothill ground is private, and a large share is locked into CWMUs that require a separate CWMU permit or landowner permission. Verify boundaries carefully — public and private are heavily intermingled. I-80/I-84 form the southern boundary; SR-39 (Monte Cristo Highway) is the primary access into the forest.
Managers: private (heavy, much in CWMUs), USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, SITLA, BLM
Access points: Monte Cristo Highway / SR-39 corridor · Monte Cristo Campground area · Hardware Ranch / Blacksmith Fork approaches (west) · Woodruff and SR-16 to the east · Trappers Loop (SR-167) on the southwest boundary
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityGeneral-season buck deer unit. Most ideal deer habitat sits between 6,000 and 8,500 ft, but a large fraction of the best ground is private or inside CWMUs, so public-land hunters compete for limited accessible acreage on the national forest.
- →Hunt the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache forest ground along Monte Cristo Ridge where public access is reliable
- →Glass sage-oakbrush edges and aspen pockets at dawn and dusk
- →Confirm every boundary against the Hunt Planner — CWMU and private lines are close together and change how you can hunt
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityGeneral-season any-bull elk unit. Elk favor the timbered high ground near Monte Cristo and the aspen-conifer transitions, dropping into brushy foothills with pressure and weather.
- →Work the spruce-fir and aspen benches near Monte Cristo Ridge early
- →Focus on the national forest block where any-bull tags are valid on open land
- →Expect elk to shift onto private CWMU ground when pressured
Cougar
common opportunityCougars follow the deer through the oakbrush foothills and canyon breaks. A pursuit/harvest opportunity for houndsmen where public access allows.
- →Cut tracks after fresh snow along the Monte Cristo forest roads
- →Focus on deer-wintering foothills
Pro tips
- →Treat access as the #1 problem here — download the Hunt Planner layer and mark the national forest block before you go
- →The Monte Cristo forest strip is the most dependable public ground; the valleys are largely private/CWMU
- →Consider that many quality animals live on CWMUs you cannot hunt without a CWMU permit
- →Scout the aspen-conifer edges near Durst Mountain and Monte Cristo for elk
- →After snow, deer concentrate lower in the oakbrush foothills
Watch out for
- !Very high proportion of private land and CWMUs — trespass risk is real
- !Public and private boundaries are tightly interwoven; verify constantly
- !General-season crowding on the limited public forest ground
- !Early snow can close high forest roads near Monte Cristo
- !CWMU permits are separate from the general-season tag
Logistics
Base out of Morgan or Huntsville for the western end and the Ogden Valley approaches, or Woodruff/Randolph for the east side. Monte Cristo Campground offers a public forest base near the core public ground. Services are limited in the rural Rich County stretch; fuel and groceries are easiest along the I-80/I-84 corridor.
Nearest towns: Morgan, Huntsville, Woodruff, Randolph, Evanston, WY
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Deer Herd Unit Management Plan, Unit #4 Morgan-South Rich · UDWR Elk Herd Unit Management Plan, Unit #4 Morgan-South Rich · UDWR Hunt Boundary — General Season Buck Deer / Any-Bull Elk · GOHUNT Utah Morgan-South Rich unit profile
FAQ
- How big is Unit 117 in Utah?
- Unit 117 (Morgan-South Rich) covers about 932 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,200 to 9,234 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 117?
- Approximately 20% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: private (heavy, much in CWMUs), USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, SITLA, BLM. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 117?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 117 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.