Unit 129 Nine Mile, Anthro-Myton Bench
A big, varied Uinta Basin unit stacking limited-entry deer and elk on the high benches over pronghorn on the desert plains below.
Eastern Utah — Uinta Basin / Nine Mile Country · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,029
sq mi
Public land
65%
approx.
Elevation
4,600–9,500
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
The Nine Mile, Anthro-Myton Bench unit is a large, diverse block of eastern Utah's Uinta Basin, climbing from lower sagebrush and desert plains near Myton and the Duchesne country up onto the timbered benches and ridges of the Anthro Mountain complex. It carries a strong mix of big game — limited-entry-caliber mule deer and elk on the high ground plus a well-regarded pronghorn population on the lower benches and plains — with Nine Mile Canyon Road as the rough north-south spine into the heart of the country.
Terrain
Spans lower Uinta Basin sagebrush plains and canyon bottoms near 4,600 ft up to timbered benches and ridges approaching 9,500 ft on the Anthro complex. Deep canyons (including Nine Mile Canyon) cut through a stair-step of desert benches and juniper breaks below the high forested ground.
Cover: Desert sagebrush, greasewood and grass on the plains; extensive pinyon-juniper on the mid-elevation benches and canyon breaks; grading up to aspen, mountain brush and conifer on the high Anthro benches and ridges.
Landmarks: Nine Mile Canyon · Anthro Mountain · Myton Bench · Argyle Canyon · Uinta Basin sagebrush plains
Access
Largely public through BLM and SITLA ground with national forest on the highest Anthro benches, but there is meaningful private and CWMU ground on the benches and around the ag valleys, plus the Uintah & Ouray (Ute) reservation bordering the north and east — stay off tribal land without permission. Nine Mile Canyon Road is the primary, rough vehicle route into the core; secondary two-tracks and forest roads branch onto the benches. Boundaries between public, CWMU and tribal ground are intricate — verify on the Hunt Planner.
Managers: BLM, SITLA, USFS Ashley NF, private, tribal (Uintah & Ouray adjacent)
Access points: Nine Mile Canyon Road (primary north-south spine) · Argyle Canyon Road · Wells Draw / Myton Bench roads from the north · Anthro Mountain forest/BLM roads · Soldier Creek approaches from the west
Species notes
Mule Deer
common qualityA limited-entry-caliber mule deer unit. Deer use the full elevation range but concentrate on the benches and canyon breaks where juniper provides feed and escape cover; controlled tags keep age class and antler quality strong.
- →Glass juniper benches and canyon breaks at first and last light
- →Hunt the aspen and mountain-brush transitions high on Anthro early season
- →Follow deer down onto the sage-juniper benches as fall weather pushes them lower
- →Cover ground with optics — the stair-step benches let you glass long distances
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityElk favor the higher benches and timbered ridges of the Anthro complex. Early season holds them above roughly 8,000 ft before they migrate to lower sagebrush benches by November.
- →Hunt the high timbered benches and aspen ridges early, calling the transitions during the rut
- →Watch the migration onto lower sage benches with cold and snow
- →Set up on water and wallows in the dry early season
Pronghorn
common qualityA well-regarded pronghorn population inhabits the lower desert plains and sage benches, notably north of Nine Mile Canyon around the Myton Bench country.
- →Spot-and-stalk the open sage flats and low benches with a spotting scope
- →Glass from bench rims to locate bucks bedded in the sage
- →Use terrain folds to close distance across the open plains
Black Bear
limited opportunityBlack bears use the aspen, oakbrush and canyon drainages of the higher Anthro country as a secondary opportunity.
- →Focus on high aspen-brush drainages and mast pockets
- →Glass green feed on canyon slopes early
Cougar
common opportunityCougars track the deer herds through the juniper benches and canyon breaks, offering a houndsman opportunity.
- →Cut tracks after snow along the bench roads and canyon rims
- →Concentrate on deer-wintering benches
Pro tips
- →Think in elevation bands — deer and elk high early, sliding to the sage benches with weather
- →Nine Mile Canyon Road is the artery, but the animals are up the side canyons and on the benches
- →Glass the stair-step junipers benches with quality optics before moving
- →Watch the roads — clay two-tracks turn to slick when wet and can strand you
- →Confirm the Ute tribal and CWMU boundaries on the Hunt Planner before hunting the edges
- →Pronghorn are a distinct hunt down on the plains north of Nine Mile Canyon
Watch out for
- !Uintah & Ouray (Ute) reservation borders the unit — do not trespass on tribal land
- !Private and CWMU inholdings on the benches and valley edges
- !Remote roads become impassable when wet; recovery gear essential
- !Water is scarce on the lower desert benches
- !Early snow can close the high Anthro benches
Logistics
Duchesne, Myton and Roosevelt serve the north side; Price and Wellington serve the south end near the Nine Mile Canyon's western approach. Expect rough, remote roads — Nine Mile Canyon Road and the bench two-tracks are slow and can turn impassable when wet. Carry recovery gear, plenty of water for the dry lower country, and fuel up before heading in; services are thin once you leave the highway.
Nearest towns: Duchesne, Myton, Wellington, Price, Roosevelt
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Hunt Planner / Hunt Boundary — Nine Mile, Anthro-Myton Bench · GetMyTagz — Utah Big Game Unit Nine Mile, Anthro-Myton Bench · HuntScore — Pronghorn Hunting in Utah's Nine Mile, Anthro-Myton Bench · GOHUNT Utah unit profiles
FAQ
- How big is Unit 129 in Utah?
- Unit 129 (Nine Mile, Anthro-Myton Bench) covers about 1,029 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,600 to 9,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 129?
- Approximately 65% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, SITLA, USFS Ashley NF, private, tribal (Uintah & Ouray adjacent). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 129?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Pronghorn, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 129 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.