Unit 142 North Slope, West Daggett
Eastern Uinta north slope above Flaming Gorge — Sheep Creek and Spirit Lake country, general-season deer plus limited-entry elk, moose and goat.
Northern Uintas — North Slope (East/West Daggett) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
393
sq mi
Public land
87%
approx.
Elevation
6,000–13,000
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
North Slope, West Daggett is the eastern block of the Uinta Mountains' north slope, running from the Burnt Fork country east to US-191 and the Cart Creek arm of Flaming Gorge, and south to the Uinta crest. It's a mix of accessible timbered mountain — the Sheep Creek, Spirit Lake and Browne Lake drainages of the Ashley National Forest — and a slice of the High Uintas Wilderness along the divide. Paired with Summit for the general deer and elk hunts, it also offers once-in-a-lifetime Shiras moose and mountain-goat tags plus lower-elevation pronghorn on the Daggett benches.
Terrain
North-slope Uinta drainages rising from the Flaming Gorge benches through heavy timber to alpine basins and the crest near Leidy Peak. Includes the dramatic Sheep Creek canyon and a wilderness core along the divide.
Cover: Sagebrush and pinyon-juniper on the low benches, aspen and lodgepole/spruce-fir through the mid and upper slopes, alpine meadow and rock at the crest.
Landmarks: Sheep Creek Geological Loop · Spirit Lake · Browne Lake · Leidy Peak · High Uintas Wilderness · Flaming Gorge NRA (south side)
Access
Mostly national forest, with more developed road and trailhead access than the wilderness-heavy Summit block. The Sheep Creek / Spirit Lake / Browne Lake road network reaches high, while a wilderness core along the crest is foot/horse only. Private and SITLA parcels sit mainly on the lower Daggett benches near Manila and the reservoir.
Managers: USFS Ashley NF, USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, BLM, SITLA, private
Access points: SR-44 / Sheep Creek Loop · Spirit Lake Road · Browne Lake · US-191 · Ashley NF forest roads
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityGeneral-season unit (grouped with Summit). Deer summer in the high aspen and timber and migrate to lower sage/pinyon-juniper benches with snow.
- →Glass aspen edges and timber pockets on the transition benches
- →Hunt the wilderness fringe to escape pressure
- →Time late hunts to migration onto the lower Daggett benches
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityManaged for quality bulls on the limited-entry side; elk hold in the timbered Sheep Creek and Carter Creek country and push toward the wilderness crest under pressure.
- →Work timbered parks and benches at first and last light
- →Get back off the Sheep Creek/Spirit Lake roads into quieter drainages
- →Glass avalanche chutes and meadow edges near the wilderness line
Moose
common qualityShiras moose use the willow bottoms and spruce-fir riparian of the north-slope drainages; a once-in-a-lifetime Utah tag (Three Corners/West Daggett).
- →Still-hunt willow flats and beaver complexes along the creeks
- →Check riparian corridors near Spirit and Browne lakes at dawn/dusk
- →Scout the days before opener to pin bulls to specific bottoms
Mountain Goat
limited qualityPart of the Uintas goat herd on the high crest and rock near Leidy Peak; a once-in-a-lifetime tag requiring backcountry effort.
- →Glass the crest cliffs and cirques from the basins below
- →Plan multi-day off-trail hunts at high elevation
- →Locate goats ahead of the season and be ready to climb
Pronghorn
limited opportunityPronghorn occupy the lower sage benches on the Daggett side of the unit toward the Flaming Gorge plateau (Three Corners/West Daggett antelope).
- →Glass the open lower benches away from the timber
- →Cover ground between feed and water on the sage flats
- →Use terrain to stalk bucks in the open
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears work the aspen and spruce-fir; hunted on the limited-entry side.
- →Focus on aspen benches with berry and forb feed
- →Check avalanche-chute greenup and oak/berry pockets
- →Hunt near riparian corridors in the timber
Pro tips
- →Use the Sheep Creek Loop and Spirit Lake road to reach high, then hike off the road corridors into quieter drainages
- →Hunt the wilderness fringe near the crest for less-pressured elk and deer
- →Watch the forecast — upper roads can snow shut early and strand vehicles
- →For deer, follow the migration to lower sage/pinyon-juniper benches late season
- →Glass willow bottoms near Spirit and Browne lakes at dawn for moose
Watch out for
- !Upper forest roads close early with snow — don't get caught up high
- !Wilderness core along the crest bans motorized/mechanized travel
- !Private and SITLA parcels on the lower Daggett benches near Manila — verify boundaries
- !Flaming Gorge NRA rules on the south-side access
- !Rapid alpine weather at the crest
Logistics
Manila is the closest hub, with Vernal to the south providing full services; Mountain View, WY offers northern access. The Sheep Creek Loop (SR-44) and Spirit Lake road give good vehicle access into the high country, but upper roads close early with snow. The wilderness crest is remote and best reached on foot or with stock.
Nearest towns: Manila, Dutch John, Vernal, Mountain View, WY
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR North Slope Deer Herd Unit Management Plan (#8), 2020 · UDWR Mountain Goat Unit Management Plan — Uintas · UDWR Hunt Planner — Big Game Boundaries · GOHUNT Utah North Slope, Summit/West Daggett & Three Corners profiles
FAQ
- How big is Unit 142 in Utah?
- Unit 142 (North Slope, West Daggett) covers about 393 square miles, ranging from roughly 6,000 to 13,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 142?
- Approximately 87% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Ashley NF, USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, BLM, SITLA, private. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 142?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Moose, Mountain Goat, Pronghorn, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 142 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.