Unit 163 Paunsaugunt
Utah's crown-jewel trophy mule deer unit — 190-inch potential on the pink-cliff plateau above Bryce Canyon.
Southern Utah — Paunsaugunt Plateau / Bryce Canyon Country · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,499
sq mi
Public land
90%
approx.
Elevation
6,000–9,450
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
The Paunsaugunt is one of the most storied trophy mule deer units in North America, a premium limited-entry hunt managed for exceptional buck quality and near-record class deer. The unit rides the Paunsaugunt Plateau above Bryce Canyon National Park, a dissected tableland of ponderosa and aspen drained by the East Fork Sevier River and rimmed by the Pink and Sunset Cliffs. It lies almost entirely within the Dixie National Forest, giving hunters vast public access — but a tag can take a nonresident 25-30 bonus points to draw. Expect big, mature bucks and correspondingly heavy scouting from the point-holders lucky enough to be drawn.
Terrain
High, dissected plateau of rolling forested benches broken by canyons and colorful cliff escarpments; the plateau tilts from the Sevier Plateau in the north down to the Pink Cliffs and Bryce rim in the south.
Cover: Ponderosa pine parks, extensive aspen groves, mixed conifer, sagebrush and mountain-brush openings, with pinyon-juniper on the lower and drier margins.
Landmarks: Paunsaugunt Plateau · Bryce Canyon National Park rim · East Fork Sevier River · Pink Cliffs · Sunset Cliffs · Podunk / Proctor Canyon country · Tropic Reservoir
Access
Overwhelmingly public — the Powell Ranger District of the Dixie National Forest blankets the plateau, laced with a dense network of forest roads. Bryce Canyon National Park is closed to hunting; scattered private and SITLA parcels sit near Tropic, East Fork and the plateau margins. Access is easy by Utah standards, so scouting and glassing the right drainages matters more than getting in.
Managers: USFS Dixie NF, BLM, SITLA, NPS Bryce Canyon (closed to hunting), private
Access points: East Fork Sevier River road (FR 087) · Tropic Reservoir / King Creek · Kings Creek and Podunk drainages · SR-12 and US-89 corridors · Proctor and Skutumpah country
Species notes
Mule Deer
common trophyThe marquee draw — a premium limited-entry unit managed for 40-50 bucks per 100 does and genuine 190-inch potential, with occasional 200-class bucks taken. Success rates are very high across weapons for the few who draw. This is a hunt for a mature, heavy-horned buck, not for numbers.
- →Scout hard before the season — glass aspen fringes and ponderosa parks at first and last light
- →Focus on the big canyon systems and cliff-edge breaks where old bucks hide in the rough country
- →Work the East Fork Sevier drainage and its side canyons
- →During the rifle rut hunts, watch doe groups and let bucks come to them
- →Push into the roughest cliff and canyon pockets away from roads for the biggest deer
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityElk share the plateau and produce quality bulls on limited-entry tags. The Dixie NF timber and meadow systems hold good numbers.
- →Bugle the aspen and meadow edges at dawn during the rut
- →Glass the big ponderosa parks and burn regrowth
- →Focus on water and wallows in the dry early season
- →Hunt the timbered heads of the major canyons
Pronghorn
limited opportunityAntelope occupy the open sage flats and lower valley margins around the plateau; a minor, localized opportunity.
- →Glass open sage and grass flats on the plateau fringes
- →Set up near water in the dry season
Cougar
common qualityThe abundant deer herd supports a strong cougar population through the canyon and cliff country.
- →Hunt after fresh snow along the canyon rims and cliff breaks
- →Focus on deer wintering areas on the lower plateau
Black Bear
limited opportunityBlack bears use the aspen, oak and berry country of the Dixie NF; a secondary limited opportunity.
- →Glass oak-brush and berry patches in late summer
- →Check aspen benches and creek bottoms near food
Pro tips
- →Treat this as the trophy hunt of a lifetime — scout multiple trips and know where the mature bucks summer.
- →The best bucks live in the rough cliff and canyon breaks, not the easy roadside parks.
- →Bryce Canyon NP is off-limits to hunting but pushes deer onto adjacent forest — hunt the park boundary edges.
- →Rain turns plateau roads to grease; carry recovery gear and watch the weather.
- →Local knowledge is gold here — a reputable Powell District guide can pay for itself on a tag this hard to draw.
Watch out for
- !Bryce Canyon National Park boundary — no hunting inside the park
- !Scattered private and SITLA inholdings near Tropic, East Fork and plateau margins
- !Greasy forest roads and early snow on the high plateau
- !Intense expectations and scouting competition on a premium tag
- !Early-season heat and limited water on the drier benches
Logistics
Panguitch is the gateway hub with lodging, fuel, groceries and outfitters; Tropic and Hatch offer closer, smaller-town bases near the plateau. Forest roads on the plateau are generally good gravel but turn greasy after rain and close with snow. Given the tag's value, many hunters hire local guides or scout for weeks — treat the whole season like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Nearest towns: Panguitch, Tropic, Hatch, Bryce Canyon City, Cannonville
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Utah Hunt Planner · GoHunt — Utah Paunsaugunt Limited-Entry Unit Profile · Paunsaugunt Plateau — Wikipedia · Dixie National Forest — U.S. Forest Service
FAQ
- How big is Unit 163 in Utah?
- Unit 163 (Paunsaugunt) covers about 1,499 square miles, ranging from roughly 6,000 to 9,450 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 163?
- Approximately 90% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Dixie NF, BLM, SITLA, NPS Bryce Canyon (closed to hunting), private. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 163?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Pronghorn, Cougar, 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 163 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.