Unit 208 Vernal

The south slope of the Uintas holds a lot of elk and is one of northeastern Utah's most reliable elk destinations. Managed with general-season spike and youth opportunity plus premium limited-entry bull tags, hunters who learn seasonal movements between the high timber and lower benches fill tags consistently, and mature bulls come off the roadless high country every year.

• →Push above the crowds into the roadless timber and wilderness-edge basins where mature bulls hold
• →Glass the aspen-conifer transitions and high meadows at first and last light
• →Work the parallel canyon heads — elk shuttle between timbered north-facing slopes and open parks
• →Locate bugling bulls from ridge vantage points during the September rut, then close through cover

A well-regarded South Slope mule deer herd. Most trophy-class bucks live high in the aspen and conifer, above where the average hunter is willing to hike, while the sage benches and Diamond Mountain country hold spread-out bucks that reward glassing. Buck quality trends upward with elevation and effort.

• →Glass sage-and-aspen edges and pockets on the mid-to-high benches at dawn
• →Hike past the road-accessible pockets to reach lightly pressured mature bucks
• →Focus the rut on the transition zones as bucks follow does off the peaks
• →Watch the aspen-conifer stringers where bucks bed for security cover

Shiras moose inhabit the willow bottoms, beaver ponds and high riparian basins of the south slope. Bull moose are a once-in-a-lifetime Utah permit, so this is a rare draw rather than an annual plan, but the habitat is genuinely good and the unit produces solid bulls.

• →Hunt willow-choked creek bottoms, beaver ponds and lake margins in the high basins
• →Glass riparian openings early and late when moose feed
• →Move slowly and quietly through wet meadow edges where bulls hold

The high Uinta crest and rugged peaks such as the Leidy/Marsh Peak country carry mountain goats, hunted on a once-in-a-lifetime permit. This is bucket-list terrain — extremely limited tags on some of the highest, most remote ground in Utah.

• →Glass cliff bands, talus and alpine ledges near the wilderness crest
• →Plan multi-day backcountry approaches on foot or horseback
• →Evaluate billies patiently through a spotting scope before committing to a stalk

Black bears use the aspen and mixed-conifer belts and berry-rich drainages of the south slope. Populations are healthy across the Ashley National Forest, offering a genuine opportunity hunt for those who draw or pursue them on the mountain.

• →Focus on berry patches, oak brush and aspen edges in late summer and fall
• →Glass avalanche chutes and open feeding slopes at dawn and dusk
• →Check drainage bottoms and springs where bears travel and feed

Mountain lions follow the deer herds across the south slope's timber and canyon country. Densities track the wintering deer, making the mid-elevation benches and canyon systems productive for hunters running the unit in winter.

• →Cut fresh tracks on canyon roads and ridgelines after a fresh snow
• →Concentrate on wintering-deer concentrations on the lower benches
• →Work the timbered north-facing slopes and rimrock where lions travel