Unit 24 Box Elder, Promontory
Desert-fringe pronghorn and northern Utah general-season mule deer in the sage hills north of the Great Salt Lake.
Northwestern Utah — Promontory / Blue Creek · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,593
sq mi
Public land
60%
approx.
Elevation
4,200–7,600
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
The Box Elder, Promontory sub-unit covers the Promontory and North Promontory mountains, the Blue Spring Hills, Hansel Mountains and West Hills, and the sagebrush valleys that wrap the north arm of the Great Salt Lake near Golden Spike. It is classic northern-Utah high-desert country — wide sage flats and grassy benches climbing into low, juniper-clad ranges. The unit is best known as a limited-entry pronghorn destination and a workmanlike general-season mule deer hunt with respectable genetics, mixed with a patchwork of private ranch and dry-farm ground that shapes where you can actually hunt.
Terrain
Broad sage and salt-desert valleys around the Great Salt Lake's north arm rise through rolling foothills into low, dry mountain ranges — the Promontory and North Promontory mountains, Blue Spring Hills, Hansel Mountains and West Hills.
Cover: Salt-desert shrub and greasewood on the flats grade into big sagebrush and native grasslands on the benches, with pinyon-juniper and scattered mountain brush on the higher slopes; few timbered pockets.
Landmarks: Promontory Mountains · North Promontory Mountains · Blue Spring Hills · Hansel Mountains · West Hills · Blue Creek Valley · Golden Spike National Historical Park · Great Salt Lake north arm
Access
A checkerboard of BLM and SITLA state trust land (both open to hunting) is broken up by extensive private ranch and dry-farm ground, especially through Blue Creek Valley and out onto the Promontory peninsula, much of which is private ranchland. Graded and two-track roads reach most of the public benches, but respect fence lines and posted boundaries and know the land status before you hunt.
Managers: BLM, SITLA, private, NPS Golden Spike (closed to hunting)
Access points: I-84 / Blue Creek exits near Howell · Golden Spike / Promontory road (SR-83 corridor) · Rozel and Lampo Junction roads · Hansel Valley and Snowville-area county roads · BLM two-tracks into the Blue Spring Hills
Species notes
Pronghorn
common qualityThe signature draw — a limited-entry buck pronghorn unit on the open sage valleys and benches, with muzzleloader seasons added in recent years to spread out crowding. Bucks live in the wide grass-sage basins between the ranges.
- →Glass the open sage flats and low benches at first light from high points
- →Spot-and-stalk using terrain rolls and washes to close on bedded bucks
- →Watch water sources and stock tanks in the dry early season
- →Judge horn mass and prong length carefully on a limited-entry tag
Mule Deer
common qualityA general-season buck unit with good genetics that can produce a heavy mature deer, though the animals scatter across big country and can be hard to find. Hundreds of deer winter on the Promontory Range.
- →Glass sage-juniper transition zones and brushy draws at dawn and dusk
- →Cover ground to locate deer, then still-hunt the pockets
- →Hunt migration and wintering benches on the Promontory Range as storms build
- →Work the roughest juniper breaks where mature bucks hide from pressure
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk use the Hansel Mountains, West Hills and occasionally the Promontory Mountains in modest numbers, managed largely through antlerless hunts to limit ag conflict.
- →Glass the higher brush and juniper pockets of the Hansel Mountains early and late
- →Check dry-farm edges where elk feed at night
- →Focus on the few timbered and spring-fed heads of the higher ranges
Cougar
limited opportunityMountain lions follow the deer through the juniper ranges and rough breaks.
- →Cut for tracks on the ridge roads after fresh snow
- →Focus on deer wintering areas in the foothills
Pro tips
- →Nail down land status before you go — the private ranch and dry-farm mosaic, especially on the Promontory peninsula, dictates where you can hunt.
- →For pronghorn, glass big from high benches and use the ground's rolls to close the last few hundred yards.
- →Wintering deer concentrate on the Promontory Range — time a late hunt to the first hard storms.
- →Carry water and recovery gear; the desert roads offer little shade and slick mud when wet.
- →Golden Spike National Historical Park is closed to hunting — mind that boundary.
Watch out for
- !Extensive private ranch and dry-farm ground, especially on the Promontory peninsula and through Blue Creek Valley
- !Golden Spike National Historical Park boundary — no hunting
- !Slick clay roads after rain or snow
- !Limited water and shade in the desert basins
- !SITLA and BLM checkerboard — verify parcel status before hunting
Logistics
Tremonton and Brigham City are the closest full-service towns for fuel, lodging and groceries, with Snowville a small stop on I-84 to the northwest. Roads on the public benches are mostly graded gravel and two-track that turn to slick clay when wet. Dispersed camping is available on BLM ground; there are no services out on the Promontory peninsula.
Nearest towns: Tremonton, Snowville, Corinne, Brigham City, Howell
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Box Elder Deer Herd Unit Management Plan (#1) · UDWR Utah Big Game Application Guidebook 2026 · onX — Box Elder, Promontory Pronghorn Unit · GOHUNT — Utah Box Elder Unit Profiles
FAQ
- How big is Unit 24 in Utah?
- Unit 24 (Box Elder, Promontory) covers about 1,593 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,200 to 7,600 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 24?
- Approximately 60% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, SITLA, private, NPS Golden Spike (closed to hunting). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 24?
- Pronghorn, 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 24 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.