Unit 245 West Desert, Rush Valley
A general-season desert unit of island mountain ranges, big pronghorn valleys and a rugged Stansbury crown southwest of Salt Lake
West-Central Utah — Rush & Tooele Valleys · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
2,838
sq mi
Public land
75%
approx.
Elevation
4,300–11,031
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
The West Desert, Rush Valley unit spans the broad Great Basin valleys and island ranges just southwest of the Salt Lake metro, anchored by the Stansbury, Oquirrh and Onaqui mountains. Mule deer are hunted here on a general-season basis, making it one of the more accessible tags in the West Desert group, while pronghorn roam the open Rush, Tooele and Cedar valley floors and a limited elk herd uses the higher timbered pockets. It is close-to-home, heavily public country that rewards hunters who glass the sage flats and climb into the rugged range interiors.
Terrain
Classic basin-and-range: wide sagebrush valleys sitting near 4,300-5,000 ft, punctuated by steep, isolated mountain ranges. The Stansbury Mountains rise dramatically to Deseret Peak at 11,031 ft, while the Oquirrh and Onaqui ranges add rocky, broken high country.
Cover: Great Basin shrub-steppe of sagebrush, rabbitbrush, grasses and greasewood on the valley floors and lower benches, grading up through pinyon-juniper on the foothills into pockets of mountain mahogany, aspen, Douglas-fir and spruce on the highest Stansbury and Oquirrh slopes.
Landmarks: Deseret Peak (11,031 ft) · Stansbury Mountains · Oquirrh Mountains · Onaqui Mountains · Rush Valley · Tooele Valley · South Willow Canyon · Tooele Army Depot
Access
A mix of BLM valley and foothill ground, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in the Stansbury high country, open SITLA trust parcels, and significant private ranch and agricultural land on the valley floors. Two separate parcels of the Tooele Army Depot lie within the unit and are closed to hunting. Private inholdings around Stockton, Vernon-Rush Valley and the ag valleys require permission or careful map work.
Managers: BLM, USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, SITLA, US Army (Tooele Army Depot), private
Access points: South Willow Canyon (Stansbury/Deseret Peak Wilderness) · SR-36 through Rush and Tooele valleys · Pony Express / Faust Road corridor · Ophir Canyon (Oquirrhs) · Onaqui Mountain / Lookout Pass roads
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityHunted on a general-season basis, making this one of the easier West Desert deer tags to obtain. Buck quality is modest compared with the neighboring limited-entry Vernon unit, but the range holds a fair number of deer that summer high in the Stansbury and Oquirrh timber and drop to the foothills as weather pushes them.
- →Glass the pinyon-juniper foothill benches and the aspen-fir pockets of the Stansburys at first and last light
- →Hunt the transition zones where timber meets sage as storms move deer down
- →Work the rugged canyons of the Oquirrh and Onaqui ranges where mature bucks find security
- →Cover country and use quality optics — this is a spot-and-stalk glassing game
Pronghorn
common qualityThe valley floors of Rush, Tooele and Cedar valleys hold a solid pronghorn herd and the unit is known for producing representative bucks on a limited-entry antelope tag. Animals stay in the open sage and grassland basins and foothills rather than the high peaks.
- →Glass the open sage-grassland flats of Rush and Cedar valleys from vantage points at dawn
- →Use terrain folds, washes and fence lines to close the distance across open country
- →Watch water sources and green agricultural edges in early season heat
- →Judge horns carefully from a distance before committing to a stalk
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityA modest elk presence uses the higher timbered country of the Stansbury and Oquirrh ranges. Numbers are limited relative to Utah's premier elk units, but bulls are available on restricted tags for hunters willing to work the roughest high pockets.
- →Focus on the aspen and conifer stringers high in the Stansbury Mountains
- →Hunt near water and wallows in early season, and the timber edges as pressure builds
- →Glass avalanche chutes and open parks at the heads of canyons at first light
Pro tips
- →Treat this as your close-to-home general-season deer option and put in the miles glassing rather than expecting Vernon-caliber bucks
- →The Stansbury high country and Deseret Peak Wilderness hold the best mature deer — be prepared to climb
- →Mark the two Tooele Army Depot parcels and private ag ground on your GPS before you hunt
- →For antelope, scout the Rush and Cedar valley flats early to locate the better bucks
Watch out for
- !Tooele Army Depot lands (two parcels) are closed to hunting
- !Private ranch and agricultural inholdings on the valley floors — verify boundaries
- !Heat and very limited water on the open flats in early season
- !Crowding and other hunters given the general-season deer tag and metro proximity
- !Steep, loose rock in the Stansbury and Oquirrh high country
Logistics
Base out of Tooele or Grantsville for full services within an easy drive of the ranges, or camp on BLM and Forest ground in canyons like South Willow. This is one of the closest big-game units to the Salt Lake metro, so cell service is decent near the valleys and access roads are generally good. Expect other hunters given the general-season deer opportunity and proximity to the Wasatch Front.
Nearest towns: Tooele, Stockton, Grantsville, Vernon, Salt Lake City
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: GOHUNT — Utah West Desert, Rush Valley Unit Profile · Utah DWR Hunt Planner · Stansbury Mountains / Deseret Peak — Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF · Utah DWR Hunting Maps and Boundaries
FAQ
- How big is Unit 245 in Utah?
- Unit 245 (West Desert, Rush Valley) covers about 2,838 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,300 to 11,031 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 245?
- Approximately 75% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, SITLA, US Army (Tooele Army Depot), private. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 245?
- Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Rocky Mountain Elk. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 245 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.