Unit 289 North Slope, Three Corners/West Daggett
Utah's far northeast corner where the Uinta north slope drops to sagebrush basins around Flaming Gorge — strong pronghorn country with general deer and elk
Northeastern Utah — Uinta North Slope / Flaming Gorge · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
619
sq mi
Public land
89%
approx.
Elevation
5,800–9,300
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
The West Daggett portion of the North Slope, Three Corners unit sits in Utah's extreme northeast corner, wrapped around the Flaming Gorge Reservoir with Wyoming to the north and Colorado to the east. It spans a big transition from the timbered eastern shoulder of the Uinta Mountains down into open sagebrush basins and rimrock, and it is overwhelmingly public land (roughly 89%). Pronghorn are the standout here, thriving on the low sage flats, while general-season mule deer and Rocky Mountain elk range the mountain and foothills; the broader unit also carries a limited-entry moose hunt and desert/Rocky bighorn on the surrounding Ashley National Forest and Green River country. This is high-public-access, do-it-yourself country that rewards hunters willing to cover ground.
Terrain
A broad transition from the forested northeast flank of the Uinta Mountains down to open sagebrush basins, benches, and rimrock surrounding Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Elevations run from roughly 5,800 ft near the reservoir and basins up to about 9,300 ft on the higher mountain shoulder.
Cover: Low-elevation desert scrub, sagebrush, and grass on the antelope flats and benches; pinyon-juniper and mountain shrub on the mid slopes; aspen and conifer (lodgepole, spruce-fir) on the higher north-slope shoulder. Cliffy rimrock and canyon breaks cut the reservoir country.
Landmarks: Flaming Gorge Reservoir · Sheep Creek Canyon · Ute Mountain · Green River · Red Canyon · Uinta Mountains north slope
Access
Overwhelmingly public, anchored by Ashley National Forest on the mountain shoulder and around Flaming Gorge, extensive BLM in the sagebrush basins, and open SITLA trust parcels. The Flaming Gorge NRA has developed roads, boat access, and campgrounds. Private ground is concentrated near Manila and along valley bottoms — check boundaries there — but most of the unit is freely accessible. A dense network of forest and BLM two-tracks reaches the country, though some pronghorn ground requires long walks off the main roads.
Managers: USFS Ashley NF, BLM, SITLA, private
Access points: US-191 and SR-44 through the Flaming Gorge NRA · Sheep Creek Loop road · Manila / SR-43 access · Forest and BLM two-track networks off the highways · Flaming Gorge boat ramps and campgrounds
Species notes
Pronghorn
common qualityThe signature hunt. Good pronghorn numbers roam the open sagebrush basins and benches on the north end of the unit, mostly on accessible public land, with a few bucks tucked into heavier cover and cliffy pockets. A limited-entry buck tag makes this a coveted draw with quality potential in a high-public-access setting.
- →Glass the open sage flats and benches from high points at first light, then plan long spot-and-stalk approaches using terrain folds
- →Watch water sources and green benches during warm early-season weather
- →Look for bucks that break the pattern by holding in rimrock, cliffy pockets, and heavier cover
- →Be ready to cover miles on foot away from the roads to reach less-pressured bands
Mule Deer
common opportunityGeneral-season mule deer range the mountain shoulder, foothills, and mountain-shrub benches. This is a big, accessible general unit — good for a DIY buck hunt with the reward proportional to the effort put into scouting the transition zones and getting away from roads.
- →Work the aspen-conifer edges and mountain-shrub benches high early in the season before snow pushes deer down
- →Glass sage-and-shrub transition benches at dawn and dusk as animals shift with weather
- →Get well off the main forest roads to find less-pressured bucks in the broken country
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityGeneral-season Rocky Mountain elk hold in the timbered north-slope shoulder and higher basins of the unit, dropping toward the foothills with weather. Elk here reward hunters who push into the more remote timber and use the extensive public access to spread out.
- →Hunt the higher conifer and aspen basins early, then follow elk toward lower cover as snow arrives
- →Use calling and glassing in the rut in the upper timber pockets
- →Cover ground on the forest road network, then hike into pockets away from the roads
Moose
limited qualityA limited-entry moose hunt is offered on the broader North Slope unit. Moose use the willow bottoms, riparian creek corridors, and aspen-conifer pockets of the Uinta north slope. Drawing the tag is the hard part — once-in-a-lifetime in Utah — but the country holds bulls.
- →Focus on willow-choked creek bottoms, beaver ponds, and riparian corridors
- →Glass aspen-conifer edges near water early and late
- →Scout preseason to locate specific bulls in the wet drainages
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyBighorn sheep inhabit the rugged Green River canyons and rimrock of the surrounding Ashley National Forest country, hunted on rare once-in-a-lifetime permits. Not a general opportunity, but the escape terrain around Flaming Gorge and the Green River holds sheep.
- →Focus on the steepest cliff bands and canyon rims above the Green River and reservoir
- →Invest days behind quality optics locating and evaluating rams before committing
- →Work escape-terrain edges early and late when sheep feed off the crags
Pro tips
- →Pronghorn is the reason to draw this unit — hunt the open BLM and SITLA sage basins on the north end where the herd concentrates on public ground
- →The unit is nearly all public, so use that to your advantage: walk away from the road-accessed spots to find undisturbed animals
- →Check private boundaries near Manila and the valley bottoms, but expect open access almost everywhere else
- →Use Flaming Gorge NRA campgrounds and boat access as a comfortable, water-rich base for a multi-day hunt
- →Scout the mountain-to-sage transition benches — that edge produces both deer and pronghorn as weather shifts
Watch out for
- !Hot, dry, waterless sage basins early — carry your own water
- !Private inholdings near Manila and along valley bottoms
- !Spotty cell coverage off the main highways
- !Rough two-track roads; high-clearance/4WD recommended for the backcountry
- !State-line boundaries with Wyoming and Colorado — know exactly where Utah ends
Logistics
Base out of Manila or Dutch John for the closest services and Flaming Gorge NRA campgrounds; Vernal to the south is the nearest full-service town. The reservoir and NRA make water, boat access, and developed camping easy, but the sagebrush basins are remote and hot early in the fall — carry water and be self-sufficient. Cell coverage is spotty away from the highways. Roads are good on the main routes and rougher on the two-tracks; high-clearance is smart.
Nearest towns: Manila, Dutch John, Vernal, Green River, WY
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: GOHUNT — Utah North Slope, Three Corners/West Daggett Antelope Profile · UDWR Elk Herd Unit Management Plan #8 (North Slope) · UDWR North Slope, Three Corners Elk Unit Boundary Recommendation (2025) · USFS Ashley National Forest
FAQ
- How big is Unit 289 in Utah?
- Unit 289 (North Slope, Three Corners/West Daggett) covers about 619 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,800 to 9,300 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 289?
- Approximately 89% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Ashley NF, BLM, SITLA, private. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 289?
- Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Moose, Bighorn Sheep. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 289 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.