Unit 303 Cache, South
Blacksmith Fork, Hardware Ranch and the knife-edge Wellsville Mountains south of Logan — general-season deer, quality elk and a northern Shiras moose tag.
Northern Utah — Bear River Range & Wellsville Mountains (Cache South) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
432
sq mi
Public land
72%
approx.
Elevation
4,500–9,370
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Cache, South is the southern half of Utah's Cache unit, spanning the Bear River Range south of Logan Canyon — the Blacksmith Fork, Left Hand Fork and Right Hand Fork drainages around Hardware Ranch — plus the steep, isolated Wellsville Mountains that wall off the west side of Cache Valley. It is northern-Utah mountain deer country of aspen, maple and conifer with abrupt summer and winter ranges, hunted general-season for deer alongside a quality-managed limited-entry elk hunt and a northern Shiras moose tag. The Wellsville range, one of the steepest in North America, holds a wilderness core and famous fall raptor migration, while Hardware Ranch WMA anchors the elk winter range in Blacksmith Fork.
Terrain
Two ranges: the timbered Bear River Range front around Blacksmith Fork east of Cache Valley, and the abruptly steep Wellsville Mountains rising in a narrow wall on the valley's west side to Box Elder Peak. Deer summer high and drop to canyon-mouth and west-side winter range.
Cover: Sagebrush, oakbrush and bigtooth maple on the foothills and winter range, aspen and mixed conifer through the canyons, spruce-fir and grassy alpine on the highest slopes.
Landmarks: Blacksmith Fork Canyon · Hardware Ranch WMA · Wellsville Mountains · Wellsville Mountain Wilderness · Box Elder Peak · Sardine Canyon (US-89/91) · Left Hand & Right Hand Forks
Access
The Bear River Range east side is national forest reached by the paved Blacksmith Fork Canyon road and its Left Hand / Right Hand Fork branches; Hardware Ranch is a state wildlife management area. The Wellsville Mountains are largely forest but exceptionally steep, with a foot/horse wilderness core and access up canyons like Coldwater from the Cache Valley and Sardine Canyon sides. The low winter range and canyon mouths near Hyrum, Paradise, Avon, Wellsville and Mendon are heavily private — verify boundaries or knock for access.
Managers: USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, SITLA, private, State WMA (Hardware Ranch)
Access points: Blacksmith Fork Canyon Road (Hardware Ranch) · Left Hand Fork / Right Hand Fork roads · Sardine Canyon / US-89-91 · Coldwater Canyon (Wellsvilles) · Mendon / Wellsville canyon trailheads
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityGeneral-season mule deer unit. Deer summer high in the Bear River Range and Wellsville Mountains and migrate abruptly to lower winter range — most Wellsville deer summer on the east side and cross to the west side each fall, with Coldwater Canyon a notable concentration area. Low-elevation winter range is the herd's limiting factor.
- →Glass aspen and maple edges and timbered basins high early
- →Hunt the abrupt transition zones as snow triggers migration
- →Climb into the steep Wellsville backcountry for undisturbed bucks
- →Watch Coldwater Canyon and the west-side benches during the fall shift
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityManaged for quality bulls on the limited-entry side; elk hold in the Blacksmith Fork drainages and use the Hardware Ranch winter range. Herds work the timbered Left Hand and Right Hand Fork country.
- →Work timbered parks and meadow edges at first and last light
- →Get back off the Blacksmith Fork road into the fork drainages
- →Locate rutting bulls by bugle, then slip into the timber
- →Hunt the higher heads and quieter basins away from the canyon road
Moose
common qualityShiras moose use the willow bottoms, aspen and riparian stringers of the Blacksmith Fork and Bear River Range drainages; a once-in-a-lifetime Utah tag in the Cache country.
- →Still-hunt willow flats and beaver ponds along Blacksmith Fork and its branches
- →Check riparian corridors at dawn and dusk
- →Scout ahead of opener to pin bulls to specific bottoms
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears work the aspen, oakbrush and berry pockets of the Bear River Range and Wellsvilles and are hunted on the limited-entry side.
- →Focus on aspen and oakbrush with berry and mast feed
- →Check riparian greenup and spring feed in the timber
- →Glass open feed slopes at dawn and dusk
Cougar
common opportunityMountain lions follow the deer through the canyons and foothills of both ranges and are hunted, typically with snow for tracking.
- →Cut tracks on canyon and forest roads after fresh snow
- →Concentrate where deer winter on the lower slopes
- →Work canyon-to-ridge travel routes in the Wellsvilles and Blacksmith Fork
Pro tips
- →Use the Blacksmith Fork road to reach the forest, then hike into the Left/Right Hand Fork drainages away from traffic
- →For deer, watch Coldwater Canyon and the west-side benches during the fall Wellsville migration
- →Time late-season deer hunting to the first big storms that push deer down
- →Climb into the steep Wellsville backcountry to reach bucks other hunters skip
- →Sort access early — the low winter range around Hyrum, Paradise and Wellsville is largely private
Watch out for
- !Crucial low winter range is heavily private and developing along east Cache Valley (Hyrum to Richmond) — verify access
- !Wellsville Mountain Wilderness bans motorized/mechanized travel and the range is brutally steep
- !Hardware Ranch is a state WMA with its own use rules — check regulations
- !Upper Blacksmith Fork roads close early with snow
- !Little water high in the Wellsvilles early season
Logistics
Logan is the full-service hub, with Hyrum, Wellsville, Paradise and Providence closer to the southern canyon mouths. The paved Blacksmith Fork Canyon road (leading to Hardware Ranch) is the main artery into the east-side forest, branching into the Left Hand and Right Hand Forks; US-89/91 over Sardine Canyon connects to the Wellsville side. Upper roads close with early snow, and the Wellsville high country is steep, waterless and demands a fit approach on foot.
Nearest towns: Logan, Hyrum, Wellsville, Paradise, Providence
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Cache Deer Herd Unit Management Plan (#2) · UDWR Utah Hunt Planner — Big Game Boundaries · UDWR Utah Big Game Application Guidebook 2026
FAQ
- How big is Unit 303 in Utah?
- Unit 303 (Cache, South) covers about 432 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,500 to 9,370 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 303?
- Approximately 72% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, SITLA, private, State WMA (Hardware Ranch). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 303?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Moose, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
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