Unit 313 West Cache Extended Archery Area
A farmland-and-foothill archery-only zone on the Idaho line where valley deer and elk get managed with a long either-sex bow season
Northern Utah — West Cache Valley (Bear River bottoms) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
258
sq mi
Public land
20%
approx.
Elevation
4,400–7,000
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
The West Cache Extended Archery Area covers the western Cache Valley — the farmland, river bottoms, sagebrush foothills and small mountains north and west of the Bear River, running up to the Idaho border above Logan. It is a population-control archery hunt: elk and deer push down into the ag ground around Newton, Clarkston, Cornish and Trenton, and the extended either-sex bow season exists to keep those numbers in check. Access is dominated by private farm and rangeland, so this is a doors-and-permission hunt rather than a backcountry adventure — accessible, close to Logan, and defined by the fields the animals feed in.
Terrain
Flat, irrigated Cache Valley floor and Bear River bottoms rising to sagebrush foothills and small ranges — Little Mountain, the Bergeson/Big Hills, and the Clarkston Mountain foothills toward Idaho. A mosaic of farmland, wetland and low brushy hills.
Cover: Cropland, hay and pasture on the valley floor with cottonwood, willow and cattail marsh along the Bear River and Cutler Reservoir. Sagebrush, grass and scattered juniper and maple/oak brush cloak the surrounding foothills and small mountains.
Landmarks: Bear River · Cutler Reservoir · Newton Reservoir · Little Mountain · Clarkston Mountain · Bergeson Hills / Big Hills · Idaho state line
Access
The valley floor and river bottoms are overwhelmingly private farm and rangeland, and that is exactly where the target deer and elk feed — so landowner permission is the make-or-break factor. Scattered SITLA and BLM parcels sit in the foothills (Little Mountain, the Big Hills, Clarkston Mountain flanks) and offer some public opportunity, but this hunt is built around the ag ground. Numerous towns and residences sit inside the area; respect boundaries and local ordinances.
Managers: private, SITLA, BLM, USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF (fringe)
Access points: US-91 / SR-23 (Logan–Newton–Trenton corridor) · SR-142 (Newton–Clarkston) · County roads onto valley farmland (permission required) · Little Mountain / Newton Reservoir area · Clarkston Mountain foothill roads
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityElk moving into the western Cache Valley ag ground are the headline reason this area exists — a long either-sex extended archery elk season is used to control crop-raiding herds. Distribution shifts with weather and where the feed and pressure are.
- →Glass alfalfa and grain fields near foothill cover at dawn and dusk
- →Hunt travel corridors between the small hills and the valley fields
- →Focus after cold weather and pressure push elk down onto private feed
- →Set ambushes on field-edge trails rather than pursuing on open ground
Mule Deer
common opportunityValley and foothill mule deer concentrate in the farmland and along the sagebrush-ag fringe. Managed for population control with a long either-sex bow season, so the value here is opportunity and access, not antler class.
- →Secure private-land permission on productive farms first
- →Hunt the crop-to-cover seam at the ends of the day
- →Work the sagebrush foothills of Little Mountain and Clarkston Mountain for less-pressured deer
- →Use the extended season to be patient and let deer settle into feeding patterns
Whitetail Deer
limited opportunityThe Bear River and Cutler Reservoir bottoms in far northern Utah hold a thin, expanding whitetail presence at the southern edge of their range, mixed in with the resident mule deer along the river cover.
- →Hunt the cottonwood and willow river bottoms and brushy field edges
- →Watch travel between riparian bedding cover and adjacent crops at first and last light
Pro tips
- →This is an access hunt — the farm you get permission on decides your season
- →Offer to help landowners with crop-damage elk; many welcome ethical bowhunters
- →Know exactly where the Idaho line and every property boundary sits before you hunt
- →Late season, let weather push animals down and hunt the fields they move to
- →Check the small public foothill parcels (Little Mountain, Big Hills, Clarkston) as free-access backups
Watch out for
- !Mostly private land — landowner permission is essential
- !Urban-interface hunt: towns, residences and local ordinances limit where you can hunt
- !Archery Ethics Course completion is required each year for Utah extended archery areas
- !Idaho state line bounds the north edge — do not cross while hunting the Utah tag
- !Verify SITLA/BLM vs private boundaries in the foothills before hunting
Logistics
Logan is minutes away with full services, lodging, fuel and gear, making this one of Utah's lowest-logistics hunts — you can hunt the valley and sleep in town. Cell coverage is good throughout Cache Valley. The real work is social and legal: line up farm access in advance, and know town limits, no-shooting zones and property lines cold. Watch for the Idaho state line on the north edge of the area.
Nearest towns: Logan, Newton, Clarkston, Trenton, Richmond
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Extended Archery Seasons & Orientation · GOHUNT — Utah West Cache Extended Archery Unit Profile · UDWR Cache Deer Herd Unit #2 Plan · Utah Big Game Application Guidebook
FAQ
- How big is Unit 313 in Utah?
- Unit 313 (West Cache Extended Archery Area) covers about 258 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,400 to 7,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 313?
- Approximately 20% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: private, SITLA, BLM, USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF (fringe). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 313?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 313 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.