Unit 621 Wasatch Mtns, East
The gentler east side of the trophy Wasatch elk unit — rolling timber and sage benches around Strawberry and Currant Creek reservoirs on the edge of the Uinta Basin.
Northern Utah — Strawberry / Currant Creek high country · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,634
sq mi
Public land
53%
approx.
Elevation
5,500–10,500
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
The east half of the Wasatch Mountains unit rolls off the mountain crest into the Strawberry Valley and Currant Creek country, then breaks down through Fruitland and Tabby Mountain toward the western Uinta Basin near Duchesne. It is the eastern portion of Utah's limited-entry, trophy-managed Wasatch Mountains elk unit, giving drawn hunters a shot at mature bulls in more moderate, huntable terrain than the steep west side. Deer are hunted on a general-season buck tag and the unit produces quality mature bucks. Public access is good but more mixed here — national forest and SITLA give way to private ranch ground as the country drops toward the Uinta Basin.
Terrain
Moderate, rolling high country. Broad timbered ridges, aspen benches and sage-grass parks around the 8,000-9,000 ft Strawberry and Currant Creek basins, breaking east into lower pinyon-juniper and sage foothills toward Fruitland, Tabby Mountain and the Duchesne River country.
Cover: Aspen and spruce-fir on the high ridges; extensive sagebrush parks and mountain-grass meadows around the reservoirs; oakbrush and pinyon-juniper on the lower east-side breaks toward the Uinta Basin.
Landmarks: Strawberry Reservoir · Currant Creek Reservoir · Tabby Mountain · Fruitland · Rock Creek and the Duchesne River · Avintaquin / Indian Canyon country
Access
Roughly half the unit is public — Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and SITLA blocks around Strawberry, Currant Creek and Tabby Mountain — reached from US-40, the Strawberry and Currant Creek reservoir roads, and forest roads off the highway. Access is generally good in the high country. As the unit drops east toward Fruitland and Duchesne, private ranch land increases and public and private become intermingled; the Tabby Mountain area includes a large state-managed block. Verify boundaries on the lower east side.
Managers: USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, SITLA, private, USFS Ashley NF
Access points: US-40 corridor over Daniels Summit · Strawberry Reservoir road network · Currant Creek Reservoir road (from US-40) · Tabby Mountain / Wolf Creek (SR-35) area · Fruitland and Duchesne approaches from US-40 · Rock Creek / Duchesne River drainages
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common trophyThe premium draw and the reason to be here. This is the eastern half of the limited-entry, trophy-managed Wasatch Mountains elk unit, producing mature 320-340 class bulls. The rolling Strawberry and Currant Creek country holds strong elk numbers in more moderate, glassable terrain than the west side.
- →Glass the aspen-meadow and sage-park edges around Strawberry and Currant Creek at first and last light
- →Locate rutting bulls by bugling from the timbered ridges into the parks
- →Work the aspen-conifer benches and drainage heads where mature bulls hold
- →Use the reservoir basins' open country to your advantage for long-range glassing
Mule Deer
common qualityA general-season buck deer unit with good deer numbers and mature bucks in more moderate terrain than the west half. Deer use the aspen-sage transition high early and drift toward the east-side breaks with weather.
- →Glass sage parks and aspen edges around the reservoirs at dawn
- →Hunt the timber-and-sage transition high early, then follow deer toward the lower breaks with snow
- →Check the pinyon-juniper and oakbrush foothills toward Fruitland for pressured bucks
- →Cover ground with optics across the open rolling country
Moose
limited qualityShiras moose use the willow bottoms and aspen-conifer riparian around Strawberry, Currant Creek and the upper drainages. Once-in-a-lifetime limited-entry tags produce good bulls.
- →Glass willow flats and reservoir inlets at dawn and dusk
- →Check beaver ponds and aspen-conifer creek bottoms
- →Still-hunt the dense willow stringers along the drainages
Pronghorn
limited opportunityPronghorn range the open sage benches and grass parks on the drier east side toward the Uinta Basin. Numbers are modest and tags limited.
- →Glass the open sage-grass benches on the lower east side
- →Set up on water and terrain folds in the open parks
- →Use rolling ground to close on wary bucks
Cougar
common opportunityCougars follow the deer and elk through the timber and canyon breaks — a solid houndsman unit after snow given the game density.
- →Cut tracks on forest and reservoir roads after fresh snow
- →Focus on deer-wintering breaks on the lower east side
- →Work the timbered ridges above Strawberry and Currant Creek
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears use the aspen and oakbrush belts of the high country. Best in fall over mast and berries where hunting methods allow.
- →Glass aspen edges and oakbrush draws during fall mast
- →Check berry pockets in the higher drainages
- →Focus on the timbered mid-elevations near the reservoirs
Pro tips
- →The moderate, rolling terrain here rewards glassing — this is easier country to hunt than the steep west half of the unit
- →Strawberry and Currant Creek basins are the heart of the elk herd on this side
- →As you drop east toward Fruitland and Duchesne, map private ranch boundaries carefully — public and private interfinger
- →Time later deer hunts to the first snow that moves animals toward the lower breaks
- →Use the reservoir campgrounds as ready-made basecamps with water and access
- →Watch the high forest roads for early snow closures
Watch out for
- !More private ranch land than the west half, especially toward the Uinta Basin — verify boundaries
- !Early snow can close the high forest roads around the reservoirs
- !Intermingled public/private on the lower east side near Fruitland and Duchesne
- !General-season deer crowding on the accessible reservoir-area public ground
- !Limited services once you leave the US-40 corridor
Logistics
Base out of Heber City for the west end near Strawberry (full services), or Duchesne and Fruitland for the east-side country. The Strawberry and Currant Creek reservoirs have forest campgrounds and boat/fishing facilities that make convenient bases, and dispersed camping is easy on the national forest. Fuel and basics are in Duchesne, Fruitland and along US-40; stock up before heading into the interior.
Nearest towns: Duchesne, Fruitland, Heber City, Tabiona, Roosevelt, Strawberry
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Wasatch Mountains Elk Herd Unit Management Plan #17 · UDWR Wasatch Mountains Deer Herd Unit Management Plan #17 (2023) · UDWR Utah Hunt Planner · GOHUNT Wasatch Mtns East Unit Profile
FAQ
- How big is Unit 621 in Utah?
- Unit 621 (Wasatch Mtns, East) covers about 1,634 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,500 to 10,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 621?
- Approximately 53% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, SITLA, private, USFS Ashley NF. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 621?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Moose, Pronghorn, Cougar, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 621 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.