Unit 637 Henry Mtns (bison)
Utah's crown jewel — the last free-ranging genetically pure bison herd in America, wrapped around a mule deer unit that has produced a world-record buck
Southern Utah — Henry Mountains / Colorado Plateau desert · Last reviewed 2026-07-13
Area
1,399
sq mi
Public land
90%
approx.
Elevation
5,000–11,527
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
The Henry Mountains rise as an isolated island range out of the red-rock desert north of Lake Powell, one of the most remote and storied hunts in the West. The unit is legendary on three fronts: a free-ranging, huntable bison herd (a once-in-a-lifetime tag drawn by only a handful of hunters annually), a premium limited-entry mule deer hunt that grew a 282-inch world-record buck in 2015, and a mature desert bighorn ram population on the surrounding cliffs and breaks. This is a bucket-list draw unit, not a general-tag destination — the terrain runs from 11,500-foot alpine peaks down to 5,000-foot slickrock desert, and the country is huge, rugged and unforgiving.
Terrain
A compact, high-relief laccolithic mountain range — Mount Ellen (11,527 ft), Mount Pennell and Mount Hillers form an alpine spine that plunges nearly 6,500 vertical feet to the surrounding desert benches, canyons and slickrock in every direction.
Cover: Full elevational band: alpine tundra and krummholz on the peaks, aspen and Douglas-fir/spruce pockets on the upper slopes, pinyon-juniper and mountain brush on the mid-benches, and sagebrush, blackbrush and slickrock desert on the flats out toward Capitol Reef and the Waterpocket Fold.
Landmarks: Mount Ellen (11,527 ft) · Mount Pennell (11,371 ft) · Mount Hillers · Sawmill Basin · Bull Creek Pass · Waterpocket Fold / Notom-Bullfrog Road · Tarantula Mesa
Access
Overwhelmingly BLM public land (roughly 2 million acres of public country in and around the range), with scattered SITLA state trust parcels (open to hunting) and limited private inholdings near ranch bottoms and Hanksville. Capitol Reef National Park bounds the west — no hunting inside park boundaries. Access is via long, rough, remote dirt roads: Notom-Bullfrog Road on the west, Highway 95 and Bull Creek/Sawmill Basin roads on the east. Roads turn to impassable clay gumbo when wet.
Managers: BLM, SITLA, private, USFS
Access points: Sawmill Basin Road (to Mount Ellen) · Bull Creek Pass Road · Notom-Bullfrog Road (west side) · Highway 95 (east/south) · Hanksville staging · Starr Springs / Mount Hillers area
Species notes
Mule Deer
common trophyOne of the best trophy mule deer units in North America. Low pressure, excellent range and mature age structure produce giant bucks — a world-record typical/non-typical scoring 282 inches was harvested here in 2015. Premium limited-entry only, with brutal draw odds and a multi-year point wait.
- →Glass the aspen and mountain-brush pockets on the upper benches at first and last light, then follow bucks down as fall progresses
- →Preseason scout hard — on a low-density trophy unit, patterning one mature buck beats covering miles blind
- →Work the transition zone between the alpine/aspen and the pinyon-juniper where big bucks bed in cover with escape terrain
- →Hunt the rut window when heavy bucks abandon security cover and move onto more open slopes
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyA mature desert bighorn ram population inhabits the slickrock cliffs, breaks and canyon rims surrounding the range. A once-in-a-lifetime desert sheep permit — one of the rarest and most coveted tags in the state.
- →Concentrate on the steep slickrock cliff bands, rims and canyon breaks where desert sheep hold escape terrain
- →Spend full days behind a spotting scope locating and aging rams before committing to a stalk
- →Hunt water sources and shaded north-facing ledges in the desert heat of early season
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityA general-season elk population uses the higher forested basins and aspen of the range. Numbers are modest and bulls run mostly spike-to-raghorn, but the country holds elk and a mature bull is possible.
- →Push into the upper aspen and spruce basins around Mount Ellen and Sawmill Basin
- →Locate bulls by bugling the timbered heads of the high drainages during the rut
- →Hunt the alpine-to-timber edge early and late when elk feed in the open
Cougar
common qualityA healthy mountain lion population follows the strong deer herd through the pinyon-juniper and canyon country. Best pursued with hounds after fresh snow on the benches.
- →Cut tracks on the pinyon-juniper benches and canyon rims after a fresh snow
- →Focus on the deer-wintering slopes where lions concentrate
Pro tips
- →Treat a Henry Mountains tag as a once-in-a-lifetime hunt and plan around a single mature animal — the trophy ceiling here is among the highest anywhere
- →Watch the weather obsessively; a single storm can turn every road to impassable gumbo and trap vehicles for days
- →Scout in person before the season — remote country and low animal density reward hunters who have already located a target
- →Carry full water, fuel and recovery capacity — there is no resupply once you leave Hanksville
- →The free-ranging bison herd shares this country; if you draw the bison tag, expect an animal that can range from 10,000-foot peaks to the 5,000-foot desert in a single week
Watch out for
- !Bucket-list draw odds — this is a lottery unit, not an annual plan
- !Clay/gumbo roads impassable when wet; storms can strand vehicles for days
- !Scarce, unreliable water across the desert benches
- !No cell service and no services beyond Hanksville — full self-recovery required
- !No hunting inside adjacent Capitol Reef National Park — verify boundaries
- !Free-ranging bison are large and can be dangerous; give them wide berth
Logistics
Hanksville is the only real staging town for the east and north — fuel, a small store and lodging, but stock up on everything (including water) before leaving pavement. Torrey/Boulder serve the west side. This is deep, self-supported backcountry: long approaches on rough roads, no cell service across most of the unit, and no services once you leave town. Carry recovery gear, extra fuel and far more water than you think you need. A capable high-clearance 4x4 is mandatory, and a winch is smart when clay roads are involved.
Nearest towns: Hanksville, Bullfrog, Torrey, Boulder, Green River
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: GOHUNT — Utah Henry Mtns Deer Limited-Entry Unit Profile · GOHUNT — Utah Henry Mountains Bison Unit Profile · Henry Mountains bison herd — Wikipedia · Henry Mountains — Utah.com
FAQ
- How big is Unit 637 in Utah?
- Unit 637 (Henry Mtns (bison)) covers about 1,399 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,000 to 11,527 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 637?
- Approximately 90% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, SITLA, private, USFS. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 637?
- Mule Deer, Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Elk, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 637 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.