Unit 81 Fillmore, Oak Creek South
A compact, cliff-riddled limited-entry mule deer range rising abruptly from the Sevier Desert
Central Utah — Canyon (Oak Creek) Mountains · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,480
sq mi
Public land
88%
approx.
Elevation
4,600–9,720
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
The Fillmore, Oak Creek South unit is built around the Canyon Mountains — locally the Oak Creek Mountains — a rugged 25-mile-long range of sheer cliffs and rock that jumps straight out of the Sevier Desert between Leamington, Oak City and Scipio in Juab and Millard counties. It is one of Utah's smaller and better-known limited-entry mule deer units, historically producing a handful of exceptional bucks each year off good high-ledge browse. Elk are a secondary, general any-bull opportunity on a small herd, and the desert flats to the west add pronghorn. The 2012 Clay Springs Fire burned over 100,000 acres across much of the range, reshaping the habitat.
Terrain
The Canyon Mountains rise abruptly from the Sevier and Scipio valleys, steep and rugged with large rock cliffs and peaks running from roughly 8,500 to over 9,700 feet (Fool Creek Peak area). West of the range the unit spreads out across low desert hills and the flats of the Sevier Desert.
Cover: High ledges and peaks carry good browse tucked in the cliffs and pinyon-juniper, with pockets of aspen, oakbrush, serviceberry and bitterbrush; mid-slopes are sagebrush and grass, grading to greasewood and shadscale desert on the valley floors. Much of the range shows the 2012 Clay Springs Fire footprint and its regrowth.
Landmarks: Canyon (Oak Creek) Mountains · Fool Creek Peak · Oak Creek / Oak City · Sevier Desert · Scipio Valley · Fillmore Ranger District campgrounds (Fishlake NF)
Access
The mountain core is overwhelmingly public — the Fishlake National Forest holds better than 90% of the year-long range in the high country, while BLM covers the bulk of the desert winter range to the west. Private ground (about 11%) clusters in the valley bottoms and around Oak City and the agricultural benches. SITLA trust parcels are scattered and, in Utah, generally open to hunting. Several Fillmore Ranger District campgrounds sit on the west side of the Canyon Mountains. The range is rugged, roadless in its steep interior, and accessed by canyon roads working in from the valley margins.
Managers: USFS Fishlake NF (Fillmore Ranger District), BLM, private, SITLA
Access points: Oak City / Oak Creek Canyon access · Fillmore Ranger District campgrounds (west side) · Leamington and Mills-area approaches · I-15 Exit 207 (Mills) corridor · BLM desert two-tracks west toward SR-257
Species notes
Mule Deer
common trophyThe reason this unit exists in most hunters' minds — a limited-entry deer unit that has historically produced 160-180 bucks a year with a few genuinely big ones off the cliff-and-ledge browse. Quality has softened somewhat in recent years, but the trophy ceiling and controlled tag numbers keep it a premium draw.
- →Glass the high cliff bands, ledges and rocky benches where mature bucks bed in security terrain
- →Focus on the good browse pockets tucked into the ledges and burn-regrowth from the Clay Springs Fire
- →Hunt the steep, rugged interior on foot — the biggest bucks live in the nastiest rock
- →Scout hard preseason; a small unit rewards patterning individual bucks
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityA small elk herd (managed around 150 animals on the west-of-I-15 portion) hunted as general season, any-bull. Numbers are modest and age structure is not managed for trophy quality, so this is an opportunity hunt.
- →Work the timbered heads of canyons and north-facing pockets on the Fishlake NF
- →Locate the small groups early and stay mobile — density is low
- →Hunt the transition between the forested range and adjacent private feed
Pronghorn
limited opportunityPronghorn range the Sevier Desert flats and low hills on the west side of the unit, a modest opportunity out on the open ground away from the mountains.
- →Glass the open sagebrush-grass flats and desert benches from vehicle-accessible high points
- →Use terrain folds and the desert two-tracks to close distance on open-country bands
Cougar
common opportunityThe deer herd and broken cliff terrain support resident mountain lions through the Canyon Mountains.
- →Run fresh snow through the canyon systems behind hounds
- →Check the rocky rims and ledge country where deer concentrate
Pro tips
- →This is a limited-entry deer tag — if you draw, hunt the rock: mature bucks hold in the sheer cliff bands and ledges
- →Preseason scouting pays off big on a unit this small and self-contained
- →Target Clay Springs Fire regrowth pockets where nutritious browse has come back
- →Don't overlook the desert west side for pronghorn and glassing wide-open country
- →Carry water in the low country — the Sevier Desert flanks are dry
Watch out for
- !Steep, cliffy, roadless interior — physically demanding and rock-fall prone
- !Water is limited on the desert west side
- !Private inholdings and ag ground cluster around Oak City and the valley bottoms
- !Deer quality has trended down somewhat from its peak years
- !Fire history and continued fire risk shape habitat and access
Logistics
Oak City, Leamington and Delta are the closest towns for fuel and basics, with Fillmore and Nephi on I-15 offering fuller services. The mountain is compact and reachable within a couple of hours of Salt Lake City. Camp at the Fillmore Ranger District campgrounds on the west side or disperse on the National Forest and BLM. Cell service is spotty in the rugged interior — plan comms accordingly.
Nearest towns: Oak City, Leamington, Delta, Scipio, Fillmore, Nephi
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Elk Herd Unit Management Plan — Unit 21 (Fillmore, Pahvant/Oak Creek) · GOHUNT — Utah Fillmore, Oak Creek Limited-Entry Deer Unit Profile · GOHUNT — Utah Fillmore, Oak Creek South General Elk Unit Profile
FAQ
- How big is Unit 81 in Utah?
- Unit 81 (Fillmore, Oak Creek South) covers about 1,480 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,600 to 9,720 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 81?
- Approximately 88% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Fishlake NF (Fillmore Ranger District), BLM, private, SITLA. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 81?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Pronghorn, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 81 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.