Unit 94 Henry Mtns
One of the three best mule deer units in America, sharing a wild desert range with the lower 48's free-roaming, huntable bison herd
Southern Utah — Henry Mountains / Colorado River country · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,303
sq mi
Public land
92%
approx.
Elevation
3,700–11,522
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
The Henry Mountains are a remote, island-like range rising out of the slickrock desert between Capitol Reef and Lake Powell, and they hold a near-mythical place in Western big game hunting. The unit is managed strictly for trophy mule deer and routinely produces 200-plus-inch bucks, with the top end pushing 210-220 inches — one of only a handful of units nationally in that class. It is also home to the Henry Mountains bison herd, one of the very few free-ranging, huntable herds remaining in the lower 48, plus desert bighorn sheep in the broken canyon country to the south. Every marquee tag here is a hard-to-draw, low-odds, once-in-a-lifetime-caliber hunt.
Terrain
A compact, high alpine range surrounded by low desert. Mount Ellen tops out at 11,522 ft, with a cluster of peaks (Ellen, Pennell, Hillers, Holmes, Ellsworth) descending south into rolling foothills, then deep slickrock canyons draining to the Colorado River and Lake Powell.
Cover: Alpine tundra and talus on the summits, aspen and spruce-fir and ponderosa on the upper slopes, pinyon-juniper across the mid-elevation benches, and desert shrub, grassland and slickrock in the surrounding canyon country.
Landmarks: Mount Ellen (11,522 ft) · Mount Pennell · Mount Hillers · Little Rockies (Mount Holmes and Mount Ellsworth) · Bull Creek Pass · Tarantula Mesa · Colorado River / Lake Powell · Capitol Reef National Park (northern edge)
Access
Overwhelmingly public — the Henry Mountains are BLM-managed with SITLA trust parcels mixed in, both open to hunting. There is no national forest here. Access is via a network of unpaved BLM roads off Highway 95 and Highway 276, most notably the Bull Creek Pass Back Country Byway that crosses the range between Mount Ellen and Mount Pennell. Roads are remote, rough, and impassable when wet; high-clearance 4WD is essential and there is no cell service across most of the unit.
Managers: BLM (Henry Mountains / Richfield & Hanksville field offices), SITLA, private
Access points: Bull Creek Pass Back Country Byway (from Hanksville / Notom) · Sawmill Basin · Lonesome Beaver Campground · McMillan Springs Campground · Highway 95 and Highway 276 desert road network · Starr Springs (south end, toward the Little Rockies)
Species notes
Mule Deer
common trophyThe reason the Henrys are legendary. Conservative permit numbers, excellent age structure and outstanding genetics produce some of the largest mule deer in North America — 190s are common on the mountain and true 200-plus-inch bucks are taken every year. This is a premium limited-entry buck tag with brutal draw odds and a long waiting period; if you draw it, you are hunting one of the best deer units in the country.
- →Scout hard before the hunt — big bucks summer high in the aspen and spruce pockets of Mount Ellen and Mount Pennell before dropping to pinyon-juniper benches
- →Glass timber edges, alpine basins and rockslides at first and last light with top-tier optics
- →Work the aspen stringers and dark north-facing timber where mature bucks bed during the day
- →Be willing to hike into remote basins away from the byway to find undisturbed old bucks
- →Hunt the transition zones as weather pushes deer off the peaks later in the fall
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyDesert bighorn inhabit the rugged canyon and slickrock country on the south and east flanks of the range, especially toward the Little Rockies and the Colorado River breaks. The desert sheep tag is a once-in-a-lifetime permit with extremely limited numbers, and the unit is under active predator management to support the herd.
- →Focus on the steep, broken slickrock and cliff bands of the Little Rockies (Mount Holmes / Mount Ellsworth) and the river breaks
- →Spend full days behind a spotting scope evaluating rams before committing
- →Hunt escape-terrain edges early and late when sheep feed away from the crags
- →Plan for extreme heat and near-total lack of water and shade in the desert canyons
Cougar
common opportunityMountain lions follow the deer and bighorn across the range and canyon country. Cougar hunting here is a limited-entry, houndsman-oriented pursuit tied to snow conditions on the mountain.
- →Cut tracks on the snow-covered roads and benches after a fresh storm
- →Work the deer wintering areas and canyon rims where lions travel and cache kills
- →Hound hunting is by far the most effective method
Black Bear
limited opportunityA small black bear population uses the forested upper slopes and aspen basins of Mount Ellen and Mount Pennell. Numbers are modest given the desert setting, so bear is a secondary opportunity rather than a destination hunt.
- →Concentrate on the highest aspen, oak and berry-producing pockets in late summer and fall
- →Glass timber edges and avalanche chutes at dawn and dusk
- →Hunt near water and mast in the limited forested zones
Pro tips
- →This is a once-in-a-lifetime-caliber draw — build points and plan the hunt of a lifetime around a single mature animal
- →Physically prepare: the best bucks and sheep live in steep, remote terrain far from the road
- →Scout multiple trips ahead of the hunt to pattern individual bucks in the summer aspen
- →Carry far more water than you think you need and pre-locate reliable springs
- →Time your effort to weather fronts that push deer off the peaks and improve movement
- →The free-ranging Henry Mountains bison herd shares this ground — a separate once-in-a-lifetime bison tag hunts the same country
Watch out for
- !Extremely low draw odds — this is a bucket-list unit, not an annual plan
- !Remote and unforgiving: no cell service, scarce water, long drives to any help
- !Clay roads become impassable gumbo when wet — a storm can strand you
- !Desert heat and no shade or water in the southern canyon country
- !Scattered private and SITLA parcels near the base — verify boundaries before crossing
- !Free-ranging bison are large and can be dangerous — give them a wide berth
Logistics
Hanksville is the closest supply point but is very small — stock up on fuel, food and especially water before heading into the range. Torrey and the Loa/Bicknell area to the northwest offer more services and lodging. Everything on the mountain is dispersed camping on BLM ground, with a few primitive campgrounds (Lonesome Beaver, McMillan Springs, Starr Springs). Roads turn to impassable gumbo when wet, so watch the weather, carry recovery gear, and never rely on cell service — plan for full self-sufficiency and long drives to help.
Nearest towns: Hanksville, Torrey, Bicknell, Loa, Green River, Blanding
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Deer Herd Unit #15 (Henry Mountains) Management Plan · GOHUNT — Utah Henry Mtns Deer Limited-Entry Unit Profile · GOHUNT — Utah Henry Mountains Bison Unit Profile · BLM — Henry Mountains · Hunt Addicts — Utah's Top Hunt Units
FAQ
- How big is Unit 94 in Utah?
- Unit 94 (Henry Mtns) covers about 1,303 square miles, ranging from roughly 3,700 to 11,522 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 94?
- Approximately 92% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM (Henry Mountains / Richfield & Hanksville field offices), SITLA, private. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 94?
- Mule Deer, Bighorn Sheep, 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 94 on your map.
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