Unit 947 Oquirrh
Two 10,000-foot ranges rising out of the desert on Salt Lake City's doorstep, holding quality mule deer and access-limited elk
Northern Utah — Oquirrh & Stansbury Mountains (west of the Wasatch Front) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,595
sq mi
Public land
60%
approx.
Elevation
4,200–11,031
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
The Oquirrh-Stansbury unit spans two isolated mountain ranges just west of the Salt Lake and Tooele valleys, separated by Rush and Skull valleys. Both the Oquirrh and Stansbury Mountains rise well over 10,000 feet, with more than 6,000 feet of relief from desert flat to summit, and they hold healthy mule deer herds on largely accessible public ground. It is a limited-entry mule deer unit that produces quality bucks close to a major metro area. Elk are present but access is complicated by huge private holdings — most notably Kennecott's Bingham Canyon mine lands and military ground — so knowing what is open is half the battle here.
Terrain
Two steep, largely non-glaciated ranges separated by desert valleys. Deseret Peak crowns the Stansburys at 11,031 ft; the Oquirrhs top out around 10,600 ft (Flat Top / Lowe Peak). Terrain runs from Great Salt Lake and Rush Valley flats up through foothills and canyons to rugged, timbered high ridges.
Cover: Sagebrush, grass and greasewood on the valley flats; oakbrush, maple and pinyon-juniper on the foothills; and aspen, Douglas-fir and spruce with alpine rock in the high country of both ranges.
Landmarks: Deseret Peak (11,031 ft) · Deseret Peak Wilderness (Stansbury Mountains) · Lowe Peak / Flat Top (Oquirrh Mountains) · Bingham Canyon (Kennecott) mine · Rush Valley · Skull Valley · South Willow Canyon · Butterfield / Middle canyons
Access
Access is a genuine puzzle. The core of the Stansbury Mountains is Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest including the 25,500-acre Deseret Peak Wilderness, with good canyon trailheads and open BLM and SITLA around the base. The Oquirrh Mountains are far more constrained — large blocks are locked up by Kennecott/Rio Tinto mine property, and Tooele Army Depot and Camp Williams are closed to hunting. Public deer country is real and largely accessible, but elk hunters especially must map private and military boundaries carefully before the hunt.
Managers: USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, BLM, SITLA, private (Kennecott / Rio Tinto), military (Tooele Army Depot, Camp Williams)
Access points: South Willow Canyon (Stansbury Mountains / Deseret Peak trailheads) · Loop Campground (South Willow) · North and Middle canyons (Oquirrh foothills) · Ophir Canyon (south Oquirrhs) · Rush Valley and Skull Valley road networks · BLM access off Highway 36 and SR-73
Species notes
Mule Deer
common qualityThe marquee draw and the reason for the limited-entry designation. Healthy herds occupy varied terrain that is largely on accessible public land, and controlled permit numbers let bucks reach good age and antler quality within easy reach of the Wasatch Front. A solid quality-buck opportunity rather than a giant-only trophy unit.
- →Glass oakbrush, maple and aspen edges on the foothill benches at dawn and dusk
- →Push into the high timber and rock of the Stansburys and Deseret Peak Wilderness for older, undisturbed bucks
- →Hunt canyon heads and north-facing dark timber where mature bucks bed during the day
- →Use the big vertical relief — deer shift elevation with weather and pressure, so be mobile
- →Get away from the easy road-accessed foothills to escape hunting pressure near the metro
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityScattered but established elk populations use both ranges, with some good bulls. The catch is access — much of the best elk ground sits behind Kennecott mine property and closed military land, so open-country opportunity is limited and hunters must work around private boundaries to find huntable elk.
- →Identify legally open public parcels adjacent to elk security cover before the season
- →Work the timbered upper canyons of the Stansburys where public access is cleaner
- →Glass the high basins and dark timber at first and last light and locate bulls by bugle in the rut
- →Set up on the fringes where elk move between private security and public feed
Cougar
common opportunityStrong deer numbers support a healthy mountain lion population across both ranges. Cougar is a winter, snow-tracking pursuit best run with hounds.
- →Cut fresh tracks on snowy foothill and canyon roads after storms
- →Focus on deer wintering areas and canyon rims where lions hunt and cache kills
- →Hound hunting is the most effective method
Pronghorn
limited opportunitySmall numbers of pronghorn range the open sage flats of Rush and Skull valleys around the base of the mountains. It is a minor, tightly permitted opportunity compared with the deer and elk hunting.
- →Glass the open sagebrush-grassland valleys between the two ranges
- →Use terrain folds and water sources to locate and approach bucks on the flats
Pro tips
- →Do your access homework first — a land-ownership map is the single most valuable tool on this unit
- →Escape the road-accessed foothills near the metro to find less-pressured, older bucks
- →Hunt the Deseret Peak Wilderness and upper Stansbury canyons for the cleanest public high-country deer
- →For elk, focus effort on legally open parcels next to the private security blocks
- →Use the huge elevation range to your advantage and follow deer down as weather hits
Watch out for
- !Major private inholdings — Kennecott / Rio Tinto mine lands lock up big blocks, especially in the Oquirrhs
- !Tooele Army Depot and Camp Williams are closed to hunting
- !Heavy hunter pressure and traffic near the Salt Lake and Tooele valleys
- !Fast-changing weather and early snow on the high peaks and wilderness trails
- !Verify every boundary — a wrong turn here can put you on closed industrial or military ground
Logistics
This is a rare big-game unit within an hour of a major metro — base out of Tooele, Grantsville or the Salt Lake valley with full services, fuel and lodging close at hand. The Stansbury side offers developed forest trailheads and a campground in South Willow Canyon; the Oquirrh side is tighter on public camping. Cell coverage is generally good near the valleys and along the fronts. The main logistical work is boundary homework — download current land-ownership layers and know exactly where Kennecott, the Army Depot and Camp Williams lines fall.
Nearest towns: Tooele, Grantsville, Stansbury Park, Salt Lake City, West Jordan, Herriman
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: GOHUNT — Utah Oquirrh-Stansbury Mule Deer Limited-Entry Unit Profile · GOHUNT — Utah Oquirrh-Stansbury East (Antlerless Elk) Unit Profile · UDWR Maps / Hunt Planner · Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance — Stansbury / Deseret Peak Wilderness
FAQ
- How big is Unit 947 in Utah?
- Unit 947 (Oquirrh) covers about 1,595 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,200 to 11,031 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 947?
- Approximately 60% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, BLM, SITLA, private (Kennecott / Rio Tinto), military (Tooele Army Depot, Camp Williams). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 947?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Cougar, Pronghorn. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 947 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.