Cache, Meadowville Elk Hunting, Utah
Utah hunt unit · 286 sq mi
Hard — 3–5 points
The easiest of the main limited-entry hunts here (Archery) for a Utah resident, by the bonus points that drew reliably. The other main hunts take more. The late archery hunt, a specialty hunt with few applicants, draws far easier: Moderate — 1–2 points. 6 limited-entry hunts, plus a multiseason permit; 3 of them during the September rut.
What hunting Cache, Meadowville is like
The Cache, Meadowville unit is rolling country with some steeper breaks, running from around 5,900 feet up to 8,200 feet. Most of the ground is gentle to moderate, and the vast majority of elk use on the unit happens on private property, particularly on the west side around Round Valley. That reality shapes the whole hunt here: this is a unit where glassing from a distance and working out access ahead of time matters as much as scouting terrain.
Public access is limited to about 55 percent of the unit, split between BLM ground and State Trust Land, the latter generally open to hunting thanks to a standing state access agreement, though individual parcels can still be leased or restricted. The remaining 45 percent is private, and with elk concentrated there, hunters need to line up written landowner permission — and expect trespass fees — well before applying for or buying a tag. Getting into the unit itself means using Round Valley or Temple Canyon roads, and ATV access is limited, so much of this is foot-and-glass country once a hunter is on the ground. Camping options on the unit itself are sparse; hunters commonly base out of the adjacent South Cache unit instead.
Both the general-season archery hunt and the early part of the limited-entry calendar fall within the September rut, while the later rifle, muzzleloader, and late archery hunts fall outside it. Elk stay tied to Round Valley's west benches through much of the fall before shifting toward wintering ground on the west side as the season cools into November.
Limited-entry bull elk (2026)
Limited entry is Utah's drawn bull hunt, managed for older bulls, with far fewer permits than the general season. It is drawn with bonus points: half the permits go to the applicants holding the most points, and the other half are drawn at random with one extra entry for every point held — so applicants below the reliable level do draw. A Utah resident may apply for only one limited-entry species a year.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | August 15 – September 15 | Bull | Late Summer / Velvet, Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| Early Rifle (any legal weapon) | September 16 – September 20 | Bull | Primary Rut |
| Muzzleloader | September 21 – October 2 | Bull | Primary Rut, Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Mid-season Rifle (any legal weapon) | October 3 – October 15 | Bull | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Late Rifle (any legal weapon) | November 7 – November 15 | Bull | Migration Transition |
| Late Archery | November 28 – December 13 | Bull | Migration Transition, Winter |
| Multiseason Usable in this unit's limited-entry archery, early rifle, muzzleloader, mid-season rifle and late rifle hunts; the dates span all of them. Not valid in the late archery hunt. | August 15 – November 15 | Bull | — |
This band describes the easiest of the unit's main limited-entry bull hunts (Archery) for a Utah resident in the 2026 draw: the lowest bonus-point level that drew reliably. The late archery hunt, a specialty hunt with few applicants, draws far easier (Moderate — 1–2 points). Half of Utah's limited-entry permits go to the applicants with the most bonus points and half are drawn at random, with an extra entry for each point, so applicants below this level can draw. Other weapons and seasons, and nonresidents, can take substantially more points. The band says nothing about the general-season over-the-counter hunt, which needs no points.
Archery · August 15 – September 15
The limited-entry archery hunt opens in mid-August while bulls are still finishing out the Late Summer / Velvet phase, then runs through the Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset and into the Primary Rut by mid-September. Early on, bulls are stripping velvet and staying close to where they summered, which makes sitting water or glassing for a spot-and-stalk approach a sound plan. Most bulls on this hunt are found on private land in Round Valley, on the west benches, so lining up landowner access and expecting to pay trespass fees needs to happen well before the season, not during it. As the weeks pass and rut activity builds, working those west benches with optics remains the core of the hunt.
Early Rifle (any legal weapon) · September 16 – September 20
This short five-day rifle hunt falls entirely inside the Primary Rut, putting bulls at their most active for the whole season. As with the archery hunt, the bulls are concentrated on private ground in Round Valley's west benches, so hunters need access arrangements and trespass fee agreements already worked out before stepping afield. With rut activity in full swing, covering ground and glassing those west-side benches gives the best read on where bulls are holding.
Muzzleloader · September 21 – October 2
The muzzleloader hunt starts in the tail end of the Primary Rut and carries into the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase by early October, so rutting behavior is still a factor for at least the opening stretch. October brings cooler days, with highs near 56°F and lows around 29°F, though snowfall stays light at about an inch for the month. Elk continue to concentrate on private land in Round Valley's west benches, meaning access has to be secured ahead of time and trespass fees should be expected. Hunting the front end of this season, while rut influence is still present, tends to offer better odds of catching bulls still moving.
Mid-season Rifle (any legal weapon) · October 3 – October 15
By the time this rifle hunt opens in early October, the rut has moved into its Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase, and bulls that were more visible during the rut are now becoming solitary and harder to pattern. Hunting the earliest days of this window pays off, since some rutting activity may still be lingering right at the start. Elk are scattered across the unit during this period, with cow and spike hunts overlapping on the same ground, but the majority of bulls still sit on private property on the west side. Given how much of the unit is private, this hunt runs on optics — long hours glassing distant ground rather than covering it on foot — with October highs near 56°F and lows near 29°F and only light snowfall to contend with.
Late Rifle (any legal weapon) · November 7 – November 15
Opening in early November, this rifle hunt falls in the Migration Transition phase, as elk begin shifting off summer range toward wintering ground. November turns notably colder, with highs around 42°F, lows near 20°F, and average snowfall climbing to about 8.4 inches for the month, conditions that can push elk movement and make travel on the unit tougher. Bulls remain concentrated on private land in Round Valley's west benches through this stretch, so access arrangements and trespass fees are still part of the plan. Glassing those west-side benches remains the most reliable way to locate bulls as they settle into their fall pattern ahead of winter.
Late Archery · November 28 – December 13
The late archery hunt runs from late November into mid-December, spanning the Migration Transition and Winter phases, and it is built to be a difficult hunt by design. Bulls are largely solitary or in small groups by this point and hard to close on, especially with November's cold settling in — highs near 42°F, lows around 20°F, and snowfall averaging roughly 8.4 inches for the month, which can mean snowy, difficult stalking conditions in steep terrain. The large majority of bulls are wintering on the west side, mostly on private property, so long hours of glassing and careful use of optics matter more than covering ground. Bulls tend to hold on south-facing slopes somewhere between 6,500 and 8,500 feet, with the exact elevation shifting depending on how deep the snow gets.
General-season spike elk — over the counter (2026)
This is a general-season spike-only unit. General-season bull elk permits in Utah are sold over the counter — no application, no draw and no points. There is no general-season elk point bank at all. Spike permits go on sale July 16; a rifle or muzzleloader hunter may take only a bull whose antlers do not branch. The general archery permit goes on sale July 7 and is not capped. It is hunter's choice: on this spike-only unit an archer may take a spike bull or an antlerless elk. A branch-antlered bull here needs a separate limited-entry permit.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk |
|---|---|---|
| Archery On a spike-only unit the general archery permit allows a spike bull or an antlerless elk — not a branch-antlered bull. | August 15 – September 4 | Spike bull or an antlerless elk |
| Any Legal Weapon | October 3 – October 15 | Spike bull only |
| Muzzleloader | October 28 – November 5 | Spike bull only |
Archery · August 15 – September 4
The general-season archery hunt opens in mid-August and runs into early September, covering the Late Summer / Velvet phase, the Pre-Rut Transition and into Rut Onset. Early in the season bulls are still shedding velvet and holding near their summer range, making water sources and glassing for spot-and-stalk chances a productive approach. This is a spike-only unit, so a rifle or muzzleloader hunter here would be limited to a spike bull, but the archery permit is hunter's choice, meaning an archer may take either a spike bull or an antlerless elk — not a branch-antlered bull. With most elk use concentrated on private ground, working the country at a distance and having access lined up ahead of time still applies even under a general tag.
Any Legal Weapon · October 3 – October 15
Running from early to mid-October, the general any-legal-weapon hunt falls in the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase, when rutting activity is winding down. During daylight hours elk lean on timber cover for escape, so working the edges of conifer stands can help locate spike bulls that have gone quiet. October conditions stay relatively mild for the hunt, with highs near 56°F and lows around 29°F and just light snowfall. This tag is spike-only, so any branch-antlered bull encountered has to be passed regardless of where it's found.
Muzzleloader · October 28 – November 5
The general muzzleloader hunt runs from late October into early November, crossing from the Post-Rut Recovery phase into the Migration Transition phase as elk begin drifting toward wintering areas. Timber continues to serve as daytime escape cover for elk during this stretch, so hunters working timbered edges have a better chance of cutting a spike bull's trail. Weather turns more serious as the season progresses, with October highs around 56°F giving way to November's colder pattern near 42°F highs and lows around 20°F, along with average snowfall climbing to roughly 8.4 inches by November. As with the other general hunts here, only a spike bull is legal, and no branch-antlered bull may be taken.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,900–8,200 ft, typically around 6,800 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 61% gentle · 36% moderate · 4% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~157 sq mi
Habitat & cover
What grows here, by elevation. Each band adds to 100% on its own — these are shares of that band, not of the unit.
Lower elevations
- Sagebrush64%
- Other cover25%
- Riparian6%
- Grass and meadow3%
- Conifer2%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush84%
- Grass and meadow8%
- Conifer4%
- Aspen3%
Higher elevations
- Sagebrush75%
- Conifer11%
- Aspen9%
- Grass and meadow5%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land — left unnamed rather than guessed at.
Land & access
About 55% of Cache, Meadowville is public land a hunter can generally count on — BLM and State Trust Land.
- BLM50%
- State Trust Land4%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private45%
Most Utah State Trust Land is open to hunting under a standing state access agreement. Individual parcels can be leased or restricted, so check the parcel before planning around it.
Where elk live in the unit
Utah's statewide elk habitat mapping, by layer: how much of Cache, Meadowville each one covers. The layers overlap, so they do not add to 100%, and a layer that is small or missing here says nothing on its own about where elk are.
- Winter Range63%used in winter
- Summer Range27%used in summer
- Crucial Summer Range27%the part of Summer Range considered essential to the herd — inside Summer Range, not added to it
- Crucial Winter Range3%the part of Winter Range considered essential to the herd — inside Winter Range, not added to it
Fall weather
- September — highs around 70°F, lows around 39°F
- October — highs around 56°F, lows around 29°F, about 1 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 42°F, lows around 20°F, about 8.4 in of snowfall
Cache, Meadowville elk hunting FAQ
Do I need bonus points to hunt elk on the Cache, Meadowville unit?
Points are never required just to apply. The limited-entry bull hunts use bonus points, with half the permits going to the applicants holding the most points and the other half drawn at random with one extra entry per point, so an applicant at any point level can draw. The general-season spike and hunter's-choice archery permits need no points at all — they are bought over the counter on their sale dates.
What is the difference between the general-season hunts and the limited-entry hunt on this unit?
The general-season archery, any-legal-weapon, and muzzleloader permits are bought over the counter with no draw involved, but on this spike-only unit a rifle or muzzleloader hunter may only take a spike bull. The limited-entry hunt is a separate drawn permit for any bull, run on the same ground with its own archery, rifle, and muzzleloader seasons, and it is managed to produce older bulls even though the tag itself allows any bull taken.
Can a general archery hunter take a branch-antlered bull here?
No. Because this is a spike-only unit, the general archery permit is hunter's choice for a spike bull or an antlerless elk, not any bull. Taking a branch-antlered bull requires drawing the separate limited-entry archery, rifle, or muzzleloader permit.
Which Cache, Meadowville elk seasons fall during the September rut?
The general-season archery hunt and the early portion of the limited-entry calendar — limited-entry archery, early rifle, and muzzleloader — all run through the September rut. The general-season any-legal-weapon and muzzleloader hunts, along with the limited-entry mid-season rifle, late rifle, and late archery hunts, all fall outside it, later in the fall.
How much of the Cache, Meadowville unit is public land I can count on hunting?
About 55 percent of the unit, roughly 157 square miles, is generally open to public hunting, split between BLM ground and State Trust Land. Most of that Trust Land is open under a standing state access agreement, though individual parcels can still be leased or restricted, so it is worth checking status before counting on a specific piece of ground.
How hard is it to draw the limited-entry bull tag on this unit?
The easiest of the main limited-entry bull hunts — archery, rifle, and muzzleloader — falls in the Hard band, reliably drawing around 3 to 5 bonus points for a resident in recent draws, though the random half of the draw means someone with fewer points can still draw. The other limited-entry seasons on this unit take substantially more points than that. The late archery hunt is a separate specialty season that draws far easier, typically around 1 to 2 points.
Data sources & methodology
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources — Big game hunting — general-season, limited-entry and antlerless elk permits
- Utah DWR — What hunters should know for the 2026 deer and elk hunts — 2026 general-season elk dates, including the split any-bull rifle hunt
- Utah DWR — Big Game Application Guidebook — how bonus points and the limited-entry draw work
- Utah DWR — Hunt Planner — unit boundaries, and the DWR's unit and biologist notes the written guide draws on
- Utah DWR — Elk (elk habitat mapping) — elk seasonal range
- Utah Trust Lands Administration — Trust Lands & You — the hunter access agreement that opens most state trust land
- USGS / MRLC — National Land Cover Database — habitat and cover classes by elevation band
- USGS PAD-US — Protected Areas Database of the United States — land ownership and access
- Daymet daily climate, 1991–2020 (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) — fall weather
- National Interagency Fire Center — wildfire perimeters — recent fires, their size and where they burned
Limited-entry draw difficulty is a qualitative band, not published odds — the note under the limited-entry seasons states exactly which hunt it describes. Land shares are separate, non-overlapping categories. Confirm current dates and rules in the Utah Big Game Field Regulations guidebook before you hunt. Unit data last updated September 28, 2026.