Moroni Hills Elk Hunting, Utah

The Moroni Hills unit runs from about 5,500 feet up to 8,000 feet, with most of the ground rolling and gentle, some moderate sidehills mixed in, and only a small share of steeper breaks. It hunts as foot-and-glass country more than technical terrain: sagebrush and grass dominate the lower and mid elevations, with conifer and some aspen showing up higher, giving hunters a mix of open glassing ground and pockets of cover to work.

Access is the real constraint here. Only about 15 percent of the unit — roughly 14 square miles of BLM, Wildlife Management Area, and State Trust Land — is generally open to public hunting, and most of the unit, around 85 percent, is private. Utah State Trust Land here falls under a standing state access agreement that opens most of it to hunters, though individual parcels can still be leased or restricted, so it pays to check status before committing to a spot. With the bulk of the ground held privately, finding and staying on the public fraction takes some map work before the season opens.

More than half the unit, 55 percent, is mapped as winter range, all of it also falling in the crucial winter range category, meaning that share represents ground the herd depends on most heavily rather than a larger total. That mapping says nothing about exactly where elk sit in a given week, but it does mean elk activity on this unit is tied to seasonal use patterns that shift as fall turns toward winter, which matters most for the hunts that run latest.

Lower elevations

• Sagebrush53%
• Other cover30%
• Grass and meadow13%
• Conifer5%

Mid elevations

• Sagebrush66%
• Conifer20%
• Grass and meadow11%
• Other cover3%

Higher elevations

• Sagebrush41%
• Conifer34%
• Grass and meadow13%
• Aspen12%
• Other cover1%

• BLM9%
• Wildlife Management Areas5%
• State Trust Land<1%

• Private85%

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.

Do I need points to hunt elk on the Moroni Hills unit?

Not for the general seasons. The archery, Early Any Legal Weapon, Late Any Legal Weapon, and Muzzleloader elk permits on this unit are all purchased over the counter with no application or points required. Utah's point systems apply to limited-entry and antlerless draws elsewhere, not to these general-season any-bull tags.

What can I take with a general archery permit on this unit?

The general archery elk permit on Moroni Hills is hunter's choice, meaning an archer can take any bull or an antlerless elk. This is because Moroni Hills is managed as an any-bull unit rather than a spike-only unit.

Which Moroni Hills elk seasons fall during the rut?

The general archery season, running mid-August through mid-September, overlaps the Rut Onset and Primary Rut phases. The Early Any Legal Weapon, Late Any Legal Weapon, and Muzzleloader seasons all run in October and November, after the peak rut has passed.

How much of the Moroni Hills unit is public land I can actually hunt?

About 15 percent of the unit, roughly 14 square miles, is generally open to public hunting through BLM, Wildlife Management Area, and State Trust Land. The remaining 85 percent is private, so legal access rather than terrain is the main limiting factor on this unit.

What is the terrain like on Moroni Hills?

The unit is mostly rolling country with some steeper breaks, running from about 5,500 feet at the low end up to 8,000 feet. Gentle and moderate slopes make up the large majority of the ground, with only a small share qualifying as steep.

When does the any-bull permit go on sale for Moroni Hills?

The general any-bull rifle and muzzleloader permit goes on sale July 9, while the general archery permit goes on sale July 7. Both are purchased directly rather than drawn, though any-bull permits have sold out quickly in recent years.