North Slope, Summit/West Daggett Elk Hunting, Utah
Utah hunt unit · 1,000 sq mi
Any-bull unit — no draw, no points
Any-bull permits go on sale July 9. A rifle or muzzleloader hunter may take any bull. The general archery permit (on sale July 7) allows any bull or an antlerless elk on this unit.
What hunting North Slope, Summit/West Daggett is like
The North Slope, Summit/West Daggett unit covers 1,000 square miles of rolling country with some steeper breaks, running from around 6,000 feet up to 13,500 feet, with most of the hunting happening in the 9,600-foot range. Slopes are gentle to moderate across most of the ground, which makes for a lot of foot country that rewards glassing and patient stalking rather than technical climbing. Timber dominates the mid-elevation cover, while sagebrush and grass and meadow openings mix in more at lower and higher elevations, giving hunters both cover to move through and open ground to glass.
Access runs mostly through National Forest, which along with a share of state trust land keeps about 88 percent of the unit generally open to public hunting, though state trust parcels can occasionally be leased or restricted even under the standing access agreement that opens most of them. Private land accounts for roughly 12 percent of the unit and should be respected accordingly. The Beulah fire burned about 5,700 acres on the unit's southwest side, and since this fall falls within the first year after that fire, hunters working that area should check for current fire closures and restrictions before heading in.
Elk make heavy use of the unit's summer range, which covers a large share of the ground, with winter range covering a smaller portion — a reminder that animals shift through the unit as the calendar moves from the archery opener toward the late muzzleloader hunt. The archery season falls within the September rut, while the three any-legal-weapon and muzzleloader seasons that follow it fall outside that window, which changes both elk behavior and hunting tactics considerably from one season to the next.
General-season any-bull elk — over the counter (2026)
This is a general-season any-bull 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. Any-bull permits go on sale July 9 and have sold out quickly in recent years. The general archery permit goes on sale July 7 and is not capped. It is hunter's choice: on this any-bull unit an archer may take any bull or an antlerless elk.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | August 15 – September 16 | Any bull or an antlerless elk |
| Early Any Legal Weapon | October 3 – October 9 | Any bull |
| Late Any Legal Weapon | October 10 – October 16 | Any bull |
| Muzzleloader | October 28 – November 5 | Any bull |
Archery · August 15 – September 16
The archery hunt opens in mid-August while bulls are still finishing out the Late Summer / Velvet phase, moving into the Pre-Rut Transition phase and then into Rut Onset and Primary Rut by the time the season closes in mid-September. Early on, bulls are stripping velvet and haven't moved far from their summer haunts, so sitting water sources or glassing likely spots for a spot-and-stalk opportunity works well. As the season progresses into Rut Onset and Primary Rut, elk behavior shifts with the rut itself, and hunters willing to keep covering ground through the timber and sagebrush mix at mid and lower elevations put themselves in front of more animals. This is a hunter's-choice permit, so archers can take any bull or an antlerless elk.
Early Any Legal Weapon · October 3 – October 9
The Early Any Legal Weapon hunt runs the first week of October, squarely in the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase, with any bull legal for rifle or muzzleloader hunters. October brings a real jump in snowfall over September, and hunters should be ready for weather that can change quickly during this short week-long season. With the rut winding down, working the timbered mid-elevations and edges where conifer gives way to sagebrush and grass openings is a solid approach for locating bulls that are settling into post-rut patterns.
Late Any Legal Weapon · October 10 – October 16
The Late Any Legal Weapon hunt picks up right where the early rifle season leaves off, running from October 10 through October 16 and spanning both the tail end of the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase and the start of Post-Rut Recovery. Bulls are past peak rut activity and settling into more subdued post-rut behavior, so covering more ground and glassing openings in the cover can pay off better than waiting on a single spot. October's snowfall is well up from September levels, and any fresh snow during this week can help reveal fresh sign in the timber and along transition routes between summer and winter range.
Muzzleloader · October 28 – November 5
The muzzleloader hunt runs from late October into early November, spanning the Post-Rut Recovery phase and pushing into the Migration Transition phase as the calendar turns. November brings a sharp cooldown and significantly more snowfall than October, conditions that can push elk out of summer range and toward winter range as they begin shifting with the season. Hunters willing to handle colder, snowier conditions late in this hunt may find elk on the move between higher and lower ground, with any bull legal to take.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,000–13,500 ft, typically around 9,600 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 52% gentle · 34% moderate · 12% steep · 2% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~876 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
- Conifer43%
- Sagebrush41%
- Other cover6%
- Riparian5%
- Aspen4%
- Grass and meadow2%
Mid elevations
- Conifer84%
- Sagebrush9%
- Riparian3%
- Aspen2%
- Other cover1%
- Grass and meadow1%
Higher elevations
- Conifer56%
- Other cover20%
- Sagebrush15%
- Grass and meadow7%
- Riparian2%
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.
Recent fires
Wildfires in the last several seasons that burned a meaningful share of North Slope, Summit/West Daggett. Fire perimeters show where a fire burned, not how hot — and closures change through the year, so check current fire closures and restrictions before you go.
- Beulah fire, 2025 — about 5,700 acres in the unit, mostly on its southwest side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 88% of North Slope, Summit/West Daggett is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest and State Trust Land.
- National Forest84%
- State Trust Land3%
- Private12%
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 North Slope, Summit/West Daggett 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.
- Summer Range74%used in summer
- Crucial Summer Range74%the part of Summer Range considered essential to the herd — inside Summer Range, not added to it
- Winter Range22%used in winter
- Crucial Winter Range22%the part of Winter Range considered essential to the herd — inside Winter Range, not added to it
Fall weather
- September — highs around 61°F, lows around 34°F, about 1.3 in of snowfall
- October — highs around 50°F, lows around 25°F, about 8.8 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 39°F, lows around 14°F, about 20.1 in of snowfall
North Slope, Summit/West Daggett elk hunting FAQ
Do I need points to hunt elk on the North Slope, Summit/West Daggett unit?
No. The general-season archery, any-legal-weapon, and muzzleloader elk permits on this unit are sold over the counter with no application, draw, or points required. Points in Utah apply only to limited-entry and antlerless elk draws, neither of which is being discussed here.
What can a general archery hunter legally take on this unit?
The general archery permit here is hunter's choice, meaning an archer may take any bull or an antlerless elk. This is because the unit is managed as an any-bull unit rather than a spike-only unit.
Which seasons fall during the September rut?
Only the general archery season, which runs August 15 through September 16, overlaps the Rut Onset and Primary Rut phases. The Early and Late Any Legal Weapon seasons and the Muzzleloader season all fall in October and November, outside the September rut window.
How much of the unit is public land?
About 88 percent of the unit, roughly 876 square miles, is generally open to public hunting through National Forest and state trust land. The remaining 12 percent is private land, and even open state trust parcels can occasionally carry leases or restrictions.
Does the Beulah fire affect hunting this fall?
The Beulah fire burned about 5,700 acres on the unit's southwest side and is within its first year after burning this fall. Elk may already be moving back through the burn between patches of unburned timber, but hunters should check for current fire closures and restrictions before heading into that area.
When do general elk permits go on sale for this unit?
The general archery permit goes on sale July 7 and is not capped, while the any-bull rifle and muzzleloader permit goes on sale July 9 and has sold out quickly in recent years. Neither requires an application or a draw.
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.