Utah Deer — Paunsaugunt
Utah Paunsaugunt covers 957,281 acres and lies 52 miles south-east of Cedar City and 61 miles east of Hurricane. 84% of it is public land, mostly BLM (64%) and national forest (14%). In 2025, 231 people hunted deer here and took 181 — 78% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 7 nonresident tags here for 4,483 first-choice applicants, and the last tag went to someone with 29 points.
Your chance of drawing here
Every deer license type on offer in Paunsaugunt, with the prior-draw chance for a first-choice nonresident applicant. Type your points in to see your own number.
Chances are from the 2026 draw (the most recent) for a first-choice nonresident. "Points needed" = the cut in the last draw.
Simple view Odds at every point level-
<1% Point builder
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<1% Point builder
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<1% Point builder
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<1% Point builder
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<1% Point builder
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<1% Point builder
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<1% Point builder
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<1% Point builder
| Hunt | Your odds (0 pts) | Points needed | Tags / applicants | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1001 ↗ Premium LE Buck Deer - Paunsaugunt Archery | <1% Point builder | 29 +5 since 2021 | 3 / 903 | Aug 15 – Sep 11, 2026 |
| DB1004 ↗ Premium LE Buck Deer - Paunsaugunt Rifle | <1% Point builder | 29 +5 since 2021 | 7 / 4,483 | Oct 17–31, 2026 |
| DB1006 ↗ Premium LE Buck Deer - Paunsaugunt Muzzleloader | <1% Point builder | 28 +4 since 2021 | 3 / 354 | Sep 23 – Oct 1, 2026 |
| DB1008 ↗ Multiseason PLE Buck Deer - Paunsaugunt (multiseason) Rifle | <1% Point builder | — | 1 / 572 | Aug 15 – Oct 31, 2026 |
| DB1010 ↗ Management Buck Deer - Paunsaugunt Rifle | <1% Point builder | 22 +2 since 2024 | 3 / 219 | Nov 2–20, 2026 |
| DB1058 ↗ Cactus Buck Deer - Paunsaugunt Rifle | <1% Point builder | 20 +5 since 2024 | 2 / 56 | Nov 2–20, 2026 |
| DB1073 ↗ Management Buck Deer - Paunsaugunt Archery | <1% Point builder | — | 1 / 37 | Aug 15 – Sep 11, 2026 |
| DB1074 ↗ Management Buck Deer - Paunsaugunt Muzzleloader | <1% Point builder | — | 1 / 49 | Sep 23 – Oct 1, 2026 |
What these columns mean
- Your odds —
- the share of applicants at your point level who drew this tag in the 2026 draw. Not a forecast: quotas and demand move every year.
- The badge —
- plain language for that number. Likely draw 75% or better · Real chance 40%+ · Long shot 15%+ · Point builder below that, so you are applying mainly to bank a point · Undersubscribed means fewer first-choice applicants than tags, so everyone who applied drew.
- Points needed —
- the lowest point total that still got a tag in the 2026 draw, and how that cut has moved since the earliest draw we hold.
- Tags / applicants —
- tags on offer and first-choice applicants for them, as the agency published them. Under five tags we print counts instead of a percentage, because one applicant either way swings it.
What it costs to apply (2026 nonresident fees)
| License | Up front | Gone if you miss | If you draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per application | $165 | $165 | $764 |
Application window: opens Mar 19, closes Apr 23, 2027 (expected). Full fee breakdown.
The country
Boundaries are drawn for orientation only — the written boundary description in the regulations governs.
Who owns the ground
- BLM 608,654 ac · 64%
- Private 154,592 ac · 16%
- National Forest 131,205 ac · 14%
- National Park Service 32,723 ac · 3%
- State trust land 29,743 ac · 3%
- State land 42 ac · 0%
How the hunting has gone
What Utah Division of Wildlife Resources publishes for this area after each season — harvest statistics for everyone who hunted it, not draw odds and not a forecast. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources publishes these per hunt rather than per unit; the rows below add its own figures together, since a hunter holds one tag for the species in a season.
| Season | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 231 | 181 | 78% |
| 2024 | 212 | 157 | 74% |
| 2023 | 206 | 159 | 77% |
| 2022 | 201 | 164 | 82% |
| 2021 | 198 | 153 | 77% |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Archery 31 · 18% · 43 hunters, 72% success
- Firearm 118 · 67% · 143 hunters, 83% success
- Muzzleloader 26 · 15% · 39 hunters, 67% success
Boundary: Utah Big Game Hunt Boundaries 2025 (DWR hunt-unit / sub-unit boundaries, all species)
Harvest: 2025 Utah Big Game Harvest (preliminary) — single combined report, all species and hunt types