Utah Deer — Vernal/Bonanza
Utah Vernal/Bonanza covers 1,320,498 acres and lies 100 miles east of Heber. 78% of it is public land, mostly BLM (43%) and national forest (22%). In 2025, 1,158 people hunted deer here and took 707 — 61% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 1 nonresident tag here for 5 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every deer license type on offer in Vernal/Bonanza, 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-
3% Point builder
-
76% Likely draw
-
14% Point builder
-
100% Undersubscribed
-
100% Undersubscribed
| Hunt | Your odds (0 pts) | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1086 ↗ Limited-entry Buck Deer - Vernal/Bonanza Muzzleloader | 3% Point builder | — | 1 / 5 | Standard | Oct 28 – Nov 5, 2026 |
| DB1522 ↗ General Buck Deer - Vernal/Bonanza Archery | 76% Likely draw | 0 steady since 2021 | — / 34 | Standard | Aug 15 – Sep 11, 2026 |
| DB1552 ↗ General Buck Deer - Vernal/Bonanza Rifle | 14% Point builder | 0 −1 since 2021 | — / 123 | Standard | Oct 17–25, 2026 |
| DB1552 ↗ General Buck Deer - Vernal/Bonanza Rifle | 100% Undersubscribed | 0 | — / 11 undersubscribed | Youth | Oct 17–25, 2026 |
| DB1582 ↗ General Buck Deer - Vernal/Bonanza Muzzleloader | 100% Undersubscribed | 0 −1 since 2021 | — / 14 undersubscribed | Standard | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard license | $165 | $165 | $764 |
| Youth license | $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 562,967 ac · 43%
- National Forest 285,854 ac · 22%
- Private 211,827 ac · 16%
- State trust land 107,219 ac · 8%
- Tribal 83,241 ac · 6%
- National Park Service 53,003 ac · 4%
- State land 8,262 ac · 1%
- National Wildlife Refuge 7,473 ac · 1%
- Bureau of Reclamation 76 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 | 1,158 | 707 | 61% |
| 2024 | 963 | 563 | 58% |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Muzzleloader 119 · 19% · 189 hunters, 63% success
- Archery 129 · 20% · 327 hunters, 39% success
- Firearm 390 · 61% · 498 hunters, 78% 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