Utah Deer — West Desert, Vernon
Utah West Desert, Vernon covers 973,608 acres and lies 44 miles west of Santaquin. 89% of it is public land, mostly BLM (70%) and state trust land (10%). In 2025, 261 people hunted deer here and took 209 — 80% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 13 nonresident tags here for 390 first-choice applicants, and the last tag went to someone with 20 points.
Your chance of drawing here
Every deer license type on offer in West Desert, Vernon, 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
| Hunt | Your odds (0 pts) | Points needed | Tags / applicants | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB1016 ↗ Limited-entry Buck Deer - West Desert, Vernon Archery | <1% Point builder | 18 +5 since 2021 | 4 / 81 | Aug 15 – Sep 11, 2026 |
| DB1024 ↗ Limited-entry Buck Deer - West Desert, Vernon Rifle | <1% Point builder | 20 +2 since 2021 | 13 / 390 | Oct 17–25, 2026 |
| DB1042 ↗ Limited-entry Buck Deer - West Desert, Vernon Muzzleloader | <1% Point builder | 21 +3 since 2021 | 4 / 53 | Sep 23 – Oct 1, 2026 |
| DB1048 ↗ Multiseason LE Buck Deer - West Desert, Vernon (multiseason) Rifle | <1% Point builder | — | 1 / 45 | Aug 15 – Oct 25, 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 677,891 ac · 70%
- Private 102,629 ac · 11%
- State trust land 99,834 ac · 10%
- National Forest 93,112 ac · 10%
- State land 4 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 | 261 | 209 | 80% |
| 2024 | 244 | 185 | 76% |
| 2023 | 243 | 164 | 67% |
| 2022 | 239 | 164 | 69% |
| 2021 | 267 | 193 | 72% |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Archery 29 · 14% · 51 hunters, 57% success
- Firearm 129 · 64% · 151 hunters, 85% success
- Muzzleloader 44 · 22% · 50 hunters, 88% 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