Utah · Elk · 2026–27 Edition
Utah Elk Season 2026–27: Archery, Muzzleloader & Rifle Dates
01 — Seasons
| Season | Zone note | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| General-season private-lands-only any bull elk (elk-damage permit) | Uinta Basin only | Aug 1 – Nov 15 |
| Archery — spike-bull units | General-season spike-bull units (Book Cliffs unit restricted to spike bull only; Paunsaugunt spike unit closed to general archery) | Aug 15 – Sep 4 |
| Archery — any-bull units | General-season any-bull units | Aug 15 – Sep 16 |
| Extended archery — Uinta Basin & Wasatch Front | Uinta Basin and Wasatch Front extended archery areas (continuation hunt for unfilled archery/multiseason tags) | Aug 15 – Dec 15 |
| Extended archery — West Cache (new for 2026) | West Cache extended archery area | Aug 15 – Jan 31 |
| Draw-only youth any-bull/hunter's choice | Any general-season any-bull elk unit statewide | Sep 12 – Sep 22 |
| Any legal weapon (rifle) — any-bull units, early | General-season any-bull units | Oct 3 – Oct 9 |
| Any legal weapon (rifle) — any-bull units, late | General-season any-bull units | Oct 10 – Oct 16 |
| Any legal weapon (rifle) — spike-bull units | General-season spike-bull units | Oct 3 – Oct 15 |
| Muzzleloader | All general-season elk units (any-bull and spike-bull) | Oct 28 – Nov 5 |
| Limited-entry late-season archery (draw only) | Select limited-entry units — consult hunt.utah.gov for allowable units | Nov 28 – Dec 13 |
| HAMSS (handgun/archery/muzzleloader/shotgun/straight-walled-rifle only, draw only) | Barney Top/Kaiparowits, Cache North, Southwest Desert North, West Desert Deep Creek | Nov 7 – Nov 30 |
| HAMSS (draw only) | East Canyon | Dec 19 – Dec 27 |
Utah elk hunting is organized around named hunt units that are split into two types — 'any-bull' units and 'spike-bull-only' units — rather than a single GMU grid; a general-season permit specifies which unit type it's valid for, and hunters may not cross between them. Limited-entry and CWMU (Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit, private land) elk hunts add a further layer of unit-specific permits on top of the general-season units.
02 — Tags & bag limits
| General-season and limited-entry bull hunts | One bull elk per permit; any-bull permits allow any size bull on any-bull units, spike-bull permits allow only a spike bull (no branching above the ears) on spike-bull units |
|---|---|
| Antlerless elk | A hunter may hold up to three elk permits total in a year, but at most one may be a bull elk permit — the remaining permits must be antlerless elk (one obtainable through the statewide antlerless drawing, up to two more over the counter as control/private-lands-only/CWMU permits); antlerless season dates are unit-specific and set separately from the general bull seasons above |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (August 1, 2026) 05:57 — 21:08
Rule: 30 minutes before official sunrise until 30 minutes after official sunset, statewide, for all big game including elk — no elk-specific exception found. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Utah sun times for any other date.
04 — License & tags
Elk hunters in Utah need a Utah hunting license plus an elk tag. Both residents and nonresidents may buy general-season elk permits, but nonresidents pay roughly 15x the resident price: a general any-bull/spike-bull elk permit is Resident $56 vs. Nonresident $849, and a Multiseason spike bull permit is Resident $200 vs. Nonresident $1,255, on top of the base hunting license (Resident $40 / Nonresident $144).
Where to hunt public land in Utah — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — Scouting gear
Scouting a unit before Utah's opener usually means glassing basins and running a trail camera through summer.
- Hunting binoculars on Amazon →
- Trail cameras on Amazon →
- Trail camera SD cards — class, capacity & format explained →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These are category links, not a single named pick — we run no product tests of our own.
06 — FAQ
When does elk season start in Utah?
The earliest 2026–27 opener is August 1, 2026 (General-season private-lands-only any bull elk (elk-damage permit)). See the table above for every method.
When does elk season end in Utah?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is January 31, 2027. Individual seasons close earlier — see the table above.
Do I need to enter a draw to hunt elk in Utah?
General-season bull elk permits (archery, any legal weapon/rifle, and muzzleloader, on both any-bull and spike-bull units) go on sale over the counter on staggered dates in July 2026 rather than through a lottery, so most general-season elk hunting in Utah is OTC as long as permits remain in the annual allocation. Limited-entry bull elk hunts and CWMU (private-land) bull elk hunts, by contrast, are draw-only and often require years of bonus points on the state's better-known units. A hunter may hold only one bull elk permit per year (general-season, limited-entry, multiseason, or once-in-a-lifetime — only one), plus up to two additional antlerless elk permits obtained separately (one through the antlerless drawing, up to two more over the counter as control/private-lands-only/CWMU permits).
How many elk can you shoot in Utah?
2026–27 bag limits: General-season and limited-entry bull hunts — One bull elk per permit; any-bull permits allow any size bull on any-bull units, spike-bull permits allow only a spike bull (no branching above the ears) on spike-bull units. Antlerless elk — A hunter may hold up to three elk permits total in a year, but at most one may be a bull elk permit — the remaining permits must be antlerless elk (one obtainable through the statewide antlerless drawing, up to two more over the counter as control/private-lands-only/CWMU permits); antlerless season dates are unit-specific and set separately from the general bull seasons above. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting elk in Utah?
On opening day (August 1, 2026) legal light runs 05:57 to 21:08. The rule is: 30 minutes before official sunrise until 30 minutes after official sunset, statewide, for all big game including elk — no elk-specific exception found. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Utah sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt elk on my own land in Utah without a license?
No — Utah requires a license, permit, or tag to hunt protected wildlife regardless of land ownership. Utah's 'Landowner Permit' program grants qualifying landowners priority access to big-game tags — that's an allocation benefit, not a license exemption, and applicants must still be able to lawfully hold a hunting license.
Verified · Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · Last verified 2026-08-15
Publisher's note. Season dates read directly from the '2026 Big Game Field Regulations Guidebook' (version 2026.1.2, published May 29, 2026), the Bull Elk Hunting chapter (pp. 49-53). For 2026 Utah merged its previously separate species-specific guidebooks into one combined 'Big Game Field Regulations Guidebook' covering all big game statewide (the cover reads 'Utah's Regulations for All Big Game Hunting 2026') — this mirrors the same guidebook restructuring already seen in this project's Utah bear/rabbit/squirrel research. Antlerless elk season dates are unit-specific and set through a separate draw (via the 2026 Utah Antlerless Application Guidebook and hunt.utah.gov's Hunt Planner) rather than published as a single statewide date table in either guidebook checked, so antlerless elk is described qualitatively in bagLimits rather than given its own dated methods[] row. Utah elk hunts are split by unit type (any-bull units vs. spike-bull-only units) rather than a single statewide season — a hunter's permit specifies which unit type they may hunt, and Multiseason spike bull permits combine archery+rifle+muzzleloader access on spike units using each season's own dates. Fees confirmed from the guidebook's permit fee table (p. 12): General any bull/spike bull elk Resident $56 / Nonresident $849; Multiseason spike bull elk Resident $200 / Nonresident $1,255; base 365-day hunting license Resident $40 / Nonresident $144 (adult). Shooting hours (30 minutes before official sunrise to 30 minutes after official sunset) confirmed from the guidebook's general hunting-methods section — no elk-specific exception found.