Utah · Public Land · 2026 Edition
Utah Public Hunting Land 2026: WMAs & Access Rules
2 wildlife management areas tracked here, from 11,758 to 18,000 acres. A hunting license covers you on Utah WMA land the same as anywhere else in the state — but read the access rules below before you assume that's all you need.
01 — Wildlife management areas
| Area | County | Acres | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Shooting Grounds Wildlife Management Area | Box Elder | 11,758 | Waterfowl, Pheasant |
| Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area | Davis | 18,000 | Waterfowl, Shorebirds |
Public Shooting Grounds, on the Bear River delta in Box Elder County, is reportedly the first area in the U.S. ever set aside specifically for public waterfowl hunting — established in 1928. Farmington Bay, in Davis County (one of the four counties where the license-to-access rule applies), has grown from 3,800 to 18,000 acres since 1935 and hosts more than 200 documented bird species across its impoundments and Great Salt Lake mudflats. This list is a starting point, not DWR's full inventory of Wildlife/Waterfowl Management Areas statewide.
02 — Access rules beyond your hunting license
A standard Utah hunting or combination license covers hunting on DWR Wildlife/Waterfowl Management Areas statewide — but a state law adds a wrinkle in four "class one/class two" counties (Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, and Weber, all along the Wasatch Front): anyone 18 or older needs a valid Utah hunting, fishing, or combination license just to access a WMA there at all, whether they're hunting or not. That rule doesn't apply outside those four counties. Utah's major Great Salt Lake wetland complexes — Public Shooting Grounds, Farmington Bay, Ogden Bay, Howard Slough, and Locomotive Springs among them — are managed specifically for waterfowl and can carry their own seasonal closures on top of the general duck season.
03 — Where to go next
Verified · Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · Last verified 2026-08-13
Publisher's note. WMA list and access rules read from DWR, retrieved 2026-08-13. Review due 2027-08-01. This is a starting list, not the agency's full WMA inventory — confirm current rules for a specific area before you hunt it.