Utah Mule Deer Application Strategy
From Drawn West by Drawn West with Brian Krebs
April 16, 2026 · 29 min
About this episode
This episode discusses strategies for applying for mule deer hunting in Utah, including costs, draw systems, and unit recommendations.
Want to chase some of the biggest mule deer in the country? In this episode, I break down what Utah really costs, how the draw works, and which units are actually worth your points so you can decide if it belongs in your long range strategy. We walk through the nonresident math on the 365 day license, general and limited entry tag costs, and why Utah’s cheap points become a bargain once you’re already in the system. Then I break down Utah’s bonus point system for limited entry, the true preference points for general season, and real world unit examples from zero points up into the 20 plus range. What we cover in this episode: • How to time the 365 day license so you get two application cycles out of one purchase. • The difference between premium limited entry, standard limited entry, management buck, cactus buck, and HAMS hunts—and what happens to your points when you draw. • High end units like Paunsaugunt, Henry Mountains, Fillmore Creek, and San Juan, plus realistic general units like Pine Valley, Zion, North Slope, Chalk Creek, Bonanza, La Sal, and Monroe from 0–10 points. • Why nonresidents often have more opportunity in Utah than residents when it comes to limited entry…
People in this episode
Host: Brian Krebs
Topics covered
- mule deer hunting
- Utah hunting strategy
- application process
- bonus points system
- nonresident opportunities
- hunting units
Keywords
- Utah mule deer
- hunting application
- bonus points
- limited entry tags
- nonresident hunting
- hunting strategy
- GoHunt Filtering 2.0
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Utah, Paunsaugunt, Henry Mountains, Fillmore Creek, San Juan, Pine Valley, Zion, North Slope, Chalk Creek, Bonanza
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