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 applications.

• How I think about folding Utah into a bigger Western application plan using GoHunt Filtering 2.0.

If this episode helps you sort out Utah, subscribe to the podcast and follow @getdrawnwest on Instagram so you don’t miss the rest of the Utah bonus series.

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Chapters

00:00:00 – Why Utah MuleDeer Matters in 2026
00:00:24 – Utah Deadline and How It Fits with MT, WY, CO
00:02:36 – Nonresident Costs: License, Tags, and Points
00:04:06 – Utah Draw System: Bonus vs Preference Points
00:06:48 – Premium, Management, and Cactus Buck Hunts
00:10:35 – General Season Deer and Draw Order Rules
00:13:05 – Using GoHunt Filtering 2.0 for Utah Units
00:16:11 – High‑End Limited Entry Units Worth Waiting For
00:19:40 – Shortcut Tags with HAMS and Late Muzzleloader
00:20:19 – Zero‑ to Ten‑Point General Units and Long‑Range Strategy