Utah Unit Cache, Meadowville Elk Hunting Guide

Hunters searching for a limited-quota elk unit in northern Utah should take a close look at Unit Cache, Meadowville. Every elk hunt in this unit — whether targeting antlered or either-sex animals — is drawn, meaning there's no general season fallback here. That structure shapes everything about how hunters should approach this unit, from application strategy to on-the-ground expectations once a tag is in hand.

Spanning 182,736 acres with elevations ranging from 5,923 to 8,221 feet, Unit Cache, Meadowville offers a mix of lower-elevation foothill terrain and higher mountain country typical of northern Utah's Wasatch-adjacent elk range. With 62% of the unit classified as public land, the majority of the acreage is accessible to hunters without needing to negotiate private land access — a meaningful advantage for do-it-yourself hunters planning a trip into this part of the state.

This is a unit built around managed, limited-quota hunting rather than high-volume opportunity. For hunters weighing whether to spend points here, understanding the harvest trends, trophy potential, and access realities is essential before committing an application.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit Cache, Meadowville Worth Applying For?

Based on data tracked by HuntPilot, Unit Cache, Meadowville presents a solid, if unspectacular, option for hunters who prioritize a reasonable shot at harvesting an elk over chasing a wall-hanger. The harvest numbers tell a consistent story. In 2025, 49 hunters took to the field and 21 harvested elk, a 43% success rate. That follows a similar 2024 season — also 49 hunters, with 20 harvested for a 41% success rate. In 2023, a larger draw of 59 hunters produced 33 harvests, pushing success to 56%.

That three-year trend — 56%, 41%, 43% — shows some year-to-year variability but holds in a respectable band overall. These are not the rock-bottom success rates seen in some of Utah's toughest wilderness-style units, nor are they the inflated numbers typical of antler-point-restricted management hunts. This is a legitimate limited-quota elk hunt with a reasonable expectation of putting an animal on the ground for hunters who scout and put in effort.

Trophy potential is where expectations should be tempered. The counties overlapping this unit carry a moderate history of trophy-class record-book entries — not a blank slate, but not a unit with an outsized trophy reputation either. Hunters should treat this as a unit where encountering a genuinely exceptional bull is possible but not the norm, and where the stronger argument for applying is a combination of decent harvest success, accessible public land, and a legitimate shot at a representative mature bull rather than a once-in-a-generation trophy.

For hunters holding a modest number of points and looking for a unit that offers real opportunity without an extreme multi-year point investment, Unit Cache, Meadowville deserves a serious look. For hunters exclusively chasing record-book bulls and willing to wait a decade or more for the right unit, this probably isn't the one to burn points on.

Harvest Success Rates

The three most recent harvest seasons on record show a unit that produces consistent, moderate success for the hunters who draw tags:

• 2025: 49 hunters, 21 harvested, 43% success
• 2024: 49 hunters, 20 harvested, 41% success
• 2023: 59 hunters, 33 harvested, 56% success

Across these three years, success rates have ranged from 41% to 56%, averaging out to a unit where roughly two in five hunters — and in the better year, more than half — connect on an elk. This is meaningful data for hunters trying to set realistic expectations. A 43% success rate, as seen in the most recent 2025 season, means hunters should plan for a real but not guaranteed opportunity, and should factor in scouting time, physical preparation, and flexibility in hunting strategy to maximize their odds.

The dip from 56% in 2023 to the low-40s range in 2024 and 2025 is worth noting. It could reflect herd conditions, hunter distribution, weather during the hunt, or simply the normal variability that shows up in any limited-quota unit with modest hunter numbers. With applicant pools in the 49-59 hunter range annually, this is a small-sample unit, and hunters should view any single year's success rate as one data point within a broader trend rather than a guarantee of what's to come.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data for the counties overlapping Unit Cache, Meadowville points to a moderate history of record-book production. This isn't a unit known for churning out elite, record-class bulls on a regular basis, but it has produced trophy-class animals historically. Hunters should understand that record-book entries are logged at the county level, not the unit level — meaning any trophy history associated with this area is shared with neighboring units that overlap the same counties, and the animals credited to that history may have come from anywhere within that broader footprint.

Practically speaking, this means hunters drawing a tag here should set expectations around a solid, mature bull rather than banking on an exceptional or record-class animal. The unit's moderate trophy history suggests genuine trophy potential exists for hunters willing to pass on younger bulls and hold out for a mature animal, but it would be inaccurate to characterize this as a unit defined by trophy production. Hunters whose primary goal is maximizing the odds of harvesting any legal bull, combined with a reasonable chance at a nice mature animal, will find this unit's profile more encouraging than hunters exclusively chasing elite-class bulls.

Access & Terrain

Unit Cache, Meadowville covers elevations from 5,923 feet up to 8,221 feet, a range that puts hunters into both lower foothill and sagebrush country as well as higher timbered mountain terrain depending on where they focus their efforts. This elevation spread is typical of northern Utah elk country, where elk often move between lower-elevation feeding areas and higher bedding and escape terrain depending on pressure, weather, and time of season.

With 182,736 total acres and 62% of that land classified as public, hunters have legitimate access to the majority of the unit without needing to arrange private land permission. This public land percentage is solid — well above the threshold where DIY access becomes genuinely difficult — and it supports a do-it-yourself hunting approach for hunters willing to scout public parcels thoroughly before the hunt.

There is no wilderness designation within this unit (0% wilderness), which means hunters face no restrictions tied to wilderness-area access and no requirement for guide services based on wilderness regulations. This opens the door for motorized access on established routes where legal, in addition to foot access, and generally makes the unit more approachable for hunters who prefer not to hire an outfitter.

Forum discussion among Utah elk hunters frequently frames units like this one as solid, accessible options for hunters who want real elk encounters without needing a trophy-unit-caliber point bank. The general terrain character — a mix of accessible foothill country and more rugged, timbered elevation bands — rewards hunters who are willing to get away from easier access points and put in physical effort to find less-pressured elk.

How to Apply

Every elk hunt in Unit Cache, Meadowville is drawn through Utah's limited-entry permit system — there is no general season fallback for this unit. Hunters, whether pursuing an antlered or either-sex tag, must apply through Utah's draw process and be successful in the draw to hunt here.

Utah's draw system operates as a hybrid model: a portion of tags go to the highest point holders in the applicant pool, while the remainder are allocated through a weighted random draw where each hunter's number of entries corresponds to their accumulated points plus one. Residents and nonresidents apply through separate pools, which means draw dynamics differ meaningfully between the two applicant groups.

Nonresidents should be aware that a high enough point total has, on certain hunts in Utah, effectively guaranteed a tag through the top-point allocation — but this varies by hunt and year, and hunters should check current, hunt-specific data before assuming any point level guarantees a draw. Points not used to draw a tag continue to accumulate for future application cycles under Utah's system, but a successful draw will be reflected against the applicable allocation for that hunt.

Because application dates, fees, and current draw odds change every cycle, hunters should not rely on static figures from an article like this one. For the most current application deadlines, fees, and draw odds for Unit Cache, Meadowville, visit HuntPilot's Utah state page or the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources' published draw reports before applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Unit Cache, Meadowville?

The unit spans an elevation range of 5,923 to 8,221 feet, encompassing both lower foothill and sagebrush terrain and higher, more rugged mountain country. This elevation spread gives elk room to move seasonally between different habitat types, and it gives hunters a range of terrain options depending on preferred hunting style — from lower-elevation glassing and spot-and-stalk tactics to higher-elevation timber hunting. There is no wilderness designation in this unit, so hunters aren't restricted by wilderness-specific access rules.

What is harvest success in Unit Cache, Meadowville?

Recent harvest data shows success rates of 43% in 2025, 41% in 2024, and 56% in 2023, based on hunter and harvest totals tracked for the unit. These numbers reflect a unit with consistent, moderate-to-good success rates for a limited-quota draw hunt, though hunters should recognize some year-to-year variability given the relatively small number of hunters in the field each season (49-59 hunters across the three years on record).

How big are the elk in Unit Cache, Meadowville?

Trophy history for the counties overlapping this unit shows a moderate level of record-book production historically. This suggests the unit can produce solid, mature bulls, but it is not characterized by consistent elite or record-class trophy output. Hunters focused on harvesting a mature bull rather than specifically chasing record-book-caliber animals will find the unit's profile reasonable; hunters exclusively targeting exceptional trophy-class bulls should treat this as a secondary consideration rather than the unit's primary strength.

Is Unit Cache, Meadowville worth applying for?

For hunters who want a legitimate chance at harvesting an elk without an extreme multi-year point investment, yes — the harvest data supports it, with success rates consistently in the 41-56% range across the last three recorded seasons, and 62% of the unit is public land, supporting DIY access. For hunters whose primary goal is a record-class trophy bull, the unit's moderate trophy history suggests other units with a stronger trophy track record may be a better fit for that specific goal. Hunters should check HuntPilot's Unit Cache, Meadowville page for current draw odds before applying to assess feasibility at their current point level.

Is Unit Cache, Meadowville a good unit for a do-it-yourself elk hunter?

The unit's access profile supports a DIY approach. With 62% public land and no wilderness-area restrictions, hunters can plan and execute a self-guided hunt without needing to negotiate private land access for the majority of the unit or satisfy any guide requirements. Hunters should still expect to invest real scouting time given the varied terrain and elevation range, particularly if aiming to locate a mature bull rather than simply filling a tag.