One of our ranchers takes a small number of hunters yearly on his ranch, which borders the famous Deseret Land & Livestock Ranch.

He takes three or four rifle hunters and sometimes a couple of muzzleloader or achery hunters.

You must book early because you must apply for a tag in the general drawing. There are typically plenty of non-resident tags available, but any unused tags are converted to resident permits and immediately sold.

"The deer are recovering pretty well from the tough winter we had a few years ago," said the rancher, whom we have known for years. "We saw a lot more bucks this past season than the season before, and we're having such a mild winter this year that I'm sure this fall will be very good. I took only two hunters last fall (2009), and one got a 178 B&C, and we saw some bigger bucks. I've seen some very big bucks this past winter."

The rancher has not set his price for 2011, but expect to pay about $4,000 for a rifle hunt and $3,000 for a bow or muzzleloader hunt -- a good deal less than most other ranches in the area. Lodging in a bunkhouse is included as well as guide service by the rancher and his son. Hunters can provide their own food or pay extra for meals prepared by the rancher's family. Hunt MD4536.