Historically operated for many years as summer sheep pasture by an old-line Utah ranching family, in 2008 the Reserve was acquired to take advantage of the outstanding elk and mule deer habitat. This premier hunting ground is included in Utahs Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit (CWMU) program. The outfitter operating this hunting unit pays the Seller a flat fee of $60,000 annually to lease the land. The internationally renowned Deseret Livestock Ranch, a 217,000-acre holding which has been carefully developed and managed as one of the premier elk and mule deer hunting destinations in North America, is located nine miles north of the Reserve. Birch Creek Hunting Reserve has benefitted from its proximity to The Deseret due to the north-south migratory patterns of the big game. In operation for more than three decades, the genetics of the elk and mule deer herds have been carefully calibrated to enviable levels. The Birch Creek Hunting Reserve has enjoyed the influence of its massive neighbor and will continue to do so for decades.