2015 utah big game field regulations draft

8/9/2019 2015 Utah Big Game Field Regulations Draft

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CONTENTS6 2015 season dates8 Basic requirements8 Utah’s Trial Hunting Program

9 Keep your license on your phoneor tablet

10 Utah Hunter Mentoring Program11 Apply for an antlerless permit11 Depredation hunts12 More opportunities to obtain

permits13 Permit refunds and exchanges14 More opportunity for young

hunters14 Denition of youth15 Stop at Checkstations16 Big game hunts17 Updates on research projects17 Mandatory reporting

19 Antlerless elk-control permitsavailable

20 Multiple elk permits23 Archery Ethics Course23 Avoid harvesting collared wildlife25 Once-in-a-lifetime hunts28 Antlerless hunts28 Report your harvest31 Cooperative Wildlife

Management Units33 Field regulations33 Are you allowed to possess a

weapon?34 Firearms and archery equipment35 State-licensed guides and

outtters35 Hunters with disabilities38 Trespassing40 Prohibited hunting methods41 Tagging requirements42 Possession and use of big game44 Hunt maps54 Denitions

CONTACT USTurn in a poacherPhone: 1-800-662-3337Email:[email protected]

Online:wildlife.utah.gov/utip

Division officesOffices are open 8 a.m.–5 p.m.,Monday through Friday.

Salt Lake City 1594 W North Temple

Box 146301Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6301801-538-4700

Central Region1115 N Main StreetSpringville, UT 84663801-491-5678

Northeastern Region318 N Vernal AvenueVernal, UT 84078435-781-9453

Northern Region515 E 5300 SOgden, UT 84405801-476-2740

Southeastern Region319 N Carbonville Road, Ste APrice, UT 84501435-613-3700

Southern Region1470 N Airport Road

Cedar City, UT 84721435-865-6100

Washington County Field Office451 N SR-318Hurricane, UT 84737435-879-8694


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WHAT’S NEW?Boundary changes:Some hunt boundarieshave changed this year, including the northernboundary of the Wasatch elk unit and theOquirrh-Stansbury general-season deer unit.To nd a map and description of the area youwant to hunt, visitwildlife.utah.gov/maps.

New antlerless elk-control areas:Didyou obtain a buck, bull or once-in-a-lifetimepermit this year? If so, you may be eligibleto purchase an antlerless elk-control permit.This year, you can use an elk-control permit

in three new areas: Mt. Dutton; Pine Valleyand West Desert, Vernon. Seepage 19orwildlife.utah.gov/elkcontrol for more informa-tion about antlerless elk-control areas.

Changes to extended archery areas:For 2015, the Wildlife Board has approveda new West Cache extended archery deer

area and eliminated the Sanpete extendedarchery elk area. For more information, visitwildlife.utah.gov/extendedarchery or see theinformation box onpage 23.

Extended archery opportunity:This year,for the rst time, limited-entry deer and elkarchery hunters who don’t harvest during thelimited-entry season will also be allowed tohunt extended archery seasons.

Season date extensions: There are longerseasons this year for both limited-entrymuzzleloader elk hunts and mountain goathunts. If you’re participating in one of thesehunts, please seewildlife.utah.gov/maps orlook at the dates listed on your hunting permit.

Download the app:You can now downloada free Utah Hunting and Fishing app thatmakes it easy to store digital versions of yourlicenses on a mobile device. For details, visitwildlife.utah.gov/mobileapp or seepage 9.

Check for closures: There may be late-season road closures on federal and state

John BairCalvin CrandallSteve DaltonMichael KingKirk Woodward

Jake Albrecht,Chair Bill Fenimore,ViceChair Gregory Sheehan,

Division Director &Executive Secretary

This guidebook summarizes Utah’s biggame hunting laws and rules. Although it

is a convenient quick-reference documentfor Utah big game regulations, it is not anall-encompassing resource.

For an in-depth look at the state’sbig game hunting laws and rules, visitwildlife.utah.gov/rules.

You can use the references in the guide-book—such as Utah Admin. Rule R657-5-24and Utah Code § 23-20-25—to search theDivision’s website for the detailed statute orrule that underpins the guidebook summary.

If you have questions about a particularrule, call or visit the nearest Division office.

Who makes the rules?The Utah Wildlife Board passes the rules

and laws summarized in this guidebook.There are seven board members, and

each serves a six-year term. Appointed bythe governor, board members are not Divi-sion employees.

The Division’s director serves as theboard’s executive secretary but does nothave a vote on wildlife policies.

Before board members make changes towildlife rules, they listen to recommenda-tions from Division biologists. They alsoreceive input from the public and variousinterest groups via the regional advisorycouncil (RAC) process.

If you have feedback or suggestions forboard members, you can nd their contactinformation online atwildlife.utah.gov .

Wildlife Board members

A CLOSER LOOKAT THE RULES


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Mandatory reporting: Many big gamehunters must report hunt informationwithin 30 calendar days after the end of thehunting season (even if they did not harvestan animal). To see if you are required toreport—and to learn how to report—seethe information box on page 17 or visitwildlife.utah.gov/harvestreporting.

Trial hunting program:This year, people

who haven’t hunted big game may be able ttry it for the rst time without taking HunteEducation. For details, see the information bonpage 8.

Mentoring program for youth:Hunterscan choose to share their big game permitswith their children, stepchildren, grandchil-dren and legal wards—and with terminallyill youth—while mentoring them in the eldFor details, see the information box onpage10 or visitwildlife.utah.gov/mentoring.

Multiple elk permits: You may obtain twoelk permits—provided one or both of the pemits are antlerless—but you can only applyfor or obtain one antlerless elk permit in the

lands. Before heading into the eld, pleasecheck with the managing agency for the areayou plan to hunt.

Seasons overlapping: In an effort toprovide more limited-entry deer huntingopportunities, the Utah Wildlife Board ap-proved deer and elk seasons that overlap onsix general-season deer units and on the NorthSlope, Summit limited-entry unit.

And keep in mindResearch antlerless hunts online:Starting in late May 2015, you can nd all ofthe information you need to research yourhunt—including application dates, rules,hunt tables, boundaries and maps—atwildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks. The Division isnot producing a printed guidebook. The antler-less application period runs from May 28–June18, 2015.

Hunting in Salt Lake County:Before youhunt deer or elk in Salt Lake County, visitpage38 to learn about special restrictions.

Don’t lose your hunting and shing privilegesIf you commit a wildlife violation, you could lose the privilege of hunting and shing in Utah.The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources can suspend the license ofanyone who knowingly, intentionally or recklessly violates wildlifelaws. Your license can be suspended for a wildlife violation if:

• You are convicted.• You plead guilty or no contest.• You enter a plea in abeyance ordiversion agreement.

Suspension proceedings are separate and inde-pendent from criminal prosecution. The Utah Divisionof Wildlife Resources may suspend your license privilegeswhether or not the court considers suspension in yourcriminal case. You will be notied of any action againstyour privilege after criminal proceedings conclude. Andremember, if your license is suspended in Utah, youmay not be permitted to hunt or sh in most otherstates. (Visitianrc.org to see a map of participating states.)

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Utah Big Game Application Guidebook atwildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks. That guidebookwas printed in December 2014 and is a com-panion to this book.

Guidebook corrections: If errors are foundin this guidebook after it is printed, the Divi-sion will correct them in the online copy. Visitwildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks to view digitalversions of all the Division’s guidebooks.

Protection from discrimination: TheDivision receives federal nancial assistancefrom the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Under

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IIof the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990,the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Title IX ofthe Education Amendments of 1972, the U.S.Department of the Interior and its bureausprohibit discrimination on the basis of race,color, national origin, age, disability or sex. If

you believe that you have been discriminatedagainst in any program, activity or facility, orif you desire further information, please visitwww.doi.gov/pmb/eeo/public-civil-rights.cfm.

Private lands: The Division cannot guaranteeaccess to any private land. If you plan tohunt—or engage in any other wildlife-related activities—in an area made up ofall or mostly private lands, you must obtainWRITTEN permission from the landowner orthe landowner’s authorized representative. Formore information, please seeTrespassing onpage 38.

Division funding: The Division is mostlyfunded by the sale of hunting and shing

licenses and through federal aid made possibleby an excise tax on the sale of rearms andother hunting- and shing-related equipment.

drawing. To learn more about this opportunity,see the information box onpage 20.

Flexibility in using antlerless elkpermits: If you obtain two antlerless elkpermits for the same area, but the permits arefor different seasons, you may harvest both elkduring the same season. For details, see theinformation box onpage 20.

Wearing hunter orange: You must wear

hunter orange if you are in an area where acenterre rie hunt is occurring. For detailedinformation on Utah’s hunter orange regula-tions, please seepage 33.

Use a licensed guide:If you plan to use aguide or outtter on public land in the 2015hunting season, state law requires that indi-

vidual to be licensed. Please seepage 35 fordetails or visitwildlife.utah.gov/guides.

National parks closed to hunting:All ofUtah’s national parks and monuments—ex-cept the Grand Staircase-Escalante NationalMonument—are closed to hunting.

Predator-control program: For

details on Utah’s predator-control pro-gram, and how you can participate, visitwildlife.utah.gov/predators.

Review application guidebook:If youhave questions about the 2015 big gameapplication period, hunt drawing or limited-entry season dates, please see the 2015

No drones allowedUtah Code § 23-20-3 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-5-14

Although drones are growingin popularity, it is illegal to use themwhile hunting protected wildlife in Utah.For details on all the restrictions thatapply to airborne vehicles and devices,please see Use of vehicle or aircraft onpage 40.

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extended archery areas during the seasonslisted below.

For maps, boundaries and more informa-tion on Utah’s extended archery hunts, seewildlife.utah.gov/extendedarchery .

Hunt DatesExtended archery deer(either sex) in theOgden, Uintah Basin,Wasatch Front and WestCache extended archery

areas

Sept. 12–Nov. 30

Extended archery elk(either sex) in theUintah Basin extendedarchery area

Sept. 12–Dec. 15

Extended archeryelk (either sex) inthe Wasatch Frontextended archery area

Aug. 15–Dec. 15

Sportsmanand statewideconservation seasonsHunt DatesDeer and elk on any

open unit with archeryequipment*‡

Aug. 15–Aug. 31,

2015

Deer and elk on anyopen unit with anylegal weapon*‡

Sept. 1, 2015–Jan. 15, 2016

Pronghorn and mooseon any open unit withany legal weapon

Sept. 1–Nov. 15,2015

Bighorn sheep, moun-tain goat and bison onany open unit with anylegal weapon*‡

Sept. 1–Dec. 31,2015

* You may not take an elk or Rocky Mountain big sheep on the Pilot Mountain hunting unit.

‡ Antelope Island is not an open unit. In order to hon Antelope Island, you must have a permit valid Antelope Island.

General-season datesHunt Dates

General archery deer Aug. 15–Sept. 11General muzzleloaderdeer

Sept. 23–Oct. 1

General any legalweapon (rie) deer

Oct. 17–25

General archery anybull elk

Aug. 15–Sept. 11

General archery spikeelk Aug. 15–Sept. 4

General any legalweapon (rie) spikeand any bull elk

Oct. 3–15

General muzzleloaderspike and any bull elk

Oct. 28–Nov. 5

Youth general (rie)

any bull elk

Sept. 12–20

Youth late-season(rie) any bull elk

Nov. 28, 2015–Jan. 15, 2016

CWMU season datesThe Utah Wildlife Board has established

timeframes for hunting on Cooperative WildlifeManagement Units (CWMUs). Hunters should

expect to hunt at least ve days for bucks/bullsand two days for antlerless big game withinthese timeframes.

To see the timeframes and learn moreabout the CWMU program, see the article onpage 31 or visitwildlife.utah.gov/cwmu.

Extended archeryseason datesYou do not need to apply for an additionalpermit to hunt during the extended archeryseasons.

As long as you have an archery deer orelk permit—and you complete the requiredarchery ethics course—you may hunt in the

2015 SEASON DATES


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License feesResident license fees

License Fee

365-day hunting license(age 13 and under) $11

365-day hunting license(ages 14–17)

$16

365-day hunting license(ages 18–64)

$34

365-day hunting license(age 65 and older)

$25

Multi-year huntinglicense (age 18 andolder)

$33 per year, upto ve years

365-day combination**license (ages 14–17)

$20

365-day combination**license (ages 18–64)

$38

365-day combination**license (age 65 andolder)

$29

Multi-year combina-tion** license (age 18and older)


Nonresident license fees

License Fee365-day hunting license(age 17 and younger)

$25

365-day hunting license(age 18 and older)

$65

Multi-year huntinglicense (up to ve years)for age 18 and older


365-day combination**license (age 17 andyounger)

$29

365-day combination**license (age 18 andolder)

$85

Multi-year combina-tion** license (age 18and older)


** A combination license allows you to hunt or sh inUtah. It also allows you to sh with a second pole.

Permit feesPermit Resident Nonres.General deer $40 $268

General anybull elk orspike bull elk

$50 $393

When to apply for asportsman permit

Long season dates—and the abilityto hunt almost every hunting unit inUtah—make sportsman permits themost prized permits offered to Utah’spublic hunters.

The application period for 2016 will

run from Oct. 28 to Nov. 18, 2015. OnlyUtah residents can apply for sportsmanpermits.

For more information about thesepermits, and the few restrictions thatapply, please visitwildlife.utah.gov inlate October 2015.

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BASIC REQUIREMENTSAre you planning to hunt big game in Utah this year? Before you apply for a pesure you meet Utah’s age, hunter education, license and permit requirements.

entry, once-in-a-lifetime or CWMU permits

the public drawing.If you’re 12 to 17 years old, you can partpate in the Utah Hunter Mentoring ProgramFor details on the program, see the informa-tion box on page 10.

If you’re 12 years old or older, you canalso participate in the Trial Hunting ProgramFor details, see the box on the bottom left o

this page.Adults must accompany young hunt-ersUtah Code § 23-20-20

While hunting big game, a person under16 years old must be accompanied by his orher parent, legal guardian or other responsibperson who is 21 years of age or older and whas been approved by the parent or guardian

The Division encourages adults to befamiliar with hunter education guidelines orcomplete the hunter education course beforaccompanying youth into the eld.

While in the eld, the youth and the adumust remain close enough for the adult to s

and provide verbal assistance to the younghunter. Using electronic devices, such aswalkie-talkies or cell phones, does not meetthis requirement.

Have you passedhunter education?Utah Code § 23-19-11 & Utah Admin. Rule R657-23

If you were born after Dec. 31, 1965, yomust provide proof that you’ve passed a huneducation course approved by the Divisionbefore you can apply for or obtain a huntinglicense or a big game permit.

The only exception to this law is for individuals who are participating in the DivisioTrial Hunting Program. You can nd details

Are you old enough?Utah Code § 23-19-22

To hunt big game in Utah, you must be atleast 12 years old.

If you’re 11 years old—but you’ll be 12 byDec. 31, 2015—you can apply for or obtain abig game permit. Remember, you cannot huntuntil you are 12 years old.

If you’re 11 to 13 years old, you are eligible

to:• Apply for general-season deer or youthany bull elk permits in the drawing.

• Buy general-season deer, general-seasonelk and youth any bull elk permits overthe counter, if any are available.

• Buy a Cooperative Wildlife ManagementUnit (CWMU) permit directly from a

CWMU operator.If you’re 13 years old—and you’ll be 14 by

Dec. 31, 2015—you can also apply for limited-

Utah’s Trial HuntingProgramUtah Admin. Rule R657-68

Have you ever wanted to bring yourspouse, child or friend along on a huntand give them a chance to try hunting?Now, they can join you on your next biggame hunt.

Utah’s Trial Hunting Program allowsanyone over the age of 12 to try huntingfor a few years—while accompanied by

a licensed hunter over the age of 21—before taking a Hunter Education course.The program applies to hunts

for many different species, includinggeneral-season deer and elk. To sign upfor the program or to learn more aboutit, visitwildlife.utah.gov/trial .


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• Students who are planning to hunt outof state should allow enough time fortheir hunter education card to arrive inthe mail.

New to Utah?If you become a Utah resident, and you’vecompleted a hunter education course inanother state, province or country, you mustobtain a Utah blue card before you can buy aresident hunting license. You can obtain a Utahblue card at any Division office by providingproof that you’ve completed a hunter educa-

tion course approved by the Division.

about the program on page 8 or by visitingwildlife.utah.gov/trial .

Proof of hunter educationYou can prove that you’ve completed

hunter education by obtaining a hunter educa-tion card (called a “blue card” in Utah) or byusing a hunting license from a previous yearwith your hunter education number noted onthe license.

How to take huntereducation

To get started, you should visitwildlife.utah.gov/huntereducation. You’ll seelinks to a complete list of traditional or onlinehunter education courses. Follow the instruc-tions on the website to sign up for a course.

If you need assistance, please contact yourlocal Division office or call 801-538-4727.

When you complete the course, your in-structor will sign your course certicate, whichwill then become your hunting license. With avalid hunting license, you can also apply for orobtain permits in the Division’s hunt drawings.

Approximately four to six weeks after youcomplete the course, you will receive your blue

card by mail.You should also keep the following inmind:

• Hunters under the age of 16 must beaccompanied by an adult while hunting.

• All hunting regulations, including seasondates and bag limits, will apply.

ResidencyUtah Code 23-13-2(37)

Before you apply for a big gamehunt, it’s important to know whetheryou are a legal resident of the state ofUtah. See the denition of Resident onpage 55 to determine whether you area resident or a nonresident.

Keep your license onyour phone or tablet

We’ve made it easier for you to keeptrack of your hunting or combination

license and know when it’s about toexpire.With our new mobile app, you can

now download your license to a smart-phone or tablet.

If a conservation officer asks to seeyour license, you can easily produce thedigital copy, which is just as valid as a

paper license. You also have the option oftaking a photo of your paper license andstoring that on your phone or tablet.

If you use the app, you will be ableto easily see when your license expires.Then, you can use the app to quicklyrenew it.

The app is available for both Apple

and Android devices. You can downloadit atwildlife.utah.gov/mobileapp.


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Do you have a permit?Utah Admin. Rule R657-62-18

To participate in any of Utah’s big gameor antlerless hunts, you need to obtain a huning permit.

Most of the big game permits have alreabeen issued through the big game drawing,but some will be available for over-the-counpurchase in July 2015. For more informatioabout permit sales dates, see the article onpage 12.

Many of Utah’s antlerless permits will bissued through the antlerless drawing. You cbegin applying for those permits on May 282015. For more information about applicatiodeadlines and how to apply for antlerlesspermits, seepage 11.

Carry your permitIf you are successful in obtaining a big

game or antlerless permit, you must have it your person while hunting. You cannot alteryour license or permit, nor can you sell, tranor loan either of them to another person.

Do you have a license?Utah Code §§§ 23-19-1, 23-19-22 and 23-20-3

You must have a current Utah hunting orcombination (hunting and shing) licensebefore you can apply for any big game permits,bonus points or preference points. Licenses areavailable atwildlife.utah.gov and from licenseagents and Division offices.

As long as your license was valid on thedate you submitted your permit application,you don’t have to purchase a new license forthe actual hunt.

For example, assume that your licenseexpires on June 28, 2015. If you applied forpermits on February 25, 2015, then you donot have to purchase a new license for yourhunt in the fall. All hunting and combinationlicenses are valid for 365 days from the dateof purchase.

Utah Hunter MentoringProgramUtah Admin. Rule R657-67

The Utah Hunter Mentoring Programallows eligible adults to share their biggame hunting permits with eligible minors.Acting as a mentor, the adult is required toaccompany the youth into the eld.

Here’s a quick look at how the programworks:

• All big game permits are eligible forsharing.

• To qualify for the program, a minormust be a Utah resident betweenthe ages of 12 and 17; possess aUtah Hunter Education number ortrial hunting authorization; and be

either the child, stepchild, grandchildor legal ward of the mentor — orbe suffering from a life-threateningmedical condition.

• The mentor may be either a residentor a nonresident, but must be at least21 years of age and able to legallypossess a rearm.

• The mentor may not receive any formof compensation for participating inthe program.

• Both the mentor and the participating

minor can carry a rearm in the eld.However, only one animal may betaken per permit.

For detailed program information, visitwildlife.utah.gov/mentoring.

http://wildlife.utah.gov/http://wildlife.utah.gov/


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APPLY FOR AN ANTLERLESS PERMITMay 28: Apply online for an antlerlesspermit

Starting May 28, 2015, you can visit

wildlife.utah.gov to apply for the followingitems:• Antlerless hunting permits• An antlerless moose bonus point• Antlerless preference points

You can also apply by calling any Divisionoffice.

June 18: Deadline for antlerlesspermit applications

You must apply online or by phone nolater than June 18, 2015. There’s an 11 p.m.MDT deadline for online applications and a 5p.m. MDT deadline for phone applications. Toapply, simply visitwildlife.utah.gov or call anyDivision office.

July 9: Antlerless drawing resultsavailable

You’ll be notied of your drawing resultsby email on or before July 9, 2015. You canalso learn your drawing results by visitingwildlife.utah.gov or by calling 1-800-221-0659.

In 2015, the Antlerless guidebook hasagain been split into two components.

You’ll nd the antlerless eld regula-tions in this booklet. If you’re lookingfor the information you need in order toapply for an antlerless permit, please visitwildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks. There, you’ll ndapplication dates, rules, hunt tables, maps,boundaries and other essential information.

If you are planning to apply for a 2015antlerless permit, please be aware of the fol-

lowing dates and deadlines.May 21: Review online antlerlesshunt resources

Beginning May 21, 2015, you can visitwildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks to review allof the application rules, hunt tables, seasondates, maps, boundaries and other informationyou’ll need in order to apply for an antlerlesspermit.

The antlerless application information willbe available online only—there will not be aseparate printed Antlerless guidebook.

If you do not have access to the Internet,please visit or call a Division office.

Boundary descriptionsonlineLooking for a map and a bound-

ary description for your hunting area?Boundary descriptions are printed onnearly all of Utah’s hunting permits.

You’ll also nd detailed maps andboundary descriptions online. Visitwildlife.utah.gov/maps to download andprint your boundaries today.

Depredation huntsWhen big game animals cause dam-age to agricultural crops, the Divisionmay hold hunts that are not listed in thisguide. These hunts are called depreda-tion hunts. They may occur on shortnotice, involve small areas and are oftenlimited to only a few hunters.

To apply for the depredation hunterpool, submit an online application atwildlife.utah.gov/depredation.


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Some big game permits for the 2015season are available online and over the

counter. If you’re interested in purchasing oneof these permits, please visitwildlife.utah.gov ,a license agent or a Division office on the dateslisted below.

A variety of big game permits will be avail-able on a rst-come, rst-served basis in July.Please keep in mind that you may only haveone buck deer permit per year.

You must have a valid hunting licenseor a combination license to buy one of thesepermits. A license agent list is available atwildlife.utah.gov/licenseagents.Before you visitany of the agents, contact them to verify theirhours of operation.

July 14: Remaining limited-entry

permits availableAny limited-entry permits remaining

after the big game drawing will be availablebeginning July 14 at 8 a.m. MDT. You can buypermits atwildlife.utah.gov and at licenseagent locations and Division offices.

July 14: General-season bull elkpermits available

General-season bull elk permits may bepurchased beginning at 8 a.m. MDT on Julyatwildlife.utah.gov and from license agentsand Division offices.

July 16: Remaining general-seasonbuck deer permits available (allweapon types)

Any general-season buck deer permitsremaining after the drawing may be purchasbeginning at 8 a.m. MDT on July 16 atwildlife.utah.gov and from license agents andDivision offices.

If you purchase one of the archery permiyou may also use it on any of the extended-season archery areas after the general

season ends, as long as you rst complete thDivision’s Archery Ethics Course, located awildlife.utah.gov/extendedarchery .

July 16: Youth archery deer permitsavailable

Youth archery deer permits may be pur-chased beginning at 8 a.m. MDT on July 16

wildlife.utah.gov and from license agents andDivision offices.

July 21: Remaining antlerless permitsavailable

Any antlerless permits remaining after thantlerless drawing will be available beginniJuly 21 at 8 a.m. MDT. You can buy permit

wildlife.utah.gov and at license agent locationsand Division offices.

September 14: Unsold general-sea-son archery deer permits convert tomuzzleloader permits

If any general-season archery deer permremain unsold at the end of the general

MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO OBTAINPERMITS

Poaching-reportedreward permitsUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-22

It pays to report big game poachersin Utah.

If you provide information that leadsto the successful prosecution of an-other person for the wanton destruction(poaching) of any big game species—onany once-in-a-lifetime or limited-entryhunt area in the state—you may receivea permit to hunt the same species on thesame area where the violation occurred.

To learn more, please seeUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-22 atwildlife.utah.gov/rules.


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permits on Oct. 5, 2015. You can buy thesepermits, if available, beginning at 8 a.m. MDTatwildlife.utah.gov and from license agentsand Division offices.

archery season, they will convert to general-season muzzleloader deer permits on Sept. 14,2015. You can buy these permits, if available,beginning at 8 a.m. MDT atwildlife.utah.gov and from license agents and Division offices.

October 5: Unsold general-seasonmuzzleloader deer permits convert toany legal weapon permits

If any general-season muzzleloader deerpermits remain unsold at the end of thegeneral muzzleloader season, they will convertto general-season any legal weapon (rie)deer

Permit refunds andexchangesUtah Code § 23-19-38 & Utah Admin. Rule R657-42

Obtaining a refundThe Division rarely issues refunds

for permits, licenses or certicates ofregistration, but there are some exceptions.To see if you’re eligible for a refund, visitwildlife.utah.gov/refund .

Permit exchangesYou may exchange your general-season

buck deer permit for one that’s available inanother unit, but it must be for the samespecies and sex. For example, you cannotexchange a buck deer permit for a bull elkpermit.

You may also exchange your general-season bull elk permit for another availablegeneral-season bull elk permit. For ex-ample, you could exchange an any bull elk

permit for a spike bull elk permit, if a spikebull permit was available.

You may also exchange a general-season bull elk permit to obtain an availablebull elk permit for a different weapon type.For example, you could exchange a general-season any legal weapon bull elk permit fora general-season archery bull elk permit.

Any exchange must occur at a Divisionoffice, before the season opening date onthe permit you originally obtained.

You must also pay a $10 handling fee to

exchange a permit.Duplicate licensesUtah Code § 23-19-10 & Utah Admin. Rule R657-5-5

If your unexpired license or permit isdestroyed, lost or stolen, you can obtain aduplicate from a Division office or a licenseagent for $10 or half of the price of theoriginal license or permit, whichever is less.


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MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNGHUNTERSIf you are 17 years old or younger on July 31, 2015, you may have more opporthunt this fall. It all depends on what type of permit you obtain.

Muzzleloader deer permitsIf you obtain a general-season muzzle-

loader deer permit, you may huntonly duringthe general muzzleloader season. You mustuse muzzleloader equipment and hunt the ulisted on your permit. You may not hunt durthe general archery or any legal weaponseasons.

This is a change from previous years, whyou could hunt multiple seasons after obtaining a general-season muzzleloader permit.

Archery deer permitsIf you obtain a general-season archery d

permit, you may huntonly during the generalarchery deer season and the extended archedeer season.

During the general season, you may hunin the unit printed on your permit.

During the extended season, you mayhunt in any of the extended archery areasafter completing the online archery ethicscourse. For more information on the extendarchery hunt, or to take the course, visitwildlife.utah.gov/extendedarchery.

For more information, please call the neaest Division office.

Youth any bull elk permitsThis year, the Utah Wildlife Board appro

200 additional youth any bull elk permits. Tincrease will allow more youth to participat

in the hunt.

Any legal weapon deer permitsIf you are a youth and you obtain a

general-season any legal weapon deer permit,you may use archery tackle to archery hunt theunit listed on your permit from Aug. 15–Sept.11, 2015.

If you haven’t harvested a deer by the timethe archery season ends, you may hunt thesame unit during the general muzzleloaderand general any legal weapon deer seasons,using the appropriate equipment.

You also have the option of huntingin the extended archery areas, startingSeptember 12, 2015. To do so, you mustcomplete the archery ethics course available atwildlife.utah.gov/extendedarchery , carry yourcourse-completion certicate in the eld anduse the appropriate archery tackle. For moreinformation on the extended archery hunt,visitwildlife.utah.gov/extendedarchery .

Denition of youthFor the purposes of big game hunt-

ing, a youth is someone who is 17 yearsold or younger on July 31 of any givenyear.

This year, you will be considered ayouth if you are 17 years old or youngeron July 31, 2015.


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If you harvest a deer this fall, please take afew minutes to stop by a Division checkstation.We will assess the age of your deer, collectsome biological information and possibly takea small tissue sample to test for chronic wast-ing disease (CWD).

CWD is a relatively rare disease that attacksthe nervous system and brain of infected deer,elk and moose.

The Division has been monitoring for CWDsince 1998. Over the past 17 years, only 60

mule deer and 2 elk have tested positive forCWD in Utah.The rst positive mule deer in Utah was

identied in 2002 as a result of a Division test-ing effort near Vernal. Since that time, CWDhas also been found on the La Sal Mountainsnear Moab, on the San Juan Mountains nearMonticello, and in central Utah near Fountain

Green.In these areas (and a few others), Divisionbiologists collect samples from harvested deer,elk and moose during the fall hunts. To seewhich units the Division is sampling, pleasevisitwildlife.utah.gov/cwd.

If you harvest an animal in one of theseunits, please stop at a checkstation. A biologist

may take a small sample from the head ofyour harvested animal and send it to the labfor CWD testing. You may also visit a regionaloffice to have a sample collected.

If the Division tests your animal,you can nd the results online atwildlife.utah.gov/cwdtesting within six to eightweeks. If your animal tests positive for CWD,

the Division will contact you directly.To learn more about CWD, the testing

process and precautions you can take, pleasevisitwildlife.utah.gov/cwd . To nd checkstationlocations, please call your local Division officebefore the hunt begins.

STOP AT CHECKSTATIONS

Utah hunters helpingcondors

Over the past few years, huntershave joined the Division in a programto help California condors survive insouthern Utah. Condors are some of theworld’s rarest and largest birds. They feedon large dead mammals, including theremains of harvested big game species.

To keep condors from consuming

lead as they scavenge big game remains,the Division has partnered with The Per-egrine Fund, the U.S. Forest Service andthe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We of-fer incentives for hunters to use non-leadammunition in the Zion hunting unit.

Last fall, the Division provided cou-pons for a free box of non-lead ammuni-

tion to 2,150 hunters who drew permitsfor the Zion unit. Many of those huntersvoluntarily used non-lead ammunition tohelp condors.

To show our appreciation to hunterswho voluntarily used non-lead ammuni-tion or packed out their gut piles, weoffered a prize drawing for an ATV or one

of ve hunting ries. The Peregrine Funddonated the prizes to reward hunters forhelping Utah’s condor population.

In 2015, the Division will offerthe same opportunities, including theammunition coupon and the prizedrawing. If you have obtained an anylegal weapon (rie) permit for the Zion

unit, we will contact you with additionaldetails about how you can participate.

The Division encourages all eligiblehunters to participate in the programand to help Utah’s condor populationcontinue its recovery. Maybe you will beone of this year’s lucky prize winners!


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Please see page 28 for more information onantlerless deer hunts.

Hunter orangeUtah Code § 23-20-31

You must obey Utah’s hunter orangeregulation (seepage 21) if a centerre riehunt is happening in the area where you’rearchery hunting. This does not include huntfor once-in-a-lifetime species.

Extended archery deerhunts

If you haven’t taken a deer by the timeyour archery buck hunt ends, you can continyour archery hunting in the state’s extendedarchery areas.

In the Ogden, Wasatch Front, West Cachand Uintah Basin extended archery areas, ymay use archery equipment to take a deer oeither sex from Sept. 12–Nov. 30.

Before hunting any of the extendedarchery areas, you must complete the DivisiArchery Ethics Course. For more informatiovisitwildlife.utah.gov/extendedarcheryor seethe Archery Ethics Course box onpage 23.

General-seasonmuzzleloader buck deerhuntUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-25

Utah’s general-season muzzleloader bucdeer hunt runs from Sept. 23 to Oct. 1, 2015

If you obtained a general-season muzzleloader buck permit, you may use a muzzle-loader to take one buck deer in the huntingunit listed on your permit.

If you participate in this hunt, please keein mind that some areas are closed to huntin

Buck deer hunting

Utah has three general-season buck deerhunts:

• Archery hunt• Muzzleloader hunt• Any legal weapon (rie) hunt

Please seewildlife.utah.gov/maps for allhunt boundaries.

General-season archerybuck deer huntUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-23

Utah’s general-season archery buck deerhunt runs from Aug. 15 to Sept. 11, 2015.

If you obtained a general-season archerybuck deer permit, you may use archery equip-ment to take one buck deer in the hunting unitlisted on your permit.

During the general-season archery buckdeer hunt, you may only hunt in the unit listedon your permit. You may not hunt within deerCWMUs, premium limited-entry deer units orlimited-entry deer units.

If you obtained a general-season archerybuck deer permit, the only other deer permityou can obtain is an antlerless deer permit.

A “buck deer” is a deer with antlers that are longerthan ve inches (R657-5-2(2)(e)).

BIG GAME HUNTSUtah offers several different big game hunts each year. Depending on the permtain, you could hunt deer, elk, pronghorn, bison, bighorn sheep, moose or mounThe following section describes the species you can hunt, the weapons you cantypes of permits that are available.


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or have special restrictions. For a list of thoseareas, seepage 37.

If you obtained a general-seasonmuzzleloader buck deer permit, the only otherdeer permit you can obtain is an antlerlessdeer permit. Please seepage 28 for moreinformation on antlerless deer hunts.


You must obey Utah’s hunter orangeregulation (seepage 33) if a centerre rie

hunt is happening in the area where you’remuzzleloader hunting. This does not includehunts for once-in-a-lifetime species.

General-season any legalweapon (rie) buck deerhuntUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-24

The general-season any legal weapon(rie) buck deer hunt runs from Oct. 17 toOct. 25.

If you obtained a general-season any legalweapon buck permit, you may use any legalweapon to take one buck deer in the huntingunit listed on your permit. You may also chooseto use a crossbow, a draw lock or a muzzle-

loader with a magnifying scope during therie hunt. (You may not use them during thearchery or muzzleloader hunts.)

If you participate in this hunt, please keepin mind that some areas are closed to huntingor have special restrictions. For a list of thoseareas, seepage 37.

If you obtained a general-season any legalweapon buck deer permit, the only otherdeer permit you can obtain is an antlerlessdeer permit. Please seepage 28 for moreinformation on antlerless deer hunts.

Limited-entry buck deerhuntsUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-26

Utah’s premium limited-entry andlimited-entry deer units are managed forolder, bigger bucks.

Mandatory reportingIf you obtained a premium limited-

entry, limited-entry, management buckdeer, CWMU, conservation, sportsman,

expo or once-in-a-lifetime permit, youmust complete a harvest survey ques-tionnaire within 30 days after your huntends. This information is required even ifyou didn’t harvest an animal.

If you harvested an animal, this is anideal time to return your tooth packet.Returning your tooth packet does not

fulll the harvest survey requirement.You can report information aboutyour hunt atwildlife.utah.gov/harvest orby calling 1-800-221-0659.

Reporting your hunt information isimportant. If you don’t report your huntinformation within 30 days of the endof the hunt, you won’t be allowed to

apply for a once-in-a-lifetime, premiumlimited-entry, limited-entry, manage-ment buck deer or CWMU permits, orbonus points in 2016.

Updates on researchprojects

Division biologists are conductingresearch projects on many of Utah’s big

game species. These projects are multi-year efforts to study a variety of issues,including migration, survival and forage.

Various sportsmen’s organizationsare helping to fund these studies, andlocal universities are helping to planand complete the research. The Divisionappreciates everyone’s interest and

assistance.For summaries of these projects,please visitwildlife.utah.gov/research.


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buck deer during all three seasons (archery,muzzleloader and any legal weapon) on sellimited-entry or premium limited-entry unit

If you have obtained a permit for one ofthese hunts, you must use the appropriate

weapon type for the season.More opportunity for archers

This year, for the rst time, limited-entryarchery deer hunters who don’t harvest durithe limited-entry season will be allowed tohunt the extended archery areas after com-pleting the online extended archery course.For details, please see page 23 or visitwildlife.utah.gov/extendedarchery .

And don’t forget: You must submityour harvest survey within 30 days of thenal day of your limited-entry season. You not need to submit a survey for the extendearchery season.

CWMU buck deer huntsUtah Admin. Rule R657-37

Cooperative Wildlife Management Units(CWMUs) are private lands that the landowers have opened to a limited number of puband private hunters. To learn more about huing buck deer on CWMUs, read the article opage 31 and visitwildlife.utah.gov/cwmu.

A premium limited-entry buck deer permitallows you to hunt on one of the best limited-entry buck deer units in Utah—the Paunsau-gunt unit or the Henry Mountains unit.

A limited-entry buck deer permit allows

you to hunt on a high-quality unit that hashigher buck-to-doe ratios than some of thegeneral-season units.

If you obtained a limited-entry buck deerpermit, you may use the weapon listed on yourpermit to take one buck deer within the areaand the season specied on your permit.

You may NOT hunt within deer CWMUs.

If you obtained a limited-entry buck deerpermit, the only other deer permit you canobtain is an antlerless deer permit. Please seepage 28 for more information on antlerlessdeer hunts.

New late-season muzzleloader huntsThis year, late-season limited-entry

muzzleloader deer hunts will occur on sixgeneral-season units. Permits for these huntsare very limited, and season dates will overlapwith the general-season muzzleloader elkhunts (Oct. 28–Nov. 5, 2015).

New multi-season huntsThis year, there are new multi-season

hunts that allow the permit holder to hunt

UTAH

Download from Wildlife.Utah.Gov/MobileApp


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5 After taking your buck deer, you must

bring its head and antlers to a Division office

for inspection no later than 72 hours after thedate of kill.

Important: If you obtain a managementbuck deer permit, you will lose your bonuspoints and incur a waiting period of two years.The only other deer permit you can obtain is anantlerless deer permit. Please seepage 28 for more information on antlerless deer hunts.

Why a management buck deer hunt?Removing excess bucks on the Paunsau-

gunt and Henry Mountains limited-entryunits—while protecting the larger bucks inthe herds—is the goal of the managementbuck deer hunt.

These two units have high buck-to-doe

ratios. Harvesting smaller-antlered bucks willpreserve trophy-class bucks and provide moreroom for does. Having more does in the herdswill result in more fawns being born. Havingmore fawns will help ensure that these herdsremain strong and healthy into the future.

Management buck deerhuntUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-46

A “management buck” is a buck deer with3 points or less on at least one antler, aboveand including the rst fork, but not includingthe eye guard. The eye guard does not countas a point. A point is a projection that’s longerthan one inch, measured from its base to itstip, including damaged or broken antlers.

If you were successful in drawing a man-agement buck deer permit, you must completean online orientation course before you willreceive your permit. This course is also open toanyone who wants to learn more about whata management buck looks like. To take theonline course, visitwildlife.utah.gov/biggame.

A management buck deer permit allowsyou to take one management buck deer duringthe season. You may use any legal weapon tohunt on the area specied on your permit.

If you participate in this hunt, you may nothunt in the following areas:

• Deer CWMUs• Areas with special restrictions (seepage 37)

Antlerless elk-controlpermits availableUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-33

During the 2015 season, the

Division wants to provide more huntingopportunities on units where it is difficultto harvest antlerless elk. To provide thisopportunity, the Division issues antlerlesselk-control permits.

You may only obtain an antlerlesselk-control permit if you have a buck, bullor once-in-a-lifetime permit for areas that

overlap antlerless elk-control hunting units.Example 1: If you have a permit to huntbuck deer on the Pine Valley unit, you maypurchase an antlerless elk-control permit

and harvest an antlerless elk on the PineValley unit during your deer hunt.

Example 2: If you have an any bull elkpermit and you’re hunting on the SouthSlope unit, you can obtain an antlerlesselk-control permit. You can harvest a bullelk anywhere on the unit, but you may onlyharvest an antlerless elk within the SouthSlope, Yellowstone elk-control unit.

You can see a map of Utah’s antlerlesselk-control units onpage 52. Antlerlesselk-control permits are not valid statewide.

Please verify all hunt boundaries beforeheading into the eld.For detailed information about how elk-

control permits work and when you may useone, please visitwildlife.utah.gov/elkcontrol .


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These hunts are held on two types of uni

any bull elk units and spike bull elk units.If you obtain an archery permit, you can

hunt on all of the open any bull and spike buunits in the state.

If you obtain a general-season any legalweapon or muzzleloader permit, you musthunt on the type of unit specied on yourpermit. For example, if you obtain an any belk permit, you may hunt only on any bull eunits. If you obtain a spike bull permit, youmay hunt only on spike bull units.

Permits for most of the general-season e

hunts are available beginning July 14—on arst-come, rst-served basis—from Divisiooffices, license agents andwildlife.utah.gov .

General-season archeryelk huntUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-28

In 2015, Utah’s general-season archery

spike elk hunt runs from Aug. 15 to Sept. 4.general-season archery any bull elk hunt ru

Bull elk hunting

Utah has three general-season elk hunts:• Archery hunt• Any legal weapon hunt• Muzzleloader hunt

Multiple elk permitsUtah Code § 23-19-22 and Utah Admin. Rules R657-62-20and R657-5-33

You may obtain a maximum of two elkpermits each year—provided one or bothof the permits are antlerless—but youcan only apply for or obtain one antlerlesselk permit in the drawing. You may obtaintwo elk permits in any one of the followingcombinations:

• One bull elk permit and one antlerlesspermit

• One bull elk permit and one antlerlesselk-control permit (seepage 19)

• Two antlerless permits• One hunter’s choice permit and oneantlerless permit

For the purposes of obtaining two elkpermits, a hunter’s choice elk permit isconsidered a bull elk permit. Likewise, a

general-season archery elk permit is alsoconsidered a bull elk permit. An antlerlesselk-control permit is considered an antler-less permit.

If you obtain two antlerless elk permitsfor the same area—but the permits are fordifferent seasons—you may harvest bothelk during the same season.

And don’t forget: you may harvestan antlerless elk while hunting general-season buck deer or bull elk, as long as youpermits are for the same area and you usethe weapon type listed on your general-season permit.

Beginning July 21, 2015, eligiblehunters may purchase antlerless elk permitsthat remain available after the drawing. Thepermits will be available on a rst-come,rst-served basis atwildlife.utah.gov andfrom license agents and Division offices.

A “bull elk” is an elk with antlers that are longer than

ve inches (R657-5-2(2)(g)). A “spike bull” means a bull elk which has at leastone antler beam with no branching above the ears.Branched means a projection on an antler longer thanone inch, measured from its base to its tip (R657-5- 2(2)(r).


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from Aug. 15 to Sept. 11, except on the state’sextended archery areas, where the season runslater into the year.

If you obtain a general-season archery elkpermit, you may use archery equipment to

take only one of the following animals:• One elk of either sex on a general-seasonany bull elk unit

• An antlerless elk or a spike bull elk on ageneral-season spike bull elk unit

• Only a spike bull on the Book Cliffs unit• One elk of either sex on the extendedarchery areas (see details below)

You may not hunt within elk CWMUs.If you obtain a general-season archery

elk permit, the only other elk permit you canobtain is an antlerless elk permit. Please seepage 28 for more information on antlerlesshunts.


You must obey Utah’s hunter orangeregulation (seepage 21) if a centerre riehunt is happening in the area where you’rearchery hunting. This does not include huntsfor once-in-a-lifetime species.

Extended archery elkhunts

If you haven’t taken an elk by the time yourarchery hunt ends, you may continue huntingin the Wasatch Front and Uintah Basin ex-tended archery elk areas during the extendedarchery seasons. You may use archery equip-ment to take one of the following animals:

• One elk—either any bull or antlerless—

within the Wasatch Front extendedarchery area from Aug. 15–Dec. 15• One elk—either any bull or antler-less—within the Uintah Basin extendedarchery area from Sept. 12–Dec. 15

To hunt any of the extended archery areas,you must complete the Division’s ArcheryEthics Course and carry your archery ethics

Legal in a spike bull unit.


NOT legal in a spike bull unit.



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course certicate of completion with you whileyou’re hunting. For more information, visitwildlife.utah.gov/extendedarchery or see theArchery Ethics Course box onpage 23.

General-season any legalweapon (rie) bull elkhuntUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-29

Utah’s general-season any legal weaponelk hunt consists of the any bull elk hunt andthe spike bull elk hunt. These hunts run fromOct. 3 to Oct. 15.

To hunt during the general-season elkhunt, you must obtain either a spike bullpermit or an any bull permit.

If you obtain a general-season any legalweapon bull elk permit, you may use any legalweapon to take your bull elk.

You may use a crossbow, a draw lock or amuzzleloader with a magnifying scope during

the rie hunt. (You may not use them duringthe archery or muzzleloader hunts.)If you obtain a spike bull elk permit, you

may take a spike bull elk on a general-seasonspike bull elk unit. You may NOT hunt on theany bull elk units.

If you obtain an any bull elk permit, youmay take a bull elk of any size, including a

spike bull, on a general-season any bull elkunit. You may NOT hunt on spike bull units.If you participate in this hunt, please keep

in mind that some areas are closed to huntingor have special restrictions. For a list of thoseareas, seepage 37.

Please see the general-season bull elk huntreference map on page 48, and the bound-

ary descriptions atwildlife.utah.gov/maps, tolearn where spike bull units and any bull elkunits are located in the state.

If you obtain a general-season any legalweapon bull elk permit, the only other elk per-mit you can obtain is an antlerless elk permit.

Please see page 28 for more information onantlerless hunts.

General-seasonmuzzleloader elk huntUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-30

The general-season muzzleloader elk huruns from Oct. 28 to Nov. 5 within the geneseason elk units.

If you participate in this hunt, please keein mind that some areas are closed to huntinor have special restrictions. For a list of thoareas, seepage 37.

To hunt during the general season formuzzleloader elk, you must obtain eithera muzzleloader spike bull elk permit or amuzzleloader any bull elk permit.

If you obtain a muzzleloader spike bull epermit, you may use a muzzleloader to takespike bull elk on a general-season spike bulelk unit. You may NOT hunt on the any bul

units.If you obtain a muzzleloader any bull elkpermit, you may use a muzzleloader to takebull elk of any size, including a spike bull, ogeneral-season any bull elk unit. You may Nhunt on spike bull elk units.

Please see the general-season bull elk hureference map on page 48 and the boundary

descriptions atwildlife.utah.gov/maps to learnwhere spike bull units and any bull elk unitsare located in the state.

If you obtain a general-season muzzleloaer bull elk permit, the only other elk permityou can obtain is an antlerless elk permit.Please see page 28 for more information onantlerless hunts.


You must obey Utah’s hunter orangeregulation (seepage 33) if a centerre riehunt is happening in the area where you’remuzzleloader hunting. This does not includehunts for once-in-a-lifetime species.


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Youth bull elk huntsUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-31If you’ll be 17 years of age or younger on

July 31, 2015, you may be eligible to par-ticipate in one of the state’s youth elk hunts.Remember, you cannot hunt until you are 12years old.

Utah offers two youth bull elk hunts:

• The youth general-season any bull elkhunt runs from Sept. 12 to Sept. 20 ongeneral-season any bull elk units acrossUtah. If you obtained a permit for thishunt, you may use any legal weapon totake a bull elk of any size—including aspike bull—on any general-season anybull elk unit in Utah. You may NOT hunton a spike bull elk unit.

• The late season youth any bull elk huntruns from Nov. 28, 2015 to Jan. 15,2016 on a portion of the South Slopeany bull elk unit in northeastern Utah(please visitwildlife.utah.gov/maps fora boundary description). If you obtaineda permit for this hunt, you may use anylegal weapon to take a bull elk of anysize—including a spike bull—withinthe hunt boundaries.

If you participate in this hunt, please keepin mind that some areas are closed to huntingor have special restrictions. For a list of thoseareas, seepage 37.

You may obtain only one youth any bull elkpermit in your lifetime, and preference pointsdo not apply to this hunt.

If you obtain a youth any bull elk permit,the only other elk permit you can obtain is anantlerless elk permit. Please see page 28 formore information on antlerless hunts.

Limited-entry bull elkhuntsUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-32

Utah’s limited-entry elk permits are among

the state’s most prized big game permits.A limited-entry bull elk permit allows youto use the weapon listed on your permit totake one bull elk of any size within the areaand season specied on your permit. You maynot hunt on elk CWMUs.

If you obtained a limited-entry bull elkpermit, the only other elk permit you can ob-

tain is an antlerless elk permit. Seepage 28for more information on antlerless hunts.

Note: This year there is a longer season forUtah’s limited-entry muzzleloader elk hunts. Ifyou obtain one of these permits, please doublecheck the season dates on your permit beforeheading into the eld.

Archery Ethics CourseBefore hunting in any of Utah’s

extended archery areas, you mustcomplete the Division’s Archery Ethics

Course. The course is available online atwildlife.utah.gov/extendedarchery , andit takes about 30 minutes to complete.You must complete the course each yearand carry your Archery Ethics Coursecerticate of completion with you whileyou’re hunting.

Avoid harvestingcollared wildlife

The Division has placed radio andGPS collars on bighorn sheep, bison,

deer, elk, moose, mountain goats andpronghorn in various areas across thestate. The Division is monitoring theseanimals in a handful of ongoing studies.If possible, please avoid harvesting acollared animal. It is an expensive andtime-consuming process to capture andcollar replacement animals.

If you do harvest a collared animal,please contact your local Division officeand return the collar.


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Buck pronghornhuntingUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-34

To hunt buck pronghorn, you must possea buck pronghorn permit. If you obtain a bupronghorn permit, you maynot obtain anyother pronghorn permit.

If you obtained a buck pronghorn permityou may use the weapon listed on your permto take one buck pronghorn within the areaand season specied on your permit.

You may use a crossbow, a draw lock ormuzzleloader with a magnifying scope durithe any legal weapon (rie) hunt. (You maynot use them during the archery or muzzle-loader hunts.)

You may not hunt on buck pronghornCWMUs.

Note: Only archery equipment may beused during the buck pronghorn archery hunIf you’d like to hunt from a blind, please conthe public agency that manages the land yoube hunting on to learn about their regulationthat must be followed to construct a blind.

CWMU buck pronghornhuntsUtah Admin. Rule R657-37

Cooperative Wildlife Management Units(CWMUs) are private lands that the landowhave opened to a small number of public anprivate hunters. To learn more about huntingbuck pronghorn on CWMUs, read the articlpage 31 and visitwildlife.utah.gov/cwmu.

“Buck pronghorn” means a pronghorn with horns are longer than ve inches (R657-5-2(2)(f)).

Multi-season huntsThere are multi-season hunts (formerly

known as premium limited-entry hunts) thatallow the permit holder to hunt bull elk duringall three seasons (archery, muzzleloader and

any legal weapon) on select limited-entryunits.If you have obtained a permit for one of

these hunts, you must use the appropriateweapon type for the season. You may not hunton elk CWMUs.

More opportunity for archersThis year, for the rst time, limited-entry

archery elk hunters who don’t harvest duringthe limited-entry season will be allowed tohunt the extended archery areas after com-pleting the online extended archery course.For details, please see page 23 or visitwildlife.utah.gov/extendedarchery .

And don’t forget: You must submit your

harvest survey within 30 days of the nal dayof your limited-entry season. You do not needto submit a survey for the extended archeryseason.

CWMU bull elk huntsUtah Admin. Rule R657-37

Cooperative Wildlife Management Units(CWMUs) are private lands that the landown-ers have opened to a limited number of publicand private hunters. To learn more abouthunting bull elk on CWMUs, read the article onpage 31 and visitwildlife.utah.gov/cwmu.


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Bison huntingUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-38

To hunt bison, you must possess a bisonpermit.

Your bison permit allows you to use anylegal weapon to take one bison on the limited-entry unit and during the season specied onyour permit. You may obtain a bison permitthrough the big game drawing only once inyour lifetime.

If you obtained a hunter’s choice permit,you may take a bison of either sex. If youobtained a cow bison permit, you may takeonly a cow bison.

Note: You may obtain only one bison per-mit—of any kind—during the 2015 season.

Online orientation courseIf you drew a cow bison permit, you must

complete the online orientation course locatedatwildlife.utah.gov/biggame. You’ll receive

your permit after you successfully completethe course.

Antelope Island If you drew an Antelope Island bison per-

mit, the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation(Utah State Parks) may require you to completea course before you can hunt.

ONCE IN A LIFETIME HUNTSAll of Utah’s bison, bull moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat permits are considereonce-in-a-lifetime permits. That’s because you can draw a permit for each of these specionly once in your lifetime.

Before the hunt begins, Utah State Parkswill notify you about the date, time and loca-tion of the course. You’ll receive your permitafter you successfully complete the course.

Because the Antelope Island hunt is ad-ministered by Utah State Parks, your hunt willinclude some extra park-related fees. For moreinformation, please call 801-209-4678.

Bull moose huntingUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-37

To hunt bull moose, you must possess

a bull moose permit. You may obtain a bullmoose permit through the big game drawingonly once in your lifetime.

Your bull moose permit allows you to useany legal weapon to take one bull moose on

A “bull moose” is a moose that has antlers that arelonger than its ears (R657-5-2(2)(h)).

Weapon options foronce-in-a-lifetimehunters

Don’t forget: if you have an any legalweapon (rie) permit for a once-in-a-lifetime species, you have additionalweapon options for your hunt. You canuse a crossbow, a draw lock or a muzzle-loader with a magnifying scope.


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Desert bighorn sheep hunts and Rocky

Mountain bighorn sheep hunts are consid-ered separate once-in-a-lifetime hunts. Forexample, if you obtain a desert bighorn sheepermit, and you’ve never obtained a RockyMountain bighorn sheep permit before, youcan continue applying for a Rocky Mountaibighorn sheep permit the following year.

A bighorn sheep permit allows you to us

any legal weapon to take one ram within thearea and the season specied on your permiAny ram is legal to take, but the Divisionencourages you to take a mature ram.

After taking your ram, you must bring ithorns to a Division office within 72 hours oleaving your hunting area. When you come the office, a Division staff person will permnently affix a numbered plug to the horn. Thplug certies that the sheep was taken legal

Note: You may obtain only one bighornsheep permit—of any kind—during the 201season.

the limited-entry unit and during the seasonspecied on your permit. You may not hunt onmoose CWMUs.

Note: You may obtain only onemoose permit—of any kind—during the

2015 season.CWMU bull moose huntsUtah Admin. Rule R657-37

Cooperative Wildlife Management Units(CWMUs) are private lands that the landown-ers have opened to a limited number of publicand private hunters. To learn more about hunt-ing bull moose on CWMUs, read the article onpage 31 and visitwildlife.utah.gov/cwmu.

Desert bighorn andRocky Mountainbighorn sheephuntingUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-39

To hunt desert bighorn sheep or RockyMountain bighorn sheep, you must possess apermit for the species you wish to hunt (i.e.,a desert bighorn sheep permit to hunt desert

bighorn sheep, or a Rocky Mountain bighornsheep permit to hunt Rocky Mountain bighornsheep).

A “ram” is a male desert bighorn sheep or a maleRocky Mountain bighorn sheep (R657-5-2(2)(q)).


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5 If you obtained a hunter’s choice permit,you may take a goat of either sex, but the

Division encourages you to take a mature goat.If you obtained a female goat permit, you maytake only a female goat.

If you drew a female mountain goat per-mit, you must complete the online orientationcourse located atwildlife.utah.gov/biggame.You’ll receive your permit after you successfullycomplete the course.

Note: You may obtain only one mountaingoat permit—of any kind—during the 2015season.

Mountain goathuntingUtah Admin. Rule R657-5-40

To hunt mountain goats, you must possessa mountain goat permit.

Your mountain goat permit allows you touse any legal weapon to take one mountaingoat within the area and the season speciedon your permit. You may obtain a mountaingoat permit through the big game drawingonly once in your lifetime.

I SUPPORT WILDLIFE


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muzzleloader with a magnifying scope durithe rie hunt. (You may not use them duringthe archery-muzzleloader-shotgun season.)

You may not hunt on a Cooperative WildManagement Unit (CWMU) unless you obtan antlerless deer permit for that CWMU.

You may obtain only one antlerless deerpermit for the 2015 antlerless season.

Additional opportunityThere is some exibility if you are an an

lerless deer permit holder who also possessa permit to hunt any one of the followingseasons:

• General archery buck deer• General muzzleloader buck deer• Limited-entry archery buck deer• Limited-entry muzzleloader buck deer

If your buck deer permit and antlerlessdeer permit are for the same area—and youuse the appropriate archery or muzzleloaderequipment specied for your current huntin

season—you may use your antlerless permiduring the buck deer season. However, you

Antlerless deerhuntingUtah Code § 23-20-3 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-5-27

To hunt antlerless deer, you must possessan antlerless deer permit. This permit allowsyou to use the legal weapon listed on your per-mit to take one antlerless deer—per antlerlessdeer tag—in the area and season specied onyour permit.

If you have an any legal weapon (rie) per-

mit, you may use a crossbow, a draw lock or a

ANTLERLESS HUNTSUtah offers antlerless hunts each year. These hunts serve two purposes: they hethat populations remain at sustainable, manageable levels, and they remove anipose depredation problems. Depending on the permit you obtain, you could hunless deer or elk, or doe pronghorn. The following section describes the species hunt, the weapons you can use and the types of permits that are available.

An “antlerless deer” is a deer without antlers or withantlers ve inches or shorter (R657-5-2(2)(a)).

Report your harvestIf you obtain an antlerless permit this

year, don’t forget to complete a harvestreport after your hunt ends.

Visitwildlife.utah.gov/harvest andclick the “Report your harvest” button atthe top of the page. Then, you can log inand complete your harvest report.

If you prefer to complete yourharvest report over the phone, call1-800-221-0659. The line is staffed 24hours per day, seven days a week.

Antlerless seasondates online

To review the 2015 antlerlessseason dates—as well as informa-tion about antlerless hunting options,permit numbers, application dates,maps and hunt boundaries—visitwildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks. These toolsand resources will be available online atleast a week before the antlerless ap-plication period begins on May 28.

For more information on the antler-less application period, seepage 11.


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may not use your buck deer permit during theantlerless season.

Antlerless elk huntingUtah Code § 23-20-3 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-5-33

To hunt antlerless elk, you must possess anantlerless elk permit. This permit allows you touse the legal weapon listed on your permit totake one antlerless elk in the area and season

specied on your permit.If you have an any legal weapon (rie) per-mit, you may use a crossbow, a draw lock or amuzzleloader with a magnifying scope duringthe rie hunt. (You may not use them duringthe archery or muzzleloader hunts.)

You may not hunt on a Cooperative WildlifeManagement Unit (CWMU) unless you obtain

an antlerless elk permit for that CWMU.You may obtain two elk permits each year.At least one of them must be an antlerless elkpermit. If you plan to obtain two elk permits,please note that a hunter’s choice elk permitis considered a bull elk permit. Likewise, ageneral-season archery elk permit is alsoconsidered a bull elk permit. You may apply for

only one antlerless elk permit in the antlerlessdrawing.

If you do not obtain an antlerless elkpermit in the drawing, you may be eligible topurchase up to two remaining antlerlesselk permits.

Additional opportunityThere is some exibility if you are an

antlerless elk permit holder who also possessesa permit to hunt any one of the followingseasons:

• General buck deer (archery, muzzle-loader or any legal weapon)

• General bull elk (archery, muzzleloaderor any legal weapon)

• Limited-entry buck deer (archery,muzzleloader or any legal weapon)

• Limited-entry bull elk (archery, muzzle-loader or any legal weapon)

• Antlerless elkIf your buck deer or bull elk permit and

your antlerless elk permit are for the samearea, you may use your antlerless elk permitduring your buck deer or bull elk season, usingthe weapon listed on your buck or bull permit.However, you may not use your buck deer orbull elk permit during the antlerless season,unless it’s during the timeframe when the twoseasons overlap.

If you obtain two antlerless elk permitsfor the same area—but the permits are fordifferent seasons—you may harvest both elkduring the same season.

An “antlerless elk” is an elk without antlers or withantlers ve inches or shorter (R657-5-2(2)(b)).


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If you already have a 2015 pronghorn

permit, you may not apply for or obtain a dopronghorn permit or preference point.

You may not hunt on a Cooperative WildManagement Unit (CWMU) unless you obt

doe pronghorn permit for that CWMU.Note: You may only obtain one pronghopermit—of any kind—during the 2015season.

Antlerless moosehuntingUtah Code § 23-20-3 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-5-36

To hunt antlerless moose, you must possan antlerless moose permit. This year, becauof recent declines in moose populations, thewill be no antlerless moose permits availablto hunters.

Note: You may only obtain one moosepermit—of any kind—during the 2015season.

Doe pronghornhuntingUtah Code § 23-20-3 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-5-35

To hunt a doe pronghorn, you must possessa doe pronghorn permit. This permit allowsyou to use the legal weapon listed on yourpermit to take one doe pronghorn in the areaand season specied on your permit.

If you have an any legal weapon (rie) per-mit, you may use a crossbow, a draw lock or amuzzleloader with a magnifying scope duringthe rie hunt. (You may not use them duringthe archery or muzzleloader hunts.)

An “antlerless moose” is a moose without antlers with antlers shorter than its ears (R657-5-2(2)(c))

A “doe pronghorn” is a pronghorn without horns orwith horns ve inches or shorter (R657-5-2(2)(j)).


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CWMU Front Desk

Division of Wildlife ResourcesP.O. Box 146301Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-6301

(Please allow 10 to 14 days for processing.)You can also redeem the voucher at any

Division office.If you obtain a CWMU permit, you may

hunt only on the CWMU that’s specied onyour permit. You may take only one animal ofthe species and sex listed on the permit. You’llalso incur a waiting period for the species youobtained a permit for. (Please see page 18 inthe 2015Utah Big Game Application Guidebook for more information about waiting periods.)

You may not obtain more than onepronghorn, one moose, one buck deer or onebull elk permit in a year. But you can obtain anantlerless deer or antlerless elk permit. Moreinformation about antlerless permits is avail-able onpage 28.

Important: CWMU landowner as-sociation members and operators—and theirspouses and dependent children—cannotapply for their own CWMU permits in thepublic drawing.

How to participateIf you draw a permit to hunt a CWMU, you

must contact the CWMU operator to obtain thefollowing:

• The dates you’ll be allowed to huntwithin the legal CWMU hunting seasonframework. Both you and the opera-tor must schedule around each of yourindividual needs—please be realisticand patient.

• A map of the CWMU showing accesspoints and the acreage you’ll be allowed

COOPERATIVE WILDLIFEMANAGEMENT UNITSUtah Admin. Rule R657-37

More than 60 percent of the rangelands

that Utah’s big game animals rely on in thewinter are on private land. Utah’s CooperativeWildlife Management Unit (CWMU) programworks with landowners to preserve these landsand to make them good habitat for wildlife.

How the program worksThe CWMU program provides landowners

with an economic incentive to keep their pri-vate range and forest lands as wildlife habitatinstead of developing them.

CWMUs comprise more than two millionacres of land in Utah. They’ll provide more than5,000 big game and antlerless hunting permitsin 2015. More than one-third of those permitsare available to the general public through the

state’s big game drawing.Hunting on CWMUs provides both public

and private hunters with several advantages.Among those advantages are a better chanceto take an animal and fewer hunters tocompete with.

Obtaining a CWMU permit

If you’re a Utah resident, there are twoways to obtain a CWMU permit: you can applyfor one in the state’s public drawing, or you canobtain a permit voucher from the landowner oroperator of the CWMU you want to hunt.

If you’re not a resident of Utah, you can-not apply for a CWMU permit in the publicdrawing. You can, however, obtain a permit

voucher directly from the CWMU landowneror operator.

If you obtain a CWMU voucher, you canredeem the voucher for a permit by mailingthe voucher to:


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Hunt DatesArchery bull elk Aug. 15, 2015–

Oct. 31, 2015

Any legal weapon (rie)bull elk

Sept. 1, 2015–Oct. 31, 2015

Muzzleloader bull elk Sept. 1, 2015–Nov. 5, 2015

Antlerless elk Aug. 15, 2015–Jan. 31, 2016

Buck and doe pronghorn Sept. 1, 2015–Oct. 31, 2015

Bull moose Sept. 1, 2015–Oct. 31, 2015

Some deer and elk CWMUs have huntinseasons outside of these timeframes. For moinformation, visitwildlife.utah.gov/CWMU .

Reporting your harvestsuccess

If you obtain a CWMU permit for anantlered animal, you must report informatioabout your hunt within 30 days after it endsPlease see page 17 for more informationabout this important requirement.

Complaint processIf you wish to lodge a complaint against

a CWMU, you should contact the Division

Wildlife Resources immediately. Biologistsand conservation officers can supply youwith a complaint form, or you can make thecomplaint in person or over the telephone. Yand the operator should make every effort tresolve your issues before they escalate to tDivision level.

If your problem cannot be resolved localit may be passed on to a CWMU Advisory Cmittee for review and possible action.

Learn moreTo learn more about the CWMU program

or to view maps of CWMU properties, visitwildlife.utah.gov/CWMU .

to hunt. The CWMU should provide thesame amount of acreage to both publicand private hunters. If you feel that youhaven’t received equal treatment, pleasecontact your regional Division office.

2015 utah big game field regulations draft

Documents