Approving more permits and new hunt opportunities were among actions the Utah Wildlife Board took in late April. Depending on which unit a hunter applies for, there might be increased chance of drawing a permit to hunt buck deer this fall.
The Wildlife Board approved 12,010 private lands only permits. All big game hunting rules will available in the 2016 Utah Big Game Field Regulations Guidebook available May 16 online.
The total number of deer in Utah increased for the fourth straight year, and when comparing numbers of bucks to does, it’s the best it's been in decades.
The increase in numbers led Division of Wildlife Resources biologists to recommended 90,950 general buck deer hunting permits for this fall's hunts. In 2015, a total of 86,550 permits were offered.
Following recommendations from biologists and public input from five public Regional Advisory Councils, the final total of 90,675 general buck deer permits was set.
Starting the first week of May, hunters can see if the unit applied for has more permits by visiting the DWR's Hunt Maps web page.
Click on the “Buck deer” choice under the “Hunt tables” heading.
"The total number of deer in the state is the highest it's been since the 1980s," according to Justin Shannon, big game coordinator for the DWR. "And a good percentage of those deer are bucks. The average buck-to-doe ratio across Utah — on general season units that are made up mostly of public land — is 23 bucks per 100 does."
Based on surveys conducted after last fall's hunts, DWR biologists estimate the state's deer population at more than 384,000 animals. Elk populations are also thriving in Utah, with an estimated 79,230 elk in the state.
One challenge hunters and landowners in some areas face, though, are elk moving from public land to private land when the hunts start.
"When elk are not evenly distributed on a unit," Shannon says, "it can frustrate both hunters and private landowners. The elk leave the public land, and not many hunters have access to them. We need to 'retrain' elk to stay on public land by limiting the refuge areas they have on private property. Providing private landowners with additional tools, to help control elk on their property, is the key to making that happen."
The state's recently approved statewide elk plan allows for some "out of the box" ideas regarding cow elk hunting in Utah. Offering 12,010 private lands only permits, on 15 units in 2016, is the idea DWR biologists brought to the board.
July 21 is the first day the new private lands only permit can be purchased. The permits are valid only on private property.
Before purchasing a private lands only permit, hunters must have written permission from the person who owns the land.
Cow moose permits
For the first time since 2011, hunters also will be able to hunt cow moose in Utah. A total of 20 cow moose hunting permits will be available for the East Canyon and Ogden units in northern Utah. Applications for the drawing will be accepted starting May 26.