Utah Hunting 2023

The 2023 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook will be available online in early February and at Division offices soon therafter. You may apply in Utah by visiting www.wildlife.utah.gov, clicking on the Hunting tab, and going to the "Permits and Drawings" section. You may also apply via telephone by calling any Division of Wildlife Resources office. The application timeframe for all big game species is March 23 through April 27, 2023. Drawing results will be posted by May 31st

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Utah Big Game Applications

Non-residents can apply for all species, including limited-entry deer and general season deer. However, you may not apply for a permit and a bonus point for the same species. Up to four hunters can apply as a group for limited-entry deer, elk, and antelope hunts and general season deer hunts. Group applications are not permitted for management buck or once-in-a-­lifetime (OIL) species. Non-residents and residents can apply together in a group, but if there are no non-resident permits available for your selected hunts, the application will not be considered.

You must have a valid Utah hunting license to apply, and you can purchase one at the time you apply. Hunting licenses are valid for 365 days from the date of purchase. If you time your applications correctly, you could purchase one license and apply for two years. If you draw a permit, you do not need a current hunting license to hunt, but you will need one to apply. If you wish to modify or correct your application, you are required to withdraw your original application online and submit a new one prior to the deadline. You will be charged the non-refundable $15 application fee per species a second time in this scenario. You can modify or withdraw your online application at no additional cost until 11:00 p.m. MDT on April 27, 2023. If you plan to apply for bonus or preference points only, the deadline will be the same time as the anterless draw deadline on June 22, 2023.

Details of the Draw

Utah issues 50% of the limited-entry and once-in-a-lifetime permits to applicants with the maximum number of points who applied for that hunt. The other 50% are awarded randomly to the rest of the applicants who did not receive a bonus permit. Applicants in the random draw will have an extra chance in the draw for each bonus point accumulated over the years. The caveat is that if there is an odd number of permits available in the draw, the majority of permits will be awarded in the bonus draw to the maximum point holders. For example, if five permits are available, three of those permits will be issued in the bonus draw to the applicants with the most points and the remaining two permits will be issued in the random draw. Utah issues 10% of their draw permits to non-residents.

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General deer is a preference draw in which permits are awarded to max point applicants. The draw is conducted in the following sequence: deer (limited-entry), elk (limited-entry), antelope (limited-entry), OIL species (sheep, moose, mountain goat, and bison), youth general season deer, general season deer, and youth any bull elk. Understanding the order of the draw is critical. Due to the order in which permits are drawn, you won't be included in the drawing for a once-in-a-lifetime permit if you draw any of the following: limited-entry buck deer, bull elk, or buck antelope. The reason for this is that Utah does not allow you to possess two limited-­entry draw tags during the same year. Also, for deer, you cannot draw both a limited-entry tag and a general season tag. If you draw a limited-entry deer tag, your general deer application will not be considered, but you will still receive a preference point.

The waiting period for successful applicants for limited-entry deer is five years. The waiting period for successful applicants for limited-entry antelope is two years. The waiting period for limited-entry elk is five years. Bighorn sheep, bull moose, mountain goat, and bison are once-in-a-lifetime permits, regardless of harvest success.

Draw results will be emailed out on or before May 31, 2023. You can also find your draw results by logging into your account at www.utah-hunt.com where you applied or by calling 800-221-0659.

Utah Big Game Fees

Adults must purchase a $72 non­refundable non-resident hunting license to apply. The youth license is $29. The application fees are non-refundable and cost $15 for each species you apply for. You will not be charged the full cost of the permit unless you are successful in the draw.

Utah accepts American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa credit or debit cards. Credit cards used to apply in the big game draw must be valid through June 2023. To change the credit or debit card associated with your application, call 800-221-0659.

Utah Big Game Hunter Requirements

If you were born after December 31, 1965, you must have completed a hunter education course before you can apply for or obtain a hunting license or a big game permit. Proof is required in the field.

Utah has a Trial Hunting Program that allows anyone over the age of 12 to try hunting for a few years while accompanied by a licensed hunter who is over the age of 21 before taking a hunter education course. The program applies to hunts for many different species, including general season deer and elk. To sign up for the program or to learn more about it, visit www.wildlife.utah.gov/trial.

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If you're hunting in an area where a centerfire rifle hunt is occurring, you must wear a minimum of 400 square inches of hunter orange material on your head, chest, and back. A camouflage pattern in hunter orange meets this requirement. This does not apply to the archery seasons, muzzleloader seasons, or bighorn sheep, moose, mountain goat, or bison hunts.

All successful mountain goat applicants must complete an online orientation course before they will receive their hunting permit. You can find the course at www.wildlife.utah.gov/biggame after the draw in May.

Age Restrictions

Applicants must be 12 years old by December 31, 2023 to apply for and hunt in Utah. If you meet the age and hunter education requirements, you can apply for any big game permits, including limited-entry and once-in-a-­lifetime permits. A person under 16 years of age must be accompanied by a legal guardian or responsible person who is 21 or older.

Utah Big Game Point Structure

Utah has a bonus point system for limited-entry deer, elk, antelope, bison, mountain goat, moose, and both bighorn sheep species. Bonus points are species specific and are not transferable between species. The bonus point system is designed to increase the chances of drawing a permit. Every year that you apply and are unsuccessful, you will receive a bonus point for that species. You may also purchase points only. In essence, for each point you have, you are entered one additional time into the drawing.

Utah has a preference point system for general season deer. You are awarded a point for every year you apply and are unsuccessful in the draw, or you may purchase points only. This is a true preference point system where the applicants with the most points get the permits. If you draw any of your hunt choices, first through fifth, you will lose your preference points. In addition, the Division will only evaluate the first choice of max point holders before moving to applicants with the next highest point levels and so on. After everyone's first choice is considered, they will move to the second choice and will continue in this order all the way through the fifth choice.

Group applicants will have their points totaled, averaged, and rounded down to the whole number. A group application will be evaluated as a single application in the drawing. It is imperative that you take notice of the number of tags available for maximum point holders before applying. If there are only one or two tags available, do not apply with three or four individuals as there is no way to draw.

The point totals listed for each draw species are 2022 point totals of all applicants who participated in the 2021 draw or purchased a point for that species. We have subtracted all successful applicants from their respective point field and moved those who were unsuccessful and those who purchased a point up to the next point level to give Huntin' Fool members an accurate account of how many applicants are at each point level going into the 2022 draw. This does not take into account any successful applicants who turned their tag back in and had their points reinstated.

Utah Big Game Draw Odds

The draw odds we list are split into two categories - random (without respect to bonus points) and number of points needed to be considered in the preference draw in 2022. The random odds we list are computed by subtracting the permits given to people with the most points and then dividing the number of remaining applicants by the number of remaining permits. The number of points needed to draw column depicts the number of points it took last year to be considered in the preference draw. If there is only one permit available for a particular hunt, it will be issued randomly and there will not be a max point permit for that hunt. The random draw odds do not take into account how many bonus points any of the applicants have, thus they are not the true odds of drawing. This is to give you a relative idea of how hard a unit will be to draw. Each individual's odds of drawing are different, depending on their number of bonus points accumulated.

Youth Information

Eligible youth must turn 12 years old by December 31, 2023 and must be 17 years of age or younger on July 31st to apply as a youth for all big game permits. General season any bull elk permits (any legal weapon, muzzleloader, and multi-season) will be unlimited for youth hunters.

Twenty percent of Utah's general season buck deer permits are allocated to youth in the drawing. Youth who obtain a general season any legal weapon deer permit may also hunt during the archery and muzzleloader hunts. For youth hunters who are unsuccessful in the drawings, additional over-the-counter youth archery permits will be available in July 2023 at www.wildlife.utah.gov and from license agents and Division offices.

Youth can apply for a youth any bull permit. The youth any bull hunt takes place September 16-24 on any bull units only. This season is prior to the rifle general any bull hunt and is designed to give youth who draw a permit the chance to hunt with a rifle during the rut. Be aware, any bull units may be limited in the amount of public land, access, or elk populations. Up to four youth can apply together for youth any bull elk permits. For general season deer, up to four youth can apply to hunt together in a youth-only group application. It's important to note that if you want a youth to be considered for the 20% of general deer tags set aside for youth, do not apply them in a group with an adult.

Utah has a mentor program for youth ages 12-17 which allows a qualifying adult to mentor a resident youth during a hunt by sharing a big game permit. The mentor can be a non-resident, but they must accompany the minor. Both may carry weapons into the field, but only one animal may be harvested. For more information regarding the mentor program for youth, go to www.wildlife.utah.gov/mentoring.

Weapon Restrictions

Utah allows archers to use electronic rangefinding devices attached to their bows to hunt big game. Archery equipment may be used during any big game hunt, except a muzzleloader hunt, provided that the minimum bow pull is 30 pounds at the draw or the peak, and broadheads must have two or more sharp edges that cannot pass through a 7/8" ring. Expandable broadheads are legal. Draw lock devices and crossbows are not legal.

Utah will allow any power scope to be used on a muzzleloader. Muzzleloaders may be used during any big game hunt, except during archery season. In-line muzzleloaders are legal as well as the use of sabots. Nothing less than 40 caliber muzzleloaders may be used for big game animals. Check the regulations for other restrictions, such as bullet weights.

HAMS stands for Handgun, Archery, Muzzleloader, and Shotgun hunts. Handguns must not have a barrel over 15” in length, be under 24” in overall length, and may not have any fixed, detachable, or collapsible buttstock. Muzzleloaders can use centerfire primers and loose or pelletized black powder or black powder substitute. None of this equipment can be equipped with a scope of any kind.

Other Tag Opportunities

Utah has an extensive conservation permit program. Last year, over 300 conservation permits for a variety of species and hunts were auctioned off to the highest bidder by various conservation organizations. They also have a Statewide Conservation Permit, aka "Governor's tag," for each of Utah's game species. Conservation permits are available to residents and non-residents. It's anticipated that a similar amount will be available this year. For details on which organizations will have what permits and where they will be auctioned, visit our website at www.huntinfool.com/resources/statewide-permits.

Search Our Database for Available Utah Big Game Hunts

Utah will have Expo Permits that they will raffle off in 2023 at the Western Hunting Expo in Salt Lake City. There will be 200 permits that are available to apply for by going to https://huntexpo.com/, and each hunt application costs $5. In-person validation will be required this year. The Expo dates were February 2-5, 2023.

Utah has two systems in which they issue landowner tags. One system is the CWMU (Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit) program where landowners are given tags only for their property for deer, elk, antelope, and moose. Landowners have liberal seasons and can transfer these tags as desired. In exchange for these tags, landowners must let a certain number of resident hunters (through the draw) hunt on their land. In Utah's regulations, there is a list of CWMU operators with their respective phone numbers. Residents and non-residents are eligible to purchase hunts from CWMU operators, but only residents may draw a tag on a CWMU. Check out www.huntfinder.com for several Endorsed Outfitters with hunts using CWMU tags. The second landowner tag system is where the state issues landowner permits to landowners and the holders of these transferable tags may hunt the entire unit during the prescribed season. To obtain information regarding landowners who have transferable tags, give our Landowner Tag Specialist, Logan Hedges, a call at 307-887-2929.

Any remaining limited-entry permits will go on sale online or at any Division office at 8:oo a.m. MDT on a date set for July 2023 and all remaining general season buck deer and youth archery deer permits will go on sale on one week later. If you purchase any general season buck deer permit, you will lose all accrued preference points for general season buck deer.

If you turn in a poacher and the case goes to trial and/or leads to a conviction, you may receive a tag on that unit for that species the next year, depending on the case.

Refunds/Returns/Transfers

Successful applicants must surrender their permit 30 days prior to the hunt opening in order to have their points reinstated. However, they will not earn a bonus/preference point for that year's application. Utah will refund the cost of the limited-entry and once-in­a-lifetime permit so long as it is turned in 30 days prior to the hunt. If you apply in a group and draw limited-entry permits, all members of the group must surrender their permits at least 30 days before the season starts in order to have their bonus points reinstated. There are no refunds for general season permit surrender. The hunting license and application fees are non-refundable. Utah has a Hunter Mentoring Program which allows an adult to share (not transfer) big game permits with a resident minor.

Harvest Reporting

You must report your hunt information for any type of limited-entry or once-in-a-lifetime hunt within 30 days of the end of the hunt. If you don't meet this requirement, you won't be allowed to apply the following year for once-in-a-lifetime, multi-season premium limited-entry, premium limited-entry, multi-season limited-entry, limited-entry, or management buck deer hunts or for bonus points. If you didn't submit your 2022 harvest survey questionnaire by the deadline, you can restore your eligibility to apply for a 2023 permit by paying a $50 late fee. For more information, call 800-221-0659.

Hunt Planning

Utah has an online Hunt Planner available at https://dwrapps.utah.gov/huntboundary/hbstart. You can use the interactive map to add layers by species, units, walk-in access, landownership, and habitat.

You can also access Huntin' Fool's 3D mapping platform at www.huntinfool.com/member/huntplanner. Utah Forest Service and BLM maps can be ordered on line at http://plicmapcenter.org/.

Access

The Division cannot guarantee access to any private land. Utah has a walk-in access program where the Division has leased private land for hunting privileges for public recreation. For more information, go to https://wildlife.utah.gov/fishing/walk-in-access.html or the previously noted Hunt Planner site.

Non-resident owners of ATVs, off-­highway motorcycles, or snowmobiles who bring them into Utah must obtain a non-resident permit for their machine. Some states offer reciprocity, meaning there is a mutual agreement between states not to charge non-residents fees. More information can be found at https://stateparks.utah.gov/activities/off-highway-vehicles/non-resident-ohv-permits/.

Wolf Update

Utah recently passed their wolf management plan which doesn't allow for wolf recovery within the state at the current time. To view this plan, visit https://wildlife.utah.gov/wolf/wolf_management_plan.pdf.