SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Wildlife Board approved the big game hunting permit numbers
for 2024 and also approved some changes to shed antler gathering in Utah during a public
meeting on Thursday.
What impacts deer populations in Utah
There are a few factors that impact deer populations in Utah and can cause them to
increase or decrease. Some of those factors include:
● Weather and precipitation (either extreme, ongoing drought or really heavy snowfall
during the winter)
● Predator balance
● The quality and quantity of available habitat (which can be impacted by weather as
well)
● Adult doe survival
● Fawn production
● Fawn survival
“It should be noted that harvesting buck deer does not drive deer populations,” Utah
Division of Wildlife Resources Big Game Coordinator Dax Mangus said. “That is a common
misconception that we hear when we make permit number recommendations each year. The
most important factors that drive deer population numbers are the survival rates of doe deer
(since bucks don’t have babies), fawn production and fawn survival after the winter. The way we
hunt buck deer in Utah doesn’t drive deer populations, but what happens with deer populations
drives how we hunt buck deer.”
How deer permit recommendations are made
The DWR manages deer, elk and other wildlife in accordance with approved
management plans to allow for sustainable harvest while maintaining healthy wildlife
populations across the state. Along with using the management plans, DWR biologists also
weigh additional factors and data in recommending hunting permit numbers for deer:
● Buck-to-doe ratios established in the management plans for each area of the state
(including the current estimates, three-year averages and overall trends). The buck-to-
doe ratios are a good way to manage social preferences for hunting deer.
● Current population estimates and demographics. (This data is collected through yearly
surveys and classifications of deer herds.)
● Data from GPS collars and body condition of the deer (measured during annual
capture efforts), which helps estimate deer survival for the winter.
● Hunter harvest rates from the prior hunting season (which can help with estimates for
successful harvest in the upcoming year).
● Habitat and environmental conditions across the state.
“Utah has 31 general-season deer hunting units that are managed for post-hunting
season buck-to-doe ratios of 15-17 or 18-20 bucks per 100 does,” Mangus said. “The statewide
average buck-to-doe ratio on public land, general-season deer hunting units was 21 bucks per
100 does after the 2023 hunting season. Good winter survival rates this year and high buck-to-
doe ratios after last season puts us in a position where we can offer more buck deer hunting
opportunities in 2024.”
Deer permits
The Utah Wildlife Board approved the following for general-season deer permits in the
various areas of Utah:
● Northern Utah: An increase of 150 permits
● Central Utah: A decrease of 75 permits
● Southern Utah: An increase of 5,375 permits
● Southeastern Utah: An increase of 400 permits
● Northeastern Utah: An increase of 950 permits
In total, the board approved 71,525 general-season deer hunting permits, which is a
6,800-permit or 10.5% increase from the previous year.
“During our big game captures this last winter, we found that a majority of the deer
throughout the state were healthy and in great condition with high body fat,” Mangus said. “Our
animals with GPS collars are showing really high survival rates in both northern and southern
Utah. We are anticipating excellent winter survival and are happy to see our deer populations
starting to look better after being hit hard by the severe winter in 2022-23, especially in the
northern parts of the state. Deer populations in southern Utah are looking great currently with
their third consecutive year of good fawn production and high survival rates. Biologists look
closely at each hunting unit and individual situation when they make permit recommendations.
We use the best available data and our management plans to make proactive recommendations
for the herd health of our wildlife.”
Elk permits
The current statewide elk management plan includes an objective to have almost 80,000
elk across Utah — there are currently an estimated 80,600 elk in the state. The board approved
a slight increase in public draw limited-entry bull elk permits and in antlerless elk permits for the
2024 hunts.
Approved big game permits
The table below shows the approved permit numbers for 2024, including those for the
big game hunts, the once-in-a-lifetime hunts and the antlerless hunts:
Hunt 2023 Permits 2024 Recommended Permits
General-season buck deer 64,725 71,525
Limited-entry deer 1,299 1,336
Antlerless deer 530 450
General-season any bull elk 15,000 ● 15,000 for adults in the early general- season any bull elk hunt (for any legal weapon and
muzzleloader
hunters)
● Unlimited for youth
● Unlimited for
archery hunters
● Unlimited for the
general-season any
bull late hunt (sold
over the counter)
General-season spike bull elk 15,000 15,000 (sold over the counter, with a cap of 4,500 multi-season permits)
Antlerless elk 19,857 19,626
Youth draw-only any bull
/hunter’s choice elk 750 750
Limited-entry bull elk 3,336 3,412
Buck pronghorn 1,351 1,506
Doe pronghorn 155 210
Bull moose 102 104
Antlerless moose 9 12
Bison 177 96
Desert bighorn sheep 75 76
Rocky Mountain bighorn
sheep 52 57
Rocky Mountain bighorn
sheep ewe hunt 5 5
Mountain goat 94 9 5
Approved antlerless permits
The DWR issues antlerless permits for big game species in Utah for several reasons:
● To manage population size to the approved population objectives
● For herd health, including reducing disease concerns in certain parts of the state
● To improve the health of the habitat (and to avoid overgrazing)
● To reduce conflicts on private property, including depredation issues
● To address public safety issues of big game animals on highways and in cities
“Because reducing the number of female animals in a herd can reduce the overall
population, all of Utah’s recommended doe deer hunts are designed to be very targeted to
address localized areas of specific concern, conflicts, disease issues or public safety
considerations,” Mangus said. “Currently, there are no doe deer hunts in Utah that are aimed at
reducing the overall deer population on a hunting unit.”
The board also voted to designate that, while it won’t be illegal, hunters should refrain
from harvesting cow moose with calves, when possible, during antlerless hunts.
Shed antler gathering changes
During the 2024 legislative session, HB382 was passed, which designates that the Utah
Wildlife Board has the authority to make a few updates to shed hunting in Utah. Those include
the option to establish a season for recreational antler or horn gathering for both residents and
nonresidents and designating rules regarding the commercial gathering and selling of shed
antlers. The new law also establishes a restitution value for shed antlers at $30 per pound and
provides definitions for shed antlers and horns.
The DWR also recently formed a committee of diverse stakeholders to examine shed
antler gathering in Utah. Under the new legislation, the board approved a few changes to shed
antler gathering, including:
● No established season for Utah residents regarding shed antler gathering. However,
the wildlife board voted to have the shed antler committee reconvene to look into the
possibility of establishing a shed antler gathering season for residents and to present it
to the public and the board during the December public meeting cycle. In the
meantime, the board did not approve the DWR’s recommendation of establishing a
separate season for nonresidents.
● Continuing to require the ethics course for residents and nonresidents, and requiring it
for any antler gathering between Jan. 1 and May 31 each year. The completion
certificate must be carried (either digitally or physically) by the individual while
gathering shed antlers.
● Allowing for emergency closures of antler gathering that are triggered by emergency
winter feeding. Any closures for shed hunting would be statewide. The only exception
for this would be on private land if the shed antlers were interfering with normal
agricultural practices.
● Requiring a certification of registration for commercial antler buyers (an individual or
entity that purchases shed antlers or shed horns for the purpose of reselling them for
financial gain).
● Clarifying the legality of antler markets (allowing people to modify and resell shed
antlers or horns, if obtained legally).
Big game rule changes
The board also approved a few other changes to current big game rules, including:
● Changing the rule language for night-vision devices from “unlawful to use” to “unlawful
to possess” while taking or locating big game from July 31 to Dec. 31, in order to make
the rule enforceable for conservation officers.
● Removing the language in the rule that requires aircraft to take off and land “only on
improved airstrips,” due to the rule already containing multiple provisions to limit
hunting from an aircraft.
● Removing the requirement to plug bighorn sheep to make it easier for hunters, and
because the needed harvest data can be collected electronically.
● Removing the requirement for hunters to check in management bucks and cactus
bucks to make it easier for hunters, and because the needed data can be collected
electronically.
Approved CWMU antlerless permits
The DWR oversees the Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit program, which allocates
hunting permits to private landowners who then provide hunting opportunities to public and
private hunters for a variety of wildlife species. The CWMU program in Utah has opened more
than 2 million acres of private land to the public for hunting.
During Thursday’s meeting, the board approved 9 fewer private antlerless permits and
an additional 104 public antlerless permits allocated to CWMUs for the 2024 hunting season, for
a total of 138 private and 1,251 public antlerless CWMU permits. The rest of the CWMU permits
for 2024 were already approved by the wildlife board in a previous meeting.
The board also approved the application for one new CWMU, an application change for
an existing CWMU, and the renewal of 44 other CWMU applications.
You can watch the full meeting on the Utah Department of Natural Resources YouTube
Channel.