Based on phone calls the Division of Wildlife Resources is receiving, hunters are confused about where Utah’s general rifle buck deer hunt will be held this fall.
Will the hunt happen in five regions?В Or will it be held in 29 smaller hunting areas?
The answer: The hunt will happen in five regions.
Judi Tutorow, wildlife licensing coordinator for the DWR, says Utah will not be split into 29 smaller hunting areas until the 2012 season.
“So this fall,” she says, “you can still hunt within the five regions you’re used to hunting in.”
Time is running out
If you want to hunt during the deer hunt, or during other big game hunts in Utah this fall, you need to get your application in soon.
Your application must be received at www.wildlife.utah.gov no later than 11 p.m. on March 3 to be included in the draw for permits.
If you decide to apply, Tutorow has some advice: Apply before the last day of the application period. And when you apply, don’t forget to donate a dollar or two to help control coyotes in Utah.
Apply early
Tutorow says the amount of patience you have is the critical factor in deciding when to apply.
“If you apply before March 3,” she says, “you should be able to get your application in fast.”
If you wait until March 3, however, you could run into some challenges.
“Thousands of hunters wait until the last day to apply,” Tutorow says. “Receiving that much traffic in such a short period of time tends to slow our website down.”
If you decide to wait until March 3 to apply, make sure you start applying before 11 p.m.В If you start applying before 11 p.m. — and you don’t log off the system before you’ve completed your application — the system will allow you to finish your application.
“If you log out after 11 p.m., and then you try and get back into the system,” she says, “you’ll be out of luck. Starting at 11 p.m., the only thing you can apply for is a bonus point or a preference point.”
Coyote control
As you’re completing your application, consider donating some money to help control coyotes in Utah. Coyotes are the animal that preys the most on mule deer fawns.
You can donate by clicking the “Donate for coyote control” box that will appear as you’re completing your application. Just include with your application fee the amount you’d like to donate.
For more information, call the Utah Wildlife Administrative Services office at 1-800-221-0659, the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.