DWR Press Release
Utah’s duck, goose and swan hunts aren’t that far away
Scanning through Utah’s latest waterfowl guidebook is a great way to start preparing for the upcoming waterfowl hunt.
Utah special Youth Waterfowl Hunt, for those 17 years of age and younger, happens on Sept. 17. After Sept. 17, the waterfowl will close until Oct. 1, when the general waterfowl hunt starts.
You can get a copy of the free 2016 – 2017 Utah Waterfowl Guidebook at www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks. Copies are also available from Division of Wildlife Resources offices and businesses that sell Utah hunting licenses.
“Another season of watching birds cup up and come into your decoys is coming up,” says Blair Stringham, migratory game bird coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. “It’s an exciting time; it’s time to start preparing for another waterfowl hunt.”
Three changes
Three major changes—one that will allow more young hunters to hunt during the special Youth Waterfowl Hunt, and two that should improve your goose hunting—will happen this season:
· For the first time, those who are 16 and 17 years old can hunt during Utah’s Youth Waterfowl Hunt. In the past, only those 15 years of age and younger could hunt that day.
The Youth Waterfowl Hunt happens on Sept. 17.
If you’re 16 or 17 years old, and you’d like to hunt that day, please note the following:
o To hunt waterfowl in Utah, those 16 years of age and older must have a federal duck stamp.
o Even though Utah law allows those 16 years of age and older to hunt on their own, that’s not the case during the Youth Waterfowl Hunt. During the Youth Waterfowl Hunt, all young hunters—including those 16 and 17 years old—must be accompanied by someone 21 years of age or older.
“Teaching young hunters to be safe, responsible and ethical is one of the major reasons we hold the youth hunt,” Stringham says. “That’s the reason an adult must accompany 16 and 17 year olds that day.”
· Changes in northern Utah will increase the amount of time you can hunt Canada geese this fall.
Most of northern Utah is now part of the state’s General Goose Area. The dark goose hunt in the General Goose Area starts Oct. 1 and runs until Oct. 13. Then, the season closes for a few days. On Oct. 22, the season reopens and runs until Jan. 22.
There’s one exception, though. In the Northern Goose Area, which is much smaller than it used to be, the dark goose hunt begins Oct. 1 and runs until Jan 14. The Northern Goose Area includes the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and private duck hunting clubs near the refuge.
Here’s one way to extend your Canada goose hunting to 128 days in northern Utah: hunt areas outside of the refuge from Oct. 1 – 13 and Oct. 22 – Jan. 22. Then, when the rest of northern Utah is closed to dark goose hunting, hunt the refuge from Oct. 14 – 21.
· Utah’s light goose hunting season runs Oct. 25 – Nov. 30, 2016 and Jan. 16 – March 10, 2017. The season is closed from Dec. 1, 2016 to Jan. 15, 2017. And, in Millard County, the season will also be closed Feb. 6 – 28 to avoid conflicts with a wildlife-viewing event that happens in February.
The change will allow you to hunt light geese when the greatest number of snow and other light geese are in Utah: during their southern migration (late October through late November) and during their northern migration (mid-January to mid-March).
From December through mid-January, very few light geese are in Utah.
More information
If you have questions about hunting ducks, geese and swans in Utah, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at 801-538-4700.