DWR Press Release
It’s hot in Utah right now. But if you visit your local sporting goods store or the Division of Wildlife Resources’ website, you’ll find a sure sign that fall isn’t far away.
Utah’s Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook for the 2015–2016 hunting season is now available.
In addition to sporting goods stores and the DWR’s website (wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks), the free guidebook is also available at your nearest DWR office.
Utah’s upland game seasons begin on Aug. 22. That’s when the white-tailed ptarmigan hunt starts. The upland game seasons won’t end until the snowshoe hare hunt ends on March 15. That’s almost seven full months of hunting.
In addition to providing hunters with lots of opportunity, Utah’s upland game also provide a lot of diversity.
Jason Robinson, upland game coordinator for the DWR, said you can hunt white-tailed ptarmigan high in the Uinta Mountains one day, and then the next day, find yourself hunting chukar partridge on the rocky slopes of the west desert.
“Utah offers a wide variety of upland game hunting,” Robinson explained.
You can get a quick feel for that opportunity and diversity by looking at a new quick-reference calendar. The calendar is found on page 56 of the guidebook.
Great hunt for kids
Upland game hunting is also a great way to introduce young people to hunting. Many of the state’s upland game species can be taken with small firearms and most of the hunts aren’t strenuous.
This fall, those 17 years of age or younger can hunt during special youth-only hunts. The special hunts will be held from one to three weeks before the regular hunts start:
Date Birds your kids can hunt
Sept. 19 – 21 Chukar and gray partridge
Oct. 10 – 12 Pheasant and quail
Robinson said the youth-only hunts will be a great opportunity to get your kids out and enjoy a great hunting experience with them. “On the days the youth hunts are held,” he explained, “your kids will have the birds all to themselves.”
Requirements
If your child completes the state’s Hunter Education course, there’s no minimum age at which he or she can hunt upland game in Utah. If your child isn’t sure she or he wants to hunt, starting at age 12, they can join Utah’s new Trial Hunting program.
– If your child is already interested in hunting, taking the Hunter Education course is the way to go. After passing the course, he or she will receive a free hunting license. Your child can use that license to hunt upland game and waterfowl in Utah this season.
More information about the Hunter Education course is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/huntereducation.
– If you’d like to introduce a young person to hunting, Utah’s new Trial Hunting program provides the way. A young person must be at least 12 years of age to join the program. Before hunting with you, he or she must complete a brief Trial Hunting online orientation course and exam, and buy a hunting license.
After joining the program, the young person has up to three years to complete the Hunter Education course.
You can learn more about the Trial Hunting program at www.wildlife.utah.gov/hunting-in-utah/hunting/1416-utahs-trial-hunting-program.html.