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Rules & regulations
These guidebooks contain the information you must know to hunt or fish in Utah. We highly recommend that you either download electronic versions or pick up printed copies. We distribute free printed guidebooks at Division offices and licensing agents.
- Hunt boundary maps: View interactive maps of most hunt unit boundaries.
- Wildlife statutes & administrative rules: The regulations written into the wildlife guides are largely taken from state statute and division administrative rules.
- Wildlife calendar: Take a quick look at application dates, deadlines and season dates.
Fishing Guidebook
The Utah Fishing Guidebook summarizes the laws and rules that govern fishing in Utah.
Previous editions
View guidebook updates
— Important changes and corrections made after the guidebook was printed.
Emergency changes
Daggett, Upper Anson, Lower Anson, Penguin and Candy lakes (Daggett County)
- Increasing limit to 16 trout, any species
The Division will be treating the South Fork Sheep Creek and associated lakes (listed above) with rotenone this summer. This emergency change will allow the public to harvest more fish from the lakes in advance of the treatment, thereby reducing the number of fish killed during the treatment.
This change is effective June 15, 2023 and will remain in effect until August 28, 2023. All other rules established in the 2023 Utah Fishing Guidebook remain in effect.
Updates
Page 45: In the Utah State Parks Annual Pass information box, the printed edition of the guidebook states that qualified veterans with a 50% or greater service-related disability are eligible to receive a Veterans with Disabilities Honor Pass. The eligibility has changed, and veterans with any disability percentage may apply.
License fee changes July 1, 2023: The Utah Legislature approved several proposed changes to Utah's fishing and hunting license fees, which went into effect on July 1, 2023. Please see the full list of license and permit fee changes that now apply since this guidebook was published.
This is the first fee increase for Utah residents since 2014. The DWR is currently 92% self-funded through license and permit fees, and receives only limited funding from the state's General Fund, which is appropriated for specific issues that impact all Utahns.
Big Game Application Guidebook
The Utah Big Game Application Guidebook provides information and instructions hunters need to know to apply for bucks, bulls and once-in-a-lifetime hunts.
Previous editions
View guidebook updates
— Important changes and corrections made after the guidebook was printed.
Updates
License and permit fee changes July 1, 2023: The Utah Legislature approved several proposed changes to Utah's fishing and hunting license and permit fees, which went into effect on July 1, 2023. Please see the full list of license and permit fee changes that now apply since this guidebook was published.
This is the first fee increase for Utah residents since 2014. The DWR is currently 92% self-funded through license and permit fees, and receives only limited funding from the state's General Fund, which is appropriated for specific issues that impact all Utahns. Note: If you drew a hunting permit prior to June 30, 2023, you will not be charged the new permit fee.
May 3, 2023: Changes to trail camera rules
The Utah Legislature made changes to the state's trail camera rules, effective May 3, 2023. Trail cameras are prohibited on public land from July 31 to Dec. 31, with some exceptions for research and monitoring by land management agencies. The sale or purchase of trail camera footage in the take — or attempted take — of big game, cougar or bear is still prohibited. The new law allows the use of trail cameras that utilize internal data storage to be used on private property.
These changes went into effect after the 2023 Big Game Application Guidebook was printed. The digital edition of this guidebook has been updated with the following changes:
Page 11: Trail camera and night-vision device rules information box
Changes to trail camera regulations and night-vision device rules
Utah Admin. Rule R657-5-7 and Utah Code § 23-13-18
The Utah Legislature made several wildlife-related amendments in March 2023, including laws regarding the use of trail cameras that went into effect May 3, 2023.
What is a trail camera?
- "Trail camera" means a device that is not held or manually operated by a person, and is capable of capturing images, video or location data of wildlife using heat or motion to trigger the device.
What are the trail camera regulations in Utah?
- All trail cameras are prohibited on public land from July 31 to Dec. 31 (with some exceptions, listed below).
- A trail camera using internal data storage and not capable of transmitting live data is permitted for use on private land for the purposes of legal hunting.
- The sale or purchase of footage or data from any trail camera (or non-handheld device) that could be used to take, attempt to take, or aid in the take or attempted take of big game, cougars or bears is prohibited. That includes images or video, location information, time and date of the footage, and any other data that could aid in the harvest or attempted take of big game, cougars or bears.
The seasonal restrictions on trail camera use do not apply to:
- Monitoring and research conducted by the DWR.
- A land management agency in the course of its regular duties.
- Approved organizations or individuals conducting research or monitoring in collaboration with the DWR. These include non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, individuals or groups monitoring active agricultural operations (including the take of a bear or cougar that is causing livestock depredation), or municipalities participating in the Urban Deer Program.
- Private landowners may use any trail camera or other non-handheld device to monitor their property for trespass and active agricultural operations.
What should I do if I see a trail camera in use during the seasonal closure?
Leave it alone and contact our conservation officers with the camera coordinates. Do not attempt to remove or damage the camera — it's someone else's property and may be in use legally.
What are the rules for night-vision devices?
- The rule prohibits the use of any night-vision device to locate or attempt to locate big game, cougars or bears from 48 hours before any hunt in the area through 48 hours after any big game, cougar or bear hunt ends in the area.
- A night-vision device is defined as anything that enhances visible and non-visible light and includes the use of night-vision devices, thermal-imaging devices, infrared-imaged devices and other electronic devices that enhance the visible and non-visible light spectrum.
- A trail camera is not a night-vision device.
For more information
Visit wildlife.utah.gov/trailcams for more details about these rules.
Emergency changes
Gathering antlers and horns (Severe Winter Closure — Statewide)
Effective February 7 through April 30, 2023, the antler and horn gathering season will be closed throughout the entire State of Utah — on both public and private lands — thereby making it unlawful to gather antlers or horns. Extreme cold temperatures and elevated snowpack may negatively impact big game survival. In these conditions, big game animals are weakened and highly vulnerable to human-caused disturbance. The additional expenditure of energy and stress associated with disturbance may significantly increase winter mortality, particularly in mule deer populations. Closing the antler and horn gathering season will minimize a major source of disturbance during the time period wintering big game animals are most vulnerable.
As it relates to this closure, "gathering" means locating, attempting to locate, collecting, or marking locations of 1) shed antlers or horns or 2) antlers or horns attached to a skull plate of a dead animal.
This emergency change refers to information on pages 6 and 13 in the 2023 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook.
This change will remain in effect until April 30, 2023. Except for other emergency changes made since January 1, 2023, all other rules established in the Utah Big Game Application Guidebook have not changed and remain in effect.
Corrections
Page 71: In the CWMU buck deer hunt table, one public permit was listed in error for each of the following two units: Mecham Ridge (#DB1321) and Rock House (#DB1323). There are no public or private permits allocated for either of these CWMUs in 2023. The online edition of this guidebook has been updated by deleting these two units from the table.
Page 77: In the CWMU bull moose hunt table, one public permit was listed in error for each of the following three units: Little Pole Canyon (#MB6265), Sand Creek (#MB6264) and SJ Ranch (#MB6254). There are no public or private permits allocated for moose on these three CWMUs in 2023. The online edition of this guidebook has been updated by deleting these three units from the table.
Big Game Field Regulations Guidebook
The Big Game Field Regulations Guidebook summarizes the laws and rules that govern big game hunting in Utah.
Previous editions
View field regulation updates
— Important changes and corrections made after the guidebook was printed.
Corrections
Page 29: In the "Multi-season general spike bull elk hunt," the "Archery season" bullet point explains that you may use archery equipment to take an antlerless elk or spike bull elk on a general-season spike unit and only a spike bull on the Book Cliffs unit. The guidebook has been updated to clarify that you may also take any bull elk on any bull unit between Aug. 19 and Sept. 20.
Updates
Page 21: The "Changes to trail camera and night-vision device rules for 2023" informational box was updated to include the full Utah code and administrative rules citations that now apply: Utah code § 23A-5-307 and Utah Admin. Rules R657-5-7, R657-33-9 and R657-10-9. Additionally, the content was edited to clarify that the rule regarding the sale or purchase of trail camera (or other non-handheld device) media for the take, or attempted take, of protected wildlife was a 2022 Utah Wildlife Board decision.
The digital edition of this guidebook has been updated with these changes.
License and permit fee changes July 1, 2023: The Utah Legislature approved several proposed changes to Utah's fishing and hunting license and permit fees, which went into effect on July 1, 2023. Please see the full list of license and permit fee changes that now apply since this guidebook was published.
This is the first fee increase for Utah residents since 2014. The DWR is currently 92% self-funded through license and permit fees, and receives only limited funding from the state's General Fund, which is appropriated for specific issues that impact all Utahns. Note: If you drew a hunting permit prior to June 30, 2023, you will not be charged the new permit fee.
Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook
The Utah Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook summarizes the laws and rules that govern upland game and turkey hunting in Utah.
Previous editions
View guidebook updates
— Important changes and corrections made after the guidebook was printed.
Updates
Page 32: The "Changes to trail camera and night-vision device rules" informational box was updated to include the full Utah code and administrative rules citations that now apply: Utah code § 23A-5-307 and Utah Admin. Rules R657-5-7, R657-33-9 and R657-10-9.
The digital edition of this guidebook has been updated with these changes.
Waterfowl Guidebook
The Utah Waterfowl Guidebook summarizes the laws and rules that govern waterfowl hunting in Utah.
Previous editions
View guidebook updates
— Important changes and corrections made after the guidebook was printed.
Corrections
Page 30: The youth waterfowl hunt date in the Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge section was listed incorrectly in the guidebook as Oct. 7, 2023. The correct date for the youth waterfowl hunt is Sept. 30, 2023.
The digital edition of this guidebook has been updated with this correction.
Page 31: The youth waterfowl hunt dates for the Southern goose areas were listed incorrectly as Oct. 7, 2023. The correct dates are:
- Dark geese (cackling, Canada and brant), Southern goose area youth hunt: Sept. 30, 2023
- White-fronted geese, Southern goose area youth hunt: Sept. 30, 2023
The digital edition of this guidebook has been updated with this correction.
Page 60: In the 2023–24 Quick-reference calendar, the coot season dates were incorrectly listed. The correct season dates for coot are:
- Northern duck zone, Oct. 7, 2023–Jan. 20, 2024
- Southern duck zone, Oct. 14, 2023–Jan. 27, 2024
The digital edition of this guidebook has been updated with this correction.
Updates
Page 23: The "Changes to trail camera and night-vision device rules" informational box was updated to include the full Utah code and administrative rules citations that now apply: Utah code § 23A-5-307 and Utah Admin. Rules R657-5-7, R657-33-9 and R657-10-9.
The digital edition of this guidebook has been updated with these changes.
Black Bear Guidebook
The Black Bear Guidebook summarizes the laws and rules that govern black bear hunting in Utah.
Previous editions
View guidebook updates
— Important changes and corrections made after the guidebook was printed.
Updates
Page 31: The "Changes to trail camera and night-vision device rules" informational box was updated to include the full Utah code and administrative rules citations that now apply: Utah code § 23A-5-307 and Utah Admin. Rules R657-5-7, R657-33-9 and R657-10-9. Additionally, the content was edited to clarify that the rule regarding the sale or purchase of trail camera (or other non-handheld device) media for the take or attempted take of protected wildlife was a 2022 Utah Wildlife Board decision.
The digital edition of this guidebook has been updated with these changes.
License and permit fee changes July 1, 2023: The Utah Legislature approved several proposed changes to Utah's fishing and hunting license and permit fees, which went into effect on July 1, 2023. Please see the full list of license and permit fee changes that now apply since this guidebook was published.
This is the first fee increase for Utah residents since 2014. The DWR is currently 92% self-funded through license and permit fees, and receives only limited funding from the state's General Fund, which is appropriated for specific issues that impact all Utahns. Note: If you drew a hunting permit prior to June 30, 2023, you will not be charged the new permit fee.
May 3, 2023: Changes to the cougar regulatory cycle
In March 2023, the Utah Legislature changed the state's rules and regulatory cycle for cougar hunting, which no longer align with the bear regulatory cycle and permit requirements. Mentions of requiring a permit for hunting cougars have been struck from pages 3 and 20 of the 2023 Utah Black Bear Guidebook.
The digital edition of the guidebook has been updated with these changes.
May 3, 2023: Changes to trail camera rules
The Utah Legislature made changes to the state's trail camera rules, effective May 3, 2023. Trail cameras are prohibited on public land from July 31 to Dec. 31, with some exceptions for research and monitoring by land management agencies. The sale or purchase of trail camera footage in the take — or attempted take — of big game, cougar or bear is still prohibited. The new law allows the use of trail cameras that utilize internal data storage to be used on private property.
These changes went into effect after the 2023 Utah Black Bear Guidebook was printed. The digital edition of this guidebook has been updated with the following changes:
Page 3: What's new
Changes to trail camera regulations: The Utah Legislature made changes to the state's trail camera rules, effective May 3, 2023. Trail cameras are prohibited on public land from July 31 to Dec. 31, with some exceptions for research and monitoring by land management agencies. The sale or purchase of trail camera footage in the take — or attempted take — of big game, cougar or bear is still prohibited. The new law allows the use of trail cameras that utilize internal data storage to be used on private property. For details, see the information box on page 31 and visit wildlife.utah.gov/trailcams.
Page 29: Field regulations
Trail cameras and their data (new)
Utah Admin. Rule R657-5-7 and Utah Code § 23-13-18
At the direction of the Utah Legislature, changes to the state's trail camera laws went into effect May 3, 2023.
Trail cameras — other non-handheld devices capable of capturing image, video, location, time, or date data in the field to take, attempt to take, or aid in the take or attempted take of big game — are prohibited on public land from July 31 to Dec. 31. There are some exceptions for research and monitoring by land management agencies (and other approved applications).
The sale or purchase of footage or data from any trail camera (or non-handheld device) that could be used to take, attempt to take, or aid in the take or attempted take of big game, cougars or bears is prohibited. That includes images or video, location information, time and date of the footage, and any other data that could aid in the harvest or attempted take of big game, cougars or bears.
The new law allows for the use of trail cameras that utilize internal data storage to be used on private property for the purposes of taking protected wildlife.
For details, see the information box on page 31, definitions on pages 46–47, and visit wildlife.utah.gov/trailcams for answers to frequently asked questions.
Page 31: Trail camera and night-vision device rules information box
Changes to trail camera regulations and night-vision device rules
Utah Admin. Rule R657-5-7 and Utah Code § 23-13-18
The Utah Legislature made several wildlife-related amendments in March 2023, including laws regarding the use of trail cameras that went into effect May 3, 2023.
What is a trail camera?
- "Trail camera" means a device that is not held or manually operated by a person, and is capable of capturing images, video or location data of wildlife using heat or motion to trigger the device.
What are the trail camera regulations in Utah?
- All trail cameras are prohibited on public land from July 31 to Dec. 31 (with some exceptions, listed below).
- A trail camera using internal data storage and not capable of transmitting live data is permitted for use on private land for the purposes of legal hunting.
- The sale or purchase of footage or data from any trail camera (or non-handheld device) that could be used to take, attempt to take, or aid in the take or attempted take of big game, cougars or bears is prohibited. That includes images or video, location information, time and date of the footage, and any other data that could aid in the harvest or attempted take of big game, cougars or bears.
The seasonal restrictions on trail camera use do not apply to:
- Monitoring and research conducted by the DWR.
- A land management agency in the course of its regular duties.
- Approved organizations or individuals conducting research or monitoring in collaboration with the DWR. These include non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, individuals or groups monitoring active agricultural operations (including the take of a bear or cougar that is causing livestock depredation), or municipalities participating in the Urban Deer Program.
- Private landowners may use any trail camera or other non-handheld device to monitor their property for trespass and active agricultural operations.
What should I do if I see a trail camera in use during the seasonal closure?
Leave it alone and contact our conservation officers with the camera coordinates. Do not attempt to remove or damage the camera — it's someone else's property and may be in use legally.
What are the rules for night-vision devices?
- The rule prohibits the use of any night-vision device to locate or attempt to locate big game, cougars or bears from 48 hours before any hunt in the area through 48 hours after any big game, cougar or bear hunt ends in the area.
- A night-vision device is defined as anything that enhances visible and non-visible light and includes the use of night-vision devices, thermal-imaging devices, infrared-imaged devices and other electronic devices that enhance the visible and non-visible light spectrum.
- A trail camera is not a night-vision device.
For more information
Visit wildlife.utah.gov/trailcams for more details about these rules.
Corrections
page 27: In the Bear baiting, using bait section of the printed guidebook, the list of disallowed materials should include metal. The following change (noted in red) has been made to the digital edition of this guidebook:
"Bait may not be contained in—nor can it include—any metal, glass, porcelain, plastic, cardboard or paper."
Due to an inconsistency in RAC presentation materials, the printed edition of the guidebook lists the closing date for the spring hound hunt and opening date of the summer bait season as May 30, 2023. The Utah Wildlife Board intended that the closing date for the spring hound hunt and opening date of the summer bait season should be May 29 (to overlap on Memorial Day, 2023). The following changes (noted here in red) have been made to the digital edition of this guidebook to reflect this correction.
page 3: Bait season changes: The board also eliminated the fall bait season so that it will not overlap with seasons allowing dogs. (It is illegal to use both bait and hounds at the same time during the same hunt.) The only season that allows bait is the summer limited-entry season, May 29–June 30, 2023, on specified hunt units. See the hunt tables beginning on page 36 for more information.
page 6: KEY DATES
Pursuit season dates (units not designated as restricted)
Spring April 1–May 29, 2023
Pursuit season dates for restricted pursuit units: Spring (all three units, restricted only for nonresidents) April 1–May 29, 2023
page 36: Spring limited-entry hunts table update end date on all hunts to April 1–May 29
page 37: Summer limited-entry hunts table update start date on all hunts to May 29–June 30
page 38: Summer limited-entry hunts table, continued update start date on all three hunts to May 29–June 30
page 42: Restricted pursuit limited-entry units table
| Book Cliffs (BR1015) | April 1–May 29 |
| La Sal (BR1017) | April 1–May 29 |
| San Juan (BR1016) | April 1–May 29 |
Important: The spring pursuit seasons on these units are not restricted for residents. If you're a resident, you do not need to apply for a pursuit permit in the drawing. To pursue bear during the spring pursuit season (April 1–May 29, 2023) on the Book Cliffs, La Sal or San Juan units, you can simply obtain a pursuit permit at wildlife.utah.gov, from a license agent or at any Division office.
page 43: Harvest-objective hunts updates for the following three hunts
| Nine Mile | April 1–May 29 |
| North Slope, Three Corners/West Daggett | April 1–May 29 |
| South Slope, Yellowstone | April 1–May 29 |
page 44: Harvest-objective hunts, continued
| Wasatch Mtns, Avintaquin/Currant Creek | April 1–May 29 |
Cougar Guidebook
The Utah Cougar Guidebook summarizes the laws and rules that govern hunting and pursuing cougars in Utah.
Previous editions
View guidebook updates
— Important changes and corrections made after the guidebook was printed.
Updates
Page 19: The "Changes to trail camera regulations" informational box was updated to include the full Utah code and administrative rules citations that now apply: Utah code § 23A-5-307 and Utah Admin. Rules R657-5-7, R657-33-9 and R657-10-9. Additionally, the content was edited to clarify that the rule regarding the sale or purchase of trail camera (or other non-handheld device) media for the take or attempted take of protected wildlife was a 2022 Utah Wildlife Board decision.
The digital edition of this guidebook has been updated with these changes.
License fee changes July 1, 2023: The Utah Legislature approved several proposed changes to Utah's fishing and hunting license fees, which went into effect on July 1, 2023. Please see the full list of license and permit fee changes that now apply since this guidebook was published.
This is the first fee increase for Utah residents since 2014. The DWR is currently 92% self-funded through license and permit fees, and receives only limited funding from the state's General Fund, which is appropriated for specific issues that impact all Utahns.
In March 2023, the Utah Legislature made several changes to the rules regarding cougar hunting. Beginning May 3, 2023, a person may hunt cougars with any legal weapon if they have a valid hunting or combination license, provided they comply with all rules set forth in Utah Admin. Rule R657-10 (taking cougar) and in the updated digital edition of the 2023 Utah Cougar Guidebook.
These changes — as well as updates to the state's trail camera regulations — have resulted in a substantial edit of the entire guidebook. Hunters should disregard the print version of the current guidebook and refer to the digital version, posted here.
The Utah Legislature also changed the cougar regulatory cycle to run from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. This guidebook covers rules that go into effect May 3, 2023 and will run through Dec. 31, 2023. Print and digital editions of the 2024 Utah Cougar Guidebook will be available in December 2023.
Furbearer Guidebook
Taking, possessing, selling and purchasing furbearing animals, including bobcats and martens.
Previous editions
