Are you prepared to start an unforgettable hunting journey in Utah? It may not be as popular as other hunting destinations, but the Utah hunting season for 2024 will still be thrilling.
Utah provides year-round hunting opportunities and there is always something for every hunter here. Now is the moment to prepare.
In this guide, we will explore the types of animals you can hunt, the season calendar, licenses and rules to hunt in this state legally.
What Hunting Season Is It In Utah?
Utah offer various hunting opportunities all year round. Here’s a summary of hunting seasons in Utah by each month:
- Year-round: Cougar, Muskrat, Red fox and Coyotes
- January: Deer, Bison, Tundra swan, Waterfowl
- February: Light geese
- March: Tundra swan, Ducks, Mergansers, Coots, and Snipe, Bobcat, Marten, Light geese
- April: Turkey, Waterfowl, Beaver and Mink
- May: Black Bear, Turkey
- June and July: No specific hunting seasons open
- August: Bison, Moose, Deer, Elk, and Pronghorn
- September: Deer, Elk, Pronghorn, Goat, Badger, Gray fox, Kit fox, Rabbits, Spotted skunk, and Weasel, Beaver and Mink
- October: Tundra swan, Ducks, Mergansers, Coots, and Snipe, Dark and White-fronted geese, Light geese
- November: Scaup, Moose, Dark and White-fronted geese
- December: Tundra swan, Ducks, Mergansers, Coots, and Snipe, Scaup, Dark and White-fronted geese
Utah Big Game Seasons
There are different kinds of big game animals you can hunt in the state and each of them has their own hunting periods.
Utah Deer&Elk Seasons
| Species | Seasons | Dates |
| Buck deer | General archery | Aug. 17–Sept. 13 |
| General muzzleloader | Sept. 25–Oct. 3 | |
| Early general any legal weapon | Oct. 9–13 | |
| General any legal weapon | Oct. 19–27 | |
| Bull elk | General muzzleloader | Oct. 30–Nov. 7 |
| Any bull elk | General archery | Aug. 17–Sept. 18 |
| Early general any legal weapon | Oct. 5–11 | |
| Late general any legal weapon | Oct. 12–18 | |
| Youth bull elk | General-season | See page 19 |
| Any bull/hunter’s choice elk | Draw-only youth | Sept. 14–22 |
| Spike bull elk | General any legal weapon | Oct. 5–17 |
| Spike bull elk | General archery | Aug. 17–Sept. 6 |
| Deer | Extended archery season | Sept. 14–Oct. 15 |
| Sept. 14–Nov. 30 | ||
| Aug. 17–Dec. 15 | ||
| Deer and elk | Sportsman and statewide conservation permit season | Sept. 1, 2024–Jan. 15, 2025 |
*Notes: No general-season archery elk hunt on the Paunsaugunt unit.
Utah Black Bear Seasons
Spring limited-entry hunts: March 30–May 27
Summer limited-entry hunts: May 27–June 30
Fall limited-entry hunts:
- 1–Aug. 31 and Nov. 4–Nov. 10
- 3 – Aug. 16 and Oct. 4 – Nov. 17 (Book Clifs, Bitter Creek/South Unit)
Limited-entry spot-and-stalk hunts: Sept. 2–Nov. 10 (Book Clifs, Little Creek Roadless Unit)
Harvest-objective hunts: Sept. 1–Oct. 27(Most Units)
Utah Other Big Game Seasons
| Species | Dates | Areas |
| Deer, elk, and pronghorn | Aug. 17–31 | Any open unit with archery equipment |
| Pronghorn | Sept. 1–Nov. 15, 2024 | Any open unit with any legal weapon |
| Bighorn sheep and mountain goat | Aug. 31–Dec. 31, 2024 | Any open unit with any legal weapon |
| Bison | Aug. 1, 2024–Jan. 31, 2025 | Any open unit with any legal weapon |
| Moose | Aug. 31–Nov. 15, 2024 | Any open unit with any legal weapon |
Utah Turkey Seasons
| Seasons | Dates | Areas |
| 2024 Spring turkey hunts | Apr. 1–May 31, 2024 | Statewide |
| 2024 Fall turkey hunts | Oct. 1, 2024 – Feb. 28, 2025 | Central, Northern, and Southeastern areas |
| 2025 Spring limited-entry hunts | Apr. 12 – 24, 2025 | Central (TK1003), Northeastern (TK1004), Northern (TK1005), Southeastern (TK1006) and Southern (TK1007) units |
| 2025 Spring Youth Hunt | Apr. 25 – 27, 2025 | Statewide |
| 2025 Spring general-season hunts | Apr. 28 – May 31, 2025 | Statewide |
| Turkey WMU Hunts | Apr. 12 – May 31, 2025 | Pahvant Ensign (TK1018), East Zion (TK1021) |
To hunt turkey in Utah, you will need to apply for different permits required. The following are the start dates for each application:
- Fall 2024 management harvest permits: 10, 2024
- Limited-entry applications deadline: 12, 2024
- 2024 application deadline: 27, 2024
- Drawing results announcement: 8, 2025
- Remaining limited-entry permits: Mar. 6, 2025
- Spring general-season permits: Mar. 6, 2025
Utah Upland Game Bird Seasons
| Species | Zones | Dates | Limits |
| Dusky and ruffed grouse | Statewide | Sept. 2–Dec.31, 2024 | Bag limit: 4 Possession limit: 12 |
| Greater sage-grouse | Diamond, Blue Mountain (SG1000); Parker Mountain (SG1001); Rich County (SG1002) and West Box Elder County (SG1003) |
Sept. 28–Oct. 20, 2024 | Bag limit: 2 Possession limit: 2 |
| Sharp-tailed grouse | Northeast Box Elder County (ST1000) and Cache County (ST1001) |
Sept. 28–Oct. 20, 2024 | Bag limit: 2 Possession limit: 2 |
| White-tailed ptarmigan | Statewide | Sept. 2–Oct. 31, 2024 | Bag limit: 4 Possession limit: 12 |
| Chukar partridge | Statewide | Sept. 28, 2024–Feb. 15, 2025 | Bag limit: 5 Possession limit: 15 |
| Sept. 21–23, 2024(Youth Hunt) | |||
| Gray (Hungarian) partridge | Statewide | Sept. 28, 2024–Feb. 15, 2025 | Bag limit: 5 Possession limit: 15 |
| Sept. 21–23, 2024(Youth Hunt) | |||
| Ring-necked pheasant | Statewide | Nov. 2–Dec. 1, 2024 | Bag limit: 2(male) Possession limit: 6(male) |
| Oct. 26–31, 2024(Youth Hunt) | |||
| California and Gambel’s quail | Statewide | Nov. 2–Dec. 31, 2024 | Bag limit: 5 Possession limit: 15 |
| Oct. 26–28, 2024 | |||
| Sandhill crane | Cache County (SC1001) and Rich County (SC1002) |
Sept. 7–15, 2024 | Possession limit: 1 |
| East Box Elder County (SC1000) | Sept. 7–Nov. 5, 2024 | Possession limit: 1 | |
| Uintah and Duchesne counties, and Ouray National Wildlife Refuge | Sept.28–Oct.17, 2024 Oct. 18–Nov. 6, 2024 Nov. 7–26,2024 |
Possession limit: 1 | |
| Band-tailed pigeon | Statewide | Sept. 2–14, 2024 | Bag limit: 2 Possession limit: 6 |
| Sept. 2–Dec. 15, 2024(Falconry) | |||
| Collared-dove | Statewide | Year round | No Limit |
| Mourning dove and white-winged dove | Statewide | Sept. 2–Oct. 30, 2024 | Bag limit: 15 Possession limit: 45 |
| Sept. 2–Dec. 15, 2024(Falconry) | Bag limit: 3 Possession limit: 9 |
||
| American crow | Statewide | Sept. 2–30, 2024 | Bag limit: 10 Possession limit: 30 |
| Dec. 2, 2024–Feb. 28, 2025 |
Utah Waterfowl Seasons
| Species | Zones | Dates | Limits |
| Youth Waterfowl Hunt | Northern Zone (see page 35 for details) | Sept. 21, 2024 | •Ducks, mergansers and scaup: 7 •Coots: 25 •Dark geese:5 •White-fronted geese: 6 •Tundra swan: 1 |
| Southern Zone (see page 35 for details) | Sept. 28, 2024 | ||
| Tundra swan | Northwest Zone | Oct. 5–Dec. 8, 2024 | Possession Limit: 1 |
| Ducks, mergansers, coots, and snipe | Northern Zone | Oct. 5, 2024–Jan. 18, 2025 | Daily Bag Limit: 7 , 25(coots) Possession Limit: 21, 25(coots) |
| Southern Zone | Oct. 12, 2024–Jan. 25, 2025 | ||
| Scaup | Northern Zone | Oct. 5–Dec. 29, 2024 | Daily Bag Limit: 2 Possession Limit: 6 |
| Southern Zone | Nov. 1, 2024–Jan. 25, 2025 | ||
| Dark and white-fronted geese | Eastern Box Elder goose area | Oct. 5, 2024–Jan. 18, 2025 | Daily Bag Limit: 5(Dark), 6(White-fronted) Possession Limit: 15(Dark), 18(White-fronted) |
| Northern goose area | Oct. 5–12, 2024, and Oct. 26, 2024–Jan. 31, 2025 | ||
| Southern goose area | Oct. 12, 2024–Jan. 25, 2025 | ||
| Wasatch Front goose area | Oct. 5–12, 2024
Nov. 11, 2024–Feb. 15, 2025 |
||
| Light geese | Eastern Box Elder, Northern, and Wasatch Front goose areas | Oct. 15–Dec. 22, 2024
Feb. 1–Mar. 10, 2025 |
Daily Bag Limit: 20 Possession Limit: 60 |
| Southern goose area | Oct. 25–Dec. 15, 2024
Jan. 15–Mar. 10, 2025 |
||
| Snipe | Northern Zone | Oct. 5, 2024–Jan. 18, 2025 |
Daily Bag Limit: 8 Possession Limit: 24 |
| Southern Zone | Oct. 12, 2024–Jan. 25, 2025 |
Utah Furbearer Seasons
| Species | Dates | Limits |
| Badger, gray fox, kit fox, ringtail, spotted skunk, and weasel | Sept. 14, 2024–March 1, 2025 | No limit |
| Beaver and mink | Sept. 14, 2024–April 1, 2025 | No limit |
| Bobcat | Nov. 14, 2024–March 1, 2025 | One per permit, up to a maximum of six |
| Marten | Sept. 14, 2024–March 1, 2025 | No limit |
| Cougar, muskrat, red fox and striped skunk | Year round | No limit |
| Cottontail rabbit | Sept. 2, 2024–Feb. 28, 2025 | Bag limit: 10 Possession limit: 30 |
| Jackrabbit | Year round | No limit |
| Snowshoe hare | Sept. 2, 2024–March 15, 2025 | Bag limit: 5 Possession limit: 15 |
Utah Hunting Licenses and Permits
The following are the costs for different types of hunting licenses for residents and non-residents.
| Licenses | Resident fees | Non-resident fees |
| 365-day hunting license(age 13 and under) | $11 | / |
| 365-day hunting license(ages 14–17) | $16 | $34 |
| 365-day hunting license(ages 18–64) | $40 | $120 |
| 365-day hunting license(age 65+) | $31 | / |
| 365-day hunting license for disabled veterans | $26 | / |
| Multi-year hunting license(ages 18–64) | $39 | $119 |
| Multi-year hunting license(age 65+) | $30 | / |
| 365-day combination license(ages 14–17) | $20 | $38 |
| 365-day combination license(ages 18–64) | $44 | $150 |
| 365-day combination license(age 65+) | $35 | / |
| 365-day combination license for disabled veterans | $29 | / |
| Multi-year combination license(ages 18–64) | $43 | $149 |
| 3-day small game license(any age) | / | $46 |
| Furbearer Resident license | $33 | $195 |
Except for a hunting licenses, hunters will also need to purchase related permits for different game animals:
| Permits | Resident fees | Non-resident fees |
| General deer | $46 | $418 |
| Youth general deer | $40 | $418 |
| General any bull and spike bull elk | $56 | $613 |
| Youth general elk | $50 | $613 |
| Multi-season spike bull elk | $200 | $830 |
| Private-lands-only antlerless elk | $56 | $350 |
| Control antlerless elk | $40 | $118 |
| Nine Mile bison | $460 | $2,420 |
| Sandhill crane permit (resident) | $40 | $125 |
| Turkey limited-entry permit | $40 | $125 |
| Turkey general-season permit | $40 | $125 |
| Turkey general-season permit (youth) | $25 | / |
| CWMU turkey permit | $40 | $125 |
| Bear pursuit permit | $45 | $171 |
| Federal migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp | $25 | $25 |
Utah General Hunting Regulations
Here are some of the common rules for hunting big game and small game in this state:
- Hunter Education: If you were born after December 31, 1965, you must show proof of passing an approved hunter education course to get a hunting license.
- Age Restrictions: No age limits for hunting turkey, waterfowl, upland game, or furbearers. But you must be at least 12 years old to hunt big game.
- Hunter Orange Requirement: It requires wearing hunter orange when hunting big game (except during deer archery and muzzleloader seasons). For other game hunting, it is not mandatory to do so. Avoid wearing hunter orange during turkey hunting, as the bright colors can be mistaken for a turkey’s head.
- Reporting Hunts: You must report your hunting information within 30 days after any limited-entry or once-in-a-lifetime hunt, even if you didn’t successfully harvest an animal.
- Migratory Game Bird Registration: It requires registering in the Migratory Game Bird Harvest Information Program (HIP) if you plan to hunt migratory birds.
- Turkey Permits: You can get one permit for the spring turkey season and up to three for the fall season.
- Trial Hunting Program: Anyone over 12 years old can try hunting for up to three years through Utah’s Trial Hunting Program.
- Waterfowl Hunting: Hunters need to obtain a federal migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp to hunt waterfowl.
- Prohibited Practices:
- Using aircraft, drones, or any airborne devices to locate wildlife is illegal.
- Trail cameras are banned on public land from July 31 to December 31.
- Baiting for hunting is not allowed.
- No electronics on bows or arrows.
- You need permission from the landowner to hunt or trap on private land.
- Using night-vision devices while hunting big game is unlawful.
- Using spotlights or artificial lights to locate wildlife is prohibited.
Conclusion
As we wrap up, the hunting season in Utah is not to be missed. Utah provides a hunting experience like no other with its stunning landscapes and rich wildlife population.
Make sure to note the dates, pack your equipment, and be well prepared for numerous possibilities for adventure. Have fun and welcome to share your hunting experience with us in the comments!
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