SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is seeking the public’s input on proposed big game hunting permit numbers for 2026.
DWR Big Game Coordinator Mike Wardle said there is a common misconception they are making permit number recommendations each year that buck deer effect deer population.
“The most important factors that drive population size are the survival rates of adult does (since bucks don’t have babies), fawn production and fawn survival,” he said.
Deer, elk and other wildlife are managed with approved management plans to help maintain healthy wildlife populations across the state. The current Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan was approved in 2024 by the Utah Wildlife Board and will be in effect until 2030.
“Utah has 31 general season buck deer hunting units of those, 28 units fell within 20 percent of the threshold form last year’s numbers,” Wardle said. “Three general-season hunting units exceeded the 20% threshold — the Beaver West; Kamas; and the Wasatch Mountains, West — and a net increase of 1,300 permits is being recommended across those three units to help reach the buck-to-doe ratio objectives for each unit.”
DWR biologists recommended a total of 86,625 general-season deer hunting permits, which is a 6,425-permit increase from the previous year.
“Our biologists look closely at each hunting unit and individual situation when they make permit recommendations,” Wardle said. “We use the best available data and our management plans to make proactive recommendations for the herd health of our wildlife.”
DWR has seen benefits to deer populations from habitat improvement projects, predator management and other work done to directly benefit mule deer.
“Our deer populations have responded positively to conditions over the last year,” he said. “And changes to our statewide deer management plan have enabled us to offer more hunting opportunities for the 2026 seasons.”
The current elk management plan includes an objective to have 80,600 elk across Utah — there is currently an estimated 83,020 elk in the state. Biologist want to decrease the public draw limited-entry bull elk permits for the 2026 hunts. They also are recommending an increase in antlerless elk permits to manage the overall elk population numbers to meet management.
DWR issues antlerless permits for big game species in Utah to manage population size to the approved population objectives.
They also try to improve the health of the habitat (and to avoid overgrazing) and to reduce conflicts on private property, including depredation issues.
“Reducing the number of female animals in a herd can reduce the overall population, all of Utah’s recommended doe deer hunts are designed to be very targeted to address localized areas of specific concern, conflicts or public safety considerations,” Wardle said. “Currently, there are no doe deer hunts in Utah that are aimed at reducing the overall deer population on a hunting unit.”
The DWR allocates hunting permits to private landowners who then provide hunting opportunities to public and private hunters for a variety of wildlife species. Utah’s Cooperative Wildlife Management program has opened more than 2 million acres of private land to the public for hunting.
DWR is recommending a total of 228 public and 62 private antlerless big game CWMU permits for 2026.
After 25 years of monitoring the New Zealand mud snail it has been determined to not had a detectable impact on Utah’s fish populations.
DWR would like to reclassify the New Zealand mud snail as a controlled species, rather than a prohibited one.
The public meetings for the recommendations can be viewed virtually or attended in person. Anyone can view the biologists’ presentations before the meetings and share feedback about them at wildlife.utah.gov/feedback.
The presentations are also available on the DWR YouTube channel, but comments can only be submitted through the forms on DWR Website.
The public comment period opened on April 1 for each of the five Regional Advisory Council meetings and for the Utah Wildlife Board meeting.
There are no public meetings scheduled in Cache County, but members of the public can choose to either watch the meetings online or attend them in person. Online comments will only be accepted until the deadlines listed below.
The meetings will be held on the following dates and times:
- Central Utah RAC meeting: April 14 at 6 p.m. at the DWR Springville office at 1115 N. Main St. in Springville. (Online comments must be submitted by April 9 at 11:59 p.m.)
- Northern Utah RAC meeting: April 15 at 6 p.m. at the Weber County Commission Chambers at 2380 Washington Blvd. #240 in Ogden. (Online comments must be submitted by April 9 at 11:59 p.m.)
- Southern Utah RAC meeting: April 21 at 6 p.m. in the Charles R. Hunter Room of the Hunter Conference Center at Southern Utah University at 351 W. University Blvd. in Cedar City. (Online comments must be submitted by April 16 at 11:59 p.m.)
- Southeastern Utah RAC meeting: April 22 at 6 p.m. at the John Wesley Powell Museum at 1765 E. Main St. in Green River. (Online comments must be submitted by April 16 at 11:59 p.m.)
- Northeastern Utah RAC meeting: April 23 at 6 p.m. at the DWR Vernal office at 318 N. Vernal Ave. (Online comments must be submitted by April 16 at 11:59 p.m.)
- Utah Wildlife Board meeting: April 30 at 9 a.m. at the Eccles Wildlife Education Center at 1157 South Waterfowl Way in Farmington. (Online comments must be submitted by April 22 at 11:59 p.m.)