LOGAN— One of the first steps to bagging a trophy deer or elk this fall is the hunter education card. With deer and elk seasons right around the corner there are some things hunters need to know.
The Utah Department of Wildlife Resources wants all hunters to know they need to take a hunter education class or participate in Utah’s Trial Hunting Program before going after big game.
And or those wanting to try their hand at harvesting furs by trapping, the DWR has a required course for that, as well.
Rest assured that it isn’t too late to enroll in the course work; July and August are a great time to take the courses because it’s right before the fall general-season big game hunts.
Big game permits in Utah are allocated through a drawing held in March, there are unlimited elk permits that can be purchased over the counter any time before the hunting season.
To hunt in Utah, everyone born after Dec. 31, 1965 must complete a state-approved hunter education class or participate in the Trial Hunting Program.
To complete hunter education in Utah, prospective hunters have the option of taking a traditional in-person class led by an instructor or an online course followed by an in-person field day. Both options include a final written test and the “field day,” which includes hands-on skills demonstration and a live-fire shooting exercise at the end.
Prior to taking either course, prospective hunters need to buy a hunter education registration certificate online or from a license agent. The certificate costs $12 and is required before you can do the in-person field day.
Both the in-person and online courses will teach gun owners about firearm safety, hunter responsibility and ethics. The online course can be taken at your own pace, while the in-person course typically has scheduled meeting times and locations. The online course costs $25, and you can register for it on the Utah Hunter Education webpage.
“If you have a young child who’s taking the course online, you can help them understand what they’re learning by sitting with them and discussing the course material as they go through it,” RaLynne Takeda, hunter education program manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, said. “Your child can also take the online course at their own speed, and they can go back and review the material as often as they’d like.”
Instructors will provide additional details about the in-person field day after you register for an available course. Once the online course is you finished, proof-of-completion document should be printed.
Utah’s Trial Hunting Program is another way to get in the field this fall. The program gives you a chance to try hunting with an experienced hunter and see if it is something you’d like to pursue. You are not required to take hunter education to participate in this program.
Candidates must be at least 12 years old to join the program, and need to be accompanied by a licensed hunter who is 21 years old or older. To participate, you must complete a brief online orientation course, which can be found on the DWR website.
Candidates also need to buy a hunting license and the permit for the species they want to hunt.
- Combination or hunting licenses (good for hunting all small game, including upland game and waterfowl)
- General-season deer and elk permits
- Permits to hunt bear, greater sage-grouse, sandhill crane, sharp-tailed grouse, tundra swan and turk
How to take a furharvester education course
To trap wildlife in Utah, residents need to be born after Dec. 31, 1984 and they must complete a state-offered furharvester education course and in-person field day. The furharvester education course provides instructions on the following:
- Safe, responsible and ethical trapping methods
- How to use trapping devices
- Trapping laws, trapping ethics, techniques in safely releasing non-target animals
- Firearm safety
- Wildlife management
- Proper catch handling
A person must purchase a registration certificate before taking the online course. The registration certificate is $7 and can be purchased online, at a DWR office or from any available license agent. Then, they can take the online course and exam or an in-person, instructor-led course. The next step is to find an in-person field day in your area and register on the DWR website.
Candidates need to present the online course-completion document when attending the field day exercise.