Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Last modified: Thursday, July 30, 2009

Requirements and frequently asked questions

Harvest requirements listed by species

Big game

General season buck deer and bull elk

Harvest reporting is voluntary for all general season buck deer and bull elk permits. This includes general season buck deer (archery, muzzleloader, any weapon), buck/bull combination, youth any bull elk and general season elk (spike bull and any bull; archery, muzzleloader, any weapon). To obtain this harvest information, DWR conducts a randomized telephone survey of approximately 25 percent of total hunters each fall/winter.

Bucks, bulls and once-in-a-lifetime

Harvest reporting is mandatory, except for general season deer and elk. Mandatory harvest reporting includes all limited-entry, premium limited-entry, once-in-a-lifetime and CWMU permits. Reporting is required even if you did not hunt or did not harvest. If you do not report your harvest within 30 days after your hunt ends, you won't be allowed to apply for a limited-entry, premium limited-entry, once-in-a-lifetime, or CWMU permit or bonus point, the following year. You can report your harvest online or by calling toll-free 1-800-221-0659. Remember, submitting teeth or other biological samples from your harvested animal, or having your harvested animal checked by a DWR representative or CWMU operator does not fulfill your mandatory harvest reporting requirement (except for bighorn sheep check-in). You are still required to report your harvest online or by calling the toll-free harvest survey hotline.

Mandatory check-in for bighorn sheep — After harvesting a bighorn sheep, you are required to bring the horns to a Division office within 72 hours of leaving your hunting area. Checking-in a bighorn sheep will fulfill your mandatory harvest reporting requirement. However, if you received a bighorn sheep permit and did not hunt or did not harvest, you must complete your harvest survey online or by calling toll-free 1-800-221-0659.
Mandatory check-in for management buck deer — After harvesting a management buck deer, you are required to bring the head and antlers to a Division office for inspection within 72 hours of leaving your hunting area. Checking-in a management buck deer does NOT fulfill your mandatory harvest reporting requirement. All management buck deer hunters, regardless of success, must complete their harvest survey online or by calling toll-free 1-800-221-0659.
Big game teeth, blood samples and Chronic Wasting Disease testing — Occasionally, successful big game hunters will be asked to submit a tooth, blood or tissue sample from their animal. Teeth are collected for aging purposes. Blood samples are sometimes collected from bison and elk for the purpose of brucellosis testing. If you receive a tooth envelope or blood sampling kit, please follow all included instructions for sample collection and submission. Submitting a tooth or a blood sample, or having your animal sampled for Chronic Wasting Disease testing, does not fulfill your mandatory harvest reporting requirement, if applicable. You must still complete your harvest survey online or by calling toll-free 1-800-221-0659.

Antlerless deer, elk, moose and doe pronghorn

Harvest reporting is voluntary for all antlerless big game permits. To obtain this harvest information, DWR conducts a randomized telephone survey of approximately 25 percent of total hunters each winter. Beginning with the 2009 season, hunters who obtain an antlerless permit will be able to report their harvest online or by telephone and hunters who report will be entered into a prize drawing. Mitigation/depredation antlerless harvest will continue to be surveyed through a randomized telephone survey of approximately 25 percent of total hunters each winter.

Cougar

Successful hunters are required to check in cougars with a conservation officer or at a Division office within 48 hours of harvest for permanent tagging. Information collected includes: date of harvest, sex and age of the animal, body size measurements, area(s) hunted, number of days afield, weapon type and hunt methods. A tooth will be extracted for aging purposes. Please do not bring frozen cougars, as this makes it extremely difficult to extract teeth.

To obtain cougar pursuit information, DWR conducts a randomized telephone survey of approximately 25 percent of total pursuit permit holders each summer.

Black bear

Successful hunters are required to check in black bears with a conservation officer or at a Division office within 48 hours of harvest for permanent tagging. Information collected includes: date of harvest, sex and age of the animal, body size measurements, area(s) hunted, number of days afield, weapon type and hunt methods. A tooth will be extracted for aging and other samples (hair, femur) may be taken for research purposes. Please do not bring frozen bears, as this makes it extremely difficult to extract teeth.

To obtain black bear pursuit information, DWR conducts a randomized telephone survey of approximately 25 percent of total pursuit permit holders each summer.

Furbearer

Coyote, badger, beaver, gray fox, kit fox, red fox, mink, muskrat, raccoon, ringtail, spotted skunk, striped skunk and weasel

Harvest reporting is voluntary for most furbearer species, with bobcat and marten the most notable exception. To obtain trapping and furbearer harvest information, DWR conducts a randomized telephone survey of approximately 25 percent of total permit holders each winter. You may download a hunter harvest logbook to help you keep track of your furbearer harvest during the season.

Bobcat

Successful hunters are required to deliver bobcat pelts to a Division representative to have permanent tags affixed and to surrender the lower jaw. Information collected includes: date of harvest, sex of the animal, method of take and county of harvest. In addition to mandatory check-in, trapper/hunter effort information for bobcats is collected through the furbearer harvest telephone survey (above).

Marten

Successful hunters are required to deliver marten pelts to a DWR representative to have permanent tags affixed and to surrender the lower jaw. Information collected includes: date of harvest, sex of the animal and county of harvest. In addition to mandatory check-in, trapper/hunter effort information for marten is collected through the furbearer harvest telephone survey (above).

Upland game

Sage grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, white-tailed ptarmigan and band-tailed pigeon

Harvest reporting is voluntary for these four upland game species. To obtain harvest information for sage grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, white-tailed ptarmigan and band-tailed pigeon, DWR conducts a randomized telephone survey of approximately 25 percent of total permit holders each fall. You may download a hunter harvest logbook to help you keep track of your upland game harvest during the season.

Chukar partridge, doves, blue grouse, ruffed grouse, Hungarian partridge, quail, pheasant, cottontail rabbit and snowshoe hare

Harvest reporting is voluntary for upland game species. Hunters are asked to report their harvest online through an online survey Web site. An email will be sent to hunters at the end of the upland game season to ask them to report their harvest and to provide a link to the harvest reporting Web site. It is very important that hunters provide an email address when purchasing their hunting license, so that they can be notified of upland game harvest reporting. In addition, DWR may also conduct a randomized telephone survey for non-response. You may download a hunter harvest logbook to help you keep track of your upland game harvest during the season.

Wild turkey

Harvest reporting is voluntary for wild turkey. To obtain turkey harvest information, DWR conducts a randomized telephone survey of approximately 25 percent of total permit holders each summer.

Sandhill crane

Harvest reporting for sandhill crane is voluntary. To obtain harvest information, a mail-in questionnaire is sent to all permit holders after the season ends. Information collected includes: date of harvest, days afield and age of animal.

Waterfowl

Ducks, geese, coots and snipe

Harvest reporting for waterfowl is voluntary. To obtain harvest information, a mail questionnaire is sent to a random sample of 5,000 waterfowl hunters at the close of the season. Information collected includes: areas hunted, days afield and number of birds harvested. In addition to the DWR waterfowl harvest survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also conducts its own waterfowl harvest surveys, so you may be contacted to do multiple harvest surveys in a single season. You may download a hunter harvest logbook to help you keep track of your waterfowl harvest during the season.

Swan

Harvest reporting for swan is mandatory. You must bring the tagged swan or its head to a Division office, or the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge office, within three days of harvest. At this time, a Division representative will assist you in completing your swan harvest report. Reporting is required even if you did not hunt or did not harvest. You can report online or by calling toll-free 1-800-221-0659. If you miss the reporting deadline, you won't be allowed to apply for a swan permit the following year.