Apply for antlerless big game permits

The application period for this year's hunt will begin on June 1.

Related information: 2009 Antlerless Guidebook

You might have a better chance at drawing a permit to hunt cow elk, doe deer or doe pronghorn in Utah this fall.

More permits will be offered for each species to try and balance the number of animals with the amount of habitat that's available to them.

Most of Utah's antlerless big game permits are taken in the state's annual draw. You can apply for a permit starting June 1 on this Web site or by calling the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office.

To get your application into the draw for permits, you must submit it through the Web site no later than 11 p.m. on June 25. Applications will also be accepted over the phone until 6 p.m. on June 25.

The following are the number of permits available this year:

Species	Number of permits
Cow elk	11,146
Doe deer	1,775
Doe pronghorn	1,107
Cow moose	30

In addition to hunts on public land, many of Utah's private Cooperative Wildlife Management Units offer antlerless permits to Utah residents. Applications for CWMU permits will also be accepted from June 1 through June 25.

"The chance you'll take an animal during an antlerless hunt is usually higher than it is during a hunt for an animal with antlers," says Anis Aoude, big game coordinator for the DWR.

"Antlerless hunts are great," Aoude says. "They give you a chance to get out and enjoy nature, and they provide you with a good chance to take an animal."

For more information, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR's Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.