Updates on Utah's wildlife from the DWR
Each week the DWR publishes interesting and informative stories about Utah's wildlife. If you want these stories delivered to your inbox just as soon as we publish them, please sign up for our weekly email.
During this past fiscal year, a whopping total of 144,433 acres were improved across Utah through the Watershed Restoration Initiative.
Several projects aimed at improving boater access in Utah were recently approved for funding and should begin construction in 2026.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and other partnering agencies worked hard inspecting and decontaminating boats across the state this year. Their primary focus was preventing the spread of quagga mussels and other aquatic invasive species — including Eurasian watermilfoil — from Lake Powell and from infested reservoirs outside the state to other waterbodies in Utah.
After discovering an illegal fish introduction this year, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is again reminding Utahns that it's both harmful and illegal to move sportfish you've caught from one waterbody to another, to dump unwanted pet fish into local ponds, or to use live bait fish.
Utah's growing population and related urban expansion have increased the number of wildlife encounters across the state in recent years. However, not every encounter or animal sighting needs to be reported to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
November is the perfect time for wildlife watchers and photographers to see mule deer since they are migrating during breeding season and also moving to lower elevations in search of feed. You'll have a great opportunity to see them during an upcoming event!
While Utahns will gain an extra hour of sleep on Nov. 2 when daylight saving time ends, the time change also means that many people will have evening commutes during lower-visibility hours in the months ahead, which can increase vehicle/wildlife collisions.
Bird-watching is a great opportunity to get outdoors and see a wide variety of birds during their annual migrations — and enjoy the fun challenge of trying to identify them!
Starting in 2026, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will be requiring hunters to submit a sample from deer harvested during the general-season any-legal-weapon buck deer hunt in the Ogden hunting unit in order to test for chronic wasting disease. A few other hunting updates and rule changes are being proposed for the 2026 season, and the DWR is requesting the public's feedback on those additional recommendations.
With several hunts recently ending and others in full swing, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is reminding hunters to submit their mandatory harvest reports for big game hunts and tundra swan hunts in Utah.
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