Hunters Helping Condors program

Participating hunters can obtain free ammo and win prizes

Good news if you hunt big game in southern Utah's Zion Unit. You may be able to:

• Obtain a free box of non-lead ammunition from an approved vendor (up to $50 value)
• Participate in a prize drawing

These opportunities are part of Utah's Hunters Helping Condors program. The program encourages hunters to make a few small, voluntary changes to help the critically endangered California condors that live in southern Utah.

Why do condors need help?

Over the years, many of these enormous rare birds have been inadvertently sickened and killed by lead poisoning. Lead poisoning is, in fact, their leading cause of death. A frequent source of that lead is the remains of hunted animals, a common meal for condors. (See Rescued from the brink of extinction.) The Hunters Helping Condors program is reducing condors' exposure to lead.

Obtain a coupon for free non-lead ammunition (up to $50 value)

All hunters holding Zion Unit permits are eligible to receive a coupon for free non-lead ammunition from an approved vendor listed below (up to $50 value). These will be mailed to you in time to redeem them for your hunt. Be sure to watch your mailbox! You will also receive some emails from us explaining the Hunters Helping Condors program and encouraging you to participate.

Hunters who have landowner or mitigation permits for the Zion Unit can claim their coupons at one of the DWR's Southern Region offices (in Cedar City or Quail Creek Reservoir). Anyone hunting in the Zion Unit with a General Season Any Bull Elk tag may also obtain a coupon at one of these offices.

Redeem your coupon

Once you have your coupon, you can redeem it at one of the following vendors. You must surrender the original coupon to the vendor. Hunters may redeem only one coupon each year. The vendors are as follows:

• Sportsman's Warehouse — Visit the Sportsman's Warehouse website to find the location nearest you and then walk in to redeem your coupon.
• Doubletap Ammunition — Visit the Doubletap Ammunition website to place an online order, call 435-383-3208 (ask for Morgan or Mike), or visit the Cedar City location (at 450 North 200 West) in person to redeem your coupon.

• Bass Pro Shops/Cabela's — Download and print the mail-in order form and then send it with your coupon to the following location:

  Bass Pro Shops/Cabela's
  Attn: Business Sales-UT Ammo
  2500 E. Kearney St.
  Springfield, MO 65898

• International Cartridge Corporation — Download and print the mail-in order form and then send it with your coupon to the following location:

  ICC Ammo
  Attn: Utah
  2273 Rte. 310
  Reynoldsville, PA 15851

  Note: Private citizens may not have ammunition shipped to a California address. Check California regulations for details.

As an added bonus, if you use non-lead ammunition during your Zion big game hunt — and show it to DWR personnel — you will be entered into the prize drawing. Hunters who harvest an animal with lead-based ammunition can also enter the prize drawing if they bring the gut pile from the animal they harvested to a DWR check station or office (locations listed below).

As you are likely aware, ammunition supplies are severely restricted. Manufacturers are having great difficulty keeping up with demand. Our contractors are trying diligently to support the hunters in our Hunters Helping Condors program. We suggest you redeem your coupons as soon as possible and, please, be patient. We appreciate your support.

Participate in the prize drawing

It's easy to participate in the condor prize drawing, and you could win a gift certificate for $800 in outdoor merchandise!

To participate in the prize drawing, you must have an any legal weapon (rifle or muzzleloader) permit to hunt big game on the Zion Unit, and you must also meet the following requirements:

1. Demonstrate that you are hunting with non-lead ammunition OR hunt with lead ammunition and remove all of the harvested animal's remains from the field.
2. Stop by a check station or any DWR regional office no later than Dec. 31 of a given year to verify participation and be entered into the drawing in January of the next year.

Terms and conditions. Applicants must possess one of the following any legal weapon permits — antlerless, big game, or any bull elk — that allows them to hunt the Zion Unit for the season. Applicants must also show a box of non-lead ammunition matching their firearm or verify that all harvested animal remains have been removed from the field. Applicants must be at least 18 years old on the date of entry or provide written consent from the applicant's parent or legal guardian allowing their participation. The Division of Wildlife Resources reserves the sole right and discretion in verifying eligibility. No fee will be assessed to applicants. Limit one application per valid Zion Unit permit. The DWR is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, ineligible, or unintelligible applications, or for problems of any kind resulting in applications not being considered during the prize drawing. The DWR reserves the right to suspend or terminate the prize drawing for any reason. Prizes must be claimed within 30 days of the drawing. Unclaimed prizes will be forfeited. Prizes won by ineligible applicants will be forfeited. Prize winners agree to pay all licensing fees, taxes, and costs associated with the prize. If a prize winner is under the age of 18 when claiming a prize, the prize will be given to the prize winner's parent or legal guardian. The DWR makes no representation or warranty as to the quality or condition of the prizes. Applicants release and waive all claims against the Division arising out of the prize drawing and agree to indemnify, save and hold harmless the DWR, its agents, employees, and volunteers from and against all claims, demands, damages, and causes of action in any way connected with the prize drawing or use of the prizes.

What happens at the check station?

When you visit a check station, you must have either a box of non-lead ammunition (that matches the cartridge of the firearm you're hunting with) or the remains of the animal you harvested with lead ammunition.

A check-station staffer will verify that you meet the requirements and then request your DWR customer ID number. (This number is located on your hunting permit.) DWR personnel will receive lead-tainted animal remains from hunters and dispose of them. All animal remains must be bagged. (The DWR will provide bags.) Animal remains may only be turned in at the official check stations, the DWR Cedar City office or the Washington County Field Office.

After the DWR verifies your eligibility, you will be entered into a prize drawing that will occur each January at the DWR Cedar City office (1470 N. Airport Rd. in Cedar City). You do not need to be present at the drawing to win.

Where can I find a check station?

The following check stations are open during October. Dates and locations are as follows:

• The intersection of Yellowjacket Road and Hancock Road. (This site is approximately 3.25 miles north of the entrance to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.) This check station will be open on Oct. 9, 12–13, 19–21 and 26–27 from 9 a.m. until dusk.
• The DWR Cedar City Office at 1470 N. Airport Road in Cedar City, UT 84721. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (This year there will be no station on State Route 14 in Cedar Canyon.)

Can I enter the drawing at a DWR office? What if I'm hunting when a check station isn't available?

If your hunt occurs outside the October timeframe or during the middle of the week, you can enter the prize drawing by visiting the DWR's Cedar City office or Washington County Field Office (located at Quail Creek Reservoir) or any other DWR regional office. (Please note: Animal remains can only be turned in at check stations, the DWR's Cedar City office or the Washington County Field Office.) The offices are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Remember that to be included in the drawing in January, you must register no later than Dec. 31 of the previous year.

A DWR conservation officer can also verify eligibility and enter you into the prize drawing while you are in the field, but only if you can demonstrate that you are hunting with non-lead ammunition. Officers cannot accept animal remains.

Any questions about the program?

If you have additional questions about participating in the prize drawing, please contact the DWR office in Cedar City at 435-865-6100.

Utah reptiles and amphibians — other rules and requirements

Ethical collection, mandatory reporting, appeals, breeding animals, common questions and more.

After you've completed the online orientation course and obtained a herpetology collection permit, you can begin collecting reptiles and amphibians from the wild. Before you head out on your first collection trip, there are a few key things to keep in mind:

• Ethical collection practices
• Required documents
• Mandatory reporting

The following sections address those issues, along with the appeals process, registering as a breeder and answers to common questions.

Ethical collection practices

When you're out looking for animals, be sure to follow ethical collection methods:

• Watch where you step and do not destroy the animals' habitat
• Return rocks, logs and other cover objects to their original positions
• Respect private property boundaries
• Only handle the animal for the minimum amount of time necessary to photograph or identify it, especially if you don't plan to keep it

See which species you can collect and which species are prohibited.

Required documents

The types of species you want to collect — and how you plan to use them — will affect which wildlife documents you need to have. Some species don't require any kind of document, while others require a herpetology collection permit, a certificate of registration or special permission (a variance) from the Utah Wildlife Board:

• Prohibited species — variance from Wildlife Board
• Non-native venomous species — variance from Wildlife Board
• Native venomous species (particularly rattlesnakes) for personal use — certification of registration
• Species used for commercial, scientific or educational purposes — certificate of registration
• Controlled species — Either a herpetology collection permit or certificate of registration, depending on the species and circumstances
• Non-controlled species — No document necessary

See the species tables for more detailed information about which species fall into the categories listed above.

Mandatory reporting

You must complete the online report within 72 hours of taking a reptile or amphibian out of the wild. Your online report must include the following:

• The location where the reptile or amphibian was taken from. (Locality formats must be the latitude and longitude in decimal degrees or UTM coordinates.)
• The date that the reptile or amphibian was taken.
• The species that was taken. A photo can be included with the submission, but the standard common English name must be clearly indicated with the harvest reporting. (The standard common names that appear in this course will be the only options available for the online report.)

Keep in mind: You must retake the online orientation course at least once every three years if you intend to take reptiles or amphibians from the wild. Because this program launched in 2020, you must answer that no reptiles or amphibians were taken in 2019 or earlier.

The appeals process

The DWR may choose to deny a collection permit or certificate of registration to an applicant for any of the following reasons:

• The applicant has not completed the mandatory reporting.
• The applicant has violated Utah's wildlife laws or rules, especially those related to collecting reptiles and amphibians.
• The applicant misrepresented or failed to disclose information related to their application.
• The applicant's conduct, as it relates to collecting reptiles and amphibians, violates federal, state or local laws.

If the DWR denies an application, the applicant will receive written notification of the reasons for the denial. At that point, the applicant can request that the DWR Director reconsider the decision. That appeal must be made within 30 days of the original denial.

If the DWR Director denies the appeal, the applicant may then submit an appeal to the Utah Wildlife Board.

Registering as a breeder of reptiles or amphibians

If you successfully breed wild-caught reptiles or amphibians in Utah, you must report each breeding event to the DWR. The first time you report such an event will automatically register you with the DWR as a breeder of reptiles or amphibians.

Common questions and answers

Q: What if I'm not sure how to identify a species?
A: You should consider using the iNaturalist application. When you submit a photo of an animal via iNaturalist, there are experts who can help you quickly identify the species you've found. This is also a way for you to collect valuable wildlife data and observations that can be used by DWR biologists to learn more about Utah’s reptiles and amphibians.

Q: I've owned a venomous, non-native snake for years. Do these new regulations apply to me?
A: Current pets are grandfathered in.

Q: How can I protect myself from rattlesnakes while in the field?
A: If you encounter a rattlesnake in the wild, following these basic precautions will greatly improve your safety and the safety of others around you:

• Remain calm and do not panic. Stay at least 10 feet from the snake. Make sure to give it plenty of space.
• Do not try to kill the snake. Doing so is illegal and greatly increases the chance the snake will bite you.
• Do not throw anything at the snake (like rocks or sticks). Rattlesnakes may respond to this by moving toward the person doing the throwing, rather than away from them.
• If there are other people nearby, alert them to the snake's location. Advise them to use caution and to respect the snake. Keep children and pets away from the area.
• If you are hiking with a dog, keep your dog on a leash. Allowing your dog to roam increases the chance it will find a snake and get bitten.
• If you hear a rattle, try not to jump or panic. Try to locate where the sound is coming from before you move, so you don't step closer to the snake or on top of it.
• If you see a rattlesnake or Gila monster while road cruising, do not try to move them off of the road. Your own safety is more important than the safety of the snake or Gila monster.