Sportsman permits

Apply for Utah's most prized hunting permits.

Important: The sportsman hunts are only open to Utah residents.

Only one sportsman permit per species is awarded each year, but success in the drawing means the hunt of a lifetime. Long season dates and the ability to hunt almost every Utah hunting unit¹ make these permits the most prized permits offered to Utah's public hunters.

You may apply for as many or as few species as you wish. Each species will incur a $10 application fee. Applicants cannot earn or use bonus points in the sportsman drawings. Only Utah residents may apply for sportsman permits.

Apply now!

One sportsman permit is offered each year for each of the following species:

Buck deer • Buck pronghorn • Bull elk • Bull moose • Desert bighorn ram • Rocky Mountain bighorn ram • Bison • Mountain goat • Black bear • Wild turkey

The details

Need a bit more information before you apply?

Utah Administrative Rules governing sportsman permits: R657-41, R657-42 and R657-62-24

Oct. 16, 2024: Online application period begins

The application period for 2025 sportsman permits opens on Oct. 16, 2024 at 8 a.m. Utah residents can apply for a permit online or by calling any Division office.

In order to apply for a sportsman permit, you must turn 12 by the end of the year in which the permit is issued. For example, if you turn 12 by Dec. 31, 2026, you may apply for a big game and/or black bear sportsman permit. (Note: You must turn 12 before you can hunt big game. There are no age restrictions for turkey.)

You must also be a Utah resident on Nov. 13, 2025. Please see the resident definition in Utah code to learn whether you qualify as a resident.

When you apply, a $10 nonrefundable application fee will be charged for each hunt you apply for. You will not be charged for a permit unless you're successful in drawing one. A valid Utah hunting or combination license is required to apply. If you don't already have a current hunting or combination license, you can purchase one online or obtain one during the application process.

Nov. 6, 2024: Application deadline

You must apply online or by phone no later than Nov. 6, 2024. There's an 11 p.m. deadline for online applications and a 5 p.m. deadline for phone applications. To apply, simply visit our application website or call any Division office.

Nov. 6, 2024: Deadline for withdrawing your application

If you decide not to hunt, you may withdraw your online permit application at no cost until 11 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2024. Remember that the $10 application fee is charged for each species you apply for and is not refundable.

Nov. 13, 2024: Drawing results available

You'll be notified of your drawing results by email on or before Nov. 13, 2024. You can also find the drawing results online or by calling 800-221-0659.

Sportsman permit fees

The following fees apply only to those who successfully draw a permit. All applicants will be charged a $10 nonrefundable application fee for each species application.

Waiting periods

You may apply for a sportsman deer, elk, pronghorn or bear permit, even if you are on a waiting period for that species. Likewise, you will not be given a waiting period if you draw a sportsman deer, elk, pronghorn or bear permit.

You may not apply for a sportsman bison, bull moose, desert bighorn ram, Rocky Mountain bighorn ram or mountain goat permit if you have already used your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for that species. If you draw a sportsman permit for one of these once-in-a-lifetime permit species, you will not be able to apply for that species again.

¹ All sportsman permits exclude Antelope Island and may exclude other units. Any exclusions will be listed on the permit.

Utah Waterfowl Slam

Embark on a new challenge while helping waterfowl

The Utah Waterfowl Slam gives hunters an extra challenge while you're hunting and the opportunity to earn a commemorative, collectable band that shows off their accomplishments. The money earned from the slam is used to complete projects on the Division's Waterfowl Management Areas. (Learn more about how the money is spent.)

Hunters earn a slam by completing an objective like harvesting a group of species in a certain time period or location. There are currently ten different slams with different levels of difficulty, so you can find one that gives you the best challenge.

How to sign up

To begin, you need to purchase a Waterfowl Slam entry voucher online or at any license agent. (Entry vouchers look similar to hunting licenses and are printed on license paper.)

The entry fee is $20 for hunters 18 years of age or older or $10 for hunters 17 years of age or younger.

Once you've purchased your entry, you'll be ready to earn your slams. Starting this year, you no longer need to pick up a slam card from a retail partner to participate. Instead, you can submit a photo of yourself with each animal online. (You do not need to have a slam card or your entry voucher in the photos.)

How to complete a slam

To earn one of the ten slams, you must harvest drakes of the species listed below. To receive the band for your hard work, just fill out the online completion form and upload pictures of you with your harvest.

Bands will be mailed out after all waterfowl seasons have ended. Remember: you no longer need to pick up a slam card from a partner retailer, or to have a slam card or entry voucher in the photos. Each year you participate, you can redeem your slam until April 30.

In addition to the ten slams listed below, everyone who signs up will earn a band for harvesting their first duck, goose or swan of the waterfowl season and sharing the photo with us.

Coot slam

• One day limit

Diver slam (one drake of each species throughout the season)

• Redhead
• Canvasback
• Ring-neck
• Scaup (lesser or greater)
• Ruddy
• Bufflehead
• Goldeneye (common or Barrow's)
• Merganser (common, red-breasted or hooded)

Goose Slam

• One day limit

Mallard Slam

• One day limit

Puddler slam (one drake of each species throughout the season)

• Mallard
• Northern pintail
• American wigeon
• Gadwall
• Cinnamon teal
• Green-winged teal
• Northern shoveler
• American coot

Shoveler slam

• One day limit
• Note: Shovelers are currently under a mercury advisory in Northern Utah. For more information, visit the Utah Waterfowl Advisories page.

Teal slam

• One day limit

Wigeon slam

• One day limit

WMA slam

• Visit Waterfowl Management Areas and take a picture by six entrance signs:
  • Bicknell Bottoms
  • Clear Lake
  • Desert Lake
  • Farmington Bay
  • Harold Crane
  • Howard Slough
  • Ogden Bay
  • Public Shooting Grounds
  • Salt Creek

Utah Waterfowl Ultimate Slam

One drake of each species in a single season or during your lifetime

• Mallard
• Northern pintail
• American wigeon
• Gadwall
• Cinnamon teal
• Green-winged teal
• Northern shoveler
• Redhead
• Canvasback
• Ring-neck
• Scaup (lesser or greater)
• Ruddy
• Bufflehead
• Goldeneye (common or Barrow's)
• Merganser (common, red-breasted or hooded)
• Amerian coot
• Canada Goose
• Snow/Ross's Goose
• Tundra Swan

Completing an Ultimate Slam

Each person who achieves the ultimate slam will receive the following:

1. Certificate of Achievement from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
2. Consecutively Numbered Ultimate Slam band
3. Authentic Canada goose neck collar

To complete your Ultimate Slam, use the Utah Waterfowl Slam completion form to provide us with your phone number and email address and then we will contact you with a way to share your photos.

How the money will be spent

Money raised from the Waterfowl Slam has been used for projects on the Division's Waterfowl Management Areas, including wetland enhancement and property acquisition. These projects would not have been possible without the Waterfowl Slam.

Funds raised by the Waterfowl Slam will be used for migratory bird research and additional wetland enhancement projects throughout Utah.

Participants from outside of Utah

While most of these slams are specific to Utah, but you can participate if you live outside of the state. You can earn the slams by harvesting your flyway's maximum bag limit for each species slam. The puddler, diver and ultimate slam are complete when a participant harvests the all of the species listed for that slam.

Where to hunt

Divers: Unit 1 at Farmington Bay can be an excellent place to harvest divers, particularly redheads, scaup, ring-necks and ruddy ducks. Bear River Bird Refuge and Harold Crane are excellent places to harvest canvasbacks. Diver numbers usually peak in mid November.

Mallards: Mallards are the most widely distributed ducks in Utah. Clear Lake, Salt Creek, Public Shooting Grounds and Browns Park can all be great places to harvest mallards.

Teal: Cinnamon teal are very early migrants. Your best chance to harvest one is during the first few weeks of the season. Cinnamon and green-winged teal frequent the shores of the Great Salt Lake. Try hunting outside the dikes of Farmington Bay or Ogden Bay. Green-winged teal hunting is excellent at Pintail Flats at Ogden Bay in January.

Coots: Every Waterfowl Management Area in the state has high numbers of coots. Glassing and stalking coots can be a very fun way to hunt them.

Wigeon: Many wigeon pass through Utah each year. Public Shooting Grounds and Salt Creek WMAs can be excellent places to hunt wigeon in October. Clear Lake also has excellent wigeon hunting.

Swans: Swan hunting can be very good at Unit 1A on Bear River Bird Refuge, Ogden Bay or Harold Crane. Most hunters pass shoot swans, but swan will readily drop into decoys as well. Swan decoys, goose decoys painted white or white garbage bags can attract swans into shooting range.

Canada geese: Geese are found throughout Utah. You can harvest geese on any of the Waterfowl Management Areas. Geese also frequent the Green River in eastern Utah and Cutler Marsh in northern Utah. Goose hunting success is highest at the beginning and end of the season.

About the Waterfowl Slam

The Waterfowl Slam is a partnership between the Division of Wildlife Resources and multiple conservation organizations and sponsors. The program is designed to:

• Encourage hunters to improve their waterfowl identification
• Help hunters learn more about waterfowl habitats and waterfowl behavior
• Increase excitement for waterfowl hunting
• Raise money for waterfowl-specific projects
• Increase harvest of underutilized species
• Create friendly competition among hunters

Partners and sponsors

• Delta Waterfowl
• Ducks Unlimited
• Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife
• Fowl Minded
• Sportsman's Warehouse
• Kent's Market
• Camp Chef
• Tangle Free
• Basin Sports
• Cabela's