Looking for that perfect Christmas gift? Consider a fishing/hunting license or registration for a fishing/hunting challenge

Salt Lake City — While some people may not be thinking about hunting or fishing during December, there are still plenty of opportunities to do both this time of year. So why not surprise your friends or family with a Utah fishing or hunting license for Christmas or by paying for their registration fee for a hunting or fishing challenge? They make thoughtful presents, and they're easy to buy.

Along with ice fishing, Utah also offers several hunts during the winter months. Hunts for cottontail rabbit, chukar and gray (Hungarian) partridge and snowshoe hare run through most of the winter.

Buying a hunting or fishing license online on the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources website is the easiest way to get one. However, you can also buy a license at one of the six DWR offices or from any fishing and hunting license agent across Utah. Combination licenses — which allow the license holder to fish and hunt small game — are also available at the same locations and on the website.

To buy a license for someone, you need the person's name, their approximate height and weight, their eye color, hair color, date of birth, address and phone number.

If you buy a license on the DWR website, you can have it mailed to you so you can wrap it and give it as a gift, or the license can be mailed directly to the person you're buying it for. It usually takes about seven days for a license to arrive in the mail, so order one early if you want it to arrive in time for Christmas.

In addition to providing an opportunity for someone to enjoy the outdoors next year, the person you give the license to will receive an added bonus: Annual Utah fishing and hunting licenses are 365-day licenses, so the license is valid starting the day you buy it, and they can start using it immediately.

If the person you're buying the license for is 18 years of age or older, instead of buying a one-year license, you also have the option of buying a license that's valid for up to five years.

If the person you're buying for already has a license, you can extend the period of time when their current license is valid. For example, if the person you'd like to buy for has a license that will expire next April, you can buy a license extension for them now. The extension will keep their license valid for one, two, three, four or five years from the day the license was supposed to expire.

Please be aware, however, that a license extension may be bought only for a license that will expire within six months from the day you buy the extension. For example, if a license doesn't expire until November 2022, the soonest you can buy an extension for it is June 2022, six months before it expires.

Utah resident license costs are as follows:

• Combination license (ages 14–17): $20
• Combination license (ages 18–64): $38
• Combination license (age 65 and older): $29
• Fishing license (ages 12–13): $5
• Fishing license (ages 14–17): $16
• Fishing license (ages 18–64): $34
• Fishing license (age 65 and older): $25
• Hunting license (age 13 and under): $11
• Hunting license (ages 14–17): $16
• Hunting license (ages 18–64): $34
• Hunting license (age 65 and older): $25

Gift givers should also note that hunting and combination licenses do not include a deer or elk permit and do not allow someone to hunt deer or elk. Hunters can apply for a 2022 general buck deer permit starting Jan. 27. General elk permits will be available, on a first-come, first-served basis, starting in July.

Utah Cutthroat Slam

Another great gift idea for the angler in your life is a registration fee for the Utah Cutthroat Slam. The goal of the slam is for anglers to catch each of the four native Utah cutthroat trout — Bonneville, Colorado River, Bear River and Yellowstone — in their historic ranges. Registration costs $20 for adults and $10 for youth, and you can register on the DWR website. All but $1 of the registration cost is dedicated to conservation projects throughout the state that help native cutthroat trout. The slam can provide a fun challenge and a great way to get outdoors.

Waterfowl or Upland Game Slam

If you have an avid hunter in your life, consider gifting them the opportunity to add an extra challenge to their hunting season. The DWR offers the Utah Waterfowl Slam and the Utah Upland Game Slam.

Hunters earn one of the Utah Waterfowl Slams by completing different requirements, such as harvesting a group of species in a certain time period or location. There are currently 10 waterfowl slams with different levels of difficulty, so you can find a variety of fun, unique challenges. Along with trying something new, hunters who complete the slams can also earn colorful, collectible leg bands. The entry fee for the waterfowl slams is $20 for hunters 18 years of age or older or $10 for hunters 17 years of age or younger. You can pay for the entry fee on the DWR website or at any available license agent. The money earned from the slam is used to complete habitat-improvement projects on waterfowl management areas across the state.

Similar to the waterfowl slams, hunters complete one of the Utah Upland Game Slams by harvesting the required amount of the target species. There are currently eight different upland game slams that hunters can participate in. Each one is designed to give you an extra challenge while you're hunting, as well as the opportunity to earn a commemorative, collectible coin. The entry fee is $20 for hunters 18 years of age or older, or $10 for hunters 17 years of age or younger. You can pay for the entry fee on the DWR website or at available license agents. Funds earned from the slams help pay for upland game habitat projects, which have improved multiple sites and allowed DWR biologists to establish upland species in new areas across the state.

So, if you are having a hard time finding stocking stuffers this holiday season, don't worry — we've got you covered.