Apply for Utah's most prized hunting permits, starting Oct. 19

Salt Lake City — Sportsman permits are among Utah's most prized hunting permits, and the time to apply for the 2023 permits is coming up soon.

Utahns can begin submitting applications for the 2023 sportsman permits on Oct. 19 at 8 a.m. You can apply for permits on the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources website or over the phone by calling the nearest DWR regional office. To be included in the permit drawing, you must submit your phone application by 5 p.m. or online application no later than 11 p.m. on Nov. 9.

"If you draw a sportsman permit, you can hunt on almost every unit in Utah that's open to hunting the species you drew a permit for," DWR Wildlife Licensing Coordinator Lindy Varney said. "Also, the season dates are much longer, so you'll have more time to scout different places to harvest an animal. It's the hunt of a lifetime."

Utahns may apply for as many species as they'd like, but only one sportsman permit is offered for each of the following species:

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

There's a non-refundable $10 application fee to apply for each species. If you successfully draw a permit, the permit fees range from $35 to $513. Visit the DWR website to see the cost of each permit.

Applicants cannot earn or use bonus points in the sportsman drawing, and only Utah residents may apply for sportsman permits. (See the Utah residency requirements on the DWR website.)

In order to apply for a sportsman permit, you must turn 12 by the end of the year in which the permit is issued. You must be 12 years old to hunt all big game species. There are no age restrictions for hunting turkey. A valid Utah hunting or combination license is also required to apply for any of the sportsman permits.

Applicants will be notified about the drawing results on or before Nov. 16. You'll be notified by email, but you can also get the drawing results online or by calling 1-800-221-0659.

For more information about Utah's sportsman permits, visit the DWR website.