Salt Lake City — The Utah Wildlife Board approved the big game hunting permit numbers for 2026, as well as a variety of other items, during a public meeting on Thursday.
What impacts deer populations in Utah
There are many factors that impact deer populations in Utah and can cause them to increase or decrease. Some of those factors include:
- Weather and precipitation (either extreme, ongoing drought or really heavy snowfall during the winter)
- Predator balance
- The quality and quantity of available habitat (which can be impacted by weather as well)
- Adult doe survival
- Fawn survival
- Fawn production
“It should be noted that harvesting buck deer does not drive deer populations,” Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Big Game Coordinator Mike Wardle said. “That is a common misconception we hear when we make permit number recommendations each year. The most important factors that drive population size are the survival rates of adult does (since bucks don’t have babies), fawn production and fawn survival. The way we hunt buck deer in Utah doesn’t drive deer populations, but what happens with deer populations drives how we hunt buck deer.”
How deer permit recommendations are made
The DWR manages deer, elk and other wildlife in accordance with approved management plans to help maintain healthy wildlife populations across the state. The current Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan was approved by the Utah Wildlife Board in December 2024 and is in effect until 2030. The deer management plan includes:
- Implementing data-driven, automatic adjustments to buck deer permits when changes are within 20% of the previous year’s permit numbers. Permit changes within 20% of last year’s numbers will be implemented automatically, and recommended changes that exceed 20% will go through the public process of the Regional Advisory Council and Utah Wildlife Board meetings for approval.
- Managing general-season units for a postseason buck-to-doe ratio of 15-20 bucks per 100 does depending on the unit.
- Managing premium limited-entry units for 40-45 bucks per 100 does and limited-entry units for 25-30.
“Utah has 31 general-season buck deer hunting units,” Wardle said. “Of those, 28 units fell within the 20% threshold from last year’s numbers, so permits for those units will be automatically allocated. The three general-season hunting units exceeding the 20% threshold are the Beaver West; Kamas; and the Wasatch Mtns, West. Permits on those units required approval from the Utah Wildlife Board in order to be allocated.
Management plans are written with a tremendous amount of public input. The Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan directs DWR biologists to consider the following factors and data in recommending buck deer hunting permit numbers:
- Buck-to-doe ratio objectives established in the management plans for each area of the state (including the current estimates, three-year averages and overall trends). The buck-to-doe ratios are a good way to manage social preferences for hunting deer and to allow for consistent management across differently sized units.
- Current population estimates and demographics. (This data is collected through yearly surveys and classifications of deer herds.)
- Survival data from GPS collar studies — as well as the condition of deer (measured during annual capture efforts) — help biologists estimate deer survival for the current winter.
- Hunter harvest rates from the prior hunting season (which can help with estimates for successful harvest in the upcoming year).
- Habitat and environmental conditions across the state.
The Utah Wildlife Board approved a total of 86,625 general-season deer hunting permits, which is a 6,425-permit increase from the previous year.
“DWR biologists look closely at each hunting unit and individual situation when they make permit recommendations,” Wardle said. “We use the best available data and our management plans to make proactive recommendations for the herd health of our wildlife. We have seen benefits to our deer populations from habitat improvement projects, predator management and other work done to directly benefit mule deer. Our deer populations have responded positively to conditions over the last year, and changes to our statewide deer management plan have enabled us to offer more hunting opportunities for the 2026 seasons.”
The Utah Wildlife Board also requested that the DWR evaluate changing the Oak Creek unit to a premium-limited entry unit during the mid-plan review of the Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan.
Elk permits
The current statewide elk management plan includes an objective to have 80,600 elk across Utah — there are currently an estimated 83,020 elk in the state. The board approved a slight decrease in public draw limited-entry bull elk permits for the 2026 hunts. An increase in antlerless elk permits was also approved in order to manage the overall elk population numbers to meet management objectives.
Big game permits
The table below shows the approved big game permit recommendations for 2026, including those for the deer, elk and pronghorn hunts, the once-in-a-lifetime hunts and the antlerless hunts:
| Hunt | 2025 permits | 2026 permits |
|---|---|---|
| General-season buck deer | 80,200 | 86,625 |
| Limited-entry deer | 1,572 | 1,708 |
| Antlerless deer | 340 | 345 |
| General-season any bull elk | 15,000 for adults in the early general-season any bull elk hunt (for any legal weapon and muzzleloader hunters). | 15,000 for adults in the early general-season any bull elk hunt (for any legal weapon and muzzleloader hunters). |
| Unlimited for the general-season any bull late hunt (sold over the counter). | Unlimited for the general-season any bull late hunt (sold over the counter). | |
| Unlimited for youth. | Unlimited for youth. | |
| Unlimited for archery hunters. | Unlimited for archery hunters. | |
| General-season spike bull elk | 15,000 (sold over the counter, with a cap of 4,500 multiseason permits) | 15,000 (sold over the counter, with a cap of 4,500 multiseason permits) |
| Antlerless elk | 20,483 | 21,650 |
| Youth draw-only any bull /hunter’s choice elk | 750 | 750 |
| Limited-entry bull elk | 3,533 | 3,497 |
| Buck pronghorn | 1,739 | 1,827 |
| Doe pronghorn | 505 | 475 |
| Bull moose | 106 | 113 |
| Antlerless moose | 15 | 7 |
| Bison | 133 | 137 |
| Desert bighorn sheep | 88 | 85 |
| Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | 52 | 51 |
| Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep ewe | 5 | 5 |
| Mountain goat | 103 | 112 |
Antlerless permits
The DWR issues antlerless permits for big game species in Utah for several reasons:
- To manage population size to the approved population objectives
- To improve the health of the habitat (and to avoid overgrazing)
- To reduce conflicts on private property, including depredation issues
“Because reducing the number of female animals in a herd can reduce the overall population, all of Utah’s recommended doe deer hunts are designed to be very targeted to address localized areas of specific concern, conflicts or public safety considerations,” Wardle said. “Currently, there are no doe deer hunts in Utah that are aimed at reducing the overall deer population on a hunting unit.”
CWMU antlerless permits
The DWR oversees the Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit program, which allocates hunting permits to private landowners who then provide hunting opportunities to public and private hunters for a variety of wildlife species. The CWMU program in Utah has opened more than 2 million acres of private land to the public for hunting.
The board approved a total of 227 public and 61 private antlerless big game CWMU permits for 2026. These recommendations are for nine CWMUs that are either new, renewed operations, or are changing antlerless permits for 2026.
Aquatic rule changes
The New Zealand mud snail was discovered in Utah in the 1990s and was classified as a prohibited species in an effort to protect native fish and spring snail populations. However, after 25 years of monitoring and data, it has been determined that New Zealand mud snails have not had a detectable impact on Utah’s fish populations, although they do remain a threat to native spring snails.
The wildlife board voted to reclassify the New Zealand mud snail as a controlled species, rather than a prohibited one, as well as make a few other rule updates.
“This change will allow private hatcheries with New Zealand mud snails to stock private fish ponds, as long as the pond has a certificate of registration,” DWR Aquatic Section Assistant Chief over Native Species Randy Oplinger said. “This will expand the availability of fish for stocking onto private property and increase opportunities for private fish growers, while maintaining the necessary safeguards that will prevent the federal listing of Utah’s native spring snail species.”
Visit the Utah Department of Natural Resources YouTube channel to watch the full board meeting.