Citing issues related to persisting drought-like conditions in the North and other sectors across the state, the Utah Wildlife Board last week announced that it would be reducing the number of deer permits available to hunters for the 2022 season.
The Board said it would cut 950 general-season deer permits and 350 limited-entry and antlerless permits from the total, reports KSL.com.
Biologists working for the state said the mule deer population decreased by 9,150 last year to an estimated total of 305,700 deer — nearly 100,000 off from the board’s stated goal.
Last year, the state offered 74,025 general mule deer tags. This year, that number will drop to 73,075, per KCPW.org.
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News of the reduction comes at a time when the number of hunters is on the rise in Utah.
“We currently have more demand for deer hunting in Utah than we have the supply for,” explained Covy Jones, the big game coordinator.
“While it is antlerless deer permits, not buck permits, that impact deer population numbers, we are recommending a decrease for both types of permits,” he said. “We use the data and management plans to make proactive recommendations to achieve healthier herds.”
Jones said that they will leave the door open for additional hunting, as needed, to keep deer from depredating private lands.
“When those local populations start to build, the ones that never leave their property, and that does happen at times, we’ll set up specific antlerless hunts to help address those concerns,” he said.
“And in the long run, it forms better partnerships, and it helps landowners be more tolerable of migratory deer that go from down in the valleys up to the mountains and back down to the valleys,” he added.
Other changes made by the board:
Deer permits go on sale this July.