Remaining big game permits to be sold
A bull elk stands among the aspen trees - those looking to hunt these animals have another opportunity to get a permit for this year. Photo courtesy of Utah DWR.
DAVIS COUNTY—As strange as it may seem, fall is already fast approaching, and for those who missed out on the initial buck deer and bull elk drawing this year, there’s still hope: the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has announced that the remainder of those slots will be sold beginning July 9 on a first-come, first-served basis.
The sales dates for the permits are as follows:
Elk permits
• General-season archery elk permits will be available beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 9. The general-season archery elk permits are unlimited.
• Youth general-season elk permits will be available beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 9. Youth permits allow any youth – 17 years old or younger on July 31 – to hunt all of the general-season elk hunts, including archery, muzzleloader and both any legal weapon seasons in both spike and any bull hunting units. The hunter just needs to use the applicable weapon and harvest the applicable animal for that hunting unit. These permits are unlimited and will be available for purchase from July 9 until the last day of the last general-season elk hunt.
• General-season any bull elk permits – for adults – will be available beginning at 8 a.m. on Thursday, July 11. The general-season rifle bull elk hunt is split into two seasons.
• The early-season hunt will be held Oct. 5-11 and offers 15,000 permits. (The youth permits do not come out of that total and are unlimited.)
• The late-season hunt will be held Oct. 12-18 and has an unlimited number of permits.
• The general muzzleloader hunt will be held Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 and is part of the 15,000 permit total. There are no longer multi-season permits available for any bull elk hunts.
• General-season spike bull elk permits will be available beginning at 8 a.m. on Thursday, July 18 for the any-legal weapon, muzzleloader and multi-season spike bull elk hunts. There are a combined 15,000 permits available, with a cap of 4,500 on the spike bull elk multi-season permits.
Deer permits
• The general-season buck deer permits that remain after the big game drawing will be available beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 9. There are a total of 700 permits remaining.
• Youth general-season archery deer permits will also become available at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 9. These permits are not left over from any type of drawing – they are set aside specifically for youth hunters each year. The total number of permits available and the applicable units are listed on the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources website.
• The limited-entry buck deer permits that remain after the big game drawing will also be available beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 9. There are a total of 15 permits remaining.
Bison permits
• Over-the-counter bison permits will all be available beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 9. These permits for the Nine Mile hunting unit bison permits are unlimited. (Hunters must complete an online orientation course before they can purchase one of the bison permits.) The season runs from Aug. 1 to Jan. 31, 2025.
• More details about the permits (including which hunting units they are for and how many are available for each unit) can be found on the DWR website. While the web page isn’t actively updated after the permits go on sale, hunters can check the total remaining number of permits prior to the start of the sales days.
People interested in buying a permit can purchase it online, at a DWR office or from any available license agent. However, because these permits go on sale beginning at 8 a.m., interested parties are encouraged to check the hours of their nearest available agent before traveling there. All the license agents can be found on the DWR website.
There will also be a virtual waiting room for those buying online, to better manage the pressure of the high volume of people wanting to buy permits. If a customer refreshes or navigates away from the queue page, they may lose their spot in line and have to start over.
“If you happened to miss the big game drawing or were unsuccessful, this is your last opportunity for a chance to hunt big game in Utah this fall,” DWR Wildlife Licensing Coordinator Lindy Varney said. “Don’t forget that you can mentor a youth during these hunts, making it a great opportunity to pass on your love of the outdoors to the next generation.” Hunters are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the 2024 Utah Big Game Field Regulations Guidebook before they start scouting and planning their hunt for the fall.
