Sportsman permits are among Utah's most prized hunting permits, and the time to apply for one is coming up soon. The application period began Oct. 21; to be included in the permit drawing, applications must be submitted no later than 11 p.m. Nov. 10.
Hunters can apply for permits by calling the nearest DWR regional office, or using the Division of Wildlife Resources website.
"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 each year: buck deer, buck pronghorn, bull elk, bull moose, desert bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, bison, mountain goat, black bear, cougar and wild turkey.
There's a $10 application fee to apply for each species. If a hunter successfully draws a permit, the permit fees range from $35 to $513 The cost of each permit is available on the website.
Applicants cannot earn or use bonus points in the sportsman drawing, and only Utah residents may apply for sportsman permits.
Applicants must be at least 11 years old to apply for most of the permits. Applicants for the cougar sportsman permit must be at least 12 years old by Dec. 31, 2020, to apply. Hunters must be at least 12 years old to hunt most of the species, including all big game species. 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. 18, 2020.
Hunters will be notified by email, but they can also get results by calling (800)221-0659, or online.