The move restores the total number of deer permits to near-2022 levels after the board cut the number of  permits by 8,350, or 11%, last year following an exceptionally tough winter for deer. Most of those cuts came in northern Utah, where the number of permits was reduced by nearly one-third.

Thursday's move to increase permit numbers comes on the heels of five consecutive years of fewer permits being offered. Most of the increase this year comes in southern Utah, where 5,275 more permits will be issued.

“During our big game captures this last winter, we found that a majority of the deer throughout the state were healthy and in great condition with high body fat,” said Dax Mangus, big-game coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. “Our animals with GPS collars are showing really high survival rates in both northern and southern Utah."

Mangus said officials are anticipating excellent winter survival and are seeing deer populations start to rebound after being hit hard by the severe winter in 2022-23, especially in the northern parts of the state.

For elk hunting, the board approved a slight increase in public draw limited-entry bull elk permits and in antlerless elk permits for the 2024 hunts. The number of general-season elk permits will hold even at 15,000.

The board on Thursday also approved increases in permits for pronghorn, moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goats, while reducing the number of bison permits.

Shed antler gathering changes

New legislation passed this year designates that the Utah Wildlife Board has the authority to make a few updates to shed hunting in Utah. Those include the option to establish a season for recreational antler or horn gathering for both residents and nonresidents, and designating rules regarding the commercial gathering and selling of shed antlers. The new law also establishes a restitution value for shed antlers at $30 per pound and provides definitions for shed antlers and horns.

Under new legislation, the board approved a few changes to shed antler gathering, including:

• No established season for Utah residents regarding shed antler gathering. However, the wildlife board voted to have the shed antler committee reconvene to look into the possibility of establishing a shed antler gathering season for residents and to present it to the public and the board during the December public meeting cycle. In the meantime, the board did not approve the DWR’s recommendation of establishing a separate season for nonresidents.

• Continuing to require the ethics course for residents and nonresidents, and requiring it for any antler gathering between Jan. 1 and May 31 each year. The completion certificate must be carried (either digitally or physically) by the individual while gathering shed antlers.

• Allowing for emergency closures of antler gathering that are triggered by emergency winter feeding. Any closures for shed hunting would be statewide. The only exception for this would be on private land if the shed antlers were interfering with normal agricultural practices.

• Requiring a certification of registration for commercial antler buyers (an individual or entity that purchases shed antlers or shed horns for the purpose of reselling them for financial gain).

• Clarifying the legality of antler markets (allowing people to modify and resell shed antlers or horns, if obtained legally).

Big game rule changes

The board also approved a few other changes to current big game rules, including:

• Changing the rule language for night-vision devices from “unlawful to use” to “unlawful to possess” while taking or locating big game from July 31 to Dec. 31, in order to make the rule enforceable for conservation officers.

• Removing the language in the rule that requires aircraft to take off and land “only on improved airstrips,” due to the rule already containing multiple provisions to limit hunting from an aircraft.

• Removing the requirement to plug bighorn sheep to make it easier for hunters, and because the needed harvest data can be collected electronically.

• Removing the requirement for hunters to check in management bucks and cactus bucks to make it easier for hunters, and because the needed data can be collected electronically.