Utah Sportsman Permits Offer Extended Seasons For Big Game

Utah residents will soon have an opportunity to apply for some of the state’s most coveted hunting permits, with applications for the 2027 sportsman permits opening this morning, Tuesday, October 20, at 8 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time.

The permits offer hunters an unusually broad opportunity to pursue game across Utah, with access to nearly every hunting unit open for the selected species and extended season dates.

“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,” Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Administrative Services Assistant Chief Lindy Varney said in a press release. “Also, the season dates are much longer, so you’ll have more time to scout different places to harvest an animal. It’s truly the hunt of a lifetime.”

You Can Apply For Any Species, But Only Hunt One

Utah residents can apply for sportsman permits for bison, black bear, buck deer, buck pronghorn, bull elk, bull moose, desert bighorn sheep, mountain goat, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and wild turkey. Only one permit is offered for each species, although residents may apply for as many different species as they wish. The turkey permit allows the successful applicant to take two birds.

The application deadline is Tuesday, November 10, at 11 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. Applications can be submitted online through the Utah hunting drawing website, at a Division of Wildlife Resources office or by calling the hunt-drawing helpline at 855-883-7297. Residents seeking help at a DWR office should remember that offices close at 5 p.m. The deadline to withdraw an application is also November 10 at 11 p.m.

Each application carries a nonrefundable $10 fee for every species entered. Successful applicants will pay an additional permit fee ranging from $40 to $564, depending on the species.

Applicants must be Utah residents and hold a valid Utah hunting or combination license. Age requirements vary by species. Applicants for big game permits generally must turn 12 by December 31, 2027, and meet the applicable age requirement before the season ends. Black bear applicants must turn 12 by that date, while turkey permits have no age restrictions.

Bonus points cannot be earned or used in the sportsman permit drawing.