Utah DWR announces application dates and updates for 2025 antlerless hunt

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Want to participate in Utah’s 2025 antlerless hunt? The Utah Division of Wildlife Services will be opening the antlerless hunt permit application period on June 4. The application period will close June 18 and drawing results will be announced July 3. 

Hunters will be able to apply for permits to hunt antlerless big game such as antlerless deer, antlerless elk, antlerless moose, doe pronghorn, and ewe bighorn sheep. 

“The antlerless big game hunts are a great opportunity to not only harvest meat and make some great memories outdoors, but they also help manage wildlife populations and maintain healthy herds and landscapes,” said DWR Licensing Coordinator Lindy Varney. “There are only a few doe deer hunts in Utah, and all of them are designed to be very targeted to address localized areas of specific concern, conflicts or public safety considerations.” 

Each year, the DWR issues antlerless permits for big game species in Utah to manage population size, improve the health of the habitat, and reduce the number of animals on busy roads or within city and town limits. 

Hunters can find details about the different hunting units — including boundary descriptions, biologists’ notes, and population and harvest statistics — on the Utah Hunt Planner.

New this year

The Utah DWR noted that hunters should be aware of a few changes approved by the Utah Wildlife Board and passed by the Utah Legislature during the 2025 legislative session, which impact the antlerless hunts. 

Residency requirements: To apply for a resident permit, you must be a Utah resident on the date you submit your application. (Previously, the residency date was linked to the date of purchase.) 

Late-season harvest reporting: Hunts ending Jan. 16 or later must have a harvest report submitted by Feb. 15, whether you harvested an animal or not. This change will allow DWR biologists more time to consider harvest data before making recommendations for the following season. Failure to comply will result in a $50 fine and/or exclusion from next year’s big game and antlerless hunt drawings. 

Nonresident fee increase: During the 2025 session, the Utah Legislature authorized higher nonresident fees to help fund the purchase of large blocks of land for wildlife habitat and conservation. These nonresident fee increases will begin July 1 for hunting, fishing and combination licenses, and Sept. 1 for hunting application fees and hunting permits. 

You can see all of the changes for this year’s hunts on the DWR website.