Harvest-objective permits go on sale Nov. 6
If you don't obtain a limited-entry cougar hunting permit this year, no problem-you can still hunt cougars in Utah.
Permits to hunt on harvest-objective units go on sale Nov. 6.
What's a harvest-objective unit?
Judi Tutorow, wildlife licensing coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says there are three major differences between harvest-objective units and limited-entry units:
- The number of permits that can be sold for a harvest-objective unit isn't limited.
- You can buy harvest-objective permits online or over-the-counter.
- The hunt on a harvest-objective unit can close before the season ends.
"For example," Tutorow says, "let's say the harvest objective for a unit is 12 cougars. The hunt on the unit will close when 12 cougars are taken on the unit, even if the date when the season is supposed to end hasn't arrived yet."
If a unit closes early, that doesn't mean your cougar hunt is over. If the unit you want to hunt closes, you can still hunt on any harvest-objective unit in Utah that's still open to hunting.
Reminders
Tutorow provides the following reminders:
- Utah's 2014 - 2015 cougar harvest-objective season begins Nov. 12, 2014 on some units and March 5, 2015 on others. The dates for each unit are available on pages 29 - 31 of the 2014 - 2015 Utah Cougar Guidebook.
The free guidebook is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks. You can also get a copy at DWR offices and from hunting and fishing license agents across Utah.
- If you obtain a limited-entry cougar permit for the 2014 - 2015 season, you cannot buy a harvest-objective permit.
- Before each hunting trip on a harvest-objective unit, you must call 1-888-668-LION (5466), or visit www.wildlife.utah.gov/cougarharvest, to verify that the area you'd like to hunt the next day is still open to hunting. The phone line and the website are updated by noon each day. The closures take effect the following day.
For more information, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR's Salt Lake City office at 801-538-4700.
