Due to continuing drought conditions and ongoing severe wildfire concerns, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources — in coordination with the applicable county sheriff's offices, as required by law — is temporarily restricting recreational target shooting with a firearm on wildlife management areas in 16 counties in Utah.
Wildlife management areas help minimize and mitigate wildlife depredation on private property and are vital to providing important winter ranges and feeding grounds for many wildlife species, including big game animals. These lands also provide access to hunting, fishing and wildlife-related recreation and are purchased and managed using funds generated by fishing and hunting license sales.
"Because wildfires can destroy essential wildlife habitat, this temporary restriction will help protect Utah's wildlife management areas during the extreme fire danger conditions Utah is currently experiencing," DWR Director Riley Peck said. "Significant resources go toward improving the habitat in these wildlife management areas to make them more beneficial for a variety of wildlife species, which is why these proactive, preventative measures are so important. We support responsible target shooting on these properties when it's safe to do so, but protecting these resources from wildfire is crucial for wildlife and is a huge benefit for the anglers, hunters and other wildlife enthusiasts who use these properties."
Effective immediately, target shooting with firearms — or the possession of explosives, incendiary or chemical devices, or exploding targets — is not allowed on WMAs in the following counties:
- Beaver
- Box Elder
- Cache
- Carbon
- Daggett
- Duchesne
- Emery
- Iron
- Juab
- Millard
- Morgan
- Sanpete
- Sevier
- Summit
- Uintah
- Wasatch
The coordination for target shooting restrictions on WMAs is ongoing, so the list of counties may be updated. For a full list of the WMAs in each county, visit the DWR website.
The temporary restriction only applies to target shooting with a firearm on the WMAs — legal possession of a firearm and hunting are not affected. Fireworks and explosives are never allowed on any WMA in Utah.
These temporary restrictions are part of an effort to decrease the risk of human-caused wildfires. The firearm target shooting restrictions will be re-evaluated every two weeks for the duration of the hot, summer months.
"With the extreme dry conditions, any spark can start a fire," DWR Habitat Section Chief Eric Edgley said. "With firearm target shooting, sparks from metal targets, a bullet or other projectiles glancing off a rock is all it takes to cause a spark and a fire. In 2020, two large wildfires on WMAs burned several hundred acres of wildlife habitat and were started by target shooting with firearms. The recent wildfire on our Middle Fork Wildlife Management Area was also started by target shooting."
Utah Department of Natural Resources law enforcement officers will be educating and enforcing the temporary restrictions at the WMAs. Visitors to the areas are encouraged to keep their eyes open and to report any fireworks or any firearm target shooting by calling the UTIP hotline at 1-800-662-3337 or by texting 847411. Violations of the restrictions could result in fines of up to $1,000.
During the temporary restrictions on recreational firearm target shooting, Utahns still have several options available for target shooting. The DWR has two public shooting ranges — Lee Kay and Cache Valley — and there are a variety of public and private indoor and outdoor shooting ranges throughout Utah. Find your nearest shooting range by visiting the DWR website.
Statewide fire restriction information and wildfire prevention tips can be found on Utahfireinfo.gov.