- A house, dwelling or any other building
- Any structure in which a domestic animal is kept or fed, including a barn, poultry yard, corral, feeding pen or stockyard
State parks
Utah Code § 76-10-508 and Utah Admin. Rule R651-614-4
Hunting of wildlife is allowed within the boundaries of all state park areas, except those areas and hunts specifically closed by the Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation in Utah Admin. Rule R651-614. For more information, visit stateparks.utah.gov/resources/ hunting-at-state-park.
State laws regarding the possession and discharge of dangerous weapons apply in state park areas open to hunting. For information about discharging a dangerous weapon or firearm in a state park, see the Areas where you cannot discharge a firearm section above or review Utah Code § 76-10-508.
In addition to the rules above, the Great Salt Lake Marina and posted areas adjacent to the marina are closed to hunting.
Waterfowl hunting, including the retrieval of downed birds, is also prohibited on all of Antelope Island, including all areas within 600 feet of the upland vegetative line or any other clearly defined high water mark. Hunting is also prohibited within 600 feet of the north or south side of the Antelope Island causeway.
Hunters with disabilities
Utah Admin. Rule R657-12
Utah provides special hunting accommodations for people with disabilities. Among those accommodations are special-use blinds for disabled or wheelchair-bound hunters.
For more information, call your local Division office or visit wildlife.utah.gov/disabled.
Hunting methods
Several rules apply to the methods that you may use to hunt waterfowl in Utah.
Use of boats, and airborne and land vehicles
50 CFR 20.21(e), Utah Code § 23-20-3 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-10
You may use a boat or motorized aquatic vehicle to hunt waterfowl if you obey the following rules:
- Migratory game birds may not be taken from any motorboat, or craft that has a motor attached to it, unless the motor has been completely shut off and the motorboat or craft has stopped moving.
- Migratory game birds may0 not be taken from a sailboat unless the boat’s sails are furled and the boat has stopped moving.
You may use any of these crafts under power to retrieve dead or crippled birds, but you may not shoot crippled birds from a craft if its motor is still running.
Also, you may not use any of the crafts listed above, or any type of motor-driven land, water or air transportation (including a drone), to concentrate, drive, rally or stir up migratory birds.
Airboats and personal watercraft
Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-11
Air-thrust or air-propelled boats and personal watercraft are not allowed in designated parts of the following areas for the purposes of waterfowl hunting:
- Box Elder County: Box Elder Lake, Bear River, that part of Harold S. Crane within one-half mile of all dikes and levees, Locomotive Springs, Public Shooting Grounds, Salt Creek and any posted units or areas within the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.
- Daggett County: Brown’s Park
- Davis County: Howard Slough, Ogden Bay and Farmington Bay within diked units or as posted.
- Emery County: Desert Lake
- Millard County: Clear Lake and Topaz Slough
- Tooele County: Timpie Springs
- Uintah County: Stewart Lake
- Utah County: Powell Slough
- Wayne County: Bicknell Bottoms
- Weber County: Ogden Bay within diked units or as posted, and the portion of the Harold S. Crane Waterfowl Management Area that falls within Weber County
The term "personal watercraft" means a motorboat that meets the following conditions:
- It is less than 16 feet in length.
- It is propelled by a water jet pump.
- It is designed to be operated by a person sitting, standing or kneeling on the vessel, rather than sitting or standing inside the vessel.
Did it get wet? Decontaminate it!
When you hunt waterfowl, your boat, apparel and gear inevitably get wet or muddy.
And everything from your waders and decoys to your portable blinds and boat motors will provide good hiding places for microscopic invasive species or whirling disease spores.
If you’re on foot, you need to complete the following steps before you leave a hunting area and walk into another waterbody.
- Rinse all the mud and other debris off of your waders, boots and wetted gear or equipment.
- Then, generously spray all of it—especially the felt soles of waders—with Formula 409 (a popular household cleaner). This treatment will kill any whirling disease spores.
- After you return home, thoroughly clean and dry all of your gear before using it again.
If you’re using a boat to hunt waterfowl, you need to follow the clean, drain and dry self-decontamination process. New this year: Boaters using motorized vessels have additional requirements. See stdofthesea.utah.gov for details.
If you don’t have time to allow your boat to dry thoroughly, you can get it professionally decontaminated. Visit stdofthesea.utah.gov to find the nearest location and schedule a decontamination.
Restrictions on motorized boats
Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-12
Portions of four WMAs have been set aside for hunters who enjoy walking or paddling nonmotorized boats into the marsh. Motorized boats, which are boats with a motor of any kind, including a gas engine or an electric motor, are not allowed in the following areas:
- Clear Lake: The entire WMA
- Farmington Bay: South Crystal Unit
- Harold S. Crane: Rainbow Pond Unit and the main East Pond Unit
- Public Shooting Grounds: Wigeon Lake
Motorized vehicle access on waterfowl management areas
Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-12
A motorized vehicle is a vehicle that is self-propelled or possesses the ability to be self-propelled. This does not include vehicles moved solely by human power, motorized wheelchairs or an electric personal assisted mobility device.
Reminder: Electric-assisted bicycles, propelled in part by electrical assistance, are only permitted on state waterfowl management areas if they meet the Class 1 definition provided in Utah Code § 41-6a-102(8) and (17).
Motorized vehicle travel on state waterfowl management areas is restricted to county roads, improved roads and parking areas.
Off-highway vehicles are not permitted on state waterfowl management areas, except in areas that are marked or posted open to their use.
Off-highway vehicles are not permitted on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.
Boating laws and rules
If your hunting plans include a motorboat, please remember these laws and rules to ensure your safe, legal return home:
- Everyone on your boat or vessel must have a properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Youth who are 12 and younger must wear a life jacket at all times.
- Vessels longer than 16 feet must have a throwable personal flotation device immediately available.
- All motorboats, including those with electric motors, must be registered and properly numbered.
- All motorboats must display appropriate navigation lights from sunset to sunrise. Manually propelled boats may use a white light.
- Let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return, along with your boat and vehicle license number.
- All motorboats must carry a Type B, U.S. Coast Guard-approved fire extinguisher, unless exempt.
- In addition to the equipment above, airboats operating on Great Salt Lake and adjacent waterfowl management areas must have a compass and either a flare, strobe light or other visual distress signal.
For additional boating safety information, visit boating.utah.gov or call 801-538-2628.
Waterfowl blinds on waterfowl management areas
Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-34
Reminder: You may not construct a new permanent blind on a waterfowl management area.
You can construct and use waterfowl blinds on Division waterfowl management areas (WMAs) as long as you obey the following rules:
- Waterfowl blinds may not be left unattended overnight unless they’re constructed entirely of non-woody, vegetative materials that naturally occur where the blind is located.
- Live or dead-standing trees and shrubs on WMAs may not be cut or damaged unless the Division gives express, written permission to do so.
- Soil or rock, above or below the water’s surface, may not be excavated on a WMA unless the Division gives express, written permission to do so.
- Rock and soil material may not be transported to a WMA to construct a blind.
- Waterfowl blinds may not be constructed or used in any area or manner that obstructs vehicle or pedestrian travel on dikes.
Waterfowl blinds that are constructed or maintained on WMAs in violation of the rules above may be removed or destroyed by the Division without notice.
The restrictions above do not apply to the following WMA areas:
- Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area—west and north of the Doug Miller Unit, Turpin Unit and Unit 1.
- Howard Slough Waterfowl Management Area—west and south of the exterior dike separating the WMA’s freshwater impoundments from the Great Salt Lake.
- Ogden Bay Waterfowl Management Area—west of Unit 1, Unit 2 and Unit 3.
- Harold S. Crane Waterfowl Management Area—one half mile north and west of the exterior dike separating the WMA’s freshwater impoundments from the Willard Spur.
Unattended blinds
In addition to the rules above, two other important rules apply to waterfowl blinds on WMAs and other state lands that are open to public hunting:
- Any person may use any unoccupied, permanent waterfowl blind. Waterfowl blinds on state lands are open on a first-come, first-served basis to everyone, not just to the person who built the blind.
- You cannot leave waterfowl blinds or decoys unattended overnight to reserve a spot.
Sinkbox
50 CFR 20.21(c) and Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-13
You cannot take migratory game birds from any type of low-floating device that allows you to be concealed beneath the surface of the water. Called "sinkboxes," these devices float on the water, but they float barely above the water’s surface. You may not hunt from sinkboxes. You may, however, hunt from other types of boxes, blinds or culverts that are attached to the bottom of the body of water where you are hunting.
Commercial guiding and outfitting on waterfowl management areas
Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-35
Guides and outfitters are required to have a special-use permit before guiding or transport-ing hunters across waterfowl management areas. This change applies to anyone who receives more than $100 in compensation for providing guiding services, as defined in Utah Code 58-79-102.
Details about requirements and how to obtain a permit are available at wildlife.utah.gov/WMAguiding.
Using dogs to hunt
Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-28
Dogs may be used to locate and retrieve waterfowl during open hunting seasons.
Although dogs are generally allowed on state wildlife and waterfowl management areas (WMAs), they are prohibited on many WMAs from March 10 to August 31 or as posted by the Division. Here’s a complete list of WMAs and other Division-managed lands that are seasonally closed to dogs:
- Annabella
- Bear River (Trenton Property Parcel) • Bicknell Bottoms
- Blue Lake
- Browns Park
- Bud Phelps
- Clear Lake
- Desert Lake
- Farmington Bay
- Harold S. Crane
- Hatt’s Ranch
- Howard Slough
- Huntington
- James Walter Fitzgerald
- Kevin Conway
- Locomotive Springs
- Manti Meadows
- Mills Meadow
- Montes Creek
- Nephi
- Ogden Bay
- Pahvant
- Public Shooting Grounds
- Redmond Marsh
- Richfield
- Roosevelt
- Salt Creek
- Scott and Norma Matheson Wetlands Preserve
- Stewart Lake
- Timpie Springs
- Topaz Slough
- Utah Lake Wetland Preserve
- Vernal Game Farm • Willard Bay
New: Dogs are only allowed on the Nature Trail within the Hasenyager Nature Preserve at Farmington Bay, and must be on a leash.
Live decoys
50 CFR 20.21(f ) and Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-14
You may not use live birds as decoys. Also, you may not take migratory game birds from an area where tame or captive live ducks or geese are present. The only exception is if the tame or captive live ducks or geese are—and have been—confined for at least 10 consecutive days before you take the migratory game birds. The area of confinement must substantially reduce the sound of the tame or captive birds’ calls. It must also totally conceal the birds from the sight of wild migratory waterfowl.
Amplified bird calls
50 CFDR 20.21 (g) and Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-15
During most of Utah’s waterfowl season, you may not use recorded or electronically amplified bird calls or sounds, or recorded or electronically amplified imitations of bird calls or sounds. You may, however, use electronically amplified calls or sounds during the spring hunts for light geese in the Eastern Box Elder, Southern and Northern goose areas after Feb. 1, 2024, and the Wasatch Front goose area after Feb. 16, 2024.
No drones allowed
Utah Code § 23-20-3 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-5-14
The use of any type of aircraft, drone or other airborne vehicle or device to locate, or attempt to observe or locate, any protected wildlife is prohibited. This includes scouting and hunting.
Changes to trail camera and night-vision device rules
Utah Admin. Rule R657-5-7
The Utah Legislature made several wildlife-related amendments that went into effect May 3, 2023, including laws regarding the use of trail cameras.
What is a trail camera?
- A trail camera is a device that is not held or manually operated by a person, and is capable of capturing images, video or location data of wildlife using heat or motion to trigger the device.
What are the trail camera regulations in Utah?
- All trail cameras are prohibited on public land from July 31 to Dec. 31 (with some exceptions, listed below).
- A trail camera using internal data storage and not capable of transmitting live data is permitted for use on private land for the purposes of legal hunting.
- The sale or purchase of footage or data from any trail camera (or non-handheld device) that could be used to take, attempt to take, or aid in the take or attempted take of protected wildlife is still prohibited.
The seasonal restrictions on trail camera use do not apply to:
- Monitoring and research conducted by the DWR.
- A land management agency in the course of its regular duties.
- Approved organizations or individuals conducting research or monitoring
in collaboration with the DWR. These include non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, individuals or groups monitoring active agricultural operations (including the take of a bear or cougar that is causing livestock depredation), or municipalities participating in the Urban Deer Program. - Private landowners may use any trail camera or other non-handheld device to monitor their property for trespass and active agricultural operations.
What should I do if I see a trail camera in use during the seasonal closure?
Leave it alone and contact our conservation officers with the camera coordinates if you have concerns that someone is using it for hunting purposes. Do not attempt to remove or damage the camera—it’s someone else’s property and may be in use legally.
What are the rules for night-vision devices?
- The rule prohibits the use of any night-vision device to locate—or attempt to observe or locate—protected wildlife between July 31 and Jan. 31.
- A night-vision device is defined as anything that enhances visible and non-visible light and includes the use of night-vision devices, thermal-imaging devices, infrared-imaged devices and other electronic devices that enhance the visible and non-visible light spectrum.
- A trail camera is not a night-vision device.
For more information: For details, see wildlife.utah.gov/trailcams.
Baiting
50 CFR 20.21 (i) and Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-16
Baiting is an illegal activity that involves the spreading of shelled, shucked or unshucked grain, feed or salt to lure, attract or entice birds to an area for the purposes of hunting them. You may not hunt waterfowl, snipe or coots by baiting, and you may not hunt in an area where you reasonably should have known that the area is or has been baited.
An area is considered to be baited for 10 days after the bait has been completely removed from the area.
You may not take waterfowl or coots on or over lands or areas where grain or other feed has been distributed or scattered as the result of the manipulation of an agricultural crop or other feed on the land where grown. However, you may take snipe on or over these areas.
Nothing in this guidebook prohibits you from harvesting waterfowl or coots on land with residual crops or feed left as a result of normal agricultural practices.
You also may take waterfowl, snipe and coots on or over the following lands or areas, as long as these areas have not been baited:
- Standing crops or flooded standing crops (including aquatics); standing, flooded or manipulated natural vegetation; flooded harvested croplands; or lands or areas where seeds or grains have been scattered solely as the result of a normal agricultural planting, harvesting, post-harvest manipulation (for example, a farmer working his land after the harvest is over) or normal soil stabilization practice (for example, a farmer planting a cover crop to protect the soil during the winter);
- From a blind or other place of concealment camouflaged with natural vegetation;
- From a blind or other place of concealment camouflaged with vegetation from agricultural crops, as long as such camouflaging does not result in the exposing, depositing, distributing or scattering of grain or other feed; or
- Stannding or flooded standing agricultural crops where grain is inadvertently scattered solely as a result of a hunter entering or exiting a hunting area, placing decoys or retrieving downed birds.
Falconry
Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-32
If you are interested in hunting waterfowl or coots with a falcon, you must obtain a hunting or combination license, a HIP number, a federal migratory game bird stamp and a falconry certificate of registration (COR). The areas open and the bag and possession limits for falconry are listed below.
Legal falconry hours for waterfowl hunting are 30 minutes before official sunrise until official sunset.
Rest areas
Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-30
Unless you have prior permission from the Division, you may access and use state waterfowl management areas (WMAs) only during the hunting season or for other activities for which the WMAs have been posted open. While you’re on a WMA, you may not participate in activities that are prohibited on the WMA.
In addition to the rules above, the Division has established portions of the WMAs as rest areas for wildlife. These areas are closed to the public, and trespass of any kind is prohibited. The following locations are designated as rest areas:
- Clear Lake WMA—the area known as Spring Lake
- Desert Lake WMA—the area known as Desert Lake
- Farmington Bay WMA—the area that lies in the northwest quarter of Unit 1
- Ogden Bay WMA—the area known as North Bachman
- Public Shooting Grounds WMA—the area that lies above and adjacent to the Hull Lake Diversion Dike, known as Duck Lake
- Salt Creek WMA—the area known as Rest Lake
You can obtain maps of the rest areas by visiting Division offices or by visiting wildlife.utah.gov/waterfowl.
No-shooting areas
Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-30
The Division has designated certain portions of the state as no-shooting areas. In these areas, the discharge of weapons for the purpose of hunting is prohibited. No-shooting areas remain open to the public for other lawful activities.
The following locations are designated as no-shooting areas:
- All of Antelope Island — This includes all areas within 600 feet of the upland vegetative line or other clearly defined high water mark
- Antelope Island causeway—Within 600 feet of the north and south sides of the center line of the causeway
- Brown’s Park WMA—Within 600 feet of all structures
- Farmington Bay WMA—Within 600 feet of the headquarters, within 600 feet of dikes and roads accessible by motorized vehicles, within the area designated as the Learning Center and within the 100- yard buffer around the rest area
- Ogden Bay WMA—Within 600 feet of the headquarters area
- Gunnison Bend Reservoir—Below the high-water mark of the reservoir and its inflow, upstream to the Southerland Bridge (Millard County)
- Within the boundaries of all Utah State Parks, except those designated open by appropriate signage (see Utah Administrative Rule R651-614-4)
- Within 1/3 of a mile of the Great Salt Lake Marina
- All property within the boundary of the Salt Lake International Airport
- All property within the boundaries of federal migratory bird refuges, unless hunting waterfowl is specifically authorized by the federal government
Trespassing
Utah Code §§ 23-20-14 and 23-20-3.5
While taking wildlife or engaging in wildlife-related activities, you may not— without permission—enter or remain on privately owned land that is:
- Cultivated
- Properly posted
- Fenced or enclosed in a manner designed to exclude intruders
In addition, you may not:
- Enter or remain on private land when directed not to do so by the owner or a person acting for the owner.
- Obstruct any entrance or exit to private property.
“Cultivated land” is land that is readily identifiable as land whose soil is loosened or broken up for the raising of crops, land used for the raising of crops, or a pasture that is artificially irrigated
“Permission” means written authorization from the owner or person in charge to enter upon private land that is cultivated or properly posted. Permission must include all of the following details:
- The signature of the owner or person in charge
- The name of the person being given permission
- The appropriate dates
- A general description of the land
“Properly posted” means that signs prohibiting trespass—or bright yellow, bright orange or fluorescent paint—are clearly displayed at all corners, on fishing streams crossing property lines, and on roads, gates and rights-of-way entering the land. Or, they are displayed in a manner that is visible to a person in the area.
You may not post private property you do not own or legally control or land that is open to the public as provided by Utah Code
§ 23-21-4. In addition, it is unlawful to take protected wildlife or its parts while trespassing in violation of Utah Code § 23-20-14.
You are guilty of a class B misdemeanor if you violate any provision described in this section. Your license, tag or permit privileges may also be suspended.
Possession and transportation
Once you’ve taken a migratory game bird, several rules apply to the use of the game you’ve taken.
During closed season
50 CFR 20.32 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-17
You may not possess any freshly killed migratory game birds when the hunting season is closed.
Live birds
50 CFR 20.38 and Utah Admin. Rules R657-4, R657-9-18
You may not possess or transport live migratory game birds. You must immediately kill any migratory game bird you wound and include it in your bag limit.
A hunting license does not give you authority to possess live migratory game birds.
Waste of migratory game birds
50 CFR 20.25, Utah Code § 23-20-8 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-19
You may not waste any migratory game birds or permit them to be wasted or spoiled. (Waste means to abandon migratory game birds or to allow them to spoil or be used in
a manner not normally associated with their beneficial use. For example, using the meat as fertilizer or for trapping bait is not considered a beneficial use.)
In addition, you may not kill or cripple any migratory game bird without making a reasonable effort to immediately retrieve it. Any migratory game bird that you wound must be immediately killed and included in your bag limit.
Termination of possession
50 CFR 20.39 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-20
Birds that you have taken are no longer in your possession once you’ve delivered the birds to another person as a gift, or once you’ve taken the birds to a migratory bird preservation facility (i.e., a facility where birds are taken to be cleaned and prepared for consumption) or to a post office or common carrier and consigned them for transport to a person other than yourself.
Tagging requirement
50 CFR 20.36 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-21
If you leave your birds in the custody of another person for picking, cleaning, processing, shipping, transporting or storing, including temporary storage, or at a location to have taxidermy services performed, you must tag the birds. You must sign the tag, and it must include your address and Utah hunting license number, the total number and species of birds taken and the date the birds were killed
If you’re transporting migratory game birds that you’ve taken, the birds are not considered to be in storage or temporary storage, and you don’t need to have a tag on them at that time.
Reminder: There are new rules for tagging swans
Giving birds to someone else
50 CFR 20.40, Utah Code § 23-20-9 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-22
You can give the waterfowl you’ve taken to another person, but please remember the following:
- If you give birds to someone at any location, you must tag the birds. The tag must include your address and Utah hunting license number, the total number and species of birds you’re donating, the date the birds were killed and the date the birds were donated. You must also sign the tag.
- If you accept birds from another hunter, those birds become part of your possession limit. For example, if you have 15 ducks at home in your freezer, and you accept 6 ducks from another hunter, you now have 21 ducks in your possession. That’s the maximum number of ducks you can have in your possession in Utah. You’ll have to eat some of those ducks before you can go hunting and take more.
Custody of another person’s birds
50 CFR 20.37 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-23
You may not receive or have in your custody migratory game birds that belong to another person unless the birds have been tagged in the manner described in Tagging requirement below.
Species identification requirement
50 CFR 20.43 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-24
You may not transport migratory game birds within the United States unless the head or one fully feathered wing remains attached to each bird while you’re transporting them to your home or to a migratory bird preservation facility (i.e., a facility where birds are taken to be cleaned and prepared for consumption).
Marking package or container
50 CFR 20.44 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-25
You may not transport migratory game birds, by the Postal Service or a common carrier, unless all of the following items are clearly marked on the outside of the package or container:
- Your name and address
- The name and address of the recipient
- The number and the species of the birds contained in the package
A Utah shipping permit must accompany each migratory game bird package that is shipped within or from Utah. Shipping permits are available from the Division.
Migratory bird preservation facilities
50 CFR 20.82 and 20.83 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-26
No migratory bird preservation facility shall receive or have
in custody any migratory game bird unless accurate records are maintained that can identify who each bird was received from and can show all of the following information:
- The number of each species
- The location where they were taken
- The date the birds were received
- The name and address of the person from whom the birds were received
- The date the birds were disposed of
- The name and address of the person to whom the birds were delivered
In addition, migratory bird preservation facilities may not destroy any records they are required to maintain under this section for a period of one year following the last entry on record.
Record keeping as required by this section is not necessary at hunting clubs that do not fully process migratory birds by removing their head and wings.
No migratory bird preservation facility may prevent any person authorized to enforce this part from entering their facilities at all reasonable hours and inspecting the records and the premises where bird-processing operations are being carried out.
Importation
For information regarding the importation of migratory game birds you’ve harvested in another country, please see 50 CFR 20.61 and 20.62, and Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-27 at wildlife.utah.gov/rules.
Bag limits
50 CFR 20.11 and 20.24 and Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-29
Federal bag and possession limits apply to migratory game bird hunting, regardless of the number of states or provinces you may have hunted in during your trip. For example, if you hunt ducks in two states, the total number of ducks you take in one day cannot exceed a single federal bag and possession limit. (For example, if the federal bag limit is 7 ducks, and you take 5 ducks in one state and then travel to another state and hunt the same day, you can take only 2 ducks in the second state.)
Checkpoints and officer contacts
Utah Code §§ 23-20-25 and 77-23-104
To help the Division fulfill its responsibility as trustee and custodian of Utah’s wildlife, Division conservation officers and biolo-
gists monitor the taking and possession of waterfowl and the required permits, firearms and equipment used for hunting. You should
expect to encounter conservation officers and biologists checking hunters in the marsh and at checkpoints.
If you’re contacted by a conservation officer, you must provide the officer with the items
he or she requests, including any licenses and permits required for hunting, any devices
used to participate in hunting and any birds you’ve taken. These contacts allow the Division to collect valuable information about Utah’s waterfowl populations.
Special regulations for national wildlife refuges
Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-30
More than 500 refuges across the nation and the U.S. territories are included in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System. Three of those refuges—Bear River, Fish Springs and Ouray—are located in Utah, and the following regulations apply to all.
- Current state and federal regulations apply for season dates, shooting hours, and bag and possession limits.
- Hunters may possess and use only approved nontoxic shot while in the field.
- Hunters may not enter closed areas to retrieve birds. Therefore, allow enough room between the closed area boundary and where you’re hunting to retrieve your birds.
- Camping is not permitted on the refuges.
- Prohibited activities include wood cutting and gathering, littering, disturbing or removing plants or natural objects, and removing artifacts of antiquity. Shell casings and ammunition boxes are litter. Failure to make a reasonable effort to retrieve litter could result in a citation.
Maps of all three refuges are available online at wildlife.utah.gov/waterfowl.
The following is specific information and regulations for each of the federal refuges in Utah:
Bear River
- The refuge will be open for the youth waterfowl hunt on Sept. 17, 2022.
- A map of the refuge is available online at wildlife.utah.gov/waterfowl.
- Hunters may not shoot or hunt within 100 yards of refuge roads open to vehicle traffic.
- Hunters may not enter the hunting units (scout) prior to the opening day.
- Hunters may not use pits or permanent blinds. The building of a temporary blind made of natural material is permitted, but is not allowed prior to the opening day.
- Airboats are only permitted in the posted open areas of units 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and the C blocks.
- Off-highway vehicles are not permitted on the refuge.
- Hunters may enter the refuge two hours before legal sunrise and must exit the refuge by two hours after legal sunset.
- The refuge prohibits leaving decoys, boats, vehicles and other personal property on the refuge overnight.
- Hunters may only park in designated parking areas.
- Persons possessing, transporting, or carrying firearms on the refuge must comply with all provisions of state and local law. Firearms may only be discharged according to refuge regulations (50 CFR 27.42 and 50 CFR 32.64).
- Archery hunting is not allowed on the refuge.
- Predator and snipe hunting are not allowed on the refuge.
- Commercial guiding and outfitter activities are not allowed on the refuge.
- All hunters entering, using or occupying the refuge for waterfowl hunting must abide by all terms and conditions listed on the refuge website.
Reminder: You can check in your swan for identification at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge office on Friday and Saturday only during the 2023 hunting season.
For more information call the refuge manager at 435-723-5887 or visit bit.ly/fws_brmbr.
Fish Springs
- The refuge will be open for the youth waterfowl hunt on Oct. 1, 2022.
- A map of the refuge is available online at wildlife.utah.gov/waterfowl.
- The hunting program has expanded at Fish Springs NWR to include more species of migratory birds and new areas for upland and big game. For more information, visit the website at go.usa.gov/xHpsz.
- All hunters must register individually at the visitor information station before entering the open hunting area and before exiting the refuge.
- Hunters may construct nonpermanent blinds, but must remove all blinds constructed out of materials other than vegetation at the end of the hunting day.
- The refuge provides a Special Blind Area for use by the disabled. The refuge prohibits trespass for any reason by any individual not registered to utilize the area.
- The refuge allows the use of small boats, 15 feet or less, but does not allow gasoline motors and air boats.
- Hunters may enter the refuge two hours before sunrise, and must exit the refuge by 11⁄2 hours after sunset. Hunters may not leave decoys, boats, vehicles and other personal property on the refuge overnight.
All hunters entering, using or occupying the refuge for waterfowl hunting must abide by all terms and conditions listed on the refuge website. For more information, call the refuge manager at 435-693-3122 or visit go.usa.gov/xHpsz.
Ouray
- The refuge will be open for the youth waterfowl hunt on Sept. 17, 2022.
- A map of the refuge is available online at wildlife.utah.gov/waterfowl.
- Leota Bottom is the only refuge area open to duck, goose and coot hunting. Access into Leota Bottom is limited to foot, bike, canoe, rowboat or electric motorized boats. Gas-powered boats are not permitted.
- Persons possessing, transporting, or carrying firearms on the refuge must comply with all provisions of state and local law. Firearms may only be discharged according to refuge regulations (50 CFR 27.42 and 50 CFR 32.64). Snipe and swan hunting are not allowed on the refuge.
- The use of pits and permanent blinds is not allowed. The building of a temporary blind made of natural material is permitted, but is not allowed prior to opening day.
- All hunters entering, using or occupying the refuge for waterfowl hunting must abide by all terms and conditions listed on the refuge website.
- For more information call the refuge manager at 435-545-2522 or visit go.usa.gov/chxWP.
SEASON DATES AND BAG AND POSSESSION LIMITS
Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-29
Ducks, mergansers, coots and scaup
Northern Zone dates: Sept. 23, 2023 (for Youth Waterfowl Hunt) and Oct. 7, 2023– Jan. 20, 2024 throughout the Northern Zone (except for scaup, which you can hunt Oct. 7–Dec. 31, 2023).
Southern Zone dates: Sept. 30, 2023 (for Youth Waterfowl Hunt) and Oct. 14, 2023– Jan. 27, 2024 throughout the Southern Zone (except for scaup, which you can hunt Nov. 3, 2023–Jan. 27, 2024).
Bag and possession limits: All bag and possession limits are listed below:
- Ducks, mergansers and scaup—The daily bag limit is 7 birds (except no more than 2 canvasbacks, no more than 2 female mallards, no more than 1 pintail, no more than 2 redheads, no more than 2 wood ducks and no more than 2 scaup). The possession limit is three times the daily bag limit.
- Coots—25 daily or 75 in possession
Geese
Dark geese season dates
Eastern Box Elder goose area: Sept. 23, 2023 (for Youth Waterfowl Hunt) and Oct. 7, 2023–Jan. 20, 2024
Northern goose area: Sept. 23, 2023 (for Youth Waterfowl Hunt), Oct. 7–14, 2023 and Oct. 26, 2023–Jan. 31, 2024
Southern goose area: Oct. 7, 2023 (for Youth Waterfowl Hunt) and Oct. 14, 2023–Jan. 27, 2024
Wasatch Front goose area: Sept. 23, 2023 (for Youth Waterfowl Hunt), Oct. 7–14, 2023 and Nov. 10, 2023–Feb. 15, 2024
White-fronted geese season dates
Eastern Box Elder goose area: Sept. 23, 2023 (for Youth Waterfowl Hunt) and Oct. 7, 2023–Jan. 20, 2024
Northern goose area: Sept. 23, 2023 (for Youth Waterfowl Hunt), Oct. 7–14, 2023 and Oct. 26, 2023–Jan. 31, 2024
Southern goose area: Oct. 7, 2023 (for Youth Waterfowl Hunt) and Oct. 14, 2023–Jan. 27, 2024
Wasatch Front goose area: Sept. 23, 2023 (for Youth Waterfowl Hunt), Oct. 7–14, 2023 and Nov. 10, 2023–Feb. 15, 202
Light geese (snow, blue and Ross’s) season dates
Eastern Box Elder, Northern and Wasatch Front goose areas: Oct. 16–Dec. 22, 2023 and Feb. 1–March 10, 2024
Southern goose area: Oct. 25–Dec. 15, 2023 and Jan. 16–March 10, 2024
Notes: The Bear River, Fish Springs and Ouray national wildlife refuges and the Brown’s Park, Desert Lake, Farmington Bay, Harold S. Crane, Howard Slough, Locomotive Springs, Ogden Bay, Public Shooting Grounds and Salt Creek waterfowl management areas (WMAs) will be closed to light goose hunting for the season, starting on the last day of the dark goose hunt within their respective goose areas. Maps of Utah’s WMAs and national wildlife refuges are available at wildlife.utah.gov/waterfowl. Millard County will be closed to light goose hunting from Feb. 15–28, 2024
Goose area boundaries: See the goose area map above.
Bag and possession limits:
- Dark geese (cackling, Canada, brant)—5 per day, 15 in possession
- White-fronted geese—6 per day, 18 in possession
- Light geese (snow, blue, Ross’s)—20 per day, 60 in possession
Falconry
Dates: The season dates that apply to traditional waterfowl hunters also apply to falconers.
Bag and possession limits for Wilson's snipe, ducks, mergansers, geese, coots and scaup: he daily bag limit for falconers is 3 birds. The possession limit is 9 (singly or in combination).
Important: The only falconers who may hunt during the Youth Waterfowl Hunts are those who are 17 years old or younger on July 31, 2023.
Rails
Snipe
Northern Zone dates: Oct. 7, 2023–Jan. 20, 2024
Southern Zone dates: Oct. 14, 2023–Jan. 27, 2024
Bag and possession limits: The daily bag limit is 8, and the possession limit is 24.
Tundra swan (holders of tundra swan permits only)
Application dates: Use hunt number TS1000 to apply for a tundra swan permit from July 5–19, 2023.
Remember: You must complete a mandatory swan orientation course each year in order to obtain a tundra swan permit. Wisit wildlife.utah.gov/waterfowl to learn more about this requirement.
Reminder: Youth with tundra swan permits may hunt tundra swans during the Youth Waterfowl Hunt in the Northern Zone, which is Sept. 23, 2023. The general tundra swan season is Oct. 7–Dec. 9, 2023, unless the Division’s monitoring program indicates that 20 trumpeter swans have been taken (meeting the federally set quota to close the hunt). If 20 or more trumpeter swans are taken, the season will be closed immediately and the Division will notify all permit holders.
New this year: Due to continued early swan hunt closures, the Utah Wildlife Board ap- proved a rule making trumpeter swan harvest illegal. Intentionally or accidentally harvested trumpeter swans will be seized by the Division, and criminal penalties may apply. Hunters who harvest a trumpeter still have a waiting period before they can apply for another tundra swan permit, which is three years for youth and five years for an adult.
Permit requirement: You must have a valid tundra swan permit to hunt swans. The holder of a tundra swan permit may take and possess only one tundra swan during the 2023 season.
Tundra swan hunting boundary: See a map of the boundary below.
Falconry: All permit requirements, season dates and other tundra swan regulations apply.
UTAH’S YOUTH WATERFOWL HUNTS
This year, Utah will again hold two Youth Waterfowl Hunts. The first one will be on Sept. 23, 2023 in the state’s Northern Zone, and the second one will be on Sept. 30, 2023 in the state’s Southern Zone.
Reminder: Youth who have drawn tundra swan permits in the hunt drawing may hunt for swans during the youth hunt in the Northern Zone. Youth who have not drawn tundra swan permits may not hunt swans.
Age requirements
Anyone who is 17 years old or younger on July 31, 2023 may participate in the hunts. You must also have a Utah hunting, combination or three-day nonresident small-game license, and a HIP registration number. If you are 16 years old or older, you must have a current federal migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp, also called a duck stamp.
Falconers may not participate in this hunt unless they meet the age requirements.
Adults must accompany youth hunters.
Shooting hours and bag limits
The shooting hours for the Youth Waterfowl Hunt are from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset. This means that on Sept. 23, youth in the Northern Zone can hunt from 6:46 a.m. until 7:23 p.m. On Sept. 30, youth in the Southern Zone can hunt from 6:53 a.m. until 7:11 p.m.
Important: If you plan to hunt Utah’s national wildlife refuges during the Youth Waterfowl Hunts, keep in mind that Bear River and Ouray are in the Northern Zone (Sept. 23) and Fish Springs is in the Southern Zone (Sept. 30).
The bag limits for the Youth Waterfowl Hunt are as follows:
- Ducks, mergansers and scaup: 7 birds (except no more than 2 canvasbacks, no more than 2 hen mallards, no more than 1 pintail, no more than 2 redheads, no more than 2 wood ducks and no more than 2 scaup).
- Coots: 25 birds
- Dark geese (cackling, Canada and brant): 5 birds
- White-fronted geese: 6 birds
- Tundra swan: 1 bird (tundra swan permit required, see hunt.utah.gov for the swan hunt boundary)
Closed for youth hunt
Youth may not hunt the following species during the youth hunt:
- Any light geese (snow, blue and Ross’s)
- Snipe
ID THAT SWAN BEFORE YOU SHOOT IT
Utah’s tundra swan hunt has closed early four years in a row because too many trumpeter swans were killed.
Only nine states offer swan hunting, and Utah is one of them. Unfortunately, the swan hunt has had to close early—four years in
a row—because hunters killed 20 trumpeter swans each season. That is the federally set limit of trumpeter swan harvests legally allowed each year.
To prevent the loss of future swan hunting opportunities, hunters need to be particularly careful to identify swan species before shooting.
You don’t want to be the person that gets the hunt shut down for everyone else.
Special rules to protect trumpeter swans
Back in 2001, the State of Utah entered into an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. That goal of that agreement was to help protect trumpeter swans, whose populations had dwindled after years of overhunting and habitat loss.
The agreement required the state to closely monitor trumpeter swan harvest and prevent too many birds from being killed. In return, Utah could continue to allow hunting for tundra swans.
At that time, the trumpeter swan quota was 10 birds. (It changed to 20 birds in 2019.) The state agreed to close the season immediately if hunters hit that federal limit.
New this year: The Utah Wildlife Board approved a rule which makes trumpeter swan harvest illegal, and criminal penalties may apply. Upon mandatory inspection, the Division will seize any harvested trumpeter swan.
Remember: You will also not be able to apply for a tundra swan hunting permit for several years if they harvest a trumpeter swan. The timeline is as follows:
- Three years for youth
- Five years for an adult
A mandatory orientation course
Important: The Division requires anyone applying for a tundra swan permit to complete a mandatory, in-depth orientation course each year they apply.
The course outlines common swan hunting issues and explains the physical differences between tundra and trumpeter swans. (Hint: Adult trumpeter swans are much larger than tundra swans and don’t have a distinctive yellow spot in front of their eyes.)
The course also covers the rules and regulations related to tundra swan hunting.
Tundra swan permits and harvest reporting
If you obtain a tundra swan permit, there are strict regulations in place and a mandatory reporting requirement. You must submit a complete report, even if you do not hunt or harvest a swan.
If you do harvest a tundra swan, you must tag it. Any tundra or trumpeter swan must be examined by a Division employee or Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge representative (available Friday and Saturday only) within 72 hours of harvest.
Reminder: The Utah Wildlife Board approved a rule which makes trumpeter swan harvest illegal, and criminal penalties may apply. Upon mandatory inspection, the Division will seize any harvested trumpeter swan.
A remarkable opportunity
Having the opportunity to hunt tundra swans is truly remarkable. Please help prevent an early closure and don’t jeopardize the number of permits the state can issue each year.
By making an effort to identify the species, obey swan-hunting laws and focus on tundra swan harvest, you can play an important role in maintaining future tundra swan hunting opportunities in Utah.
SHOOTING HOURS
Utah Admin. Rule R657-9-31
Shooting hours for all waterfowl, snipe and coots begin 30 minutes before official sunrise. Shooting hours end at official sunset. These rules apply statewide, even on opening day. Please remember that there is not a later start time for Utah’s urban counties on the day of the waterfowl opener.
Important: Remember to subtract 30 minutes from the time of official sunrise to determine when you can start shooting.
Official sunrise and sunset times are different, depending on the day and your location. Please consult the time zone map on this page to learn the differences.
You must also follow one other shooting-hour rule: You may not take wildlife or discharge any firearm, crossbow or archery tackle on state-owned lands adjacent to the Great Salt Lake, on Division-controlled waterfowl management areas or on federal refuges between official sunset and 30 minutes before official sunrise.
