Option #1
Unit-based management, hunting in five regions

DWR biologists manage deer according to Utah's deer management plan, which requires the state's deer units to have an average of 15–25 bucks per 100 does. Under this option, the DWR would continue its unit-based management and add a new regional management goal of 18 bucks per 100 does. As part of this option, the DWR would:

• Maintain its unit-based approach to deer management.
• Continue to offer regional hunting.
• Remove a unit from the regional hunt — and designate it a recovery unit — if it averaged fewer than 12 bucks per 100 does. A recovery unit would not return to the regional hunt until it averaged at least 15 bucks per 100 does.
• Decrease a region’s permit numbers if the region averaged fewer than 18 bucks per 100 does. Permits would not be restored until the region returned to an average of at least 18 bucks per 100 does.
• Maintain the current three-year Dedicated Hunter Program
• Continue to allow archers to hunt statewide
• Continue to allow Lifetime license holders to choose a region

Of the three options under consideration, Option #1 is the DWR's preferred option.

Advantages

• Allows biological management on a unit level
• Gives hunters more flexibility in where to hunt (five larger regions vs. 29 smaller units)
• Makes it easier for families and groups to hunt together
• Offers fewer law-enforcement challenges
• Does not require changes to the Dedicated Hunter Program

Disadvantages

• Relies on hunters to evenly distribute themselves (hunting pressure could be high in popular areas)
• Leaves some units with fewer than 18 bucks per 100 does
• May result in the loss of approximately 7,000 permits
• May require an increase in deer permit fees

Option 2
Unit-based management, hunting in 29 units

This option would require the DWR to manage each of the state's general-season deer units for a minimum of 18 bucks per 100 does. It would also require a switch to unit-based hunting. There would be 29 general-season hunting units. As part of this option, the DWR would:

• Maintain its unit-based approach to deer management.
• Likely require all hunters to hunt on individual units.
• Decrease the number of permits for a unit if it averaged fewer than 18 bucks per 100 does. Permits would not be restored until the unit returned to at least 18 bucks per 100 does.
• Modify the Dedicated Hunter Program into a one-year program.
• Wait until 2012 to implement these changes.

Advantages

• Allows the DWR to more precisely manage general-season units
• Allows the DWR to more evenly distribute hunting pressure
• Ensures that all units will eventually have at least 18 bucks per 100 does
• Improves harvest-data collection

Disadvantages

• Limits a hunter to one general-season unit
• Makes it more difficult to draw a permit for some units (reduces the likelihood of hunting every year)
• Makes it harder to hunt as a family or group
• Requires Dedicated Hunters to draw a unit, and changes the program into a one-year program
• Poses law-enforcement challenges (more boundaries to enforce and patrol)
• May result in the loss of approximately 13,000 permits
• Will likely require an increase in deer permit fees

Option #3
Modified version of Option #1

There are only a few differences between Option #3 and Option #1. Under Option #3, the DWR would continue its unit-based management strategy, but there would be a regional management target of 15 bucks per 100 does. (This is different from the 18 bucks per 100 does listed in Option #1). Advantages and disadvantages would remain the same, with a couple of exceptions. This option might result in the loss of approximately 3,000 permits, and it would not require the DWR to raise deer permit fees.