Big game hunt applications due by March 4

Time is running out to submit your application to hunt big game animals in Utah this fall.

Time is running out to get your application in to hunt buck deer and other big game animals in Utah this fall. You must apply no later than 11 p.m. on March 4.

Photo by Brent Stettler, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Applications to hunt big game — including deer — are due through the application page no later than 11 p.m. on March 4.

Before you apply for a general deer hunting permit, make sure to visit http://go.usa.gov/ncx. The web page has information that will help you decide which of Utah's 30 deer hunting units to apply for.

If you decide to apply for a Utah big game hunting permit, Judi Tutorow, wildlife licensing coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, has some advice: Apply before the last day of the application period. And when you apply, don't forget to donate some dollars to help control coyotes in Utah.

If you'd like a chance to hunt all three general deer seasons, Tutorow also encourages you to consider joining Utah's Dedicated Hunter program. And she has a reminder for lifetime license holders: By March 4, make sure you complete the online lifetime license questionnaire and select the unit you want to hunt.

Apply now

You can apply for a permit at online. Tutorow says the amount of patience you have is the critical factor in deciding when to apply.

"If you apply before March 4," she says, "you should be able to get your application in fast."

If you wait until March 4, however, you could run into some challenges.

"Thousands of hunters wait until the last day to apply," Tutorow says. "Receiving that much traffic in such a short period of time slows our website down."

If you decide to wait until March 4 to apply, make sure you start applying before 11 p.m. If you start applying before 11 p.m. — and you don't log off the system before you've completed your application — the system will allow you to finish your application.

"If you log off after 11 p.m., and then you try and get back into the system," she says, "you'll be out of luck. Starting at 11 p.m., the only thing you can apply for is a bonus point or a preference point."

Everything you need to know to apply for a permit is available in the 2013 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook.

You can get the free guidebook at online, at Division of Wildlife Resources offices and from more than 300 hunting and fishing license agents across Utah.

Coyote control

As you're completing your application, consider donating some money to help control coyotes in Utah. Coyotes are the animal that preys the most on mule deer fawns.

You can donate by clicking the "Donate for coyote control" box that will appear as you're completing your application. Then simply include your coyote control donation with your application fees.

Hunt all three deer seasons

Would you like to hunt all three general deer hunting seasons (archery, muzzleloader and rifle) on the unit you draw a permit for?

You can if you join the Dedicated Hunter program.

To give yourself a chance to join the Dedicated Hunter program, you must do two things: Complete an online orientation course that will teach you more about the program, and apply for and draw a 2013 general deer hunting permit.

(The online Dedicated Hunter course takes about 30 minutes to complete.)

To learn more about the program and how to join it, visit wildlife.utah.gov/dh.

Applying for a point

If you're not going to hunt in 2013, you can still apply for a bonus point or a preference point. These points increase the chance that you'll draw a permit the next time you apply.

Your application for a point must be received through the application page no later than 11 p.m. on March 18.

Please remember that you must have a hunting license or a combination license to apply for a point or a hunting permit.

General-season deer hunt Web page

A general-season deer hunting change that started in Utah in 2012 will continue in 2013 — instead of hunting deer on five large regions, hunters in 2013 will hunt on 30 smaller units.

If you have questions about applying for a general-season deer permit, you can find the answers on the Prepare for the 2013 deer hunt page.

The page includes the following:

• a map that shows where Utah's 30 general-season deer hunting units are located
• a link that will take you to detailed maps and a boundary description for each unit
• drawing odds for each unit in 2012
• a list of frequently asked questions and answers.

Amy Canning, communications specialist for the DWR, hopes the information will help you make the best choice possible. "A wide variety of information is available on the page," she says. "Hopefully, the information will help you apply for the unit that works best for you."

Lifetime license holders

If you have a lifetime hunting license in Utah, you can select the general deer hunting unit you'd like to hunt by doing two things: Completing the online lifetime license questionnaire and selecting the unit you want to hunt.

Access to the questionnaire will be available in the 2013 big game application. Visit the application page by March 4 to access the application, complete the questionnaire and select your unit.

If you don't complete the application by March 4, you'll receive a deer permit for the same unit you hunted last year.

More information

If you have questions about applying for a 2013 Utah big game hunting permit, call the Utah Hunt Application office at 1-800-221-0659 or the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office.