Utah’s Wildlife Data Needs Your Hunt Reports Now
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is reminding hunters to submit their mandatory harvest reports for big game and tundra swan hunts now that several hunting seasons have ended and others are still underway. The agency emphasized that the reports are essential for maintaining accurate wildlife management data across the state.
Harvest surveys have been required for all limited-entry big game hunts in Utah for about two decades, but recent changes expanded those requirements. In 2023, the Utah Wildlife Board approved mandatory reporting for all antlerless hunts, and in 2024, the rule was extended to include all general-season buck deer and bull elk hunts.
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“Hunters have been requesting this data for years, and technology now makes it easier to conduct these surveys and collect this information after the hunts,” DWR Administrative Section Chief Kenny Johnson said in a press release. “Receiving these reports will help us to maintain more comprehensive and quality harvest data and will provide better insights into Utah’s big game hunts.”
All big game permit holders must report their results within 30 days after their hunting season ends, regardless of whether they hunted, harvested an animal, or did not hunt. Hunters who fail to submit reports will be excluded from the following year’s big game and antlerless applications, while those who file late will be charged a $50 fee to regain eligibility.
Swan Reports Are Due Within 72 Hours
Tundra swan hunters are also required to file harvest reports. Within 72 hours of harvesting a swan, hunters must check the bird at a DWR office and submit an online harvest report. Reports are mandatory even for those who did not hunt or harvest, and they must be completed within 30 days after the season ends or by Jan. 13, 2026.
The DWR reminds hunters that it is illegal to harvest trumpeter swans in Utah. Harvest reports can be submitted online or by calling a DWR office.
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Gallery Credit: Meagan Drillinger