Biologists from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources are asking for the public’s feedback after recommending a decrease in the number of general-season permits for the 2021 deer hunt. The current objective of the DWR is to have just over 400,000 deer across Utah but currently there is just an estimated 314,850 deer in the state. “We’ve had a few drought years in Utah recently, which has a significant impact on the survival rates of deer,” shares DWR Big Game Coordinator Covy Jones. “In Utah, we have the longest range trend study in the Western U.S., and we’ve seen that having suitable habitat is crucial for maintaining or growing wildlife populations. And drought conditions can really negatively impact that habitat, which in turn affects our wildlife species.” As a result, biologists are recommending a total of 74,775 general-season deer hunting permits, which is a 4,900-permit decrease from the previous year. Of the 29 total deer hunting units across the state, 16 are being recommended for decreased permit numbers from the previous year in order to help maintain their objectives for the deer population.
