Most common violations? Here's what DWR conservation officers want hunters and anglers to know

Salt Lake City — The deer you shot on public land ran onto private property and then died. You shot and killed what you thought was a spike elk, only to discover that it was actually a cow elk. You just finished filleting the six rainbow trout you caught before realizing the catch limit at the reservoir was four. Before you find yourself in any of these scenarios, learn what Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officers want you to know so you can have a safe and legal hunt or fishing trip.

Do your research before going into the field and know the requirements

Just like you'd never fly a plane without training and preparation, you shouldn't go fishing or hunting without knowing the laws. A common mistake that DWR conservation officers often see is someone killing wildlife without a valid permit or fishing on an expired license. This can be easily avoided by making sure to carefully check that you have the appropriate licenses and permits before heading into the field.

You have to take hunter education (or participate in Utah's Trial Hunting Program) to obtain a hunting license in Utah. For certain wildlife species, you also need an additional hunting permit. Once you have the required licenses and permits, make sure to read and become familiar with the laws in the guidebook for the species you are hunting. You also need to make sure you carefully check your permit so you know which season, species and unit you are allowed to hunt.

"The best way to stay out of trouble is to review the current regulations (as they can change from year to year) and carefully check your permit before you go out in the field," DWR Lt. Casey Mickelsen said. "Every year, our officers encounter hunters who go hunting without even opening their envelope to see what permit they drew. They wait to look at their permit until after they have harvested an animal and then finally discover that they hunted in the wrong unit or season, or sometimes for the wrong species entirely. These situations often result in citations and the illegally harvested wildlife being confiscated."

If you're planning a fishing trip, make sure you have a current fishing license and take time to read the current fishing guidebook so that you know the requirements for the waterbody you're visiting. You should understand which species must be released, what the daily limit is for each species and if bait is allowed at the waterbody where you are fishing.

"There are hunting unit boundaries and fish limits for a reason," Mickelsen said. "These regulations help us manage various wildlife species according to specific management plans and also help us maintain healthy populations for each area or waterbody. If these regulations are not enforced by our officers, the management plans don't work as well as intended."

A lot of resources are available on the DWR website, including the Utah Hunting and Fishing app (which can store your licenses electronically), maps to the hunting boundaries and popular fishing spots, and guidebooks that detail the current hunting and fishing laws in Utah.

"If people have additional questions or concerns about a hunting or fishing regulation, they can also call one of our DWR offices and talk to a conservation officer," Mickelsen said.

Get the proper permissions and don't trespass

If you want to hunt on private property, you must get written permission from the landowner in advance. Do not trespass — it can result in fines and a class B misdemeanor. In addition to private property, make sure to know where tribal lands are in Utah and don't trespass in those areas. Become familiar with the boundaries of each area you are hunting, and make sure you know the land ownership of the hunting unit you are in.

If you do obtain permission to hunt on private property, be respectful and clean up after yourself. Always leave the gates how you found them, and don't cut or alter any fences in order to get to an area.

A scenario that conservation officers often see is when a hunter gets into a dispute with a private landowner about a deer shot on public property that crosses the hunting boundary line and dies on the landowner's private property.

"If you choose to hunt so close to the boundary that the animal may jump the fence or cross that boundary line, then you need to prepare in advance for that possibility," Mickelsen said. "You can't just cross onto that private property and retrieve the deer. You need to immediately contact the landowner and request permission to recover the animal or contact DWR law enforcement. Otherwise, you are trespassing, which is illegal and can lead to conflicts with the landowner."

Be sure of the species before you take the shot

Another common mistake that DWR conservation officers encounter is when a hunter mistakenly shoots the wrong animal. One great way to prevent that is to be absolutely sure of your target before taking the shot and to know what is behind it.

"This hunting mistake is addressed several times every year by our conservation officers. Never take that shot if you aren't absolutely sure and confident of your target and what is beyond it, including if there are roads or buildings in the area," Mickelsen said. "That will help prevent you from shooting a doe deer when you have a permit for a buck deer or a cow moose when you have a permit for an elk. It can also prevent unsafe situations."

You should also keep in mind that an animal doesn’t always drop right after it is hit.

"We have seen instances where someone took a shot and thought they missed, so they fired at another animal in the group. By the time they finish shooting, there are four or five dead elk, instead of just one," Mickelsen said. "It's so important to be educated about the animals you choose to hunt — understand their biology and how they react when they are shot and know what you are doing before you go out into the field."

Know tagging requirements for harvested wildlife

Another common violation that conservation officers encounter is hunters not properly tagging their animals after they have harvested them. To tag a big game animal, you must completely detach the tag from your big game permit and completely remove the three notches that indicate the date the animal was taken and the sex of the animal. Then, attach the tag to the animal so that the tag remains securely fastened and visible.

You may not remove more than one notch indicating the date or sex, or tag more than one animal, using the same tag. The animal must be tagged before you leave the area or before the animal is removed from the site where it was harvested.

When and how hunting/fishing licenses are suspended

There are a variety of ways that people break the law. Some make a mistake. Others are opportunistic and will take advantage of a situation while hunting or fishing, even when they know it's against the law. And some head out into the field fully intending to break the law ahead of time. In most of these instances, the person will be criminally prosecuted and will pay a fine. But for a hunting or fishing license to also be suspended, the person has to intentionally, knowingly or recklessly violate the law.

"If you make a mistake while hunting or fishing, please contact our law enforcement immediately," Mickelsen said. "When someone self-reports a wildlife violation, it often reduces the severity of the punishment and likelihood that their license will be suspended. We understand that people get scared or embarrassed, but we really appreciate those hunters and anglers who call and tell us about their mishaps. This shows a lot of goodwill and says a lot about you if you take responsibility for your actions."

Here is a breakdown of hunting and fishing license suspensions in Utah from the last few years:

• 2017: 83 license suspensions
• 2018: 88 license suspensions
• 2019: 84 license suspensions
• 2020: 41 license suspensions
• 2021: 55 license suspensions
• 2022: 77 license suspensions
• 2023: 42 license suspensions
• 2024: 39 license suspensions, as of Sept. 23

The lengths of various suspensions are established by the Utah Legislature and are based on the designated class of crime:

• For a class C misdemeanor, the suspension is one year.
• For a class B, it's three years.
• For a class A misdemeanor, it's five years.
• For a felony, it's a seven-year suspension.

However, those suspension lengths can be doubled for two reasons: if your license was already suspended at the time of the crime or if the crime involves a trophy animal.

"The entire purpose of wildlife law enforcement is to encourage people to comply with the laws that help manage fish and wildlife species in the state," Mickelsen said. "Those laws are made to benefit wildlife and the public. We wish that everyone would just comply with the law so that we didn't have to do suspensions. That is our goal. But unfortunately, people do break the law, and we believe that a license suspension is the best deterrent we have for people who intentionally commit wildlife crimes."

If an investigation reveals that a crime meets the criteria for license suspension, the person is notified and is offered a hearing. These hearings are either held virtually or at the Utah Department of Natural Resources building in Salt Lake City on the first Tuesday of each month and are open to the public. A hearing officer, appointed by the DWR director, receives the details of the case and determines whether the hunting or fishing license of the individual will be suspended. If a person disagrees with the suspension, they may appeal it to the Utah Wildlife Board within 30 days of the hearing officer's order being issued.

"Along with determining if someone knowingly, intentionally or recklessly violated the law, we also take into account the circumstances and their past history before we recommend a license suspension," Mickelsen said. "If the law just changed in the past 30 days, we take that into account as well."

Utah is a member state of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. License suspensions in Utah are recognized in all the other states in the U.S., except for Hawaii.

Be an ethical and responsible hunter and angler

Along with following the laws and maintaining safety while hunting and fishing, it's also important to practice responsible recreation: only drive on open designated trails or roads if you are in a vehicle, and don't ride off trail if you are using OHVs, which can damage important wildlife habitat. Make sure to always review road and trail maps before traveling to an area and be familiar with the areas you plan to ride in.

Anyone who camps or hikes in Utah's outdoors, whether hunting or not, should always leave a clean campsite, thoroughly extinguish any campfires and remove all trash or waste from the area, including shell casings. If there are other hunters or campers in the area, remember to show them the same courtesy and respect you'd like to receive.