Application Strategy 2024: Utah bighorn sheep, moose, mountain goat, and bison

UTAH'S 2024 BIGHORN SHEEP, MOOSE, MOUNTAIN GOAT AND BISON APPLICATION OVERVIEW

Note: The application timeframe for all Utah species is March 21 to April 25, 2024 at 11 p.m. MT. Applicants wishing to purchase preference and/or bonus points can do so prior to the April 25 deadline or, if they miss that deadline, they can apply for points only during the antlerless application timeframe from June 5 to 19, 2024. You may apply online here.

New Or Noteworthy For This Year

Insider Features

HUNT PLANNER

To aid in your research and planning efforts, we created a brand new tool for Insiders called Hunt Planner. This tool will help you be more efficient at planning for hunts and also keeps all your research data organized. No more notepads getting lost or headaches when trying to remember what units caught your eye during your research! Everything you need is always in one place at GOHUNT.

What can you do in Hunt Planner?

POINT TRACKER

Point Tracker allows you to enter the number of points you have for each state and species and, as you research through Filtering and Draw Odds, your point total will automatically be highlighted.

State Information

To view important information and an overview of Utah’s rules/regulations, the draw system and bonus points, tag and license fees and an interactive boundary line map, check out our State Profile. You can also view the Utah Moose, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat, and Bison Profiles to access historical and statistical data to help you find hunts.

IMPORTANT DATES AND INFORMATION

Note: Applicants need to buy either a hunting license or combination hunting/fishing license to apply. Applicants will not be charged the cost of the permit unless they are successful in the draw.

The Utah Draw System

HUNTING LICENSE TO APPLY

Every applicant will need to have a valid hunting license to apply for hunts or even bonus and preference points only. That hunting license is valid for 365 days from the date of purchase. Applicants can buy one hunting license every two years and apply if they time it correctly. For example, if you purchase a hunting license and apply on the last day of this application period and then apply early in next year's application period, you could apply for two years on one hunting license. You do not need a valid hunting license to actually hunt; you only need it to apply in the draw.

The permit split offers 90% to residents and 10% to nonresidents.

ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME SPECIES DRAW SYSTEM

Utah has a hybrid draw system for once-in-a-lifetime permits where they allocate 50% of the permits for each hunt to the applicants with the most bonus points and 50% are randomly allocated. The random draw takes into consideration the number of points each applicant has, meaning you get more chances in the random draw with each point you have. 

If there is an odd number of permits, for example, three, the bulk goes to high point holders and only one will be randomly allocated. If there is one permit only, it will be randomly drawn. In most cases, there is only one nonresident permit for once-in-a-lifetime hunts, meaning that permit will be randomly allocated. 

Bonus points are given for each year an applicant applies for a once-in-a-lifetime species and is unsuccessful in the draw. Bonus points are species specific, meaning you cannot apply bonus points for desert bighorn sheep toward a bison hunt. We highly recommend that nonresident applicants apply for all once-in-a-lifetime hunts and not for bonus points only. Building bonus points only at this point in time is unlikely to significantly increase your chances of drawing a bonus point permit. Your random chances get better with every bonus point you gain, but with Utah offering half of their permits through a random draw, applicants should apply for hunts. They will receive a bonus point if they are unsuccessful in the draw. 

Residents can apply for general season deer, dedicated hunter deer, one limited entry species and one once-in-a-lifetime species. Residents must pick one once-in-a-lifetime species to apply for; they cannot apply for all. We recommend applicants select the one once-in-a-lifetime species they most want to hunt and stick with it until they draw before starting to apply for others. If residents do not feel passionately about hunting one species more than the other, pick the species that has the best draw odds and continue to apply until they have drawn a permit. 

HUNT CHOICES

Utah allows applicants to enter one hunt choice for once-in-a-lifetime species. If you draw a permit and hunt, your accumulated points will be purged.

GROUP APPLICATIONS

Group applications are not permitted for moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat or bison.

DRAW ORDER

Utah’s draw goes in the following order from first to last:

Note that if you draw a limited entry deer, elk or antelope permit, your moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat and/or bison application will not be considered in the draw. You cannot draw both a limited entry permit and a once-in-a-lifetime permit in the same year. This is an important consideration if you potentially have enough points to draw both a once-in-a-lifetime and limited entry hunt in the same year. 

BONUS POINT SYSTEM

For all species, the maximum point amount is 31 for 2024; however, there are some species that no longer have applicants at that level. Below are the high point holders for applicants who either purchased a point or applied.

*Note: Utah will publish their proposed 2023 permit allocations tentatively the second week of April, but they were not available at the time of writing this article. These totals do not include resident CWMU moose permits.

Utah's 2024 Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep Breakdown

Utah offers residents the opportunity to apply for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep or desert bighorn sheep. Nonresidents can apply for both species. The only true Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep that nonresidents can apply for is in the Book Cliff, South Unit. The other three options are all California bighorn sheep species. Trophy potential is generally average in Utah. Very few record book rams are available; those that are will come from the true Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep units. Overall, populations are stable and, with random chances to draw, you should consider applying if you are already buying the hunting license to apply for other species in Utah. As you can see, Utah manages for 100% harvest success and, for the lucky permit holders, there is ample opportunity to hunt DIY on public lands and harvest a nice ram. 

*In 2024, nonresidents will have at least one permit in each of the following units: Book Cliff, South, Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtn early, Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtn late, Fillmore, Oak Creek late.

Managing points and expectations

2024 maximum bonus points for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep:

Utah's 2024 Desert Bighorn Sheep Breakdown

Utah offers 17 hunts available to residents. This includes a new hunt that residents can apply for on the Mineral Mountains Unit in central Utah. Nonresidents can apply for five hunts. The units with the largest population and best trophy potential are the Kaiparowits, East and West. The Zion Unit has struggled over the past several years and is not what it once was in terms of trophy potential or population and it will not have a nonresident permit in 2024. It’s sad to see what once was a phenomenal unit struggle to maintain healthy populations and hunting opportunities. The Escalante Unit has had an increase in population and will offer a nonresident a chance to hunt again in 2024. A few other areas worth researching are the San Rafael Units. Populations are stable and increasing although the trophy potential is not quite as good as it is in the Kaiparowits. Once again, it’s worth the $16 application fee to have a chance to draw a permit of a lifetime. Remember that if there is only one nonresident permit available, it will be randomly allocated and everyone that applies has some chance at that permit.

* In 2024, nonresidents will have at least one permit in each of the following units: Kaiparowits, East, Kaiparowits, Escalante, Kaiparowits, West, San Rafael, Dirty Devil, San Rafael, South 

Managing points and expectations

2024 maximum bonus points for desert bighorn sheep:

Utah's 2024 Shiras Moose Breakdown

The bulk of the moose populations occur throughout northern Utah. In many cases, the units are hampered somewhat by private land and access; however, in most cases, the public land DIY hunter will have the chance for success if they are willing to do some research and are savvy in the field with GOHUNT Maps. In 2023, the Morgan-South Rich Unit was added to the list that nonresidents could apply for and that will continue into 2024. Access in that unit for the DIY hunter can be very tough and, if you apply for it and draw, I would recommend you utilize an outfitter. The best DIY public land options for moose are likely the Cache, North Slope, Wasatch Units. The trophy potential is average across the state, especially when compared to Colorado. A 40” bull is possible, but there are no bulls being harvested regularly that are in excess. Populations seem to be leveling out and stable throughout Utah. Again, moose tags are hard to draw. If you are applying for other species, it may be worth the application fee for a low random chance in the draw. 

* Units are mostly private land. * In 2024, nonresidents will have at least one permit in each of the following units: Cache, Morgan-South Rich, North Slope, Summit, North Slope, Three Corner/West Daggett, Ogden, Wasatch Mtns/Central Mtns 

Most are not aware that there are many CWMU hunts with permits available for residents to draw. Nonresidents may not apply for CWMU permits, but it’s likely that there are bull moose landowner tags available for purchase on some of these properties. See the UDWR guidebook for more information on CWMU hunts. We do not provide draw odds for CWMU hunts due to the fact that they are only available to residents and are only valid on the private land(s) for which the permit is valid.

Managing points and expectations

2024 maximum points for Shiras moose

Utah's 2024 Rocky Mountain Goat Breakdown

Nonresidents have seven hunts they will be able to apply for in 2024. Mountain goats are readily available in the units you can apply for and harvest success is generally very high. Hunters will have the opportunity to look over a good number of goats and harvest a mature billy. In the past, there have been several record book billies taken, but that is no longer the case. Trophy potential is good, but not great. The Beaver Unit is the most accessible and lucky hunters can often drive to areas where they can glass mountain goats and day hunt on foot. The Unita Units in northeastern Utah and Mount Nebo are the most remote and will require backpacking or packstock.

*In 2024, nonresidents will have at least one permit in each of the following units: Beaver early, Central Mtns, Nebo, Central Mtns, Nebo archery, La Sal, La Sal Mtns, North Slope, South Slope, High Uintas Central, North Slope, South Slope, High Uintas East, North Slope, South Slope, High Uintas West.

Managing points and expectations

2024 maximum points for mountain goat

Utah's 2024 Bison Breakdown

Utah offers very good bison hunting opportunities for those lucky applicants who draw a permit. The herds are stable and Utah represents one of only a few chances in the world to hunt free-ranging wild bison. Nonresidents can apply. There will be permit(s) available to draw for every hunt except for Antelope Island. It should be noted that applicants can choose to apply for “hunter’s choice” hunts where they can harvest a bull or cow only. The cow only hunts do have better odds of drawing. There are also archery only hunts for bison on the Henry Mountains and Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek and Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South Units. Those hunts have had better odds; however, the harvest success is often lower than the rifle hunts. The Henry Mountains archery hunt reported 0% success in 2023. Utah represents one of the only opportunities in the world to hunt free-range wild bison and I would highly recommend you apply for the minimal application fee. The late hunts can be challenging given the cold, snowy conditions, but the odds of drawing those late hunts is better.

*In 2024, nonresidents will have at least one permit for every hunt except for Antelope Island.

Managing points and expectations

2024 maximum points for bison

In conclusion 

Nonresidents should consider applying for all once-in-a-lifetime species.For the most par,t it’s a $16 raffle ticket per species in hopes that you draw a random permit. You never know when you might get lucky in the draw even if the odds are very tough. Every hunt offers the ability for the DIY hunter to have a fantastic adventure style hunt should you draw. 

Residents will need to pick one of the once-in-a-lifetime species to apply for. I recommend picking one and sticking with it until you are successful in the draw. I should note that the hardest species to draw is moose, followed by desert bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, mountain goat and bison. If you are just getting started, I would recommend applying for bison or mountain goat if you are equally interested in both species. Good luck in the draws this year!