A Guide to Hunting Safety and Boundaries

A Guide to Hunting Safety and Boundaries

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – June 7, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) — Strap on that camo colored or bright orange outfit because hunting season is approaching quickly. There are a lot of things that you need to get ready in order to get out there and bring home some good food!

The first thing that you need to do in order to head out hunting is to take hunter education. The Utah Hunter Education program helps you learn essential safety skills and develop practical techniques useful for hunting. Completion of a basic hunter education course is required to obtain a hunting license in Utah, if you were born after Dec. 31, 1965. All courses offered by the Utah Hunter Education program are nationally recognized.

Then you will need to send in a hunt draw application, because the number of hunters often exceed the number of permits available for many hunts the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conducts permit drawings. You may apply for one here.

Permits that are not allocated in hunt drawings are sold online, at retail outlets and at DWR offices. Most permits are only available at certain times during the year. There are certain animals that you can hunt with only certain types of weapons. For instance the Hunt # 1000 buck deer in the Henry Mountains are to be shot with an archery weapon while the Hunt # 1006 buck deer in in Paunsaugunt are to be shot with a muzzleloader.

Depending on the species that you hunt harvest reporting may be mandatory. In fact, not properly completing your harvest report requirements can affect your ability to hunt or get a bonus point in the next year’s hunt drawing without restoring your eligibility and paying a late fee. If you plan on hunting migratory birds you are going to need a Harvest Information Program (HIP) number.

In addition to your license (and your duck stamp, if required) you must obtain a Migratory Game Bird HIP registration number every season. You can obtain your HIP number in one of two ways:

1. Register at www.uthip.com
2. Call 1-877-882-4744. If you have questions or need help obtaining your HIP number please call 1-800-368-4683.

Once you are done with those steps and are trying to decide where to start your hunting adventures this year take a look here. These are all of the hunting map boundaries. These apply to multiple species or hunt types. You can search for a specific boundary, by species weapon type or hunt number.

Safety

Preparation

1. By gathering materials and gaining knowledge before heading out into the forest is the key to a safe and successful experience.
2. Get to know the area where you are going to be hunting.
3. Be sure to check the weather to make sure that there is not going to be a storm or anything that could get a vehicle stuck.
   • Drivers should carry a shovel, an ax, tire chains, jumper cable and a tow chain in the vehicle.

While Hunting

1. Never hunt alone
2. Be aware of your physical limitations
3. Get familiar with your firearm
4. Be aware of the target and what is beyond it.
5. NEVER drink and hunt.

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