Post expires at 9:42am on Tuesday April 21st, 2026

Post expires at 2:19am on Friday April 24th, 2026

SALT LAKE CITY — If you’re interested in the opportunity to harvest your own deer or elk meat this fall, take note of the upcoming application period and apply for a permit before the deadline!

The application period opens on March 19 at 8 a.m. MDT, and it runs until 11 p.m. MDT on April 23. To be included in the drawing for the hunts, you can apply for permits online, call or visit the nearest Utah Division of Wildlife Resources regional office or call the hunt-drawing helpline at 855-UTDRAWS (855-883-7297).

The results of the drawing will be released by May 31. You’ll be notified by email, but you can also get the drawing results online.

Big game hunts are held in Utah for the following species:

• Bighorn sheep (desert and Rocky Mountain)

• Bison

• Elk

• Moose

• Mountain goat

• Mule deer

• Pronghorn

“We don’t have the data from the winter big game captures, the previous fall hunt harvest rates, and other big game surveys until March each year,” the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Administrative Services Assistant Chief Lindy Varney said. “After we receive that data, we put together the permit recommendations for the upcoming fall big game hunting seasons. The drawing is held in April so that hunters have information about the proposed permit numbers prior to applying. Hunters can access the proposed permit numbers for each hunt unit beginning in April on the Utah Hunt Planner. The final permit numbers will be approved by the Utah Wildlife Board during their public board meeting on April 30.”

Starting March 19, applications will be accepted for most of Utah’s 2026 big game hunts. However, there are a few exceptions — permits for the state’s general-season bull elk hunts won’t be available until July. Permits for the general-season archery bull elk hunt go on sale July 7, the any-bull elk permits go on sale July 9 and the spike bull elk permits go on sale July 16. Those elk permits will be sold online, at all DWR offices and at license agent locations.

Changes for 2026 big game hunts

In December 2025, the Utah Wildlife Board approved a few changes to some of this fall’s big game hunts. For all the changes, see the 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook, but here are a few to be aware of:

• Anyone with an Ogden unit general-season, any-legal-weapon buck deer permit will be required to submit a sample for chronic wasting disease testing.

• The hunt boundary and season dates were updated for the 2026-27 West Cache elk extended archery hunt. (The season was extended from Dec. 15 to Jan. 31.)

• The board also approved adjustments to some of the existing bison hunts, as well as the creation of a new cow bison hunt that would be held during the 2026 and 2027 hunting seasons.

• Some relief options were also approved for permit holders in areas where natural disasters prevent hunters from being able to hunt.

• Hunters should note that there is a new Utah draw application system, so the website and contractor are different from previous application periods. Visit the DWR website to learn more about the new system features.

• New this year, the Utah Big Game Application Guidebook will only be digitally available, and printed copies will no longer be distributed. The guidebook will be available on the DWR website and in the Utah Hunting & Fishing app.

Join the Dedicated Hunter program

If you want a chance to hunt buck deer during all of the seasons for a particular hunting unit, you should consider applying for Utah’s Dedicated Hunter Program. You can learn more about the program, and how to join it, on the DWR website.

Utah Hunt Planner

If you’re thinking about hunting in a new area — or going after a species you’ve never hunted before — you will likely have a lot of questions. The Utah Hunt Planner is an interactive, online map that provides valuable information from DWR biologists to help answer a lot of those questions.

The Hunt Planner provides in-depth, hunter-focused information about all of Utah’s hunts. Use it when you’re researching hunts you want to apply for or use it after you draw a permit for a particular hunt. You can learn the best spots to find animals, see what the terrain is like, identify blocks of public land in the unit and locate the primary access points.

Visit the DWR website for more information about how to use the Utah Hunt Planner.

Applying for a bonus point or a preference point

If you’re not planning to hunt big game in 2026, you can still apply for a bonus point or a preference point. Earning a point increases the chance you’ll draw a permit the next time you apply. Your application for a point must be received no later than 11 p.m. MDT on April 23. However, you will also have an opportunity to apply for a bonus or preference point during the antlerless application period from June 9-23. You must have a hunting license or a combination license to apply for a bonus/preference point or a big game hunting permit.

Visit the DWR website for more information about bonus and preference points.

For more information about applying for a 2026 Utah big game hunting permit, see the 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook or contact the nearest DWR office.

Post expires at 6:06am on Friday April 24th, 2026

Wasatch County Library Community Concert Series: The West Road

The Wasatch County Library invites you to an evening of live music with family bluegrass band, The West Road on Friday, April 24th, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. as part of our monthly Community Concert Series. The West Road is a bluegrass duo of talented 13- and 15-year-old brothers Hank and Charlie Hansen, delivering high-energy picking and tight sibling harmonies.

The concert is family-friendly, free to attend, and open to everyone—bring a friend and join in the library for a night of music and community!

When: Friday, April 24th

6:00 – 7:00 pm

Where: Wasatch County Library

465 E 1200 S, Heber City, UT 84032

Details: Free, Family Friendly 

https://wasatchlibrary.org/communityconcertseries 

Post expires at 10:53am on Saturday April 25th, 2026

Lace up your dancing shoes and tease your hair—contra dance goes full 1980s! 💃🕺

Join us for a high-energy community contra dance set to totally rad ’80s-inspired tunes, spun by DJ Butterfly Cari.

https://www.sleepysunstudios.net/

Expect joyful dancing, neon vibes, and celebrate all things leg warmer, big hair, glam, and retro flair.

Whether you come full Madonna, New Wave, or classic contra with a twist, this is a night to dance like it’s 1985!

Post expires at 10:02am on Sunday April 26th, 2026

SALT LAKE CITY —  The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is releasing its proposed big game hunting permit numbers for 2026 and is asking for the public’s feedback on the recommendations, as well as on a variety of other proposals.

What impacts deer populations in Utah

There are many factors that impact deer populations in Utah and can cause them to increase or decrease. Some of those factors include:

• Weather and precipitation (either extreme, ongoing drought or really heavy snowfall during the winter)

• Predator balance

• The quality and quantity of available habitat (which can be impacted by weather as well)

• Adult doe survival

• Fawn survival

• Fawn production

“It should be noted that harvesting buck deer does not drive deer populations,” DWR Big Game Coordinator Mike Wardle said. “That is a common misconception we hear when we make permit number recommendations each year. The most important factors that drive population size are the survival rates of adult does (since bucks don’t have babies), fawn production and fawn survival. The way we hunt buck deer in Utah doesn’t drive deer populations, but what happens with deer populations drives how we hunt buck deer.”

How deer permit recommendations are made

The DWR manages deer, elk and other wildlife in accordance with approved management plans to help maintain healthy wildlife populations across the state. The current Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan was approved by the Utah Wildlife Board in December 2024 and is in effect until 2030. The deer management plan includes:

• Implementing data-driven, automatic adjustments to buck deer permits when changes are within 20% of the previous year’s permit numbers. Permit changes within 20% of last year’s numbers will be implemented automatically, and recommended changes that exceed 20% will go through the public process of the Regional Advisory Council and Utah Wildlife Board meetings for approval.

• Managing more general-season units for a post-season buck-to-doe ratio of 15-17 bucks per 100 does and fewer units for 18-20 bucks per 100 does.

• Updating the post-season buck-to-doe ratios for both the premium limited-entry and limited-entry hunts/units to 40-45 and 25-30, respectively.

“Utah has 31 general-season buck deer hunting units,” Wardle said. “Of those, 28 units fell within the 20% threshold from last year’s numbers, so permits for those units will be automatically allocated. Three general-season hunting units exceeded the 20% threshold — the Beaver West; Kamas; and the Wasatch Mtns, West — and a net increase of 1,300 permits is being recommended across those three units to help reach the buck-to-doe ratio objectives for each unit.”

Along with using the management plans, DWR biologists also weigh additional factors and data in recommending hunting permit numbers for deer:

• Buck-to-doe ratio objectives established in the management plans for each area of the state (including the current estimates, three-year averages and overall trends). The buck-to-doe ratios are a good way to manage social preferences for hunting deer and to allow for consistent management across differently sized units.

• Current population estimates and demographics. (This data is collected through yearly surveys and classifications of deer herds.)

• Survival data from GPS collar studies — as well as the condition of deer (measured during annual capture efforts) — help biologists estimate deer survival for the current winter.

• Hunter harvest rates from the prior hunting season (which can help with estimates for successful harvest in the upcoming year).

• Habitat and environmental conditions across the state.

DWR biologists are recommending a total of 86,625 general-season deer hunting permits, which is a 6,425-permit increase from the previous year.

“Our biologists look closely at each hunting unit and individual situation when they make permit recommendations,” Wardle said. “We use the best available data and our management plans to make proactive recommendations for the herd health of our wildlife. We have seen benefits to our deer populations from habitat improvement projects, predator management and other work done to directly benefit mule deer. Our deer populations have responded positively to conditions over the last year, and changes to our statewide deer management plan have enabled us to offer more hunting opportunities for the 2026 seasons.”

Elk permit recommendations

The current statewide elk management plan includes an objective to have 80,600 elk across Utah — there are currently an estimated 83,020 elk in the state. DWR biologists are recommending a slight decrease in public draw limited-entry bull elk permits for the 2026 hunts. They’re also recommending an increase in antlerless elk permits in order to manage the overall elk population numbers to meet management objectives.

Big game permit recommendations

The table below shows the big game permit recommendations for 2026, including those for the deer, elk and pronghorn hunts, the once-in-a-lifetime hunts and the antlerless hunts:

Antlerless permit recommendations

The DWR issues antlerless permits for big game species in Utah for several reasons:

• To manage population size to the approved population objectives

• To improve the health of the habitat (and to avoid overgrazing)

• To reduce conflicts on private property, including depredation issues

“Because reducing the number of female animals in a herd can reduce the overall population, all of Utah’s recommended doe deer hunts are designed to be very targeted to address localized areas of specific concern, conflicts or public safety considerations,” Wardle said. “Currently, there are no doe deer hunts in Utah that are aimed at reducing the overall deer population on a hunting unit.”

CWMU antlerless permit number recommendations

The DWR oversees the Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit program, which allocates hunting permits to private landowners who then provide hunting opportunities to public and private hunters for a variety of wildlife species. The CWMU program in Utah has opened more than 2 million acres of private land to the public for hunting.

The DWR is recommending a total of 228 public and 62 private antlerless big game CWMU permits for 2026. These recommendations are for nine CWMUs that either new, renewed operations, or are changing antlerless permits for 2026.

Aquatic rule change proposals

The New Zealand mud snail was discovered in Utah in the 1990s and was classified as a prohibited species in an effort to protect native fish and spring snail populations. However, after 25 years of monitoring and data, it has been determined that New Zealand mud snails have not had a detectable impact on Utah’s fish populations, although they do remain a threat to native spring snails.

The DWR is proposing to reclassify the New Zealand mud snail as a controlled species, rather than a prohibited one, as well as make a few other rule updates.

“This change will allow private hatcheries with New Zealand mud snails to stock private fish ponds, as long as the hatcheries have a certificate of registration,” DWR Aquatic Section Assistant Chief over Native Species Randy Oplinger said. “This will expand the availability of fish for stocking onto private property and increase opportunities for private fish growers, while maintaining the necessary safeguards that will prevent the federal listing of Utah’s native spring snail species.”

Give feedback

The public meetings for the recommendations can either be viewed virtually or attended in person. You can view the biologists’ presentations before the meetings and share your feedback about them on the DWR website. The presentations are also available on the DWR YouTube channel, but comments can only be submitted through the forms on the DWR website.

The public comment period opened on April 1 for each of the five Regional Advisory Council meetings and for the Utah Wildlife Board meeting. Public comments submitted within the online-comment timeframes listed below will be shared with the RAC and wildlife board members at each respective meeting. Members of the public can choose to either watch the meetings online or attend them in person. If you wish to comment during the meeting, you must attend in person. Online comments will only be accepted until the deadlines listed below.

The meetings will be held on the following dates and times:

• Central Utah RAC meeting: April 14 at 6 p.m. at the DWR Springville office at 1115 N. Main St. in Springville. (Online comments must be submitted by April 9 at 11:59 p.m.)

• Northern Utah RAC meeting: April 15 at 6 p.m. at the Weber County Commission Chambers at 2380 Washington Blvd. #240 in Ogden. (Online comments must be submitted by April 9 at 11:59 p.m.)

• Southern Utah RAC meeting: April 21 at 6 p.m. in the Charles R. Hunter Room of the Hunter Conference Center at Southern Utah University at 351 W. University Blvd. in Cedar City. (Online comments must be submitted by April 16 at 11:59 p.m.)

• Southeastern Utah RAC meeting: April 22 at 6 p.m. at the John Wesley Powell Museum at 1765 E. Main St. in Green River. (Online comments must be submitted by April 16 at 11:59 p.m.)

• Northeastern Utah RAC meeting: April 23 at 6 p.m. at the DWR Vernal office at 318 N. Vernal Ave. (Online comments must be submitted by April 16 at 11:59 p.m.)

• Utah Wildlife Board meeting: April 30 at 9 a.m. at the Eccles Wildlife Education Center at 1157 South Waterfowl Way in Farmington. (Online comments must be submitted by April 22 at 11:59 p.m.)

Post expires at 7:39pm on Thursday April 30th, 2026

As the weather warms up, clean out your closet and support Utah libraries.

Wasatch County Library is hosting a cardigan drive through the month of April. Donate a new or gently used adult-sized cardigan through April 30th to support a special “Cardigans and Convos” event at the Utah Library Association’s Annual Conference in May.

Your donation will help librarians from across the state connect, share ideas, and build community. It’s a simple way to support small-town Utah librarians statewide and help spark conversation and camaraderie.

Drop off your cardigan at Wasatch County Library during the month of April. For more information, you can email Brittnie at bhecht@wasatch.utah.gov

Post expires at 10:15pm on Thursday April 30th, 2026

SALT LAKE CITY — Want to venture across the state to explore the night sky? Join us! Utah State Parks is hosting our first-ever statewide Dark Sky Scavenger Hunt to get Utahns under the stars for a chance to win a night stay at one of our 46 state parks.

How it Works

To complete the scavenger hunt, participants must:

• In April, go to four different dark sky programs in at least two different regions of Utah. At the park, you’ll get a stamp card that’ll be signed or stamped by a ranger for each location visited.

• Solve four different clues received at each location.

  • Each answer will be dark sky-related.

The first person to go to all the locations and solve all the riddles will receive a free one-night stay at any state park of their choosing! Continuing participants who still complete the hunt after a winner is chosen will receive an exclusive night sky pin.

For our younger participants, or anyone who prefers a less rigorous riddle but still loves the night skies, we’re also hosting a Junior Ranger Dark Sky Scavenger Hunt! Those who complete this activity will receive a Junior Dark Sky Ranger certificate.

“The Utah State Park Dark Sky Scavenger Hunt is a statewide adventure that gets all ages to venture across Utah to see our incredible night skies,” Utah State Parks public information officer Ally O’Rullian said. “We want this to be a fun, and somewhat challenging, adventure for people to enjoy our incredible night skies.”

More details, including scavenger hunt rules, a map of the different regions, and a list of dark sky programs happening in April, can be found on our Utah State Parks Dark Sky Scavenger Hunt website.

Post expires at 6:50am on Friday May 1st, 2026

Here’s something exciting for local artists out there! Wasatch County Library’s “Artist Call for Entries” is open for their 2026/27 Art Exhibit Displays. If you’ve been looking for a chance to share your creativity with the community, this is it!
Submissions are open now through April 30. Everything is submitted online, so it’s easy to get involved.

To apply and check out the full Art Exhibit Policy, head over to library.wasatchcounty.gov/Exhibits.

Don’t miss your chance to show off your work at the Wasatch County Library!

Post expires at 10:14am on Friday May 1st, 2026

Mark your calendars and bring the whole family—this is a celebration you won’t want to miss!

Tuesday, May 5, 2026
5:00–8:00 PM
Downtown Heber & Main Street Park

This event is all about bringing people together—celebrating culture, sharing traditions, and creating a welcoming space for everyone in our community.
Live music by Mariachi Fuego (5–6 PM)
High-energy Utah Libre Lucha wrestling (6–7 PM)
Authentic Mexican food by Los Cuñados

Post expires at 6:00am on Wednesday May 6th, 2026