Every Hunter in Utah is Subject to the Rules
Utah is a great place to hunt and for the most part has a system set up that allows sportsmen enough game to pursue while at the same time protecting game for future generations of hunters. The State of Utah has preserved game through its creation of the Division of Wildlife Resources and the Wildlife Board which are entrusted with protecting, propagating, managing, conserving, and distributing protected wildlife.
The Utah Legislature has given the Wildlife Board broach policymaking authority to carry out its purpose and has designated all wildlife that is not privately owned “property of the state”. Utah Code 23-13-3. Under its granted authority to govern wildlife, the Division of Wildlife Resources has the power to bring both criminal and civil proceedings for violations of state wildlife law and the rules, proclamations, and orders of the Wildlife Board.
Anybody who wishes to hunt or fish in Utah is subject to Utah’s statutes that govern the State’s Wildlife Resources and to the Wildlife Board’s rules…and there are a lot of them.
Where Can I Find the Statutes and Rules?
The Wildlife Board has done a pretty good job in compiling state law and its own rules and regulations into guidebooks. Hunters and fishermen should know those guidebooks like the back of their hand before heading out to pursue their game or catch their fish. The reason is because violating even the least serious of these rules is a criminal infraction and for more serious violations individuals can be convicted of a felony, serve time in jail or prison, and lose their hunting and fishing privileges.
In addition to the guidebooks release each year by the Wildlife Board, sportsmen can read the laws and rules as written. The statutes that govern wildlife in Utah are located in Utah Code Title 23. The administrative rules written and enforced by the Wildlife Board can be found conveniently on its website and are located in Utah’s Administrative Rules > Natural Resources > Wildlife Resources.
