DWR Seeks Your Input On Bear And Cougar Hunting Rules

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is proposing several minor adjustments to the state’s bear hunting regulations for 2026 and is inviting public comment as part of its annual review process. The updates come as the first year of the current three-year bear recommendation cycle concludes. Among the changes is the creation of a new hunt for the Dolores Triangle hunting unit, which will be separated from the existing La Sal unit to better align with big game boundaries. Ten permits are proposed for the Dolores Triangle area, including spring, summer and fall opportunities, while the La Sal permit totals would remain unchanged. The DWR reports that bear and cougar populations have declined slightly in recent years but remain stable overall.

Consolidated Guidebook To Be Available Online

Other regulatory updates include combining the cougar, bear and furbearer guidebooks into a single digital-only publication. Beginning in 2026, hunters will access this consolidated guidebook through the DWR website or the agency’s Hunting and Fishing app.

In a move affecting both wildlife managers and agricultural producers statewide, including those in southern Utah’s farming communities, the DWR is also recommending a new rule to update cooperative agreements with private landowners. The agreements are intended to strengthen big game and turkey populations that rely on cultivated lands for forage. “This rule update shifts the management paradigm from addressing depredation conflicts after they occur to establishing a proactive, voluntary partnership with private landowners for managing big game and turkey populations that utilize private cultivated lands,” DWR Private Lands Public Wildlife Coordinator Darren DeBloois said in a press release. He added that the approach recognizes the importance of forage quality on private lands in achieving wildlife population objectives. The proposal provides compensation to landowners who allow wildlife to use crops and forage, and emphasizes healthier herds, reduced depredation responses and future improvements in hunter opportunity.

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The DWR is also updating its predator control rule by classifying GPS data from coyote harvest locations as protected. The Predator Control Program, created in 2012, offers hunters $100 for documented coyote harvests in deer habitat and $50 for harvests elsewhere, as coyotes significantly impact fawn survival.

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Residents across the state, including those in southern Utah, have several opportunities to weigh in. The Southern Utah Regional Advisory Council meeting will take place Dec. 16 at 6 p.m. at the DNR Richfield City Complex, with online comments due by Dec. 11 at 11:59 p.m. Additional meeting dates and details are available through the DWR website, where public feedback may be submitted during designated windows.