On Wednesday, Utah officials announced that they may cut the number of deer hunting permits for the year. They could possibly cut 5,000 permits.
The cut is in response to decreasing deer populations across the state; however, officials stated that bison, elk, and bighorn sheep permits may increase-- this is under the same proposal.
It is estimated that the deer population in the state is around 314,000. Compared to 2018, the population has dropped by more than 55,000.
“When biologists set permit recommendations, biology and herd health come first. It’s the first thing that we look at. When we do that, we take into account things like habitat conditions, environmental conditions, and survival rates,” Utah Division of Wildlife Resources’s Covy Jones stated, according to KSL.
Story Via Carter Williams with KSL