Arizona, Utah still offering permit tags
NOT successful. That short phrase appeared seven times in an email that delivered the results of my Nevada big-game tag applications. Had I hit the submit button on an eighth application, my guess is that phrase would have appeared an eighth time.
Not because I believe there is some grand conspiracy designed to prevent me from drawing a tag, but because my luck tends to run that way. Of course, the fact that I make a conscious decision to apply for hunt opportunities that are difficult to draw does not help my chances.
Tags for those opportunities are limited, and the number of hunters who are interested in those hunts is high. Thus, my odds are long, and I know it.
Why would anyone put in for hunt opportunities in which the odds are long? Because over time our personal motivations for hunting or fishing change. Today, where and when I hunt is more important than if I hunt.
So, I’ll take the bonus points that come with being in the not-successful category and look forward to the 2023 application period. In the meantime, congratulations to those of you who were successful in the tag draw and best of luck on your hunting adventure.
For those of you whose email said you were not successful, the Arizona Game Fish Department is accepting applications for hunt permit-tags for deer, fall turkey, fall javelina, bighorn sheep, fall bison and sandhill crane. The deadline is June 14.
Arizona offers nonpermit tags, sometimes referred to as over-thecounter tags, for multiple species. Those opportunities include archery-only deer, elk, mountain lion, bear, archery-only javelina and juniors-only turkey. There are unit restrictions for the deer tags, and the elk tags are described as a limited opportunity.
An informational handout outlining the limitations and purposes of the over-the-counter elk tags can be downloaded at azgfd.com/hunting/ draw/.
You will want to read it before applying because these are not statewide opportunities — the designated hunt areas are limited to “locations where the department is attempting to create areas with few or no resident elk.”
Some of these areas are at lower elevation and during hotter times of the year, so a tag holder will need to be prepared to quickly process a harvested animal and have the means to quickly get the meat on ice.
You can purchase these permits from AZGFD offices and some license vendors. The department has an office in Kingman, Arizona, a couple of hours away from downtown Las Vegas.
Utah also provides additional hunt opportunities that are worth considering. Among those are a limited number of deer tags remaining after the state’s tag draw along with a generous offering of elk tags. Both will be available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning July 12. You will want to look at the schedule because the tags do not go on sale the same day, and the deer tags will sell out quickly.
Among the deer tags available is a fair number of youth archery tags for units scattered around the state.
But the number of elk tags is quite generous. General season archery tags are unlimited, muzzleloader and any-legal-weapon tags total 17,500 and spike-only tags 15,000.
Utah’s permits can be purchased online, at some license vendors and at Division of Wildlife offices. There are multiple vendors in the St. George area. You can find the list of available tags at wildlife.utah.gov/ remaining-permits.html.
Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His “In the Outdoors” column is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDOW. Any opinions are his own. Find him on Facebook at @ dougwritesoutdoors. He can be reached at intheoutdoorslv@gmail. com.