Utah Sportsman Permits 2027

What a Utah sportsman permit is

A Utah sportsman permit is a statewide hunting permit that DWR awards in its own drawing each fall, separate from the spring big game draw. DWR usually offers one permit for each of ten species: buck deer, bull elk, buck pronghorn, bull moose, bison, Rocky Mountain bighorn ram, desert bighorn ram, mountain goat, black bear and wild turkey. Only Utah residents can apply. A winner gets a long season and can hunt almost every unit that is open for that species.

Applications for the 2027 permits open Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026 at 8 a.m. MDT and close Nov. 10, 2026, according to DWR's sportsman permits page. Results come Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026. You apply at utahdraws.com.

Species, seasons and fees

The fees below are DWR's resident fees for the 2027 permits, from its sportsman permits page updated Oct. 8, 2026. That page lists no 2027 season dates yet, so the season column shows the 2026 permits, the latest DWR has published. Utah Admin. Rule R657-41 sets the season windows, so the 2027 seasons are likely to look similar, but confirm with DWR before you plan a hunt.

Only the bison fee changed from the 2026 permits. It rose from $454 to $460 after the Utah Wildlife Board approved the increase on Sept. 17, 2026.

Who can apply

• Utah residents only, and you must be a resident on the day you apply. The guidebook defines a resident as someone who has had a permanent home in Utah for six consecutive months before applying and does not claim residency for hunting, fishing or trapping in another state or country (page 80).
• You need a current Utah hunting or combination license. If you do not have one, you can buy it online or during the application.
• There is a minimum age, and it differs by species. For the 2027 permits, big game applicants must turn 12 by Dec. 31, 2027 and be 12 before the season ends, black bear applicants must be 12 by Dec. 31, 2027, and turkey has no minimum age.
• You cannot apply for a sportsman bison, bull moose, desert bighorn, Rocky Mountain bighorn or mountain goat permit if you already obtained that species' once-in-a-lifetime permit, in this drawing or in the regular draw. If you draw one here, you cannot apply for that species again.
• A waiting period does not block you on deer, elk, pronghorn or bear. DWR says you may apply for a sportsman permit for those species while you are under a waiting period, and drawing one does not start a new waiting period.

How the sportsman drawing works

• Bonus points do not count. You cannot earn or use them in the sportsman drawing, so a stack of points does not help (Utah Admin. Rules R657-41-11 and R657-62-24).
• You can apply for as many species as you like, but you can draw only one: an applicant may not draw out for more than one species in this drawing. Permits are drawn species by species in this order: buck deer, bull elk, buck pronghorn, bull moose, bison, desert bighorn, Rocky Mountain bighorn, mountain goat, black bear and turkey (R657-62-24).
• Group applications are not accepted.
• Each species you apply for has a $10 nonrefundable application fee, plus a 2.2% card fee. You pay the permit fee only if you draw one.

With a single permit per species for the whole state, any one applicant's odds are small. DWR lists past results in its sportsman draw odds reports. For the regular draw on the same species, see elk, deer, pronghorn and the once-in-a-lifetime hunts.

Where you can hunt with a sportsman permit

A sportsman permit lets you take one animal of the species on the permit (a turkey permit allows two birds), during the season and with the weapon printed on it. The big appeal is range: the guidebook says these permits let you hunt in nearly any unit across the state. Check the limits first:

• You may hunt only units that are open for that species.
• Antelope Island is not open to sportsman permits.
• The 2026 guidebook adds that you may not take an elk or a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep on the Box Elder, Pilot Mtn unit.
• DWR says other units may be excluded too, and its Hunt Planner lists every exclusion.

When to apply

DWR sets the sportsman dates each year, in the fall. For the 2027 permits it updated its page with these dates on Oct. 8, 2026.

If you apply by calling a DWR regional office, the deadline is 5 p.m. MST on Nov. 10. Application, license, donation and transaction fees are not refundable, even if you withdraw. You can also find the results online or by calling the hunt drawing helpline. We list the sportsman window with the other draw dates on our draw dates page.

Add a single date with the links in the table, or subscribe to the draw dates calendar to keep every announced date in your calendar app. A subscription follows any change and adds new dates as we publish them. You can also download the .ics file. In Google Calendar, choose Other calendars, then From URL, and paste https://utahdraw.com/dates/utah-draw-dates.ics. A single date added from the table is a copy that does not update, so check DWR's page before you rely on it.

How to apply

Utah residents can apply online at utahdraws.com, by phone through DWR's hunt drawing helpline, or in person at a DWR office, from Oct. 20 to Nov. 10, 2026. You need a Utah hunting or combination license, which you can buy online or during the application. Pay the $10 application fee for each species you enter; you pay the permit fee only if you win. Utah Draw Guide does not take applications.