Licensing

• To hunt cow elk in Utah, you must first buy a hunting license. To obtain a hunting license, you must be at least 12 years old by the first day of your elk hunt, and you must show evidence of passing the state's hunter education course. If you were born before Dec. 31, 1965, you are exempt from the course requirement when purchasing your license.
  
  

Tag Information

• To hunt cow elk in Utah, you must apply for an antlerless elk permit. This permit allows you to use a legal weapon to harvest one cow elk in the area specified on your permit. Permits are issued by a random drawing process. In Utah, you may obtain two elk permits each year, but one must be an antlerless elk permit. The other, known as a hunter's choice permit, is considered to be a bull elk permit.
  
  

Area Options

• When selecting your hunting area, refer to the "Antlerless Guidebook" found on the Utah Division of Wildlife's webpage. In it, you will find season dates, which types of weapons are legal to use while hunting, as well as the success rate of the hunt. Doing so may increase your odds of a successful hunt. If you plan to use an off-highway vehicle to access your hunting area, make sure you obtain an OHV map from the Bureau of Land Management or U.S. Forest Service.
  
  

Hunting Private Land

• Utah has specific areas known as Cooperative Wildlife Management Units. Hunters who wish to hunt in these units must apply for a special tag to hunt on private land there. The list of regions in Utah participating in this program is found in the "Antlerless Guidebook." Hunters who wish to hunt cow elk should pay particular attention to the CWMU areas in Duchesne County, where Roosevelt sits.
  
  

Saving Money

• The fees for purchasing hunting licenses and permits in Utah is higher for non-residents than for residents. To establish residency for obtaining a hunting license or permit in Utah, you must have a fixed permanent home in Utah for six months prior to applying for your license and have not established residency in any other state.
  
  

More Opportunities

• If you draw a bison, buck deer or bull elk tag in the Henry Mountains, Nine Mile Range Creek, San Rafael North or East San Juan hunting units, you may purchase an antlerless elk control permit over the counter and avoid the draw. This permit allows you to hunt for and harvest a cow elk during your bison, buck deer or bull elk season.
  
  

Benefits

• Cow elk hunters in Utah may not be aware of their positive impact on the state of wildlife in Utah. Hunting antlerless animals is a vital tool for wildlife management. It allows biologists to balance the needs of big-game animals with the needs of other wildlife with regards to habitat and available resources. If you're successful in harvesting an animal, Utah does not require you to report it, but doing so assists the state in monitoring big-game animal numbers for better management.