Utah Small Game<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 small game opportunities across Utah.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nFAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhat are the Utah bison season dates for 2026?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The any-legal-weapon bison season runs August 1, 2026 through January 31, 2027, draw-only, with a limit of one bison per permit. Per the Utah Wildlife Board, archery closes out the season on January 31 each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How much does a Utah bison tag cost in 2026?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tag fees run approximately $460 for residents and $4,840 for nonresidents. Verify these against the current Utah DWR guidebook before submitting an application, since fee structures can be updated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do I apply for the Utah bison draw?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You’ll need a valid Utah hunting license, completed hunter education if you were born after December 31, 1965, and an application submitted through your Utah DWR account during the March 19 \u2013 April 23, 2026 window. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime draw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is Utah bison hunting hard for beginners?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Yes. It’s genuinely physically demanding, and success typically requires significant time and miles on foot or horseback across rugged terrain. If you’re new to big game hunting, focus on fitness prep and consider guided support or securing reliable land access ahead of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can I hunt bison on Antelope Island?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
No. Antelope Island isn’t an open hunting unit \u2014 only a couple of managed permits authorize hunting there each year. The annual roundup people sometimes confuse this with is a herd-management event, not a hunting season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What does “once-in-a-lifetime” mean for Utah bison tags?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you draw a bison permit, you can’t reapply for that species again. It also means you can’t hold a limited-entry deer, elk, or antelope permit and a once-in-a-lifetime permit in the same year, per the Utah DWR guidebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Final Shot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Utah’s bison season is a rare, demanding hunt: a draw-only, once-in-a-lifetime tag running August 1, 2026 through January 31, 2027, with very different cost realities for residents and nonresidents. Whether you end up on public land in the Henry Mountains, a leased private parcel, or working with a guide, the terrain and the animal will test you in ways deer and elk hunting don’t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before you apply, verify current fees with Utah DWR, mark your calendar for the March 19 \u2013 April 23, 2026 application window, and start working on land access early rather than waiting until you’re drawn. Keep an eye on the new cow hunt for 2026-2027 as well \u2014 dates are still pending, so check back with Utah DWR as the season approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hunting Locator exists to connect hunters with quality land without the runaround. Whether you’re chasing a bison tag this year or planning years ahead, start planning with Hunting Locator<\/a> \u2014 browse Utah leases and connect with landowners directly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Utah bison season allows you to hunt this magnificent animal for 6 months straight. Read more here. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":7189,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[68,10,16],"class_list":["post-7184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hunting-seasons","tag-hunting","tag-hunting-seasons","tag-season-dates"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7184"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7195,"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7184\/revisions\/7195"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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