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Division of Wildlife briefs Price council on hunting rules, urban‑deer program and trespass limits
Summary
A Division of Wildlife biologist explained state hunting classifications, permit routes and the Urban Deer Hunting Program, and clarified that state law limits discharge within 600 feet of a dwelling and restricts translocation; the presentation was informational and the council said education would precede any regulatory changes.
Price — The Division of Wildlife presented an informational briefing on Nov. 12 about hunting inside city limits, permit types and urban‑deer management programs, and answered council questions about enforcement and safety.
Casey Olson, a biologist with the Division of Wildlife, said the state classifies wildlife into small game, waterfowl and big game and described the two main ways residents qualify to hunt — by completing hunter‑education or by participating in a trial/mentored program. Olson reconfirmed that archery equipment is treated differently under state law and that some archery hunting can occur on private property without written permission from neighbors, but firearms used in town require written permission from property owners within a 600‑foot radius.
Olson said there are legal limits on discharging a weapon near homes (citing the relevant Utah code) and summarized the trespass rule the division enforces: a hunter who does not have permission to enter cultivated or posted private land may not do so. He also said that the Urban Deer Hunting Program is available for municipalities that meet program parameters — including a minimum population threshold and passing a no‑feeding ordinance — and that the program involves lethal removal and mandatory CWD (chronic wasting disease) testing for harvested deer; antlers surrendered to the state and harvested deer samples are handled per division protocol.
Council members asked about enforcement by local police, training needs for officers, and whether the city should draft an ordinance to ban hunting in city limits. Olson said the Division of Wildlife will provide information and that the division remains neutral on whether the city adopts local restrictions; council members said the preferred first step is public education and interagency cooperation before considering new regulations.
What happens next: the presentation was informational. No ordinance was adopted; council members said they would prioritize public education and consult with law enforcement and the division if problems arise.
