Current Management Issues in Utah
The State of Utah’s mountain lion management policies and practices threaten a vital keystone species, a natural balance, public safety, lifestyles, traditions, and livelihoods.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
In recent years, the State of Utah has implemented aggressive predator management policies and practices intended to significantly reduce the State’s mountain lion population. The State is trying to protect its mule deer, as hunting is a significant contributor to the State’s annual recreational income that reached $9.5B in 2023. Primary supporters of these culling efforts include mule deer and wild sheep conservation groups.
-
2020: HB 125 tasks the Division of Wildlife Resources to take immediate action under certain circumstances when a big game population is under the established herd size objective for a management unit (which is currently set at over 404K). This opened a significant portion of the State's mountain lions to unlimited, year-round hunting. Permits were still required in Predator Management units and hunters were still limited to two lions each.
-
2023: HB 469 expands the unlimited, year-round hunting season to 12 months, reduces licensing needs to only a general hunting license, and introduces trapping and snaring. Restrictions on how many lions could be taken by hunters and trappers were lifted. Now individual hunters and trappers could kill mountain lions without any limits whatsoever.
-
December 2025, (WRI 7707) DWR teams with BYU to study the effects on the mule deer populations by eliminating cougars (males, females, mothers, kittens) from 6 units; Wasatch East, Stansbury, Monroe, Boulder, Zion, Pine Valley (4 being in southern UT).
-
The Wild Sheep Foundation is said to be offering a $1500 bounty for mountain lions taken on specific sheep management units.
Map illustrating the 6 management units of the BYU study.
The concerns:
Many concerns have been raised across wildlife advocacy and conservation groups, scientific communities, hunters, ranchers and the general public. Concerns range from lack of public input, absence of science-based decision making, extensive ecological damage, and public and pet safety concerns.
Learn more about the concerns, and who and what are affected by these issues.
The goals are simple:
-
Stop the WSF bounty
Establish more balanced scientific predator management practices while promoting coexistence within our communities.
How you can help
Here are a few simple actions you can take to help protect our mountain lions.
1. Reach out to these groups that represent your interests and talk to them about what's going on and how they can get involved to help influence change for Utah's mountain lions.
2. Contact your local Utah Legislators to express your concern about the State’s policies and practices. Be respectful.
3. Contact the DWR Board Members expressing concern over their actions.
4. Join the momentum by contacting Utah Mountain Lion Conservation today.
5. Sign the petition through the Change.org campaign.
6. Attend your local DWR RAC and Wildlife Board meetings to help build awareness of the issues.
7. Learn more about how to coexist with mountain lions.
Policy / study supporters:
-
HB 469 sponsors:
-
HB 125 sponsors:
-
Ralph Okerlund (died Oct 2024)
-
WRI 7707 DWR / BYU Study supporters
-
Dax Mangus (DWR Project Manager): 435-790-5320, daxmangus@utah.gov.
-
Riley Peck (DWR Director): 801-538-4703, rileypeck@utah.gov
-
Chad Wilson (DWR Mammals Coordinator): 801-391-1234, chwilson@utah.gov
-
Wild Sheep Foundation: providing $150K in project funding
-
Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife: providing $150K in project funding
-
NOTE: both the Wild Sheep Foundation and the Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife actively promote their roles as conservationists.
Yet “conservation” is defined as:
1. prevention of wasteful use of a resource.
2. the principle by which the total value of a physical quantity remains constant in a system which is not subject to external influence.
Eliminating one native species to save another would seem to conflict with the conservationist’s credo.
Additional Resources
Learn more about DWR policies, predator hunting regulations, management units and more on our RESOURCE page.
It also contains a list of SUPPORTING ARTICLES from local, regional and national news agencies and conservationists.
Plus, visit our TRAPS AND SNARES page for more information on the devices and pet rescue tips.
