Hunting, fishing license suspensions reduced in the state
Aug 18, 2025, 8:23 AM | Updated: 8:25 am
Fewer hunting and fishing licenses are being suspended across the state, but wildlife officials say it's not because they're being more lenient. (Scott G Winterton/Deseret News)
(Scott G Winterton/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Fewer hunting and fishing licenses are being suspended across the state, but wildlife officials say it’s not because they’re being more lenient.
Department of Natural Resources Sergeant Devin Christensen said they are looking for poachers and repeat offenders instead.
“We’re more (s0) pursuing those that are blatantly disregarding the law, the really severe violators that are impacting wildlife numbers and species. That’s more what we’re looking at with our suspension rates in the last few years,” Christensen said.
“And you commit another violation while you’re on suspension? We double those. That’s something we would really pursue. We really don’t want that person to be hunting if they’re still committing those violations.”
Christensen said they won’t suspend a license if it was an accidental violation.
“That’s probably not something we’re going to look into for suspension. There still might be some recourse (like) you did kill an animal you weren’t supposed to. We have a lot of different ways we take that. But we’ll look at the totality of the circumstances.”
If you see anyone making a violation, you can report it on the Utah Turn-in-a-Poacher hotline.
Related: Hunting and fishing licenses helped fund 2025-26 DWR habitat projects
