Southern Ute Indian Tribe

Hunting Regulations

Division of Wildlife Resource Management

Wildlife Division Head

Aran Johnson
970-563-2413

Hunting Permits – All Hunters

  1. Must be 12 years old or older.
  2. Hunters under 21 years of age must possess a hunter safety education card and must present it at the time permits are issued.
  3. If applying as an enrolled tribal member of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe or other federally recognized Indian tribe, must be able to present an enrollment card at the time permits are issued.
  4. Issued permits must be signed by the applicant.
  5. Mail-out permits will be provided only to non-resident Southern Ute tribal members only after receiving a letter including the tribal Member’s name, date of birth, copies of their enrollment card and hunter safety education card (if applicable), and a list of permits desired. Permits will not be valid until signed by the applicant.
  6. For non-Southern Ute hunts, permits will be issued at the mandatory hunter orientation meeting prior to the start of the hunt.

Duplicate Permits

Lost or destroyed hunting permits will be replaced by the Division of Wildlife Resource Management for a cost of $5.00 per permit.

New Address / Telephone Number / Driver’s License Information

If you held a previous year’s hunting permit and your home address, telephone number, or driver’s license information has changed, you are required to provide the new information to the Division of Wildlife Resource Management.

Hunter Safety Requirements

All hunters under the age of 21 years must have successfully completed a hunter safety education course prior to issuance of permits. Hunters under age 21 must present their hunter safety education card to the Division of Wildlife Resource Management when acquiring permits and must carry the card with them while hunting.

Hunters Under Age 18

Hunters under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian 18 years of age or older while hunting.

Designated Hunting (Southern Ute Tribal Members Only)

Designating Enrolled Southern Ute Tribal Members
Enrolled Southern Ute Tribal Members over the age of 12 may designate another enrolled Southern Ute Tribal Member who meets the hunting permit eligibility requirements to hunt for them during the regular hunting season. Southern Ute Tribal Members who wish to designate another Southern Ute Tribal Member must pick up and sign their own permits and the Division of Wildlife Resource Management will place the name of the designated hunter on permits at this time. Designated hunters will only be allowed to harvest female deer and elk, or turkey of either sex, during the general fall Southern Ute Tribal Member hunting season. Designated hunters will not be allowed for any other form of hunting.

Designating the Division of Wildlife Resource Management

The Division of Wildlife Resource Management will provide designated hunting services to enrolled Southern Ute Tribal Members who are elderly (55 years of age or older), single women, or physically disabled. Requests must be made to the Division of Wildlife Resource Management and all animals will be harvested during the regular Southern Ute Tribal Member hunting seasons. Only female deer and elk, or turkey of either sex, may be harvested.

Tagging and Validation Requirements

Tagging Requirements

All game requiring a tag must be tagged by the person who harvested the animal. Notch the month and day of harvest and sign the permit immediately after harvesting the animal. Detach the backing from the permit and affix the permit to the carcass, preferably on a leg. All big game must be securely tagged with the carcass tag provided by the Division of Wildlife Resource Management prior to transportation. Tagging instructions are printed on the back of permits. If numerous trips are required to remove the carcass from the field, the tag should remain attached to the portion of the carcass left in camp or vehicle.

Validation Requirements

Depending on the season, species hunted, and whether a harvested animal is to be transported off-reservation, validation of the harvest may be required. The validation requirements are as follows:

Hunts with Mandatory Validation Requirement:

  • Early Archery for Mule Deer and Elk
  • Mountain Lion
  • Non-Member Cow Elk

Hunts with Mandatory Validation Only for Off-Reservation Transport of Animals:

  • General Season for Mule Deer and Elk
  • Fall and Spring Turkey

Hunts with No Validation Requirement:

  • Waterfowl
  • Trapping and Furbearer

Validation must take place within 24 hours of the kill. To arrange validation, contact the Division of Wildlife Resource Management or the Southern Ute Tribal Rangers during regular business hours, or contact Southern Ute Dispatch outside of regular business hours. A Division representative or Ranger will inspect the carcass and attach a validation tag. If arranging a meeting with a Division representative or Ranger is not possible, a validation number can be obtained by contacting the Division of Wildlife Resource Management during regular hours, or Southern Ute Dispatch during off-hours. The validation number will be given to the hunter over the telephone, and this number must then be written on the carcass tag by the hunter.

For the Non-Member Cow Elk Hunt, harvested cow elk must be taken to an established check station for inspection and validation. Information on locations and dates for check stations is provided when permits are issued.

When validation of a harvested animal is not required (e.g., mule deer or elk harvested during the general season and remaining within the exterior boundary of the Southern Ute Indian Reservation), voluntary validation is strongly encouraged as it provides useful information to the Division of Wildlife Resource Management, as well as the hunter, on animal age and health.

Evidence of Sex Requirements

Evidence of the sex of harvested mule deer, elk, wild turkeys, and mountain lions must remain naturally attached to carcasses while transporting animals from the field, while in camp, or until the animal is validated (if necessary). Evidence of sex for mule deer and elk include the head and/or the testicles or udder. Evidence of sex for wild turkeys is the beard (for males). For mountain lions, the reproductive organs of both male and females must be left attached for sex identification purposes.

Hunter Surveys

All hunters participating in the Non-Member Cow Elk hunting season will be required to complete a hunter survey. Hunters will be given a survey form when they pick up their permit. Successful hunters can complete a survey when their animal is validated. Unsuccessful hunters must return the survey form to the Division of Wildlife Resource Management no later than January 31. Hunters who do not complete a survey will not be eligible for future hunts offered by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.

Accompany Crossing Permits

The Division of Wildlife Resource Management issues crossing permits to non-Southern Ute Tribal Members to accompany permitted hunters while hunting. Persons holding crossing permits may not hunt or carry a firearm of any type while accompanying a permitted hunter. Contact the DWRM for more details on crossing permits or to have crossing permits issued.

Southern Ute Tribal Member Hunting Seasons

Non-Southern Ute Tribal Members who are not in the immediate family of a Southern Ute Tribal Member hunter must acquire a crossing permit so that they may accompany the permitted Southern Ute Tribal Member while hunting. Non-Southern Ute Tribal Members who are in the immediate family of a permitted Southern Ute Tribal Member hunter may accompany the hunter without obtaining a crossing permit. For the purposes of crossing permits, immediate family is considered a spouse, mother, father, son, daughter, brother, or sister of the permitted Southern Ute tribal member hunter who lives in the same household as the permitted Southern Ute Tribal Member hunter. Cost for crossing permits will be $20.00 payable to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Division of Wildlife Resource Management.

Guiding and Outfitting

Guides and outfitters operating on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation must be permitted by the Division of Wildlife Resource Management. For more information on guiding and outfitting, see the Guiding and Outfitting section on this website, or contact the Division of Wildlife Resource Management.

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