# Depredation Hunts



## Idratherbehunting (Jul 17, 2013)

How do depredation hunts work? I'm assuming the land owner and the DWR agree that animals are doing damage to the land owners property, and so depredation tags are approved.

Who has control over the tags. Does the division contact individuals within the depredation pool, or does the landowner have control over the tags and can distribute them to whomever they want? Can they sell them, and if so, who keeps the money? I think I know the answers to these questions, but I wanted to make sure I understood how it was really happening.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Idratherbehunting said:


> How do depredation hunts work? I'm assuming the land owner and the DWR agree that animals are doing damage to the land owners property, and so depredation tags are approved.
> 
> Who has control over the tags. Does the division contact individuals within the depredation pool, or does the landowner have control over the tags and can distribute them to whomever they want? Can they sell them, and if so, who keeps the money? I think I know the answers to these questions, but I wanted to make sure I understood how it was really happening.


There really are two types of "depredation" type tags. First is the non-property specific tags that are for a region, these are drawn. Second type are landowner and are specific to that landowners property (literally prints it on the tag). These are given to the landowner as "vouchers" that the landowner signs and distributes to the hunters as he chooses, those who in turn takes it to the DWR, pays the antlerless fee and receives the actual hunting license.

-DallanC


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## huntinfanatic (Aug 3, 2012)

There are two ways the dwr has handled private land damage done by animals. One is with depredation permits that are issued to hunters through the depredation applicant pool. The second which Dallan explains is called a mitigation permit. The landowner can sell them or give them away. It's up the biologist and landowner to decide on which method to use. With the new private land permits for 2016 my guess is there will be less depredation and mitigation permits issued than in the past.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

huntinfanatic said:


> The second which Dallan explains is called a mitigation permit. The landowner can sell them or give them away.


No sorry, Mitigation tags are different. Mitigation are completely free tags issued directly by the DWR. Depredation tags come from vouchers, issued to the landowner. Those vouchers then allow the holder to purchase the final depredation permit. I'm very certain about this, I even had a mitigation tag this past year.

-DallanC


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## Idratherbehunting (Jul 17, 2013)

So if the landowner decides to, they can sell the voucher to individuals, and then the individual goes and gets the tag from the DWR.


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## Old Fudd (Nov 24, 2007)

DEER ONLY. Tag for This A Tag for that. Man anyone but me think these little Bugers are so sick and tired of being chased for 6 to 8 months that they would like to but a black bandanna over their eyes. stand against the wall and just suck down an 06 slug.. Or move to the east side of Bountiful. or Clearfield or Kaysville and just say< Here ya go. Had enough.GET SOME!!!


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## huntinfanatic (Aug 3, 2012)

Not going to argue with you dallan. Idrather, if you call the dwr they will explain it the exact way I did. I've received a mitigation permit voucher to redeem at the dwr office for a permit every year for the last 7 years. Dallan, look up R657-44-2(h).


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## Idratherbehunting (Jul 17, 2013)

So is there anything that I can do to increase my chances of getting a depredation or a mitigation permit besides putting my name into the pool?


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## Idratherbehunting (Jul 17, 2013)

I started thinking about this when I saw an advertisement on KSL for someone selling a depredation cow elk tag for $600. They said they normally sell it for $1,000. So does the land owner get to pocket that money?


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Idratherbehunting said:


> I started thinking about this when I saw an advertisement on KSL for someone selling a depredation cow elk tag for $600. They said they normally sell it for $1,000. So does the land owner get to pocket that money?


Yes. He's selling the voucher for that amount, but the individual still has to go pay for the physical permit at the DWR office. Wait as we get closer to the end of January, landowner cow tags get cheap on KSL... around $300



Idratherbehunting said:


> So is there anything that I can do to increase my chances of getting a depredation or a mitigation permit besides putting my name into the pool?


Find a landowner who gets tags, offer to help buck haybales, fix fences or do some other form of work during the summer for a tag.

-DallanC


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

OK slightly off topic but color me stupid. Does the meat taste any differently on a cow versus a bull versus a spike elk? I am just curious if it makes any difference which one goes in the freezer as far as taste and texture goes.


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## Idratherbehunting (Jul 17, 2013)

Is there anywhere I can find a list of land owners that have received depredation tags? If someone wants to PM me, rather than post info, that's fine too. I'm more than willing to work in exchange for access. I grew up farming and ranching, so I've got decent experience.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

LostLouisianian said:


> OK slightly off topic but color me stupid. Does the meat taste any differently on a cow versus a bull versus a spike elk? I am just curious if it makes any difference which one goes in the freezer as far as taste and texture goes.


In my opinion the taste/texture are as follows:

Calves: pure meat mana from heaven. Mild and veal-like tenderness

Heifers/Spikes: next best, pretty mild flavored, not as tough as a mature cow/bull but not as tender as a calf.

Mature Cows: decent flavor, tenderness varies

Mature Bulls: Depending on how close to the rut, the meat can be just a little stronger than a mature cow, or only edible with a very heavy spice hand. This can be quite tough as far as elk goes, which means it is still more tender than your equivalent cut of choice beef.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

If you take care of it right all of it taste good, and if taken care of I wouldn't turn any of it down. 

One of the best eating elk that I have shot in 40 years was a 7x6 bull during the rut in September, and one of the worst was a yearling cow. The cows problem was that someone had tried to poach her that summer and she was just getting healed up when I shot her.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Critter, that is a good point and we do stress meat care in my camp. That being said, as a general rule, with the 5 mature bulls, 20 some odd adult calves, 10 yearling/spikes, and 20+ calves my experience is there is a difference based on age/gender.


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## huntinfanatic (Aug 3, 2012)

Idrather, there is not a list published for the public on who has vouchers available for sale. If you don't know a landowner the only other way I've heard of is landowners posting ads. The dwr biologists might know landowners who want to sell vouchers, not sure though. To clarify the confusion between what I've said versus dallans comments if you type "depredation permits" in the search box on the dwr home page and click on R657-44 it explains the difference between depredation and mitigation. Basically for antlerless animals depredation permits are distributed through the depredation permit pool, mitigation permits are given directly to the landowner or lessee and are non tranferable, and mitigation permit vouchers are given to a landowner or lessee to distribute how the please. What MANY people call depredation vouchers are actually mitigation vouchers.


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

Anybody on here actually get called by the dwr for a depredation tag from the pool. Of course I'm on the list but it kind of feels like everything else in utah anymore. Lottery stuff or maybe I just dont have the right friends....


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

huntinfanatic said:


> To clarify the confusion between what I've said versus dallans comments if you type "depredation permits" in the search box on the dwr home page and click on R657-44 it explains the difference between depredation and mitigation. Basically for antlerless animals depredation permits are distributed through the depredation permit pool, mitigation permits are given directly to the landowner or lessee and are non tranferable, and mitigation permit vouchers are given to a landowner or lessee to distribute how the please. What MANY people call depredation vouchers are actually mitigation vouchers.


It is really just splitting hairs and words. The current Mitigation Vouchers still use the word "Depredation" in some areas of the voucher. So 6 of one, half dozen of another. Since the UDWR used the terms in different ways, some of the old timers still call their vouchers depredation and the permits they get mitigation. That is how the UWDR referred to them just a few years ago. So if a landowner tells you he has a depredation voucher to sell then he has a voucher for a permit. They are almost always antlerless.

At any rate, landowners are given Vouchers which may be sold to private individuals who then turn the voucher into the UDWR and purchase the permit. Some might argue that landowners shouldn't receive such compensation, but the law says otherwise. And rarely does the voucher cover the costs of damage to the land/fences/crops.

And the best elk I have ever eaten was a yearling spike bull that was still sucking the cow. All the herd bulls I've eaten have been great. All the older cows and rag horns have been the worst. We shoot calves-- leave the Lead Cows to keep the herds coming back to your hunting grounds.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

3arabians,

I got called in January 2013 for a depredation Mohrland/Gordon Price creek cow elk tag from the general pool. Shot a calf behind the power plant in mid January, and that thing was smaller than some deer fawns I've shot. The hind quarters weighed less than 10lbs each, and the whole calf was easily under 75 lbs.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

I was called in 2012 or 2013 for a depredation cow elk hunt in Grouse Creek. Was told that I needed to be out there the next day and couldn't make it that quick, so they kept going down the list.


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## bekins24 (Sep 22, 2015)

Does it cost money to be in the depredation pool? Or you just sign up for that?


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

http://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting-in-utah/334-depredation-pool-application.html

You sign up, and if a hunt comes up and if you get drawn, you head to the regional office and buy your tag at the regular tag value for the animal drawn.


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