Lying About Their Utah Residency for Better Tags Cost These Hunters Thousands—Plus Felony Charges for Fraud

Hunters who lie about their residency status face stiff penalties from Utah wildlife enforcement officers. Neal Herbert / NPS

Utah wildlife officials examined at least 95 case of hunting license fraud since 2017, according to a recent report from the Division of Wildlife Resources. Most of those cases, which average fewer than 25 per year, involve out of state hunters posing as Utah residents to improve their odds of drawing once-in-a-lifetime tags or limited-access hunts, or to secure the less expensive license fees typically charged to residents.

For example: In 2019, a South Carolina resident illegally purchased a Utah resident hunting license and drew a limited-entry buck permit for the Henry Mountains, a hunting unit noted for world-class mule deer. The person then tagged a huge mule deer buck with the illegal permit. DWR investigators detected the fraud and charged the nonresident with a third-degree felony. The person was ordered to pay $8,000 in restitution, and their mule deer mount was seized.