After the normal archery hunt is over, Utah has two additional archery hunts. The extended archery hunts run until the end of November for deer, and until mid-December for elk. These hunts are used to help control the deer and elk populations in certain areas in Utah that range from cities to farmer’s fields.
During the extended archery hunts, you can shoot either sex of the species that you are hunting (elk or mule deer). However, before you can hunt the extended archery hunts, you have to complete a small, free course from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. At the end of the course, you are presented with a certificate of completion that you must carry with you in the field. This course can be found on the Division’s website and takes about 10 to 30 minutes to complete. You will also want to look up the hunt maps before your hunt as the hunt’s area can be changed yearly.
One of the main advantages of the extended hunts in Utah applies directly to mule deer. Because it runs through the end of November, you are able to hunt them during their rut period. This hunt also runs through the elk rut in September and can make it possible to hunt some spike only units as an any bull unit. Due to colder conditions, deer and elk move from their hiding places and out in the open more often.
As mentioned above, the elk and deer tend to be out and about a bit more during these hunts due to lack of pressure and colder temperatures. It is not uncommon to run across big mule deer during this hunt. During our time hunting this hunt, we have chased many deer that would have been in the 160″ to 180″ class. We have even seen a few pictures of a deer that well exceeded 200″. This makes these hunts very fun! However, they still are large, old mulies, and are hard to get them on the ground!
