Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources

Rule R657-10

Taking Cougar

Notice of Proposed Rule

(Amendment)

DAR File No.: 32922
Filed: 09/01/2009 04:58:43 PM

RULE ANALYSIS

Purpose of the rule or reason for the change:

This rule is being amended pursuant to Regional Advisory Council and Wildlife Board meetings conducted annually for taking public input and reviewing the division's cougar program.

Summary of the rule or change:

The proposed revisions to the above listed rule: 1) remove all references to limited entry permit applications, waiting periods and bonus points, and this information has been moved to Rule R657-62; and 2) add a definition for "Kitten with spots".

State statutory or constitutional authorization for this rule:

• Section 23-14-18
• Section 23-14-19

Anticipated cost or savings to:

the state budget:

This amendment adds a definition and removes text that is found in another rule (Rule R657-62), therefore, the Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) determines that these amendments do not create a cost or savings impact to the state budget, since the changes will not increase workload and can be carried out with existing budget.

local governments:

Since this amendment only adds a definition and removes duplicated text, this should have little to no effect on local governments. This filing does not create any direct cost or savings impact to local governments because they are not directly affected by the rule. Nor are local governments indirectly impacted because the rule does not create a situation requiring services from local governments.

small businesses:

None--The amendments do not impose any additional requirements on small businesses, nor generate a cost or savings impact to small businesses.

persons other than small businesses, businesses, or local governmental entities:

None--The amendments do not impose any additional requirements on other persons, nor generate a cost or savings impact to other persons.

Compliance costs for affected persons:

DWR determines that these amendments will not create additional costs for sportsmen wishing to hunt cougar in Utah. Therefore, the rule amendments do not create a cost or savings impact to individuals who participate in hunting cougar.

Comments by the department head on the fiscal impact the rule may have on businesses:

The amendments to this rule do not create an impact on businesses.

Michael R. Styler, Executive Director

The full text of this rule may be inspected, during regular business hours, at the Division of Administrative Rules, or at:

Natural Resources
Wildlife Resources
1594 W NORTH TEMPLE
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84116-3154

Direct questions regarding this rule to:

• Staci Coons at the above address, by phone at 801-538-4718, by FAX at 801-538-4709, or by Internet E-mail at stacicoons@utah.gov

Interested persons may present their views on this rule by submitting written comments to the address above no later than 5:00 p.m. on:

10/15/2009

This rule may become effective on:

10/22/2009

Authorized by:

James Karpowitz, Director

R657. Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources.

R657-10. Taking Cougar.

R657-10-2. Definitions.

(1) Terms used in this rule are defined in Section 23-13-2.

(2) In addition:

(a) "Canned hunt" means that a cougar is treed, cornered, held at bay or its ability to escape is otherwise restricted for the purpose of allowing a person who was not a member of the initial hunting party to arrive and take the cougar.

(b) "Cougar" means Puma concolor, commonly known as mountain lion, lion, puma, panther or catamount.

(c) "Cougar pursuit permit" means a permit that authorizes a person to pursue cougar during designated seasons.

(d) "Evidence of sex" means the sex organs of a cougar, including a penis, scrotum or vulva.

(e) "Green pelt" means the untanned hide or skin of any cougar.

(f) "Kitten" means a cougar less than one year of age.

(g) "Kitten with spots" means a cougar that has obvious spots on its sides or its back.

(h ) "Limited entry hunt" means any hunt listed in the hunt tables of the proclamation of the Wildlife Board for taking cougar, which is identified as limited entry and does not include harvest objective hunts.

([h]i) "Limited entry permit" means any permit obtained for a limited entry hunt by any means, including conservation permits and sportsman permits.

([i]j) "Pursue" means to chase, tree, corner or hold a cougar at bay.

([j]k) "Split unit" means a cougar hunting unit that begins as a limited entry unit then transitions into a harvest objective unit.

([k]l) "Waiting period" means a specified period of time that a person who has obtained a cougar permit must wait before applying for any other cougar permit.

R657-10-26. [ General ] Limited Entry Cougar Permit Application Information.

(1) [A person must possess or obtain a valid hunting or combination license to apply for or obtain a cougar limited entry permit.

(2) A person may not apply for or obtain more than one cougar permit for the same year.

(3) ]Limited entry cougar permits are [valid only for the limited entry management unit and for the specified season provided in the hunt tables of the proclamation of the Wildlife Board for taking cougar.]issued pursuant to R657-62-23.

R657-10-27. [ Waiting Period.

(1) Any person who obtained a limited entry permit valid for the current season may not apply for a permit for a period of three seasons.

(2) Any person who draws a limited entry permit for the current season may not apply for a permit for a period of three seasons.

(3) Waiting periods are not incurred as a result of purchasing harvest objective permits.

R657-10-28. Application Procedure.

(1) Applications are available through the division's Internet address.

(2)(a) Group applications are not accepted. A person may not apply more than once annually.

(b) Applicants may select up to three management unit choices when applying for limited entry cougar permits. Management unit choices must be listed in order of preference.

(3)(a) Applications must be mailed by the date published in the proclamation of the Wildlife Board for taking and pursuing cougar.

(b) If an error is found on the application, the applicant may be contacted for correction.

(c) The division reserves the right to correct applications.

(4) Any person who applies for a hunt that occurs on private land is responsible for obtaining written permission from the landowner to access the property. To avoid disappointment and wasting the permit and fee if access is not obtained, hunters should get written permission before applying. The division does not guarantee access and does not have the names of landowners where hunts occur.

(5) Only a resident may apply for or obtain a resident permit and only a nonresident may apply for or obtain a nonresident permit, except as provided in Section R657-10-30.

(6) To apply for a resident permit, a person must establish residency at the time of purchase.

(7) The posting date of the drawing shall be considered the purchase date of a permit.

R657-10-29. Fees.

The permit fees and handling fees must be paid pursuant to Rule R657-42-8(5).

R657-10-30. Drawing and Remaining Permits.

(1) If permits remain after all choices have been evaluated separately for residents and nonresidents, a second evaluation shall be done allowing cross-over usage of remaining resident and nonresident permit quotas.

(2) Applicants will be notified by mail or e-mail of drawing results on the date published in the proclamation of the Wildlife Board for taking cougar.

(3) Beginning on the date published in the proclamation of the Wildlife Board for taking cougar, residents or nonresidents may purchase any of the remaining permits.

(4) Any limited entry cougar permit purchased after the season opens is not valid until seven days after the date of purchase.

(5) Limited entry permits remaining after the drawing may be obtained on a first-come, first-served basis as provided in the proclamation of the Wildlife Board for taking cougar.

(6) Waiting periods do not apply to the purchase of remaining limited entry permits after the drawing. However, waiting periods are incurred as a result of purchasing remaining permits after the drawing. Therefore, if a remaining permit is purchased in the current year, waiting periods will be in effect when applying for limited entry permits in the drawing in following years.

(7)(a) An applicant may withdraw their application for the limited entry cougar permit drawing by the date published in the proclamation of the Wildlife Board for taking cougar.

(b) Handling fees and Utah hunting or combination license fees will not be refunded.

(8) An applicant may amend their application for the limited entry cougar permit drawing by the date published in the proclamation of the Wildlife Board for taking cougar.

R657-10-31. Bonus Points.

(1) A bonus point is awarded for:

(a) a valid unsuccessful application when applying for a limited entry permit in the cougar drawing; or

(b) a valid application when applying for a bonus point in the cougar drawing.

(2) bonus points are awarded only to applicants eligible to receive a limited entry cougar permit and consistent with subsection (1).

(3) The purchase of a harvest objective permit will not affect bonus points.

(4)(a) A person may apply for one cougar bonus point each year, except a person may not apply in the drawing for both a limited entry cougar permit and a cougar bonus point in the same year.

(b) A person may not apply for a bonus point if that person is ineligible to apply for a permit.

(c) Group applications will not be accepted when applying for bonus points.

(5)(a) Each applicant receives a random drawing number for:

(i) the current valid limited entry cougar application; and

(ii) each bonus point accrued.

(b) The applicant will retain the lowest random number for the drawing.

(6)(a) Fifty percent of the permits for each hunt unit will be reserved for applicants with bonus points.

(b) Based on the applicant's first choice, the reserved permits will be designated by a random drawing number to eligible applicants with the greatest number of bonus points.

(c) If reserved permits remain, the reserved permits will be designated by random number to eligible applicants with the next greatest number of bonus points.

(d) The procedure in Subsection (c) will continue until all reserved permits have been issued or no applications for that hunt unit remain.

(e) Any reserved permits remaining and any applicants who were not selected for reserved permits will be returned to the drawing.

(7) Bonus points are forfeited if a person obtains a limited entry cougar permit except as provided in Subsection (7).

(8) Bonus points are not forfeited if:

(a) a person is successful in obtaining a Conservation Permit; or

(b) a person obtains a harvest objective cougar permit.

(9) Bonus points are not transferable.

(10) Bonus points are tracked using social security numbers or Division-issued hunter identification numbers.

R657-10-32. ] Harvest Objective General Information.

(1) Harvest objective permits are valid only for the open harvest objective management units and for the specified seasons published in the proclamation of the Wildlife Board for taking cougar.

(2) Harvest objective permits are not valid in a specified management unit after the harvest objective has been met for that specified management unit.

R657-10- [ 33. ] 28. Harvest Objective Permit Sales.

(1) Harvest objective permits are available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning on the date published in the proclamation of the Wildlife Board for taking cougar.

(2) Any cougar permit purchased after the season opens is not valid until seven days after the date of purchase.

(3) A person must possess a valid hunting or combination license to obtain a Harvest objective permit.

R657-10- [ 34. ] 29. Harvest Objective Unit Closures.

(1) To hunt in a harvest objective unit, a hunter must call 1-888-668-LION or visit the division's website to verify that the cougar management unit is still open. The phone line and website will be updated each day by 12 noon. Updates become effective the following day thirty minutes before official sunrise.

(2) Harvest objective units are open to hunting until:

(a) the cougar harvest objective for that unit is met; or

(b) the end of the hunting season as provided in the proclamation of the Wildlife Board for taking cougar.

(3) Upon closure of a harvest objective unit, a hunter may not take or pursue cougar except as provided in Section R657-10-25.

R657-10- [ 35. ] 30. Harvest Objective Unit Reporting.

(1) Any person taking a cougar with a harvest objective permit must report to the division, within 48 hours, where the cougar was taken and have a permanent tag affixed pursuant to Section R657-10-15.

(2) Failure to accurately report the correct harvest objective management unit where the cougar was killed is unlawful.

(3) Any conviction for failure to accurately report, or aiding or assisting in the failure to accurately report as required in Subsection (1) shall be considered prima facie evidence of a knowing, intentional or reckless violation for purposes of permit suspension.

R657-10- [ 36. ] 31. Wildlife Management Areas.

(1) A person may not use motor vehicles on division-owned wildlife management areas closed to motor vehicle use during the winter without first obtaining written authorization from the appropriate division regional office.

(2) The division may, in its sole discretion, authorize limited motor vehicle access to its wildlife management areas closed to such use during the winter provided:

(a) the person seeking access possesses a valid cougar permit for the area;

(b) motor vehicle access is necessary to effectively utilize the cougar permit; and

(c) motor vehicle access will not interfere with wintering wildlife or wildlife habitat.

R657-10- [ 37. ] 32. Poaching-Reported Reward Permits.

(1) For purposes of this section, "successful prosecution" means the screening and filing of charges for the poaching incident.

(2) Any person who provides information leading to another person's arrest and successful prosecution for wanton destruction of a cougar on a limited entry cougar unit, under Section 23-20-4, may receive a permit from the division to hunt cougar on the same limited-entry cougar unit where the reported violation occurred, as provided in Subsection (3).

(3)(a) The division may issue poaching-reported reward permits only in limited-entry cougar units that have more that 10 total permits allocated.

(b) The division may issue only one poaching-reported reward permit per limited-entry cougar unit per year.

(4)(a) The division may issue only one poaching-reported reward permit for any one animal illegally taken.

(b) No more than one poaching-reported reward permit shall be issued to any one person per successful prosecution.

(c) No more than one cougar poaching-reported reward permit shall be issued to any one person in any one cougar season.

(5)(a) Poaching-reported reward permits may only be issued to the person who provides the most pertinent information leading to a successful prosecution. Permits are not transferrable.

(b) If information is received from more than one person, the director of the division shall make a determination based on the facts of the case, as to which person provided the most pertinent information leading to the successful prosecution in the case.

(c) The person providing the most pertinent information shall qualify for the poaching-reported reward permit.

(6) Any person who receives a poaching-reported reward permit must possess a Utah hunting or combination license and otherwise be eligible to hunt and obtain cougar permits as provided in all rules and regulations of the Wildlife Board and the Wildlife Resources Code.

KEY: wildlife, cougar, game laws

Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment: [October 22, 2008]2009

Notice of Continuation: August 21, 2006

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: 23-14-18; 23-14-19