Why Utah Wants to Ban Night Vision Devices, Some Use Tracking Cameras During Hunting Season

SALT LAKE CITY: Technology has changed hunting in many ways, both good and bad.

It’s easier to access information and find places to hunt, but there are some technological advances that Utah wildlife officials and many Utah hunters agree can cross the line. Up to this point, the Utah Wildlife Resources Division said Wednesday it wanted to ban the use of night-vision devices and modify the use of trail cameras during the high hunting season, especially because both they become more affordable and more popular.

These two proposed rules highlight some other changes to the hunting rules that the Utah Wildlife Board will vote on next month.

According to one of the proposed changes, hunters could not use a night vision device to locate or attempt to locate a large game animal, from 48 hours before hunting in an area, until 48 hours after that area ended.

“The buffer on both sides is just to avoid finding an animal just before the hunt begins or use it to locate an animal after the hunt,” Covy Jones, the Division’s great game coordinator, said in a video of Utah Wildlife Resources the proposed changes.

“We just want everyone to be on the same foot during the hunt,” he said.

The division defines that a night vision device is anything that enhances visible and invisible light, such as thermal imaging devices, infrared imaging devices, or electronic devices that enhance the spectrum of visible and invisible light.

Another rule change prohibits the use of transmitting images from tracking cameras between July 31 and January 31, which includes the time period of big game hunts. Jones said trace cameras can still be placed statewide, but the state would begin a “season of non-use.”

During this time period, people cannot use a tracking camera device either to locate or attempt to locate the large game. Split defines tracking camera devices as any device that is not manually held or operated by a person who is used to capture images, videos, or wildlife location data by heat or motion to activate the device.

It would also be illegal to sell, distribute or store any imaging material from a transmission camera for the use of the crop or aid in the harvesting of any large game animal. Division officials said people who use tracking cameras on private land to control intruders or who have “active agricultural operations” can still use them for these purposes between July 31 and January 31. Cities that are part of the Urban Deer program can, too. However, it would be illegal to use these cameras to hunt big game, according to the rule change recommendation.

Both devices are considered a challenge to the limits of hunting ethics, Jones explained. He added that it wasn’t a problem before, but both became more popular as equipment prices dropped in recent years.

The division emailed a survey of possible hunting change proposals to a random group of Utah hunters earlier this year. More than a third of hunters responded and this data was used to help form official proposals for change.

“Overwhelmingly, the feeling is that using (night vision devices) doesn’t fit fair pursuit and there’s a strong feeling that the animal needs to have a chance, and fair pursuit is that,” Jones said. .

According to the division, about 62% of the more than 2,000 respondents also opposed the use of transmitting real-time tracking camera images during the hunting season.

The division also proposed other hunting changes, such as requiring bison hunters to read an article about the placement of shots, also for ethical reasons. Another change would eliminate the requirement to wear hunter orange during the general season of any archery hunt that overlapped with the general season of any bullfight. Juvenile hunters should still wear orange.

You can find the full list of recommended hunting and fishing changes here. All proposed changes will be reviewed and voted on by the Utah Wildlife Board on September 30th.

Division officials said Monday they began accepting public comments about the proposed changes. You can leave public comments on the Utah Wildlife Resources Division website. The online comment period ends at 11:59 PM on September 23rd.

There are also several regional meetings where people can give information about the plans:

• The Utah Central Regional Advisory Council meets Aug. 31 at 6 p.m., at DWR’s Springville office, 1115 N. Main St., in Springville.
• The Northern Utah Regional Advisory Council meets Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. in the DWR Weber County Commission Rooms, 2380 Washington Blvd., Ssuite # 240 in Ogden.
• The Southern Utah Regional Advisory Board meets Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. at the Richfield City Natural Resources Department Complex (2031 Industrial Park Road).
• The Southeast Utah Regional Advisory Council meets Sept. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the John Wesley Powell Museum, 1765 E. Main St., Green River.
• The Northeast Utah Regional Advisory Council meets Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m., at the DWR Vernal office, 318 N. Vernal Ave.

People can also provide feedback during the Utah Wildlife Board meeting where voting will take place. The meeting is scheduled to be held at 9 a.m. on Sept. 30 in the Department of Natural Resources building, 1594 W. North Temple, in Salt Lake City.