Facts

• The 4th Annual Western Hunting & Conservation Expo will combine the very best in hunting expositions with a joint national convention between two major North American wildlife conservation organizations – the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF), and Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife (SFW).
  
  
• 200 Utah premium, limited entry, and once-in-a-lifetime trophy hunting tags, valued by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) and the two conservation organizations at $1.5 million, will be available to any and all sportsmen by public drawing for $5 per hunt unit application fee to those who apply and then validate their application in person at the Hunting Expo.
  
  
• 5 Utah premium once-in-a-lifetime trophy tags will be made available for non-residents only, including 1 Desert Bighorn Sheep, 1 Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, 1 Shiras Moose, 1 Mountain Goat and 1 Bison.
  
  
• In addition to the two hundred draw permits, the greatest collection of Governor’s hunting tags and auction permits ever assembled will also be auctioned at special events during the Hunting Expo bringing the certain attendance of additional hunters from many parts of North America. These permits will sell for $20,000 - $250,000 each!
  
  
• The core audience—those who are expected to attend the Hunting Expo—are the more than 650,000 hunters living within a day’s drive of Salt Lake City. However, many sportsmen will be flying in to Salt Lake City from all parts of North America.
  
  
• An estimated 20,000 sportsmen are expected to converge on downtown Salt Lake City within the four days.
  
  
• 400+ exhibitors, outfitters, sporting goods manufacturers, and hunting experts from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Africa, Russia, Tajikistan, New Zealand and other international hunting locations will exhibit their diverse hunting adventures, hunting equipment, and related products and services within the Salt Palace Convention Center.
  
  
• According to the Salt Lake Visitor’s & Convention Bureau, the Hunting Expo ranks among the state’s top 10 conventions in terms of its overall size.
  
  
• The impact to the state and local economies is conservatively estimated at $10 million, including 3,000 hotel rooms, thousands of restaurant meals, and additional expenditures by exhibitors and attendees.
  
  
• The two conservation organizations anticipate raising an additional $10 million for wildlife conservation throughout the four-day event.
  
  
• Event organizers project an additional $10 million in bookings, new business, and sales to be generated for and in behalf of exhibitors during the event.
  
  
• Millions of dollars in private money, labor, and materials has been donated by the two conservation organizations directly benefiting Utah wildlife through wildlife habitat rehabilitation projects, winter range land purchases, bighorn sheep and wild turkey transplants, and watershed projects. The Hunting Expo will produce millions more.
  
  
• The Hunting Expo has the potential to not only become one of Utah’s largest conventions but also one of the largest of its kind in North America.
  
  
• There will also be seminars from world-class hunting experts and top name entertainment and keynote speakers for three nights during the Expo.
  • Western Underground (Chris LeDoux’s band) will perform on Thursday, February 11 at the “Welcome Back” Buffet Banquet.
  • Country Music Star Jo Dee Messina will perform on Friday, February 12 at the Conservation Banquet and Auction.
  • Country Music Star Josh Turner will perform on Saturday, February 13 at the WHCE Extravaganza Banquet and Auction.
  • NEW THIS YEAR – On line registration – sign up now for the best seats at these events

FAQs

Q:Can I apply for Utah permits at both the Hunting Expo and in the Normal State draw?
A: Yes.

Q: Do I have to be present to apply for the permits?
A: No. You can apply online before the Hunting Expo, but you must activate your application in person at the Expo. You will be able to apply for permits at the Hunting Expo, but we encourage you to apply online to avoid long application lines and save time at the Expo.

Q: Do I have to be present at the drawing?
A: No.

Q: When will the winners be notified?
A: Results of the 200 permit drawing will be posted on the website on or before Friday, February 19, 2010. All winners will be checked to make sure they are not prohibited in any state compact violation, and winners will be posted on the website.

Q: If I win a hunt, how do I get a permit?
A: Within 60 days you will be notified in writing, and identified in the system as the permit winner. This notification will explain your options in obtaining the permit from the Division of Wildlife."

Q: What happens if I draw an elk permit in the Hunting Expo application process, and an elk permit in the normal state drawing?
A: You will have to choose which permit you want to keep, surrender the other permit, and an alternate hunter will be given the surrendered permit.

Q: What happens if I draw two or more permits of one species of Hunting Expo permits?
A: You will have to choose the one (1) permit of your choice for the species, and surrender the other permit(s). Alternatives will then be selected.

Q: Can I sell or transfer my wildlife Hunting Expo permit voucher to another individual?
A: No. The recipient may not sell or transfer a voucher or permit, or any rights to one.

Q: Could I win a moose, elk and turkey permit at the Expo?
A: Yes. You could be drawn for multiple species, but ONLY ONE permit of any one species per year.

Q: Do waiting periods or bonus points apply to Hunting Expo permits?
A: No. No bonus points are counted, and all waiting periods are waived.

Q: If I draw a Hunting Expo permit, does that invoke the Utah waiting period?
A: No, not for elk, deer, antelope, black bear, cougar or turkey.

Q: If I draw a Hunting Expo Permit for moose, goat, bighorn or bison does that invoke the once-in-a-lifetime rule?
A: Yes, if you draw a Hunting Expo permit, you can no longer apply in the normal Utah drawing. You could, however, apply at future conventions for the same once-in-a-lifetime permit, or you could purchase additional conservation or landowner permits for once-in-a-lifetime species.

Q: What happens if I bought a Utah CWMU, Landowner, or Conservation Permit for a species, and then draw a Hunting Expo permit for the same species?
A: You can surrender the one you do not want. As long as you have not redeemed the voucher for the permit, it will be up to the Conservation group or landowner association if you receive a refund for their voucher but it can be re-issued by them. If you have redeemed the voucher for a permit, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources cannot issue a refund of your license fee.

Q: If I have already drawn a once-in-a-lifetime permit in Utah, or if I am currently in a waiting period for deer, elk, or antelope, can I apply for some or all of these permits at the Hunting Expo?
A: Yes! Any person may apply for any or all available permits at the Hunting Expo irregardless of what permits he/she may have drawn in previous Utah public draws.

Note: The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources reserves the right for final interpretation and award of all permits based on the Convention Permits Rule and Utah law.