Beginner Pheasant Hunt - Santaquin WMA

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife are hosting a free pheasant hunt for beginners (youth and adults) at the Santaquin Wildlife Management Area in Utah County. Hunting mentors will be releasing pen-raised rooster pheasants prior to each hunt session so that novice hunters will have an increased opportunity to successfully harvest pheasants.

Requirements:

• Participants must have one year or less of hunting experience and also must not have participated in this event (or other DWR pheasant hunts) in previous years.
• The hunt is limited to 32 hunters (16 per session). Hunters must register in advance to attend.
• Hunters must verify they have completed hunter education or have a trial hunting program number, as well as a valid hunting or combination license.
• All participants must have a ticket and agree to the online waiver. This includes hunters, adults attending to supervise hunters, observers/mentors staying at the event to provide transportation, volunteers and dog handlers.
• Youth sessions are for those 11-17 years old. The adult session is for hunters aged 18 and older. All sessions are for hunters with less than one year experience.
• Only one adult can accompany each novice hunter into the field. The adult accompanying the novice hunter may not hunt.
• Do not bring dogs to this event.

Be prepared:

• Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled hunt to get checked in.
• All participants must bring their own shotgun, ammunition, hunter orange, and safety equipment (ear and eye protection). Lead shot is permitted on the Santaquin WMA. Please make sure all firearms are unloaded upon arrival.
• Please review — and download to your phone — the Utah Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook for bag and possession limits.

What to expect:

• Each session will be roughly 2.5 hours long. There will be a 40-minute safety briefing and firearm check, followed by a 15-minute staging period where hunters will pair up with a mentor and make their way to their designated hunting area. Hunters will have approximately 1 hour to hunt followed by a 20-minute wrap-up period at the end.
• The adult session will start at 9:30 a.m. (arrive by 9:15 a.m.).
• The youth session will start at 12:30 p.m. (arrive by 12:15 p.m.).
• Everyone going afield, youth or adults, must wear hunter orange on their head and body.
• Each novice hunter (and their adult companion, if applicable) will be paired with one of the other novice hunters. A trained hunting mentor will accompany each group. There will be four hunters and two hunting mentors per each of the four hunting areas.
• You will be emailed a survey within a week after your hunt occurs. Please check your email to provide your much-appreciated feedback.

Directions:

Please meet at the northern Santaquin WMA parking area. Take exit 242 from I-15, continue east on Summit Ridge Pakway until you reach the parking lot: https://maps.app.goo.gl/z21uxTHRT1Uwydw67

The links below shows the area of the Santaquin WMA we will be hunting:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14z3joKJYY4rhekWr4MtXZJz_sHn57QaB/view?usp=sharing

Pre-Event Contact:

Michael Packer | 385-225-4322 | michaelpacker@utah.gov

Nicole Passeri | 385-277-2966 | npasseri@utah.gov

For directions or questions on the day of the hunt:

Michael Packer | 385-225-4322