R657-37-3. Requirements for the Establishment of a Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit  


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  •   (1) A CWMU may be established for the purposes of hunting one or more of the following:

      (a) mule deer;

      (b) elk;

      (c) moose;

      (d) pronghorn; and

      (e) turkey.

      (2) The Wildlife Board may approve the issuance of a certificate of registration for a CWMU, provided:

      (a) the property is capable of independently maintaining the presence of the respective species and harboring them during the established hunting season;

      (b) the property is capable of accommodating the anticipated number of hunters and providing a reasonable hunting opportunity;

      (c) the property exhibits enforceable boundaries clearly identifiable to both the public and private hunters;

      (d) the CWMU contributes to meeting division wildlife management objectives;

      (e) as needed, the CWMU provides reasonable assistance to the division in minimizing and addressing damage to agricultural interests within and adjacent to the CWMU caused by wildlife; and

      (f) the CWMU meets the technical specifications provided in this rule.

      (3) A CWMU shall satisfy the following criteria:

      (a) a CWMU for elk or moose must contain at least 10,000 contiguous acres;

      (b) a CWMU for deer, pronghorn, or turkey must contain at least 5,000 contiguous acres;

      (b) the CWMU shall consist of private land to the extent practicable;

      (c) only private lands may be included in calculating minimum acreage requirements;

      (d) land parcels adjoining corner-to-corner may not be included for the purposes of meeting minimum contiguous acreage requirements;

      (e) all lands counting towards the minimum acreage requirements shall provide quality hunting opportunity and form a quality hunting unit; or

      (f) the CWMU must receive approval for a variance as described in R657-37-5(4).

      (4) A CWMU may include public land only if:

      (a) the public land is surrounded by private land or is otherwise publicly inaccessible;

      (b) the public land is necessary to establish an enforceable and identifiable hunt boundary; or

      (c) inclusion of the public land is necessary to achieve statewide and unit management objectives.

      (5) A CWMU may not include:

      (a) any lands comprising Domesticated Elk Facilities and Domesticated Elk Hunting Parks, as defined in Section 4-39-102(2) and Rules R58-18 and R58-20;

      (b) any lands already included in another active CWMU; or

      (c) differing hunt boundaries for multiple species approved on a single CWMU.

      (6) The Wildlife Board may deny a CWMU that meets technical requirements of this rule but does not otherwise fulfill the purposes of the CWMU program.