Utah’s wild landscapes are among the most beautiful in the West, but they are also battlegrounds where thousands of animals are killed each year due to flawed management.
From unlicensed mountain lion hunts to secretive elk culling, every state-sanctioned, politically driven action disrupts the natural balance of Utah’s ecosystems and threatens the long-term health of wildlife populations.
The year’s secret elk culling at Deseret Land & Livestock (DL&L) ranch, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is a glaring example of this flawed approach. From January to March, the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) quietly sanctioned a culling of 170 elk to address a herd that was 3,000 animals over the state’s “population objective.”
First, these population objectives are based more on protecting forage for livestock than on scientific evidence of ecological balance. Second, the culling was conducted without public notice, reflecting a serious lack of transparency in the state’s wildlife management. Ultimately, tax dollars are being used to fund programs that primarily benefit private landowners, like DL&L, with little public oversight.
The DWR’s justification for removing 170 elk from a herd of thousands supposedly overpopulated is a temporary, ineffective solution that ignores the role of natural predators in controlling elk numbers. DL&L is in Rich and Morgan counties, where wolves and mountain lions — species essential for regulating elk populations — are not protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Utah’s relentless campaign against these predators has created what they call “elk overpopulation.” Instead of allowing predators to perform their natural ecological function, the state has chosen unsustainable culling measures that do nothing to address the root causes of wildlife imbalance. This approach wastes taxpayer resources and prioritizes livestock interests over long-term ecosystem health.
Not only are Utah’s wildlife management strategies ineffective, they do not reflect Utahns’ values — a disconnect that the public has been raising the alarm about for decades. The most recent study about Utahns attitudes toward cougars and black bears showed that Utahns disapproved of bear baiting, use of hounds and recreational hunting of black bears and cougars. Yet, nearly 15,000 cougars and 13,000 black bears have been killed since 1990 in Utah alone.
The most recent study on the topic found that 74% of Utah residents hold a positive view of wolves, reflecting strong public support for the species. However, since 2011 at least $5.1 million of Utahns tax money has been spent directly on lobbying efforts to delist the wolf. Utah even has a state law to actively block wolves from reinhabiting the state, while they are listed under the Endangered Species Act. At Western Watersheds Project, we’re not aware of any other state that actively blocks the freedom of movement of a rare and imperiled species in this way. Such policies, along with inflammatory rhetoric from politicians like State Rep. Steven Lund — who suggested wolves be returned to Colorado “in the form of a rug” — are completely out of step with the values of most Utah residents.
The scientific community has long pointed out the importance of predators in maintaining ecological balance. Adrian Treves, Professor of Environmental Studies and Director of the Carnivore Coexistence Lab at the University of Wisconsin, and others found predators are vital for preventing excessive herbivory and human-induced predator mortality disrupts the natural dynamics of ecosystems. Robert Lennox, Associate Biology Professor at Dalhousie University, and others found that predator control programs are not only ineffective but counterproductive. For instance, killing large numbers of coyotes can lead to population booms as the species compensates by reproducing more rapidly. Yet in 2023 alone, 10,117 coyotes were killed in Utah.
The state’s refusal to protect large carnivores while spending millions to eliminate them and their prey is an egregious example of wildlife management gone awry. If these predator control programs were effective, why do they need to be repeated year after year? The ongoing nature of these programs demonstrates their failure to produce sustainable results. Additionally, Utah’s continued aggressive predator management and high-profile animal killings could deter wildlife tourism and harm Utah’s standing as a destination for nature lovers.
To move forward, Utah must reassess its wildlife management practices. The Legislature should stop funding anti-wolf lobbying efforts and end state-sponsored lethal predator control.
Redirecting these funds toward public education on the ecological roles of predators would be a far more effective use of resources. Programs like the Western Wildlife Conservancy’s efforts to install educational placards about mountain lions at Salt Lake City trailheads should be encouraged and supported.
By embracing policies that prioritize conservation, coexistence and the intrinsic value of wildlife, Utah can become a leader in sustainable wildlife management and truly reflect the values of its residents.
(Dagny Signorelli) Dagny Signorelli is Northern Utah/Wyoming Director with Western Watersheds Project.
Dagny Signorelli is the Northern Utah/Wyoming director with Western Watersheds Project, a nonprofit conservation group working to protect and restore wildlife and watersheds throughout the American West.
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