But you have wildlife growth that needs to be managed."Īnother part of the controversy surrounding the permits is that people have misconceptions of where the money goes, Shaw said.
"People say 'no hunting' and I understand the concern about hunting at a park. "Antelope Island is controversial because it's a state park, but it's a resource-based park and the resource is wildlife and it costs to manage wildlife," Sheehan said. Sheehan said some controversy has surrounded the hunt due to it being held at a state park and the fact that two of the four yearly hunting permits for the island go to those with the most money. The hunts are managed by Antelope Island State Park officials in conjunction with the DWR. "Antelope Island has uniquely large genetic antlers so we get large deer and people want the opportunity to get the largest antlered deer," Division of Wildlife Resources Director Greg Sheehan said. The legislature approved the auction of one mule deer permit and one bighorn sheep permit each year, as well as a public draw for another mule deer and bighorn sheep permit on the island.Īntelope Island is known for its genetically "pure" herd of about 700 bison, but is also home to about 130 bighorn sheep and about 500 buck mule deer - many of which are world class and the main reason the permit sells for so much. The first Antelope Island State Park permit was auctioned in 2011 after being authorized and mandated during the 2011 legislative session, according to Antelope Island State Park manager Jeremy Shaw. The same permit held the previous world record after it sold for $390,000 at the 2015 auction. The coveted Antelope Island State Park mule deer permit was the last item to sell at Friday night's auction and went for an astounding $410,000, becoming the new world record for the most money paid for a mule deer hunting permit.
SALT LAKE CITY - Attendees of the Friday night auction at the 10th annual Western Hunting and Conservation Expo didn't just enjoy dinner and a keynote speech by "American Sniper" wife, Taya Kyle - they also witnessed a world record. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use.