Utah Division of Natural Resources

Salt Lake City, Utah --(Ammoland.com)- Starting this spring, bear hunters will have opportunities they’ve never had before in Utah.

The new opportunities have been made possible through a new bear management plan the Utah Wildlife Board approved in 2011.

John Shivik, mammals coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says the plan is giving more people a chance to hunt bears in Utah. “At the same time,” Shivik says, “the plan provides some important safeguards to keep the state’s bear populations healthy and safe.”

Board approves hunting rules
At their Jan. 12 meeting, members of the Wildlife Board approved black bear hunting and pursuit rules for Utah’s 2012 seasons.

All of the rules the board approved will be available in the 2012 Utah Black Bear Guidebook.

The guidebook should be available at wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks by Jan. 31.

The following are some highlights:

• In the past, most of the bears that were hunted in Utah were tracked with hounds and ran up trees. A few hunters have also used bait to lure bears in so the hunters could make a clean and effective shot with a bow and arrow.
• But starting this spring, more spot-and-stalk-only hunts will be offered in Utah.
• Hunters may not use hounds or bait during spot-and-stalk hunts. Instead, they must spot the bear and stalk it.
  In the past, all of Utah’s bear hunting areas were limited-entry areas. Only those who draw a permit for a limited-entry area can hunt on it.
• Starting this spring, though, the state will offer some harvest-objective hunts.
• The number of hunters who can hunt on a harvest-objective area isn’t limited, so switching a limited-entry area to a harvest-objective area gives more people a chance to hunt the area.
• To protect bears on harvest-objective areas, the number of bears that can be taken on each area is limited. Once that limit—also known as the area’s quota—is reached, the hunt on the area ends for the season.
• Harvest-objective hunts will be offered on three areas: The Wasatch Mountains, Currant Creek, Avintaquin unit in north central Utah, the Beaver unit in southwestern Utah and the Nine Mile unit in southeastern Utah.
  The spring hunts on some of Utah’s bear hunting units will run a little longer this year. The longer spring seasons will allow biologists to put more pressure on bears in areas where livestock are often killed and campgrounds raided by bears.

More hunters can hunt black bears in Utah this year. Photo by Lynn Chamberlain

Protecting the bears
In addition to providing some new hunting opportunities, the new plan provides bears with some important safeguards:

In the past, Shivik says three hunting-related factors have been used to determine the health of Utah’s bear population—the percentage of bears taken that are female, the average age of the bears taken and the number of adult bears that survive each hunting season.

You won’t find those three factors in the new plan. Instead, biologists are focusing on two key factors: the number of female bears and the number of adult male bears that hunters take.

(An adult male bear is a bear that’s five years of age or older.)

Shivik says the number of females and the number of adult males hunters take gives important information about how a bear population is doing:

The number of females hunters take is important because females give birth to cubs and then care for the cubs after they’re born.

“But the best early indicator we have about the health of a bear population is the number of adult males hunters take in relation to the number of females,” Shivik says.

Shivik says adult males wander more than other bears. The wandering the adult males do helps bear populations expand.

Because they wander more, adult males are also the bears hunters usually encounter first.

If biologists see that the number of adult males hunters are taking is going down—and the number of females is going up—they know the bear population in the area is declining.

“Once hunters start finding more females,” Shivik says, “we know the population is declining in number.”

In addition to the number of female bears and adult male bears hunters take, biologists are also using two important bear studies to monitor the health of Utah’s bear population:

One study involves snagging hair from bears at sites across Utah. After the hair is snagged, DNA tests are used to determine how often the bears that left the snagged hair visited the sites. This study is helping biologists measure how fast or slow the state’s bear populations are growing.

In the second study, biologists visit bear dens in the winter to see how many cubs are in the dens. The biologists also assess the health of the cubs and their mothers. This study is giving biologists important information about the number of new bears that are being brought into Utah’s population each year.

Lop and Scatter Project, L-R: Jeremy Anderson, AJ Smith, Brooks Greenwood, Justin Whittier and Darren West.

Mule Deer Foundation

Salt Lake City, UTAH --(Ammoland.com)- Darren West, Project Coordinator for the Mule Deer Foundation’s (MDF) Utah County Chapter, was recently honored by the Utah Division of Wildlife (UDOW).

West was recognized for his relentless work for the benefit of wildlife and habitat.

Covy Jones, the UDOW Biologist who nominated West, said he is impressed with the difficult projects Darren and the other MDF volunteers are willing to tackle. He also commended West and MDF for being enthusiastic and proactive working partners.

Over the last several years, West has worked on behalf of MDF to coordinate relevant habitat projects in partnership with UDOW. He and other MDF volunteers completed “Lop and Scatter” projects on Wildlife Management Areas near Mount Pleasant and Spanish Fork, Utah. Lop and Scatter is a labor-intensive method of removing branches from felled trees to increase the rate of decomposition and lower fire hazard. It also includes clearing areas of over-grown pinion and juniper to promote the re-growth of vegetation, and is a vital part of restoring mule deer winter range.

Jones said this habitat work has produced immediate results and is proving very beneficial for Utah’s deer herds. To date, the Utah County MDF Chapter has cleared 78 acres, with a combined total of 176 hours on the saws. At least 40 additional hours have been spent in planning and training sessions.

West, who was out of state when nominated, said he is driven by his passion and love for hunting.

He declared, “The deer in Utah are in rapid decline, and it feels good to actually do something.”

Justin Whittier, who has worked alongside West on a number of MDF projects, attended the UDOW Awards Luncheon on Dec. 7, 2011, and accepted the award on West’s behalf.

He said, “There were some 50 state employees in attendance, from conservation officers, dedicated hunter people, conservation directors … as a group, they had nominated ten honorees, and Darren West, as a volunteer for the Mule Deer Foundation, was one of them.”

Whittier continued, “Other recipients included Rod Hess with the Utah Dept. of Transportation, recognized for his work on the I-15 core project restoring wetlands and building deer fences, and Boyd McAffee, a Director with Clear Creek Outdoor Education Camp, was recognized for his 30+ years of service introducing youth to the outdoors. Darren was in good company!”

MDF’s Utah County Chapter Chair Jeremy Anderson concluded, “Our chapter is still growing, but we are gaining momentum with hard work and determination. We already have three new projects slated for 2012. When Darren West came on board we took a large step in the right direction.”

About MDF:
The Mule Deer Foundation is one of the key conservation groups in North America working to restore, improve and protect mule deer, black-tailed deer and their habitat. With a focus on science and program efficiency, MDF has raised millions of dollars and put countless hours on the ground for mission-critical projects. MDF acknowledges regulated hunting as a viable management component and is committed to recruitment and retention of youth into the shooting sports and conservation. Get involved at www.muledeer.org or call 1-888-375-DEER.

Utah DWR officer Josh Carver shows what wildlife officers and volunteers are trying to stop this winter: The illegal killing of mule deer in Utah. This 6x5 buck was shot in Iron County in November.

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Utah --(Ammoland.com)-  This winter, Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officers and members of sportsman’s groups are carrying out the largest winter range patrols ever conducted in the state.

“As Utahns celebrate the holidays and usher in a new year, our officers will be busy protecting the state’s mule deer herds from poachers—thieves who steal wildlife from present and future generations of ethical sportsmen,” says Mike Fowlks, chief of the DWR’s Law Enforcement Section.

“We won’t tolerate deer poaching in Utah,” Fowlks says. “We’re pulling out all the stops and using all the means we have to protect Utah’s deer herds.”

The following are among the things the DWR is doing:

• Patrolling winter ranges at night. Officers are conducting these patrols on land and from the air.
• Conducting saturation patrols that put several DWR officers on the same piece of winter range at the same time.
• Enlisting volunteers from sportsman groups to serve as additional ‘eyes and ears.’

The volunteers patrol the winter ranges. They have the means needed to report what they see and hear directly to the nearest DWR officer.

Patrols are underway across Utah. The patrols will continue through the winter.

Fowlks says most of the on-the-ground and aerial patrolling is focused on areas where deer are most at risk.

“But those aren’t the only areas our officers and volunteers are watching,” Fowlks says. “Far from it. We’re watching winter ranges across the state.”

Fowlks says five areas in Utah are receiving special attention:

• The desert areas on the western side of Utah
• The southwestern corner of the state
• The Paunsaugunt deer unit in southern Utah
• The Henry Mountains unit in southeastern Utah
• The Book Cliffs unit in eastern Utah

Turn-In-a-Poacher hotline
As you travel through Utah’s backcountry this winter, Fowlks encourages you to keep your eyes and ears open. “You don’t have to be part of this patrol effort to make a difference,” Fowlks says. “If you see something suspicious, let us know as soon as possible.”

Utah’s Turn-in-a-Poacher hotline is the most efficient way to contact a DWR officer. The UTiP number is 1-800-662-3337. The hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Winter a critical time
Much of the deer poaching that happens in Utah happens in the winter. And for good reason—winter is the time of year when mule deer are concentrated on their lower elevation winter ranges. The bucks are also less wary because the breeding season is underway or it just finished.

Fowlks says poachers usually target the biggest bucks they can find. In addition to stealing opportunity from legal hunters, taking the bucks can also result in too many deer being taken during hunts that upcoming fall.

Fowlks says DWR biologists count the number of bucks per 100 does in December.

“In December, the deer are bunched together on lower elevation areas where it’s easier to get an accurate count,” he says. “But if poachers kill bucks after the biologists have counted them, the data that’s used to set permit numbers in the spring won’t be correct—it will show more bucks than there actually are. And that can lead to too many hunting permits being issued.”

Poachers take a big toll
So far in 2011, wildlife officers have investigated the illegal killing of 189 mule deer in Utah.

Most of the deer were bucks. The antlers on 22 of the bucks were big enough to place the deer in a trophy category.

“Hunters would haven been thrilled to take any of these bucks,” Fowlks says.

The monetary value of the animals to Utah’s citizens is $242,800.

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Utah --(Ammoland.com)- If you like to hunt bears, you might have opportunities in 2012 that you’ve never had before in Utah.

A new bear management plan is making the new opportunities possible. The Utah Wildlife Board approved the plan earlier this year.

John Shivik, game mammals coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says the plan has opened the door to some new hunting options.

“At the same time,” Shivik says, “the plan provides some important safeguards to keep the state’s bear populations healthy and safe.”

All of the changes the DWR is recommending for Utah’s 2012 bear hunts are available online. The following are some highlights:

Currently, most of the bears that are hunted in Utah are tracked by hounds and ran up trees. A few hunters hunt over bait using a bow and arrow. But starting in 2012, biologists are recommending that spot-and-stalk-only hunts be held in some areas in Utah.

Hunters may not use hounds or bait during spot-and-stalk hunts. Currently, all of Utah’s bear hunting areas are limited-entry areas. Only those who draw a permit for a limited-entry area can hunt on it.

Starting in 2012, biologists would like to offer some harvest-objective hunts too.

The number of hunters who can hunt on a harvest-objective area isn’t limited, so switching an area to harvest objective gives more people a chance to hunt the area. Letting more hunters hunt an area increases the chance that more bears will be taken.

Black bear hunters might have some new opportunities in Utah in 2012. Photo by Lynn Chamberlain

As soon as a predetermined number of bears are taken (called the area’s quota), the hunt on the area will end for the season.

The spring hunts on some of Utah’s bear hunting units might run a little longer in 2012. Having longer spring seasons allows biologists to put more pressure on bears in areas where bears often kill livestock and raid campgrounds.

Protecting the bears
In addition to opening the door to some new hunting opportunities, the new plan provides bears with some important safeguards:

In the past, Shivik says biologists have used three factors to determine the health of Utah’s bear population—the percentage of bears taken by hunters that are female, the average age of the bears taken and the number of adult bears that survive in Utah from year to year.

You won’t find those three factors in the new plan. Instead, biologists will focus on two key factors: the amount of female bears and the amount of adult males taken by hunters.

(An adult male bear is a bear that’s five years of age or older.)

Shivik says the number of females and the number of adult males that hunters take gives important information about how a bear population is doing: The number of females hunters take is important because females give birth to cubs and then care for the cubs after they’re born.

“But the number of adult males hunters take is the best early indicator we have about the health of a bear population,” Shivik says.

Shivik says adult males wander more than the other age groups. Because they wander more, adult males are the bears hunters usually encounter and take.

If biologists see that the number of adult males hunters are taking is going down—and the number of females is going up—they know the bear population in the area is in decline.

“Once hunters start finding females, instead of the males they normally encounter first,” Shivik says, “we know the population is declining in number.”

In addition to the number of female bears and adult male bears hunters take, biologists are also using two important bear studies to determine the health of Utah’s bear population:

One study involves snagging hair from bears at sites across Utah. After the hair is snagged, DNA tests are used to determine how often the bears that left the snagged hair are visiting the sites. This study is helping biologists measure how fast or slow the state’s bear populations are growing.

In the second study, biologists visit bear dens in the winter to see how many cubs are in the dens and to assess the health of the cubs and their mothers.

This study is giving biologists important information about the number of bears that are being brought into Utah’s population each year.

Learn more, share your ideas
After you’ve reviewed the DWR’s ideas, you can let your Regional Advisory Council members know your thoughts by attending your upcoming RAC meeting or by sending an email to them.

RAC chairmen will share the input they receive with members of the Utah Wildlife Board. The board will meet in Salt Lake City on Jan. 12 to approve rules for Utah’s 2012 bear hunting and pursuit seasons.

Dates, times and locations for the RAC meetings are as follows:

• Southern Region

Dec. 6, 7 p.m.
Beaver High School
195 E Center Street, Beaver

• Southeastern Region

Dec. 7, 6:30 p.m.
John Wesley Powell Museum
1765 E Main Street, Green River

• Northeastern Region

Dec. 8, 6:30 p.m.
Bingham Entrepreneurship and Energy Research Center
320 N Aggie Blvd (2000 W), Vernal

• Central Region

Dec. 13, 6:30 p.m.
Central Region Conference Center
1115 N Main Street, Springville

• Northern Region

Dec. 14, 6 p.m.
Weber State University, Shepherd Union Building, Rooms 404A and 404B
3848 Harrison Blvd, Ogden

Email
You can also provide your comments to your RAC via email. Email addresses for your RAC members are available online.

The group each RAC member represents (sportsman, non-consumptive, etc.) is listed under each person’s email address. You should direct your email to the people on the RAC who represent your interest.

Laughter Appointed to Utah Wildlife Habitat Council

Utah Division of Natural Resources

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah --(Ammoland.com)- Mike Laughter, Regional Director for the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF), recently accepted an appointment to the Utah Wildlife Habitat Council.

The Council makes recommendations on how to distribute about $2.3 million each year. These dedicated funds, raised from hunting and fishing license sales, are used to enhance, preserve, manage, acquire and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout the state of Utah.

Michael Canning, Habitat Section Chief for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) said, “The Council works to restore habitat and improve hunter access. We are concerned about Utah’s deer herds, and believe Mike’s affiliation with the Mule Deer Foundation and his familiarity with habitat issues will be very beneficial.”

Council members include four individuals from the DWR and four citizens who represent big game, waterfowl, upland game and sportfishing interests. Laughter will now act as the big game representative.

Laughter has worked as a Regional Director with the Mule Deer Foundation for eight years. His region stretches from areas in Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming to the entire state of Utah, and he boasts of managing the eastern-most chapter of MDF in Atlanta, Ga. Laughter was born in Ogden, but now resides in the small town of Hooper, Utah. He has served on numerous committees for Utah state agencies and is on the oversight team for the Hardware Ranch Wildlife Management Area in Utah.

MDF’s Chief Operating Officer Eric Tycksen said, “This Wildlife Habitat Council appointment is quite an honor for Mike. MDF is proud to have him, his enthusiasm and his work ethic, as a valued member of our team.”

Laughter commented, “I am glad to be a part of MDF, and I appreciate all the support I’ve received. I look forward to this opportunity to serve on the Utah Wildlife Habitat Council and the chance to represent everything we have worked so hard for.” Laughter plans to participate in a Council meeting later this year.

In fiscal year 2010, the Utah Wildlife Habitat Council supported 68 new projects. These included habitat treatments, conservation easements and fishing piers. They also provided funding needed to manage the DWR’s Wildlife Management Areas. Total expenditures were $2.36 million. A total of 5,294 acres and nearly 10 stream miles were restored or conserved by projects with Habitat Council contributions.

About MDF: The Mule Deer Foundation is one of the key conservation groups in North America working to restore, improve and protect mule deer, black-tailed deer and their habitat. With a focus on science and program efficiency, MDF has raised millions of dollars and put countless man-hours on the ground for mission-critical projects. MDF acknowledges regulated hunting as a viable management component and is committed to recruitment and retention of youth into the shooting sports and conservation. Get involved at www.muledeer.org or call 1-888-375-DEER.

About UTAH DWR: The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources manages and protects Utah’s wildlife, as well as manages hunting and fishing opportunities within the state. For more information go to http://wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/.

You must complete a free online course before gathering shed antlers in Utah. Photo by Brent Stettler

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Utah --(Ammoland.com)- Late winter and early spring is the worst time of the year for elk, moose and especially deer in Utah.

Deep snow makes it harder for deer to move and find food in the winter. And cold temperatures sap the deers’ strength. By the time winter ends, deer are usually the weakest they’ll be all year.

Winter is also the time of year when male deer, elk and moose shed their antlers. The animals will be without antlers until this spring, when they’ll start to grow a new set.

Gathering shed antlers
Gathering antlers that drop off the heads of deer, elk and moose is an activity that’s grown in popularity across the country, including here in Utah.

The challenge with shed-antler gathering is that it happens during the worst time of the year for the animals and the habitat they rely on in the winter.

“By the time winter ends, the animals are stressed,” says Mike Fowlks, Law Enforcement Section chief for the Division of Wildlife Resources.

“The habitat they rely on in the winter is also wet,” he says. “It’s easily damaged. Once the habitat is damaged, it can take years for it to recover.”

Fortunately, Fowlks says you can have fun gathering shed antlers without stressing the animals and damaging their habitat.

“A free course that’s available at our website will show you how,” he says.

Fowlks says you must complete the DWR’s Antler Gathering Ethics course if you want to gather shed antlers in Utah between Feb. 1 and April 15, 2011.

Free course
The free course is available at wildlife.utah.gov/shedantler. After you finish the course, make sure you print a certificate that shows you’ve completed the course.

“And make sure you carry your certificate with you,” Fowlks says. “By law, you must have your certificate with you while you’re gathering shed antlers.”

If you have young children, and you’ve completed the course, your children don’t need to complete it. As long as you’ve completed the course, your certificate will cover your kids too.

Fowlks says if you complete the course, you can gather antlers across Utah.

“Please remember, though, that many of the state’s wildlife management areas are closed in the spring and the winter to protect wildlife,” he says.

You must complete the course if you want to gather shed antlers between Feb. 1 and April 15. If you wait until April 15 or later to gather antlers, you don’t need to complete the course.

For more information, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at 801-538-4700.

Jim Karpowitz, director of the Division of Wildlife Resources, has written a letter to Utah's deer hunters. Photo by Brent Stettler

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Utah --(Ammoland.com)- Since the end of the deer hunt, I have received numerous e-mails from sportsmen who are concerned about the condition of the deer herd in Utah.

For many sportsmen, this proved to be a difficult deer hunt.

Our checking stations also suggest that success was down in many areas of the state. The weather was not good, and the hunt was short, but this does not fully explain the lack of deer observed by many hunters.

As an avid deer hunter myself, I want all of you to know that I understand your concerns, and I share your frustrations that deer hunting is not better in Utah. From both a personal and a professional perspective, I would like to see better deer hunting in Utah.

We are working very hard at the DWR to make sure we are doing everything we can to improve our deer herd and to improve deer hunting. It has been and continues to be a top priority for the Division. We have a comprehensive deer management plan that lays out a path to improve deer populations. Tens of millions of dollars have been invested in the last five years to implement the deer plan and to help our struggling deer herd. We will continue to focus whatever resources and personnel we have to improve our deer populations around the state.

We can certainly do more, but what we have done in recent years is both significant and noteworthy. I would like to take just a minute to review some of the things that have been done and that we will continue to do to help our deer herd.

1. Habitat — We are conducting the most massive effort to restore mule deer habitat conditions ever undertaken in Utah, or in the West. In the last five years, the Division, along with its many partners, has improved mule deer habitat on more than 600,000 acres at a cost of more than $70 million. Habitat improvement projects often take a few years before they begin to pay off, but I am confident that in the long term they will result in healthier deer populations throughout the state. Our deer management plan has an objective to improve another 500,000 acres of habitat in the next five years.
2. Predators — The Division recognizes that coyotes and other predators can cause significant mortality, especially among mule deer fawns, and that predator control is an important part of a deer management program. In the last five years, the Division has provided almost $3 million to Wildlife Services to control coyotes in areas that are important to our deer populations. Last year alone, Wildlife Services killed more than 1,700 coyotes in critical deer habitat areas with funding and guidance provided by the Division. The Division would like to expand our predator control efforts if we can obtain new funding.
3. Highway Mortality — Deer-auto collisions are responsible for the death of thousands of deer annually. We are working closely with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) to reduce highway mortality, and we appreciate their cooperation in addressing this serious issue. In the past five years, UDOT has spent more than $45 million on fencing and highway bypass structures around the state for both mule deer and elk. The Division is also providing funding to Utah State University for a study to further identify the most effective types of highway bypass structures for both deer and elk.
4. Poaching — The Division has stepped up our law enforcement efforts and put more resources into catching poachers who steal many deer from Utah sportsmen each year. Several high-profile arrests have recently been made of poachers who have unlawfully killed multiple deer. Information we receive from sportsmen, alerting us to illegal activity, has been a key to our law enforcement success.
5. Disease — Diseases can cause significant mortality in deer populations. The Division has expended more than $1 million in the last five years in the surveillance and research of chronic wasting disease and other diseases that affect mule deer.
6. Research — The Division has initiated numerous research projects in recent years to better understand the factors that are negatively affecting our mule deer populations. Last winter, the Division embarked on an extensive statewide radio telemetry study to better understand over-winter survival of both does and fawns. Hundreds of deer will be collared over the next few years—at an expense of more than $1 million—in order to gain better information about deer survival rates. The Division is also planning a comprehensive productivity study that will focus on the impacts of predators on mule deer fawns.
7. Emergency Feeding — The Division has an emergency winter feeding policy for deer should unusually severe conditions arise that warrant supplemental feeding. Even though feeding deer is both expensive and labor intensive, the Division has resources set aside for emergency situations. In 2008, the Division, in concert with several sportsman organizations, fed more than 14,000 deer in the Northern Region at a cost of more than $228,000.

There are several meetings scheduled over the next few days that should be of interest to sportsmen. On Thursday, December 2, the Wildlife Board will decide how we will hunt mule deer bucks for the next several years. While hunting and buck harvest is a very important social consideration, it has very little to do with increasing overall deer numbers. Having a few more bucks in the post-season population will have virtually no effect on deer herd productivity or total deer numbers.

The more important part of that meeting will occur on Wednesday, December 1, when the Division will discuss with the Board how we can improve and increase deer populations throughout the state.

Beginning at 1 p.m. on December 1, the Division will discuss the issues listed above as well as any other issues related to mule deer population management. We invite any of the public who would like to attend this meeting to come and listen to what is being done for mule deer and what we can do better. We have also been working to have this meeting streamed via the Internet so you can listen on your home computer. The meeting will also be recorded and posted on our website, along with the PowerPoint presentations, so you can get the information at a later time. I hope all of the sportsmen of Utah will take the time to either listen to the meeting live or to the recording of the meeting.

There is also a “deer forum” being sponsored by KFAN radio on Tuesday, November 30. This forum will discuss the same issues that will be talked about at the Board meeting on December 1. The Division will be in attendance at the forum to answer questions from sportsmen about how we can help our struggling deer population. The Division will not be at the forum to discuss deer hunt strategies—that will be the topic of the Wildlife Board meeting scheduled for December 2.

In conclusion, we appreciate your interest and concern about deer in Utah. We want you to know that we are working diligently to improve the condition of our deer herd. I invite you to be a part of the important meetings scheduled for next week. If you want to know what is currently being done, or to discuss what needs to be done to improve our deer herds, I invite you to attend or listen to the Wildlife Board meeting on December 1. If your main concern is how we will be hunting bucks in the future, then I hope you will attend the Board meeting on December 2.

Thanks for your time and your continued support of Utah’s wildlife.

Youth Duck Hunting - Several States Hold Youth Hunting Days, Including Utah.

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Utah --(Ammoland.com)- Hunters 15 years of age and younger will have Utah’s marshes—and the ducks and geese that go with it—all to themselves on Sept. 18, 2010.

That’s the day Utah hosts its annual Youth Hunting Day.

Tom Aldrich, migratory game bird coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says Youth Hunting Day is a perfect way to get your children involved in duck and goose hunting.

“The marshes are usually filled with ducks in mid-September,” Aldrich says, “so your kids should see plenty of birds and get plenty of shots.

“And because adults can’t hunt that day, your kids get all of your attention,” he says. “Youth day might be one of the best days you have in the marsh all season.”

Shooting on Youth Hunting Day starts at 6:41 a.m. Hunting is open to those who are 15 years of age or younger.

To qualify, you must be a Hunter Education course graduate, have a current hunting license and Harvest Information Program (HIP) number, and be accompanied by an adult.

Learn more
More information about Youth Hunting Day, including the number of ducks and geese your kids can take, is available on page 30 of the 2010–2011 Utah Waterfowl Guidebook.

The guidebook should be available at wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks by Sept. 9, 2010.

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Salt Lake City, UT -(Ammoland.com)- If you’re interested in Utah’s cougars, pay attention to the Division of Wildlife Resource’s latest cougar hunting proposals—they’ll be in effect for the next three years.

The Division is proposing rules that would guide cougar hunting in Utah for the next three years.

“Keeping the hunting rules and permit numbers consistent will give our efforts to manage cougars more time to work,” says Kevin Bunnell, mammals coordinator for the DWR. “And that will result in future recommendations that will be best for the cougars and for the animals the cougars prey on.”

Utah’s cougar management plan was updated in 2009. This is the first season cougars will be managed under the new plan.

In addition to keeping the number of hunting permits consistent for three years, the plan gives biologists more direction on how to manage cougars on units that have bighorn sheep. It also provides more direction on how to manage cougars on units where the number of mule deer—the main animal cougars prey on—is still under the goal specified in unit management plans.

For the 2010–2011 season, biologists are recommending a slight increase in the number of cougars hunters can take. They estimate raising the number by about eight percent will result in hunters taking an average of about 325 cougars each season for the next three seasons.

Photo by Lynn Chamberlain

Over the past three seasons, hunters took an average of 300 cougars each season.

(The state’s cougar management plan is available at wildlife.utah.gov/pdf/cmgtplan.pdf.)

Learn more, share your ideas

After you’ve reviewed the DWR’s cougar hunting proposals at wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings, you can let your Regional Advisory Council members know your thoughts by attending your upcoming RAC meeting or by sending an e-mail to them.

RAC chairmen will share the input they receive with members of the Utah Wildlife Board. The board will meet in Salt Lake City on Aug. 19, 2010 to approve cougar hunting rules for the next three seasons.

For Dates and times of the RAC meetings can be found here.

You'll know by July 14 whether you drew a permit to hunt doe deer in Utah this fall. Photo by Ron Stewart

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Utah --(AmmoLand.com)- If you’re one of the more than 27,000 hunters who applied for an antlerless big game hunting permit for this fall, watch your e-mail closely on July 14, 2010.

You’ll know by July 14 whether you drew a permit to hunt doe deer in Utah this fall.

If you supplied the Division of Wildlife Resources with an e-mail address, you’ll receive an e-mail letting you know if you drew a permit.

If you didn’t supply an e-mail address, you can learn the results by calling 1-800-221-0659 or visiting wildlife.utah.gov.

This will be the first time the Division hasn’t mailed letters to applicants.

Judi Tutorow, wildlife licensing coordinator for the Division, says most of the 27,000 applicants supplied the agency with an e-mail address.

“If you don’t have access to the Internet, you can still get your results fast by calling the 1-800 number starting July 14,” she says. “The phone line is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

For more information, call the Utah Hunt Application office at 1-800-221-0659. You can also call the nearest Division office or the Division’s Salt Lake City office at 801-538-4700.

If you don’t have a permit to hunt buck deer in Utah this fall, June 17, 2010 is the next chance to get one. A total of 5,500 permits for the Northern Region will go on sale at 7 a.m. that morning. Photos by AJ Rogers

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Utah --(Ammoland.com)- If you don’t have a permit to hunt buck deer in Utah this fall, your next chance to get one begins June 17, 2010.

That’s when Northern Region rifle and muzzleloader permits that were not taken in this year’s big game draw go on sale. Buy a permit If you don’t have a permit to hunt buck deer in Utah this fall, June 17, 2010 is the next chance to get one. A total of 5,500 permits for the Northern Region will go on sale at 7 a.m. that morning.

Most of Utah’s buck deer permits were taken in the draw, but 5,500 Northern Region rifle and muzzleloader permits are still available.

Bull elk permits to hunt during Utah’s general season also go on sale June 17, 2010.

You can buy a permit starting at 7 a.m. at the DWR’s website (wildlife.utah.gov) and from DWR offices and more than 300 hunting license agents across Utah.

The website will be busy

“Our website will be busy on the morning of June 17,” says Judi Tutorow, wildlife licensing coordinator for the DWR. “If the site reaches the maximum number of people it can serve, a message will pop up indicating the site has reached its full capacity.

“If that happens, stay on the site and be patient,” she says. “You should be able to access the site again in just a few minutes.”

When did permits sell out in 2009?
In 2009, buck deer permits that were not taken in the 2009 draw went on sale on June 11. Permits to hunt in the Northern Region sold out on June 13, just two days after they went on sale.

General bull elk permits also went on sale on June 11 last year.

Permits to hunt on spike-only units sold out on Aug. 28. Permits to hunt on any-bull units sold out on Sept. 28.

For more information, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at 801-538-4700.

A bighorn sheep from Montana is released onto Goslin Mountain in 2007. Photo by Ron Stewart

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Utah --(AmmoLand.com)- Recent surveys by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) biologists have found most of the bighorns in the Goslin herd near the Green River in Daggett County are infected with the disease.

“We’ve noticed a decline in the Goslin population for a couple of years, but we weren’t able to identify the reason until recently,” says Charlie Greenwood, regional DWR wildlife manager.

In mid-February, Lowell Marthe, area wildlife biologist for Daggett County, saw a bighorn coughing. He then surveyed other animals in the area to determine if the coughing was an isolated event. Unfortunately, he found other bighorns coughing too. And some of the sheep were acting quite sick. Samples of lung tissue taken from several animals confirmed the animals had pneumonia.

The Goslin herd is relatively new. Bighorn sheep captured in Montana were reintroduced to the area in 2004 and 2007.

The population increased fairly rapidly after the 2004 release, which is normal for a new herd. That didn’t happen with the 2007 release, however. Lamb production and survival were poor and the total number of sheep started to decrease.

The population estimate dropped from 65 to 40 between 2008 and 2009.

Tough decisions
When a deadly disease infects a herd, wildlife managers have very few options. Native wild sheep have several things going against them: they’re very social animals, and they’ve evolved with few defenses or immunities against diseases. As a result, most diseases can be deadly to wild sheep. And those diseases can rapidly infect all the bighorns in an area.

Wildlife managers are left with two choices: watch the sheep die or try to keep the disease from spreading to other bighorns by severely culling (taking) animals from the herd.

“We’ve been watching similar events unfold in Montana, Washington and Nevada,” says Leslie McFarlane, DWR wildlife disease coordinator. “There’s no known cure for pneumonia in bighorns. [The good news is that] it’s not hazardous to livestock or humans.

“Taking infected sheep is the only way to prevent the disease from spreading to other bighorns in the herd,” McFarlane says. “It’s also the most humane thing to do. When sheep get pneumonia, it’s almost always fatal. We want to end the suffering as quick as we can.”

As of Feb. 22, 2010, the DWR had taken 26 bighorns from the Goslin herd. Biologists are closely monitoring another small band from this herd. Biologists haven’t noticed any coughing, but they’re concerned that these animals could also be infected.

Surveys of bighorns in nearby herds indicate that the animals in these herds are healthy.

“Our biggest concern is stopping the spread of the disease to the Bare Top, Carter Creek and Sheep Creek herds,” Greenwood says. “We are still trying to locate all of the animals in the Goslin unit. It’s not a pleasant task, but we know if we don’t get ahead of the disease, we could lose everything.”

Deadly legacy
Like many North American wild animals, ancestors of today’s wild sheep crossed the Bering Land Bridge from Asia. These sheep were isolated from their cousins in Asia, Europe and Africa by the great ice sheets that covered North America during the ice ages. They evolved into the bighorns (Ovis canadensis) and thinhorns (Ovis dalli) found today.

In addition to isolating the sheep, the ice sheets kept temperatures cold and dry. These conditions helped prevent diseases from spreading. As a result, North American wild sheep evolved few defenses or immunities against diseases.

In contrast, some of the sheep populations in Europe, Asia and Africa were domesticated. Great herds of domestic animals wandered the steppes and grasslands moving north or south as weather permitted. These great herds were breeding grounds for disease. Because they frequently encountered each other, the domestic sheep—exposed to a variety of diseases—developed strong defenses and immunities.

Wild sheep are highly social animals. They seek each other out and travel in small bands or larger herds. Individual bands will often mix with sheep from other herds. This mixing allows a disease to spread quickly from band to band and herd to herd.

When domestic sheep were introduced to the Americas, they brought their exotic diseases with them. These diseases proved deadly to native wild sheep and often eliminated entire populations. Bighorn sheep, once the most abundant large mammal in the mountainous areas of the West, were nearly driven to extinction by the early 1900s. Many factors, including competition for forage, habitat degradation and unregulated hunting all played their parts, but exotic diseases were the biggest factor.

Today’s bighorns are ancestors of isolated, remote bands that somehow escaped the exotic diseases rampaging through the herds as the Wild West was tamed. They still lack immunities to most diseases, and their survival depends mostly on remaining relatively isolated.

This deadly ice-age legacy—the lack of immunity to exotic diseases—is the biggest challenge still facing bighorns today.

Learn more
More information about river big horn sheep and their future in Utah is available in the state’s website:  www.wildlife.utah.gov

See as many as 10,000 snow geese

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Utah, Delta — -(Ammoland.com)- It’s a sight you have to see to believe: thousands of pure white snow and Ross’ geese lifting off Gunnison Bend Reservoir amid honks and the beating of wings.

You can see this spectacle yourself on Feb. 19, 20 and 21 at the annual Utah Snow Goose Festival. The festival will be held at and near Gunnison Bend Reservoir, just west of Delta. Admission is free.

As many as 10,000 snow geese have been at the reservoir during past festivals. Except for the black tips on their wings, snow geese are pure white.

“We’ll provide spotting scopes so you can get a close look at the geese,” says Bob Walters, Watchable Wildlife coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. “We’ll also be available to answer any questions you have.”

In addition to seeing the geese, you can learn more about wildlife at free seminars offered by the DWR. The seminars will be held on Saturday, Feb. 20.

Thousands of snow geese at Gunnison Bend Reservoir. Photo by Lynn Chamberlain

The best times to see the geese

The areas where you’ll see the geese vary according to the time of the day.

“If you arrive early in the morning, you can watch the geese feeding in fields that surround the reservoir. Then, at about 10:30 a.m., the geese take off and fly back to the reservoir. That’s an exciting time to see and hear the geese,” Walters says.

After landing on the reservoir, the geese usually spend the next few hours there. “Then, anywhere from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., they take off again and fly back to the fields,” he says. “It’s thrilling to be there when the geese do this.”

DWR biologists will watch which fields the geese fly to. If you arrive after the geese have left the reservoir, the biologists will direct you to the fields where the geese are feeding.

Viewing tips:
Use binoculars or a spotting scope to view the geese. If you get too close to the geese, you could scare them away.
If you pull off the road to view the geese, pull as far off the road as you can. And watch for cars.
The weather could be cold and wet. Bring the proper clothes so you can stay warm and dry.
For more information about the 2010 Snow Goose Festival, call the Delta Area Chamber of Commerce at (435) 864-4316.

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Utah - -(Ammoland.com)- If you didn’t obtain a limited-entry permit to hunt wild turkeys in Utah this spring, don’t put your shotgun away. Permits for Utah’s first general statewide turkey hunt go on sale starting Feb. 16.

“We’re excited,” says Judi Tutorow, wildlife licensing coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. “For the first time, every hunter who wants to hunt wild turkeys in Utah can hunt.”

Because the general hunt is brand new, Tutorow says the DWR has received lots of questions from hunters. She provides the following information:

You don’t have to get a permit on Feb. 16. General turkey permits are not limited in number, so they won’t run out. Permits will be available until the season ends on May 31.

Photo courtesy of Wild Turkey Federation

You can buy a general turkey permit and still keep all of your limited-entry turkey bonus points. You won’t lose any of your bonus points if you buy a general turkey permit.

If you buy a general turkey permit, you can hunt anywhere in Utah that’s open to turkey hunting.

If you obtained a limited-entry turkey permit, you can’t obtain a general turkey permit. (You can have only one turkey permit each year.)

You can buy a permit at wildlife.utah.gov starting Feb. 16. Permits will also be available at DWR offices and from more than 300 hunting license agents across Utah.

Two general hunts will be held:

The first hunt is a special youth hunt. This hunt is for hunters who are 15 years of age or younger. It runs April 30–May 2.

To participate, young hunters must buy a general statewide hunting permit. Young hunters who drew a limited-entry permit can’t participate in the youth hunt.

Youngsters who buy a permit for the youth hunt can also use the permit to hunt during Utah’s general statewide hunt. That hunt opens May 3.

The second hunt is open to anyone who buys a statewide general turkey permit. The hunt runs May 3–31.

For more information, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.

If your application is drawn to join Utah’s Dedicated Hunter program, you can hunt all three general buck deer seasons for the next three years. Photo by Bill Bates

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Utah --(AmmoLand.com)- Jan. 4 is the first day to apply for Dedicated Hunter program

You can hunt all three general buck deer seasons for the next three years if your application is drawn to join Utah’s Dedicated Hunter program.

And you can hunt those seasons in the region of your choice.

Applications to join the program will be accepted starting Jan. 4. Before you can apply, however, you must complete the program’s free online orientation course. The course will teach you more about the program.

You can take the course at wildlife.utah.gov/dh.

“The Dedicated Hunter program is a great program for the state’s deer hunters and for the state’s wildlife,” says Rhianna Christopher, volunteer services coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources.

“The program gives participants a chance to help mule deer and other wildlife by helping with habitat projects,” she says. “In return, you get to hunt deer all three seasons in the region of your choice.”

Christopher says the program is capped at 10,000 hunters. About 4,000 spots are open for 2010.

To be included in the draw to join the program, your application must be received no later than 11 p.m. on Jan. 19.

In addition to the required orientation course, wildlife.utah.gov/dh also provides an overview of the program. You can also call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or (801) 538-4711 for more information.

DWR officers Brandon Baron, Casey Mickelsen and Ben Riley (left to right) show antlers from three bull elk poaching cases that have been successfully prosecuted. They need your help to solve the remaining seven. Photo by Brent Stettler

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Utah --(AmmoLand.com)- Wildlife officers have solved three bull elk poaching cases in east-central Utah.
Now they need your help to solve seven more.

“The seven bulls were taken on the Central Mountains-Manti and the Wasatch Mountains bull elk hunting units in east-central Utah,” says Casey Mickelsen, a sergeant with the Division of Wildlife Resources.

“Each of the bulls was killed illegally and then left to rot,” says Ben Riley, another DWR officer who is investigating the shootings. “Each one that was lost means fewer hunting opportunities for hunters and fewer chances to see these bulls while camping and hiking.”

“We need the public’s help to catch the people who killed these animals,” Mickelsen says. If you have information, please call Mickelsen at (435) 820-6010. You are not have to give him your name.

Because most of the bulls that were killed are considered trophy animals under Utah state law, you might be eligible for a limited-entry elk bull permit for the 2010 season or a cash award if you have information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

In the photo that accompanies this story, conservation officers Brandon Baron, Casey Mickelsen and Ben Riley (L-R) are holding the sets of antlers from the three cases that have been successfully prosecuted.

In front of them are the antler sets from the seven unsolved cases. (Each antler has a yellow tag next to it.):

1. 5×6 bull elk found on Oct. 18 on the Wasatch Mountains unit near Long Ridge in Utah County. Officers believe the elk was shot during the last week of the general-season spike elk hunt.
2. Spike bull that was also found on Oct. 18 near Long Ridge in Utah County. Officers believe whoever killed the 5×6 bull killed this bull too. The person left the elk to rot.
3. 7×8 bull elk poached in October 2008 on Black Mountain in the Muddy drainage in Emery County. Although the bull was killed more than a year ago, officers haven’t closed the case. They’re still searching for clues that will lead to the arrest and conviction of the person who killed this trophy animal.
4. 5×6 bull elk poached in Seeley Canyon in Sanpete County during the first week of the 2009 general-season spike elk hunt. This elk may have been killed by a spike elk hunter who shot into a herd of elk. Officers think other hunters may have been in the area and may have witnessed the shooting.
5. 6×6 bull elk poached near the intersection of the Buck Flat all-terrain vehicle trail and the North Face Road on Ferron Mountain in Sanpete County. This bull was probably shot during the last few days of the 2009 general-season spike bull hunt. Whoever shot this bull dragged it behind an ATV and then covered it with branches and logs. Officers hope another hunter may have seen someone dragging an elk with an ATV.
6. 6×6 bull elk discovered on Sept. 28 on the Central Mountains-Manti unit near the Indian Creek drainage in Emery County. The elk was shot and left not far from the Spoon Creek trailhead. Officers believe the elk was killed during the last week of the early limited-entry elk hunt. A limited-entry elk hunter may have shot the animal and then left it to try to find an even bigger elk to kill.
7. 6×6 bull elk poached during the overlapping 2009 muzzleloader deer/muzzleloader limited-entry bull elk hunt. The carcass was found in the canyon directly east of the Indian Creek Campground at the base of East Mountain in Emery County. Officers think a muzzleloader elk hunter may have shot the bull.

The otter "sticks her tongue out" at the spectators. Photo by Scott Root

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Provo, Utah --(AmmoLand.com)- The odds you’ll see a river otter in Utah just got better.

On Nov. 25, biologists with the Division of Wildlife Resources released a northern river otter into the Provo River between Jordanelle and Deer Creek reservoirs. (This stretch of the river is commonly referred to as the “middle Provo.”)

The otter, a young adult female, is the first of as many as 10 to 15 otters the DWR hopes to place into the middle Provo River in the next few months. The otter released on Nov. 25 was trapped by DWR biologists on the Green River in northeastern Utah.

Three-year study
Releasing river otters into the middle Provo will provide Utah with another river otter population. It will also provide biologists with valuable information about the habits of river otters in the state.

“Releasing this otter marks the beginning of a three-year study to learn more about otters in Utah,” says Justin Dolling, game mammals coordinator for the DWR.

The day before the otter was released, a veterinarian at Brigham Young University placed a small transmitter in the otter’s abdomen, just under its skin. The transmitter will allow Casey Day to track the otter. Day is a graduate student at BYU.

Transmitters will also be placed in other otters that are released into the river.

“The types of food otters eat, the distances they travel and how successful they are at reproducing are among the things Day will learn,” Dolling says. “The information we gain from his study will guide us in other river otter reintroductions we do in the future.”

UWIN provides funding
Utah Wildlife in Need (UWIN)—a new charitable foundation in Utah—is providing all of the funding for the project.

So far, the foundation has raised $66,000 for the project. That’s half of what’s needed to see the project through to the end.

“If you want to help otters in Utah, this project gives you the perfect chance,” says Bob Hasenyager, UWIN director. “The ALSAM Foundation has provided $66,000 to get the otter project up and going. Now we need other folks to step up and provide the funding needed to see the project through to the end.”

You can learn more about UWIN—and make a donation to the otter project—at www.uwin.org.

Otters and trout
DWR biologists have heard from anglers who are concerned about the effect river otters will have on trout in the middle Provo River.

“Crayfish [also called crawdads] are an otter’s favorite food,” Dolling says. “But if they can’t find crayfish, they’ll turn to other sources, including frogs and fish. An adult otter eats about two to three pounds of food per day.”

Dolling says the middle Provo River has plenty of crayfish. But if the otters have any difficulty finding crayfish in the river, there are plenty of fish to eat.

“Otters usually target slower-moving fish, such as sculpin, whitefish, carp and suckers,” he says. “Most of the fish they eat are between five and seven inches long.”

Dolling says the river otters will also eat trout. And that may not be a bad thing.

“This stretch of the river has an abundant trout population that’s dominated by brown trout,” says Roger Wilson, sport fish coordinator for the DWR. “Because there are so many fish in the river, the fish are having to compete with each other for food and space. The competition they’re having is reducing their growth rate and affecting their overall condition.

“Letting otters take some fish could actually improve fishing in the river,” Wilson says. “If otters take some fish, the fish that remain should grow to a larger size.”

Walt Donaldson, Aquatic Section chief for the DWR, says the middle Provo River is a blue ribbon fishery that’s known to anglers across the country.

“We reintroduced otters into the Green River in 1989, and they’ve haven’t caused the fish in the river any problems,” he says. “After otters are placed in the Provo River, we’ll keep monitoring the fish population in the river. If we find the otters are causing the fish problems, we can take management actions to make sure fishing in the river doesn’t suffer.”

Those actions include stocking trout in the river and capturing and removing some of the otters.

Not only should the otters not cause problems for fish in the river, they might also add to the enjoyment anglers find while fishing.

“Many anglers who fish the Green River have enjoyed seeing the otters,” Donaldson says. “They say it’s a treat to watch a family of otters play while they’re fishing.”

Otter history
River otters were never abundant in Utah. But they were found in various parts of the state. Some of the biggest populations were in northern Utah.

River otters were doing fine until Utah was settled. Then over trapping started to take a toll. In 1899, the Utah Legislature closed the state to otter trapping.

Otters faced another challenge, though: the degradation of vegetation along steam banks, and agricultural and urban encroachment. Each of these factors affected water levels and water quality in the state. And that, in turn, that affected the otters’ food supply.

As their habitat and food supply declined, the number of otters declined too.

Bringing otters back
Management practices during the 1900s improved conditions along some of the state’s steam banks. That, in turn, improved water quality. By the 1980s, it was time to increase the number of river otters in Utah.

The DWR started expanding river otter populations in 1989 when biologists released nine otters from Nevada and Alaska into the Green River in northeastern Utah.

The DWR followed the 1989 release with several more otters releases in the area.

In 2005, Utah’s river otter population expanded more when three otters trapped by the DWR in northeastern Utah were released into the Escalante River in southwestern Utah.

That release was also followed by several other releases in the river.

Learn more
More information about river otters and their future in Utah is available in the state’s River Otter Management Plan. The free plan is available at wildlife.utah.gov/pdf/otter_plan.pdf.

Cougar Hunting Permits Available

Utah Division of Natural Resources

Utah --(AmmoLand.com)- Another cougar hunting season starts in Utah on Nov. 18. And even if you didn’t obtain a limited-entry permit for the hunt, you can still participate.

Permits are now available to hunt on cougar harvest-objective units. Utah’s cougar hunt starts Nov. 18.

Permits to hunt on harvest-objective units are now available.

What’s a harvest-objective unit?

Judi Tutorow, wildlife licensing coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says there are three major differences between harvest-objective units and traditional limited-entry units.

“There is no limit on the number of permits we can sell for a harvest-objective unit. And you can buy harvest-objective permits on the Internet or over-the-counter,” Tutorow says.

“The hunt on a harvest-objective unit can close before the season ends, however, if hunters take the number of cougars biologists want taken,” she says. “For example, let’s say the harvest objective on a unit is 10 cougars. The hunt on that unit will close when 10 cougars are taken, even if the date when the season is supposed to end hasn’t arrived yet.”

The chance a unit might close early shouldn’t be a big challenge for you, though. Harvest-objective hunting is allowed on 38 units in Utah. If the unit you want to hunt closes, you can still hunt on any harvest-objective unit that’s still open to hunting.

Reminders:
Utah’s 2009–2010 cougar harvest-objective season begins Nov. 18, 2009 on some units and March 6, 2010 on others. “The dates for each unit are available on pages 24, 25 and 26 of the 2009–2010 Utah Cougar Guidebook,” Tutorow says.

The guidebook is available at wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks. You can also get a copy at hunting and fishing license agent locations and DWR offices statewide.

Tutorow reminds you that you may not buy a harvest-objective permit if you’ve already obtained a limited-entry cougar permit for the 2009–2010 season.

Before each hunting trip, you must call 1-888-668-LION (5466), or visit the DWR’s Web site, to verify that the unit you’d like to hunt the next day is still open to hunting. The phone line and the Web site are updated by noon with information for the following day.

For more information, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.