Spring Turkey hunting Permits now available

If you didn't obtain a limited-entry permit to hunt wild turkeys in Utah this spring, don't put your shotgun away yet. Permits to hunt during Utah's general statewide turkey hunt are now available.

Justin Dolling, upland game and migratory game bird coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says he and other DWR biologists are excited that all of Utah's turkey hunters can hunt this year.

"Our biologists have worked hard to get Utah's turkey population to the point that all of the state's turkey hunters can hunt," Dolling says. "It's rewarding to see how well turkeys are doing in Utah."

Questions
Because the general hunt is fairly new, Judi Tutorow, wildlife licensing coordinator for the DWR, says the agency has received lots of questions from hunters. She provides the following information:

The DWR won't run out of permits because the number of general turkey permits the agency can offer isn't limited.

Permits will be available until the season ends on May 31.

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

Starting Feb. 24, you can buy a permit at wildlife.utah.gov. Permits will also be available at DWR offices and from more than 300 hunting license agents across Utah.

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

Two general hunts:
The first hunt is a special youth hunt. Hunters who were 15 years of age or younger on Jan. 27 can participate in the hunt. The youth hunt runs April 29–May 1.

(Jan. 27 was the day results of the 2011 limited-entry turkey draw were posted.)

To participate in the youth hunt, 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 2.

The second hunt—the general statewide hunt—is open to anyone who buys a general turkey permit.

The general hunt runs May 2–31.

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

Wildlife Board approves more hunting permits for 2011

Salt Lake City -- By all indications, black bears in Utah are doing well. And that means hunters will have a few more chances to hunt bears in 2011.

On Jan. 4, the Utah Wildlife Board approved several bear hunting changes for Utah’s 2011 seasons. All of the changes the board approved will be available in the 2011 Utah Black Bear Guidebook. The free guidebook should be available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks  during the week of Jan. 31.

The following are some of the changes the board approved:

A total of 419 hunting permits. That’s 53 more than the 366 offered in 2010. About 40 percent of those who draw a bear-hunting permit end up taking a bear. The extra 53 permits should result in hunters taking about 180 bears in 2011. In 2010, hunters took 158 bears. Forty one of the 419 permits are premium-limited-entry permits.

If they don’t take a bear during the spring hunt, those who draw one of the 41 premium-limited-entry permits can hunt bears again during the fall hunt. The spring hunting season has been extended for one week on four additional bear hunting units in Utah. The South Slope, Yellowstone unit and the South Slope, Vernal, Diamond Mountain, Bonanza unit in northeastern Utah, and the Central Mountains, Manti-North unit in central Utah, are the three units where the spring season was extended at the request of biologists from the Division of Wildlife Resources.

The Wildlife Board also approved a request from the Southern Region Advisory Council to extend the season one week on the Boulder unit in southern Utah.

Adding the four units brings to 10 the total number of bear hunting units in Utah that have a spring hunting season that runs one week longer than the other units in the state.

The extended season starts April 9 and runs until June 5. Those who draw a fall spot-and-stalk permit for the Book Cliffs, Little Creek unit can hunt from August through November.

2010 was the first year a spot-and-stalk bear hunt was held on the unit. To avoid conflicts with big game hunters, bear hunters were not allowed to hunt on the unit in October. But very few deer hunters are allowed to hunt the unit, and the DWR is not aware of any conflicts that occurred between deer and bear hunters. For that reason, DWR biologists recommended that spot-and-stalk bear hunters be allowed to hunt on the unit in October too.

(Spot-and-stalk hunters may not use hounds to track and tree bears, and they may not use bait to try to lure bears in.)

The Book Cliffs, Little Creek unit is in the roadless area in the Book Cliffs.

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

Trapping Law Won’t Change

photo by Lynn Chamberlain, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Salt Lake City -- The amount of time between when a trapper sets a non-lethal trap, and when he has to check it again, won’t change in Utah.

On Jan. 4, the Utah Wildlife Board voted 4-2 to keep a requirement that trappers must check their non-lethal foothold traps within 48 hours of setting them.

The Division of Wildlife Resources opposed lengthening the time past 48 hours. And four of Utah’s five Regional Advisory Councils also voted against lengthening the time.

Plan will guide bear management until 2023

A plan that will guide how black bears are managed in Utah for the next 12 years was approved on Jan. 4 by the Utah Wildlife Board.

The plan is available at http://go.usa.gov/rkf . After clicking on http://go.usa.gov/rkf , scroll down to the “Black bear management plan” subhead to find a link to the plan.

The following are among the plan’s highlights:

Currently, most bear hunters in Utah use hounds to track and tree bears. A few use archery equipment and hunt over bait. But starting in 2012, some areas of the state will become spot-and-stalk-only areas.

Hunters may not use hounds or bait during spot-and-stalk hunts.

Utah will have its first harvest-objective bear hunting areas starting in 2012. Having harvest-objective areas will allow biologists to focus more hunters on bears that are killing livestock and raiding campgrounds.

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.

Under the new plan, some of the limited-entry areas will become harvest-objective areas. The number of hunters who can hunt on a harvest-objective area isn’t limited, so switching an area to harvest objective will increase the number of people who can hunt the area. Letting more hunters hunt an area increases the chance that a set number of bears are taken.

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

Archery hunters can still use bait. Using bait allows archery hunters to lure bears in close enough so they can make a clean and effective shot.

Currently, three factors are used to determine the health of Utah’s bear population—the percentage of females taken by hunters, the average age of the bears taken and the number of adult bears that survive from year to year.

You won’t find these three factors in the new plan. In their place, the key factors are:

The number of females and the number of adult males that hunters take. (An adult male bear is a bear that’s five years of age or older.)

Justin Dolling, game mammals coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says the number of females and adult males that hunters take gives important information about how a bear population is doing. “The number of females is important because females give birth to and care for the cubs,” Dolling says. “But the number of adult males hunters take is the best early indicator we have about the health of a bear population.”

Dolling says hunters usually find adult males because adult males wander more than the other age groups. “You know a bear population is in decline if the number of adult males hunters take is going down and the number of females is going up,” he says.

Results from two important bear studies will also be used to determine the health of Utah’s bear population.

One study involves snagging hair from bears at sites across Utah and then using DNA tests to determine how often bears are visiting the research sites. This study is helping biologists determine the total number of bears in Utah. It’s also helping them measure the growth rate of the state’s bear population.

The second study involves visiting 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 coming into Utah’s population each year.

A 10-member group called the Utah Black Bear Advisory Committee compiled the new plan. The committee’s members are listed at the start of the plan.

Construction affects camping area, adds acres to East Canyon WMA

Morgan -- If you visit the East Canyon Wildlife Management Area this fall, you’ll need to camp in a different area.

But the camping change should be more than worth it—because of the change, the Kern River Gas Transmission Company has bought and donated 160 acres of land to the WMA.

Kern River is building a pipeline through the WMA as part of the Kern River Apex Expansion Project. If you’re going to visit the East Canyon WMA this fall, please be aware of the following:

The access point to the WMA is now located east of the road you’ve used in the past to access the WMA. A free map that shows the new access and camping area is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/pdf/eastcanyon.pdf .

You can still hunt and camp at the WMA while the construction work takes place. Just be aware that you might see pipeline construction equipment near the area where you’re camping.

Almost all of the construction is happening on the lower southern portion of the WMA. The higher northern portion of the property is not affected by the construction.

160 additional acres
The Apex Expansion Project is a new 28-mile, 36-inch diameter natural gas pipeline that Kern River is building through the Wasatch Mountains in Morgan, Davis and Salt Lake counties. Changes in access and camping have been made on the WMA to keep the public and the pipeline construction crews safe.

As part of the company’s environmental stewardship program for the project, Kern River, in cooperation with the Division of Wildlife Resources, has acquired 160 additional acres along the eastern boundary of the WMA. This land will be given to the state of Utah and will become part of the WMA.

For more information, call the DWR’s Northern Region office at (801) 476-2740.

Plenty of bull elk in Utah

Photo provided by Brent Stettler, DWR

"As soon as the first shots are fired, the elk head away from the roads and into the thickest cover they can find," says Anis Aoude. "If you want to be a successful elk hunter, you need to get into that cover too."

Utah's 2010 general rifle bull elk hunt kicks off Oct. 9, 2010. And permits for the hunt are almost gone. On Sept. 21, 2010, about 1,500 permits to hunt on any-bull units were still available, but they're selling fast. Permits to hunt on spike-only units sold out on Sept. 27.

You can buy an elk permit online at http://www.wildlife.utah.gov/. Permits are also available at Division offices and from hunting license agents across Utah.


Elk are doing great
"The weather over the past seven years has been excellent for elk," Aoude says. "Most of the state's herds are doing great."

Based on surveys this past winter, Division biologists estimate the state has more than 67,000 elk. That's only about 1,800 animals shy of a statewide goal of 68,825 elk. Aoude says some of the largest elk herds are found on the Central Mountains (Manti) and Wasatch Mountains units in central Utah; the South Slope, Yellowstone unit in northeastern Utah; and the Plateau, Fish Lake/Thousand Lakes unit in south-central Utah.

He says plenty of elk are also found on the Morgan, South Rich unit in northern Utah. But this unit is almost entirely private land. You must obtain written permission from a landowner before hunting on it.


Finding the elk
Most of Utah's elk hunting takes place on units that are called spike-only units. Spike bulls are the only bulls you may take on these units. Plenty of spike bulls are available on these units. But once the hunt starts, the animals can be tough to find.

"The success rate on spike-only units averages about 16 percent," Aoude says. "Fortunately, you can do several things to increase the chance you take an elk." Unless it gets cold and snowy before the hunt, Aoude says elk will be scattered at higher elevations when the season opens Oct. 9, 2010. He says the key to finding them is to get off the roads and into the backcountry.

"Elk are smart and wary animals," Aoude says. "And they're sensitive to hunting pressure. As soon as the shooting starts, they head into the thickest cover they can find. To find success, you have to head into the backcountry and find them."

The rut (breeding period), which occurs right before the general rifle hunt starts, can also make it challenging to find spike bulls. During the rut, mature bulls gather groups of cow elk to breed. If one of these large bulls sees a spike bull, he'll chase the spike bull off.

If you're new to elk hunting, the big game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources has some advice for you. Being chased into cover by the bigger bulls makes the spike bulls, which are already nervous, more apt to head back into the cover once the bullets start to fly.

"The larger bulls scare the spike bulls as much as the hunters do," Aoude says. "Unless you get into the backcountry areas where the spikes are hiding, you're probably not going to see many. "The good news is, if you do get into the backcountry, there's a good chance you'll be among the 16 percent who take a spike bull this year."

OHV maps – don't leave home without one
Aoude has an important reminder for elk hunters who will be using off-highway vehicles. "It's critical that you obtain an OHV riding map for the area you're going to hunt," he says. "These maps are available from the agency that manages the land you'll be hunting on. That agency is usually the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management."

Aoude says the Division is receiving more and more complaints about OHVs being taken into areas where it's not legal to take them. "Taking OHVs into these areas damages the habitat the elk rely on, disturbs and scatters the animals, and ruins the hunting experience for other hunters."

Aoude also encourages you to do some preseason scouting and to check the boundary descriptions for the areas you'll be hunting. Boundary descriptions are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/maps.

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

Changes Could Lead to Fewer People Hunting Deer

Members of the Utah Wildlife Board want hunters to see more buck deer during Utah's general hunts. That goal has led the Division of Wildlife Resources to put on hold big game hunting ideas that's been shared with hunters over the past several months.

Instead, the DWR will present some new ideas. The goal of these ideas is to increase the number of bucks per 100 does on Utah's general-season units.

To increase the number of bucks per 100 does, fewer people would be allowed to hunt in some areas of the state. The discussion that led to the changes happened at the board's Sept. 22 executive work meeting. You can read the minutes of the meeting at www.wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/board-minutes.html. The minutes should be available by Oct. 7.

Details available by late October
The DWR is still working out the details of the new idea, but the idea would likely involve the Wildlife Board amending Utah's statewide deer management plan. Those amendments would likely raise the average number of bucks per 100 does that DWR biologists must manage for.

Instead of an average of 15 bucks per 100 does, biologists would likely have to manage general-season areas so an average of 18 bucks per 100 does was found after the fall hunting seasons were over.

Two ideas to reach that goal have emerged so far.
Under a proposal the DWR is formulating, general deer hunting would likely continue in the five deer hunting regions Utah currently has. If the number of bucks per 100 does fell below preset levels on units or subunits within the regions, however, hunting on those specific units would be allowed only on a limited basis.

A second idea that's been proposed would likely result in the regions being divided into smaller units. All hunters -- archery, muzzleloader and rifle -- would be allowed to hunt on only one of up to 29 smaller units in the state.

Both ideas have one thing in common -- fewer hunters would be allowed to hunt in some areas of the state. All of the details should be worked out by the end of October, says Anis Aoude, big game coordinator for the DWR.

Once the proposals have been finalized, you can read the proposals at http://www.wildlife.utah.gov/ .

After you've read the proposals, you can provide your comments at Regional Advisory Council meetings in November. You can also provide your comments directly to your RAC members via e-mail. Members of the Wildlife Board will decide which option to approve when they meet Dec. 2 in Salt Lake City.

California Condors Get Help from Hunters

Photo by Lynn Chamberlain, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Utah offers rebates to those using non-lead ammunition
The amount of lead California condors are exposed to in southern Utah should be going down soon.

In August, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources launched a program to encourage hunters to use non-lead ammunition while hunting on the Zion unit near the Utah/Arizona border.

The agency mailed rebate coupons to more than 2,000 deer, elk and bighorn sheep hunters. Each hunter who received a coupon indicated he or she planned to hunt on the Zion unit this fall.

Those who receive a coupon can mail it back to the UDWR along with proof that they bought a box of non-lead ammunition. In return, the UDWR will mail a check for $25 to the hunter.

The $25 check will cover most of what they spent to buy a box of non-lead bullets.

To qualify for the rebate, hunters need to buy bullets that are truly non-lead bullets. Bonded or jacketed lead bullets will not qualify for the rebate.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Utah’s Endangered Species Mitigation Fund provided the money for the rebate.

Lead poisoning
California condors are scavengers. Among the animals they eat are those that die after being wounded. They also eat gut piles that are left after hunters clean the animals the hunters have harvested.

Keith Day, a regional sensitive species biologist for the UDWR, says the animal carcasses and gut piles often contain fragments from lead bullets. After ingesting the fragments, the condors can contract lead poisoning.

Day says 15 condors have died from lead poisoning since condors were reintroduced to northern Arizona and southern Utah in 1996. He says lead poisoning is the greatest threat to the recovery of condors in the two states.

“More than 60 percent of the condors show signs of exposure to lead each year,” Day says. “That’s dangerously high for a population that numbers about 75 birds.”

Day says he’s hopeful the non-lead program will turn that figure around.

“Hunters top the list of people who care about wildlife and want to see it flourish,” Day says. “If you’re among those who received a coupon, we hope you’ll buy a box of non-lead bullets and use them while hunting on the Zion unit this fall.

”We think it’s possible to have both a quality hunt and a healthy California condor population in Utah.”

Grouse and Sandhill Crane Hunt Applications accepted starting June 24

Applications for three different Utah bird hunts will be accepted soon.


Starting June 24, the Division of Wildlife Resources will accept applications for this fall’s sage-grouse, sharp-tailed grouse and sandhill crane hunts.

To be included in the draw for permits, your application must be received through http://www.wildlife.utah.gov/  no later than 11 p.m. on July 8.

You can also apply over-the-phone by calling the nearest DWR office no later than 6 p.m. on July 8.

If you’re not going to hunt grouse or cranes this year, you can still apply for a preference point. Hunters with preference points have the best chance at obtaining a permit in 2011.

If you apply for a permit, you’ll know by July 29 whether you drew one.


Sandhill crane tips
Those who obtain a sandhill crane permit you can expect a good hunt. “About 60 percent of the hunters who draw a permit and go afield to hunt cranes usually take one,” says Tom Aldrich, migratory game bird coordinator for the DWR.

Aldrich says scouting before the hunt is the key to success. “I’d encourage hunters to watch sandhill cranes in the mornings and the evenings, when they fly between their roosting and feeding areas,” he says. “Find the fields they’re feeding in. Then get written permission from the landowner to set up in that field.”

Aldrich says you can also find success pass shooting birds as they fly between roosting and feeding areas.

“Hunting success is pretty consistent from year-to-year,” Aldrich says. “Weather and other factors don’t affect the success rate much.”


Reminder
Aldrich reminds you that some areas in Box Elder and Cache counties are closed to sandhill crane hunting.

In Box Elder County, the western half of the county is closed. The Harold Crane, Public Shooting Grounds and Salt Creek waterfowl management areas, and the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, are also closed to crane hunting.

In Cache County, a 1½-mile by 11-mile area in and around Mendon is closed.

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

Deer and Elk Permits available starting June 17

If you don’t have a permit to hunt buck deer in Utah this fall, your next chance to get one begins June 17. That’s when Northern Region rifle and muzzleloader permits that were not taken in this year’s big game draw go on sale.

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.

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


The Web site will be busy
“Our Web site 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.

Apply for Antlerless Big Game Permits June 1

You can help Utah’s big game animals and have a fun time in the outdoors this fall if you obtain a permit to hunt animals that don’t have antlers.

Having hunters take female big game animals is an important management tool. It allows biologists to balance big game animals with the habitat that’s available to the animals.

“Antlerless hunters usually have a higher success rate than those hunting for animals with antlers,” says Anis Aoude, big game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources.

“Antlerless hunts are great,” Aoude says. “They provide a chance to get out and enjoy nature, they’re usually less crowded than other big game hunts and they provide a good chance to take an animal.”


Apply for a permit
Most of Utah’s antlerless big game hunting permits are taken in the state’s antlerless draw. You can apply for a permit starting June 1 at http://www.wildlife.utah.gov/  or by calling the nearest DWR office.

To get your application in the draw for permits, you must submit it through the Web site no later than 11 p.m. on June 17. Applications will be accepted over the phone until 6 p.m. on June 17.

The following are the number of permits available this year:
Species                  Number of permits
Cow Elk                 9,838
Doe Deer               1,975
Doe Pronghorn      622
Cow Moose           19

In addition to hunts on public land, many of Utah’s private Cooperative Wildlife Management Units offer antlerless permits to Utah residents. Applications for CWMU permits will also be accepted from June 1 through June 17.

For more information, call Utah Wildlife Administrative Services at 1-800-221-0659, the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.

Browning Adds New Models to Flex Foam Sling Line

Morgan, UT-Browning has added several new gun accessories to their line-up for 2010 including two new models of their Flex Foam Slings. Both of the new designs make it easier and more comfortable for gun owners to carry their guns in the field.

The first new model in Browning's Flex Foam Sling line-up is the Flex Foam Sporter model that has a waterproof, extra-thick molded foam shoulder pad that provides the ultimate in comfort. The back side is textured for a positive, non-slip grip that keeps the gun in position on the shoulder. It is supplied with metal sling swivels. Suggested Retail Price for the Flex Foam Sporter is $19.95.

The new Flex Grip Sling has a molded rubberized pad that won't slip off the shoulder. The back side is textured for a positive grip. Three cartridge loops are also included along with metal sling swivels. Suggested Retail Price is $29.99.

Wildlife Board Approves Big Game Hunting Permits

Salt Lake City -- The number of permits offered for most of Utah’s big game hunts has increased this year.

There are a few exceptions to the increase, though. But even one of the decreases is good news for hunters. At their March 31 meeting, members of the Utah Wildlife Board approved fewer permits to hunt cow bison on the Henry Mountains. Offering fewer permits will allow the bison herd on the unit to start building to a new management objective.

Permit numbers
The following chart shows the number of permits that were available in
2009 and the number the board approved for 2010:

                                                               2009           2010
General season buck deer                     94,000        94,000
Premium limited entry deer                   173              179
Limited entry deer                                1,021           1,034
Management buck deer                       60                95
Limited entry bull elk                            2,737           2,976
Pronghorn antelope                              992             1,022
Moose                                                 147             139
Bison                                                   170              39
Rocky Mountain goat                           104             111
Desert bighorn sheep                            37               45
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep           24                30

Fewer bison permits
It’s time to start increasing the number of bison on the Henry Mountains in southeastern Utah. To help that happen, the board approved fewer cow bison hunting permits for the unit this fall.

Two types of bison permits are offered for the Henry Mountains. Most of the permits allow hunters to take either a bull bison or a cow bison. Others allow hunters to take only a cow.

“A management plan was approved for the Henry’s in August 2007,” says Anis Aoude, big game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. “One of the objectives in the plan limits the number of adult bison on the unit to not more than 305 adults after the 2010 hunting season is over.”

The plan allows that number to increase to not more than 315 adults after the 2011 season is over and not more than 325 after the 2012 season.

Using information from aerial surveys, harvest data from the 2009 hunt and range studies of habitat on the Henry Mountains, biologists feel it’s safe to start increasing the number of bison on the unit to the 305 adult objective.

And right now should be a good time to do that. Aoude says the DWR and its partners have spent more than $1 million on habitat work on the Henry’s over the past three years alone. More than 8,000 acres of habitat has been improved. And water sources have been developed across the unit.

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

Big Game Hunt Changes include a Five-day Rifle Hunt

Salt Lake City -- For most hunters, Utah’s most popular hunt—the general rifle buck deer hunt—will be shorter in 2010.

By a 4-to-2 vote, the Utah Wildlife Board approved a recommendation to shorten Utah’s general rifle buck deer hunt from nine days to five days for hunters who are 19 years of age or older on Aug. 21. (Aug. 21 is the first day of the state’s 2010 general archery buck deer hunt.)

Hunters who are 18 years of age or younger on Aug. 21 can hunt for nine days.

The following are the dates the board approved:

Hunter age                        Season dates
19 years of age or older       Oct. 23 – 27
18 years of age or younger   Oct. 23 – 31

Also, on five units where buck-to-doe ratios are lower than 15 bucks per 100 does—the Cache; Ogden; Oquirrh-Stansbury; South Slope, Vernal; and Monroe units—the rifle hunt will run for three days:


Hunter age Season dates
All ages        Oct. 23 – 25

The Division of Wildlife Resources had recommended to the board a nine-day rifle hunt for all hunters in the state, regardless of their age.

The only exception the DWR recommended to the nine-day hunt was limiting the hunt to five days on the five units that have buck-to-doe ratios that are below 15 bucks per 100 does.

The board did approve a DWR proposal to allow general archery hunters to hunt across the state during the entire general archery season in 2010. (In 2009, general archery hunters had to choose which region they wanted to hunt in during the first two weeks of the hunt.)

All of the changes the board approved at its Dec. 3 meeting will be available in the 2010 Utah Big Game Guidebook. The guidebook is now available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks .

Archery hunting across Utah

For years, hunters in southern Utah have expressed concerns about how crowded the area appears to be during the general archery buck deer hunt.

To gather information about the number of archers who hunt in each region, last year the DWR recommended, and the board approved, a change for the 2009 season: archery hunters would have to choose which region they wanted to hunt in during the first two weeks of the hunt.

Based on the regions hunters chose, and the acres of public land that have deer habitat, the DWR has determined that the Southern Region is actually the least crowded region in the state. “The data shows that archery hunters are not the main reason the Southern Region seems crowded during the archery hunt,” says Anis Aoude, big game coordinator for the DWR.

The data Aoude is referring to is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings/info/09-11-08.pdf .

Aoude says southern Utah is a very popular place to camp and hike in late summer. That may be the main reason the Southern Region seems crowded during the archery hunt. “We don’t feel we should restrict and penalize archery hunters because other people enjoy being in the woods too,” he says.

Aoude says archers can be part of the crowding in the region, but that situation isn’t unique to the Southern Region—it happens in every region in Utah. “There are certain areas in every region that are popular and draw a lot of hunters,” he says.

A committee helped the DWR draft its statewide archery recommendation. The committee included three archery hunters from southern Utah, two members of the Utah Bowhunter’s Association, two members of Bowhunters of Utah and Bill Fenimore, a member of the Utah Wildlife Board.

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

Become a Hunter Education Instructor

Training offered in Salt Lake City, Brigham City, Logan and Springville
Have you ever thought about sharing your passion for hunting with someone else?

You can by serving as a volunteer Hunter Education course instructor.

Starting in January, the Division of Wildlife Resources will train new instructors at classes in Salt Lake City, Brigham City, Logan and Springville.

The DWR will also hold classes in southern Utah this spring.

“You can make an amazing difference in the life of a young person by volunteering to serve,” says Kirk Smith, assistant hunter education coordinator for the DWR.

“And don’t be concerned if you don’t have any experience teaching young people. Our training will help prepare you to be a good Hunter Education instructor.”

The instructor training is free. More information about the training—including dates and locations—is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/huntereducation/instructors .

After reaching that part of the site, scroll down to the “See schedule” selection at the very bottom of the page. Dates and locations are available there.

“If you look at the schedule and you don’t see a training session in your part of the state, please call us,” Smith says. “If there’s enough interest in the area of the state where you live, we’ll put a training session together for you.”

You can reach Smith at 1-800-397-6999.