Four upland game hunts open Sept. 1

Photo courtesy Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Lots of doves in Utah
It's time to oil your shotgun and grab some shells—four upland game hunts are about to begin.

Lots of mourning doves are in Utah right now. This fall's dove hunt starts Sept. 1.

Sept. 1, 2011 is the first day you can hunt dove, forest grouse, cottontail rabbit and snowshoe hare in Utah this fall. But it won't be the last day. Many of Utah's upland game seasons—which were already long—have been lengthened even more this year.

You can see the new season dates in the 2011–2012 Utah Upland Game & Turkey Guidebook. The free guidebook is available at http://www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks .

Justin Dolling, upland game and waterfowl coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says DWR biologists are seeing lots of doves in Utah. And they're also seeing good numbers of cottontail rabbits in concentrated pockets across the state.

The number of forest grouse biologists are seeing is mixed—in some areas, grouse numbers appear to be up this year. In other areas, they appear to be down.

The number of snowshoe hares is similar to last year.



Mourning dove
Dolling says DWR biologists are seeing good numbers of doves in Utah right now.

That's not surprising, considering what they saw last spring. During late May surveys along dove survey routes, the number of mourning doves biologists saw was up a whopping 247 percent from what they saw in May 2010.

Dolling says dove habitat is plentiful in Utah this year. And the habitat is in excellent condition. "The moisture the state received this spring and summer led to excellent plant growth," he says. "Lots of sunflowers and weedy vegetation are available for the doves.

"I'm expecting a good dove hunt this year."



Forest grouse
Dusky and ruffed grouse reports Dolling has received are mixed. In some areas of the state, forest grouse numbers appear to be up. In other areas, the numbers appear to be down.

Dolling says gathering information about forest grouse is challenging for DWR biologists. "We have a limited number of biologists and a lot of surveys to conduct," he says. "Our biologists have to gather forest grouse information while they're in the field working on other projects or surveying other species."

The following is a summary of the forest grouse reports Dolling has received from each of the DWR's five regions:

Region Summary

Northern Grouse are doing better this year than in 2010. Both dusky and ruffed grouse numbers appear to be up.

Central Most of the forest grouse chicks that were born last spring survived, but a lot of water and habitat are available for the birds. Grouse will be spread out this fall.

Northeastern A cold spring may have affected grouse production in the region this year.

Southeastern The number of grouse in the northern part of the region appears to be down. Chick survival was much better in the southern part of the region, though. Good numbers of grouse await those who hunt in the southern part of the region.

Southern The number of grouse appears to be down from previous years. Vast areas of grouse habitat burned during the past few years. While the fires have affected grouse in the short term, the fires will improve the habitat and should result in more grouse in future years.



Cottontail Rabbit
Cottontail rabbit populations go through a cycle that lasts about 10 years.

At the start of the cycle, rabbit numbers are high. Then the number of rabbits decreases until it bottoms out about five years later. After bottoming out, the population starts to increase again until it reaches a high point about five years after bottoming out.

Then the cycle repeats itself.

Dolling says the number of rabbits in Utah is increasing after bottoming out about two years ago.

DWR biologists are conducting rabbit surveys right now, and early indications are encouraging—they're seeing good numbers of rabbits in concentrated pockets across the state.

Outside of those areas, though, rabbits are scarcer.

"Rabbit populations are rebounding," Dolling says, "but they haven't reached a point where enough rabbits are available to spread out and fill all of the available habitat.

"If you can find a group of rabbits," Dolling says, "you should be in for a good hunt."



Snowshoe hare
The only snowshoe hare surveys in Utah are conducted by the U.S. Forest Service in the northern part of the state.

Those surveys indicate the number of snowshoe hares in northern Utah is increasing slightly.

"Snowshoe hares are a fun animal to hunt," Dolling says, "but they aren't real abundant, even in areas that have good habitat.

"I'd encourage you to give snowshoe hare hunting a try," he says, "especially in the winter, when there isn't as much to do in the outdoors. Hunting snowshoes is a fun and unique opportunity. And it can provide you with a lot of solitude."

Before you hunt hares, Dolling encourages you to learn the difference between a snowshoe hare and a white-tailed jackrabbit. Illustrations and descriptions that show and explain the difference are available on pages 46 and 47 of the 2011–2012 Utah Upland Game & Turkey Guidebook.

The free guidebook is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks .

Great Upland Game Hunts for kids begin Septermber 11

Photo by Phil Douglass

Two hunts that are great ones to take your children out on—Utah's cottontail rabbit and forest grouse hunts—start Sept. 11, 2010.

The snowshoe hare hunt also starts Sept. 11, 2010. But you don't have to wait until Sept. 11, 2010 to start upland game hunting. If you're really adventurous, you can head to the high country now to pursue white-tailed ptarmigan. The hunt for this bird that lives above the timberline started Aug. 21, 2010. It runs until Oct. 17, 2010.


Take your kids out
Dave Olsen, upland game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says taking your kids on a cottontail rabbit or a forest grouse hunt is a perfect way to introduce them to hunting. Rabbits can be taken with small .22 caliber rifles, and grouse can be taken with shotguns as small as .410s. If you match the size of the firearm to the size of your child, your child should have fun and find some success.

Olsen says the two hunts are also a great way to introduce children to nature.

"Rabbits and grouse are small enough that your kids can help you dress the game they've taken and prepare it for the table," he says. "And forest grouse have beautiful and intricate feather patterns that help them blend into their surroundings. It's fun to watch your children marvel at the birds' feathers."

The following is a preview for each of the four hunts:

Forest grouse
Two forest grouse species live in Utah—ruffed grouse and dusky grouse. (Dusky grouse are commonly known as blue grouse).

Good numbers of forest grouse were born in Utah this past spring. And many of the grouse survived this past summer. About the same number of grouse that were available last fall—and maybe a few more—should be available to you this season.

Areas that have aspen trees are good places to find ruffed grouse. Aspen forests with streams and heavy understory vegetation and tangles are especially good places to try.

You'll often find dusky grouse on the edge of the forest where the mountain brush blends into the forest. Dusky grouse can also be found deeper in the forest. In the winter, try wind-swept ridges that have pine trees.


Cottontail rabbits
Cottontail rabbit populations go through a boom-and-bust cycle that lasts about 10 years. After reaching the top of the cycle, rabbits decline in number until they reach the bottom of the cycle about five years later. Then their numbers start to build back to the high levels again.

The last rabbit population peak across most of the state occurred around 2005. That means rabbit populations across most of Utah are at the bottom of their cycle and are just starting to build again. You can expect to find and harvest cottontails, but hunting will be a little slower than it is when populations are at the top of the cycle. Taking a full bag limit will likely require some time and effort.


Snowshoe hares
Snowshoe hare populations appear to be in fair condition again this year. You'll find most of Utah's snowshoe hares in higher elevation mountain ranges that have pine and fir trees and a brushy understory. You have to be willing to put some time and effort in to find their habitat. Early morning and evening are the best times to hunt hares. That's when they're the most active.


White-tailed ptarmigan
White-tailed ptarmigan live above the timberline in the Uinta Mountains. Once you've gotten above the timberline, look for ptarmigan on talus rock slopes and outcrops that have dwarf willow bushes that are located near springs, streams or other wet areas.

Hunter success this year should be similar to past years. Ptarmigan are limited in distribution, and they're highly prized because of their novelty.

Before hunting ptarmigan, you must obtain a free white-tailed ptarmigan permit. You can obtain one from hunting license agents across Utah and at any DWR office.

You can also obtain a free permit at wildlife.utah.gov. Once you arrive at the site, click on the Licenses choice, and then click on the "Buy fishing licenses, hunting licenses and hunting permits online" choice. Enter your date of birth and your Social Security or Customer ID number. Then proceed through the screens until you come to the list of available permits.

The free white-tailed ptarmigan permits are listed under the Small Game option.


Respect private landowners
All four of these species are found on public land, so finding a place to hunt shouldn't be a problem. But some cottontail, snowshoe hare and forest grouse hunting opportunities are also available on private land.

If you allowed someone to hunt on land you owned, how would you want that person to treat your property? Olsen says that's the same way you should treat private property that landowners give you written permission to hunt on.

"If you treat landowners and their land with respect, there's a decent chance they'll allow you on their property in the future," Olsen says.


Learn more
More information about upland game hunting in Utah is available in the 2010–2011 Utah Upland Game Guidebook. The guidebook is available at wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks.

You can also learn more by visiting the upland game portion of the DWR's website at http://www.wildlife.utah.gov/ .

Upland Game Hunters should find good Hunting in Utah this Fall and Winter.

Hunters should find more ring-necked pheasants in Utah this fall.

Photo by Brent Stettler

Dave Olsen upland game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says a wet, warm spring—with limited spring snowfall—provided great conditions for upland game chicks.

"An upland game chick eats mostly insects during the first 30 to 40 days of its life," Olsen says. "The warm rains really improved upland game habitat in the state. And that habitat allowed insect populations to flourish, so the chicks had plenty to eat."And the state received very little late-spring snowfall this year, so it appears chick survival was pretty good this past spring."

Utah's upland game hunts started Aug. 22 with the white-tailed ptarmigan hunt. They won't end until Feb. 28, 2010, when the cottontail rabbit and snowshoe hare hunts wrap-up. Olsen provides the following preview for Utah's upland game hunts:



Chukar Partridge
2007 and 2008 were tough years for chukar partridge in Utah. Hot, dry conditions caused chukar numbers to plummet. But plenty of rain this past spring has improved the vegetation on most of Utah's rangelands. The rain has also provided plenty of water sources for the chukars. As a result, chukar populations have rebounded.

"The state's chukar populations aren't all the way back, but they're doing much better," Olsen says. "Hunters should see more chukars this fall."



Hungarian Partridge
Hungarian partridge have gone through the same struggle chukar partridge have—2007 and 2008 were tough years for the birds, but their populations have rebounded this year.

"'Huns' are found almost exclusively on private land," Olsen says. "Before you hunt, you must get written permission from the person who owns the land you want to hunt on."



Forest grouse (dusky and ruffed)
Dusky and ruffed grouse can be a little harder for biologists to get a read on: their populations are spotty, and they're harder to track.

"Forest grouse seem to have responded well to the improved habitat conditions," Olsen says. "Hunters who are familiar with the birds and the areas in which they live should have good success."




Ring-necked pheasant
Ring-necked pheasants are getting harder to find in Utah because their habitat continues to decline. However, there are still areas around agricultural fields in the state that harbor good numbers of birds. And these areas should provide good action again this year.

"Pheasants did pretty well this year in the areas that still have good habitat," Olsen says. "Most pheasant populations are found on private land. Make sure you have written permission from the landowner before hunting."



Cottontail Rabbits
Cottontail rabbits generally follow a population cycle that runs for about 10 years. Hunting can be fast and furious when rabbits are at the top of the population cycle.

Currently, most of Utah's rabbit populations are on the lower side of the cycle, but some of the populations are showing improvement.

"Even though you may not see rabbits running across the road like you did a year or two ago, there are still plenty of rabbits in Utah to hunt," Olsen says.

To find success, Olsen suggests brushing up on the type of habitat rabbits prefer. And when you go rabbit hunting, make sure you take someone with you. "Cottontail rabbit hunts can be great outings for families and youth groups," he says. "They're also a great way to introduce young people to hunting."



Snowshoe Hares
Olsen says snowshoe hares are a Utah upland game species that most hunters don't pay much attention to. That could be a mistake.

"If you have a pair of cross-country skis or snowshoes, and you want to enjoy some quiet winter solitude, consider going on a snowshoe hare hunt," Olsen says. "Hunting snowshoe hares isn't always easy. But it can be relaxing and a lot of fun."

You'll usually find snowshoe hares in areas that have plenty of pine trees. Looking for their tracks and trails they leave in fresh snow is one of the best ways to find them. Look for their tracks along low-hanging pine limbs, and near logs and under-story vegetation. The low limbs and log-covered coverts provide good cover for snowshoe hares to loaf in during the day.
You'll have plenty of time to hunt snowshoe hares this season. The snowshoe hare season begins on Sept. 12 and runs until Feb. 28, 2010.



Gambel's quail
You'll find Gambel's quail in the deserts of southwestern Utah. Olsen says they've responded well to the improved habitat conditions this year, and hunting should be good.



California quail
Olsen says California quail populations are doing great in Utah. Unfortunately, most California quail populations are near urban areas where hunting isn't allowed. However, those who scout for the birds can usually find California quail in huntable areas on the foothills or in brushy areas in the bottom of valleys.

When hunting California quail, make sure you remain at least 600 feet from homes and other buildings. And remember that you must have written permission from landowners before hunting on private land.


Reminders
Olsen has three upland game hunting reminders for you this fall

Take a kid hunting
Utah's upland game hunts, especially the cottontail rabbit hunt, are a great way to introduce kids to hunting. "Taking an animal from the field, cleaning it, preparing it and then sharing it at the family table helps all of us stay contacted with the cycle of life," Olsen says.


Respect private property
If you want to hunt on private property, you must obtain written permission from the person who owns the property. After you obtain permission, take care of the landowner's property; leave it in better shape than you found it.



Take notes
Every spring, the DWR does a random survey of upland game hunters to learn more about the number of days they spent hunting and the number of birds, rabbits and hares they took.

"If you jot down some brief notes after each hunting trip, you'll be able to provide us with good, accurate information," Olsen says.


Season Dates to Remember

Chukar Partridge

• Season dates: Sept. 26, 2009–Feb. 14, 2010
• Areas open: Statewide.* The following areas will be closed to general public hunting on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009 to facilitate youth chukar hunts: Morgan and Summit counties, the Henefer-Echo WMA; Tooele County, the Carr Fork WMA; Uintah County, the RT Thacker Walk-in-Access property; Carbon County, the Gordon Creek WMA; and Millard County, the Pahvant WMA. These areas will reopen to general public hunting on Sept. 6.
• Bag limit: 5, Possession limit: 2 bag limits
• Footnotes: Antelope Island is closed to upland game hunting.

Cottontail Rabbit
• Season dates: Sept. 12, 2009–Feb. 28, 2010
• Areas open: Statewide*
• Bag limit: 10, Possession limit: 2 bag limits

Forest-Grouse (Blue and ruffed)

• Season dates: Sept. 12–Dec. 31, 2009
• Areas open: Statewide*
• Bag limit: 4, Possession limit: 2 bag limits
• Footnotes: Limits singly or in the aggregate

Hungarian partridge (General season)
• Season dates: Sept. 26, 2009–Feb. 14, 2010
• Areas open: Statewide*
• Bag limit: 5, Possession limit: 2 bag limits

Pheasant (General season)

• Season dates: Nov. 7–Nov. 22, 2009
• Areas open: Statewide*. The following areas will be closed to general public hunting on Saturday, Nov. 14 to facilitate youth hunts: Box Elder County, the Douglas/Sorensen walk-in access area; Duchesne County, the Mallard Springs WMA; Emery County, the Huntington WMA; Tooele County, the Carr Fork WMA; Millard County, the Pahvant WMA. These areas will reopen to general public hunting

on Nov. 15.*
• Bag limit: 2, Possession limit: 2 bag limits
• Footnotes: Only males may be harvested. No 8 a.m. restriction on opening morning. The Goshen Warm Springs WMA in Utah County is closed to all hunting.

Pheasant (Extended season)
• Season dates: Nov. 7–Dec. 6, 2009
• Areas open: CAUTION: Not all counties are open for the extended season. Only the following areas are open: All state and federal land in Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, Grand, Juab, Millard, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Tooele and Uintah counties (including private land leased by the Division subject to restrictions and closures imposed by administering agencies). Also, see above closures for youth hunts on Nov. 14.*
• Bag limit: 2, Possession limit: 2 bag limits
• Footnotes: Only males may be harvested. No 8 a.m. restriction on opening morning.

Quail (California and Gambel’s)
• Season dates: Nov. 7–Nov. 22, 2009
• Areas open: Box Elder, Carbon, Davis, Grand, Juab, Kane, Millard, Piute, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Tooele, Utah and Weber counties. All of Emery County except the Desert Lake WMA, which is closed. Also, see closures for youth hunts listed under general pheasant hunt.*
• Bag limit: 5, Possession limit: 2 bag limits
• Footnotes: No 8 a.m. restriction on opening morning.

Quail (California and Gambel’s—extended season)
• Season dates: Nov. 7–Dec. 31, 2009
• Areas open: Duchesne, Uintah, Daggett and Washington counties. Also see closures for youth hunts listed above under general pheasant hunt.*
• Bag limit: 5, Possession limit: 2 bag limits
• Footnotes: No 8 a.m. restriction on opening morning.

Quail (Scaled)
• Season dates: Closed
• Bag limit: Closed

Snowshoe hare

• Season dates: Sept. 12, 2009–Feb. 28, 2010
• Areas open: Statewide*
• Bag limit: 5, Possession limit: 2 bag limits
*Excludes closed areas and all Native American trust lands statewide