2009 Christmas Tree Permits Soon Available

SALT LAKE CITY, October 29, 2009 - It is that time again as Christmas is just around the corner. Families can have a unique recreational outing by cutting their own Christmas trees on Utah National Forests.

The tree cutting program is carefully managed and permit holders must adhere to the following guidelines. Trees must always be cut close to the ground leaving the stump no higher than 6 inches. A shovel will come in handy to dig through the snow to reach the base of the tree. Make sure your permit is attached to the tree before leaving the cutting area. Tree topping is not allowed. No cutting within 200 feet of riparian areas (lakes and streams) roads, campgrounds, picnic areas, administrative sites, summer home areas, or within designated closed areas shown on the tree cutting area maps.

Remember to always be prepared for winter weather. Always stay on designated roads and trails. Be prepared for slick, snow packed roads and have chains, a 4-wheel drive vehicle or a snow machine available. Always let someone know where you are planning to go and approximate time you will return. Carry a cell phone; bring additional warm clothing, good warm gloves, boots, and a container of hot liquid, water, lunch or snack as it may take longer than expected. Carry a flashlight, chains, shovel, first aid kit, matches, a hatchet, ax or handsaw, and rope to secure your tree.



ASHLEY NATIONAL FOREST: (435) 789-1181 - www.fs.fed.us/r4/ashley

Flaming Gorge Ranger District: (435) 784-3445 - Permits go on sale Friday, November 27, 2009. Permits will be available at the Flaming Gorge Ranger District Office, intersection Highway 43 & 44, Manila, Utah and the Green River Office, 1450 Uinta Drive, Green River, Wyoming from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Also, permits will be available at Flaming Gorge Resort. Cost of the nonrefundable permit is $10.00 and there is a limit of one permit per household, one tree only. Any species of tree may be cut except Ponderosa Pine.

Duchesne and Roosevelt Ranger Districts: (435) 738-2482 or (435) 722-5018

Permits go on sale Friday, November 27, 2009 and are limited - Permits may be purchased at the Duchesne Ranger District Office, 85 West Main, Duchesne, Utah, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday or the Roosevelt Ranger District Office, 650 West Highway 40, Roosevelt, Utah 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. Permits may also be purchased at the Hanna Country Store, State Route 35, Hanna, Utah (435) 848-5752 and at Steward’s Market, 245 West Highway 40 in Roosevelt, (435) 722-5650. Permits are $10.00 each, one permit per household, one tree only.


Vernal Ranger District: (435) 789-1181 - Permits go on sale Friday, November 27, 2009. Permits may be purchased at the Vernal Office, located at 355 North Vernal Avenue in Vernal, Utah Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Permits may also be purchased at the following businesses 7 days a week; Davis Jubilee Store, 575 West Main, in Vernal, (435) 789-2001 and LaPoint Country Store, Highway 12 in LaPoint, Utah, (435) 247-2365. Permits are $10.00, one permit per household, one tree only. Any species of tree can be cut except Ponderosa Pine. Individuals may purchase up to two additional permits on the Flaming Gorge and Vernal Ranger Districts and permits must be issued in the names and addresses of the person for whom the permits are purchased.



DIXIE NATIONAL FOREST: (435) 865-3700 – www.fs.fed.us/r4/dixie

Cedar City Ranger District: (435) 865-3700 - Permits go on sale Thursday, November 12, 2009. Permits can be obtained at the Cedar City Ranger District, 1789 North Wedgewood Lane, Cedar City, Utah from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Permits are $10.00, one permit per household, one tree only. The only species of trees that can be cut are Sub-Alpine Fir, White Fir and Pinyon Pine. Please check with the Cedar City Ranger District office before traveling the Cedar Breaks Road to obtain the most current road condition information.

Escalante Ranger District: (435) 826-5400 - Permits go on sale Friday, November 6, 2009. Permits can be obtained at the Escalante Ranger District, 755 West Main, Escalante, Utah from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Permits may also be bought at these local vendors: Antimony Merc, Antimony, Utah (435) 624-3253, 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Contact the Escalante Ranger District for a list of other vendors. Permits are $10.00, one permit per household, one tree only. All species of tree may be cut except Bristlecone Pine.

Powell Ranger District: (435) 676-9300 - Permits are now available and can be obtained at the Powell Ranger District, 225 East Center Street, Panguitch, Utah from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Permits are $10.00 for a tree up to 10 feet and $20.00 for a tree 11 foot to 20 foot. All species of trees can be cut except Bristlecone Pine.

St. George Interagency Visitor Center: (435) 688-3246 or (435) 652-3100 - Permits go on sale Thursday, November 7, 2009. Permits can be purchased at the Visitor Center, 345 East Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah from 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Permits may also be purchased at Spanish Tail Supply Company, 21 South Main, Veyo, Utah (435) 574-0808 seven days a week. Permits are $10.00; Pinyon Pine and Juniper are the only species of trees that may be cut. One person can purchase up to 5 tags.



FISHLAKE NATIONAL FOREST: (435) 896-9233 – www.fs.fed.us/r4/fishlake

Beaver Ranger District: (435) 438-2436 - Permits are now available and may be purchased at the Beaver Ranger District, 575 South Main, Beaver, Utah, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays, November 28 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Permits may also be purchased at Beaver Sport and Pond, 85 North Main, Beaver, Utah (435) 438-2100, seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Permits are $10.00 each, two permits per household, 2 trees only. All species of trees may be cut except Ponderosa Pine and Blue Spruce.
Fillmore Ranger District: (435) 743-5721 - Permits go on sale Monday, November 16, 2009. Permits can be purchased at the Fillmore Ranger District, 390 South Main Fillmore, Utah Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Also, Delta Sports Center located in Delta, Utah Monday through Saturday. Permits are $10.00, one permit per household, one tree only. Any species of tree maybe cut except Ponderosa Pine.

Freemont Ranger District: (435) 836-2811 - Permits are now available and can be purchased at the Freemont River Ranger District Office, 138 South Main, Loa, Utah from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Permits are $10.00, one permit per person, one tree only. Any species of tree may be cut except Ponderosa Pine. Permits may be purchased at the Teasdale Office, 138 East Main, Teasdale, Utah from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Permits are $10.00, one permit per person, one tree only. Any species of tree may be cut.

Richfield Ranger District: (435) 896-9233 - Permits go on sale Friday, November 20, 2009. Permits can be purchased at the Richfield Ranger District Office, 115 East 900 North, Richfield, Utah, from 8:00 a.m. to

5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Permits are $10.00, one permit per household, one tree only. Any species of tree may be cut except Ponderosa Pine, Engleman and Blue Spruce. Permits may also be purchased at: Lin’s Market, 670 North Main Street in Richfield, Utah Saturday and Sundays from 6:00 a.m. to midnight; Don’s Sinclair, 215 West Main in Salina, Utah Monday-Saturday 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sundays from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Tast Travel Plaza, 675 East Highway 24, Torrey, Utah, Monday through Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.



MANTI-LASAL NATIONAL FOREST: www.fs.fed.us/r4/mantilasal

Ferron/Price Ranger Districts: (435) 384-2372/ (435) 637-2817 and Moab/Monticello Ranger Districts: (435) 259-7155 or (435) 587-2041 Christmas tree permits will be on sale at all offices of the Manti-La Sal National Forest beginning November 23 at a cost of $10 each. District offices (in Ephraim, Ferron, Moab and Monticello) are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Supervisor’s Office in Price is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition, the Price office will open two Saturdays, November 28th and December 12th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Christmas tree tag sales. The Sanpete District will also sell permits November 28th from 9 a.m. to noon at the following sites:

Stock Corral east of Spring City, 400 permits

Ephraim Canyon, 300 permits

Sterling LDS Church parking lot, 175 tags

Manti Stake Center 295 S. Main, Manti, 225 permits

Stock Corral east of Mayfield, 300 permits

Fountain Green Elementary School, 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., 100 permits

Forest Service District Office, 740 South Main, Nephi, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 100 permits

For the convenience of customers, the sale of Christmas tree tags has been extended at the Sanpete District Office to include the week before Thanksgiving. The District plans to sell 300 permits at its office and any tags remaining after the November 28th sale. This is the last year that tags will be sold at sites other than the district office. The Forest officer selling tags will issue each purchaser cutting instructions. Customers traveling long distances for permits should call in advance to determine if permits are still available. Vehicle access, except for snow machines, must be confined to established roads on the Forest. Roads may be muddy, snow packed and slick. Be prepared for winter driving conditions.



UINTA-WASATCH-CACHE NATIONAL FOREST: (801) 236-3400 AND (801) 342-5100 www.fs.usda.gov/uwcnf  

Heber-Kamas Ranger District: (435) 654-0470 and (435) 783-4338 – Christmas tree permits will be sold on Friday, November 6, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., and Saturday, November 7 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. at the Soldier Hollow Lodge. The $10 permits are for areas within the Heber Permit Area, Heber-Kamas Ranger District, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Permits are for personal use only. One permit per adult (16 years of age and older) will be sold on a first come, first- served basis. Young adults will be required to show their driver’s license at time of purchase.

One thousand (1,000) permits will be available on Friday and 1,000 permits will be available on Saturday. Any remaining permits will be sold beginning Monday, November 9 at the Heber-Kamas Ranger District Office, Heber Office Location, 2460 South Highway 40, Heber, City.

Only subalpine fir trees 20 feet tall or shorter may be cut and removed. All trees must be tagged before removing them from the area.

Soldier Hollow Lodge is located at 2002 Soldier Hollow Drive, in Midway, Utah. Directions and a map are available on the internet at http://www.soldierhollow.com/map.php.


Evanston/Mt. View Ranger Districts: (307) 789-3194 and (307) 782-6555 - Permits for the Evanston area go on sale Monday, November 16, 2009. Permits are $10.00, one permit per household, one tree only.

Permits can be purchased at the Evanston Ranger District Office, 1565 South Highway 150, Suite A, Evanston, Wyoming from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Permits may also be purchased at

the Bear River Lodge located 30 miles south of Evanston on the Mirror Lake Highway 150, (435) 642-6289. Any species of tree may be cut, but Lodgepole Pine is the main species in the area. Snow conditions may require permit holders to use snowmobiles, cross-country skies or snowshoes to access the cutting area. The gates on the Mirror Lake Highway and on the North Slope Road are typically closed during the first week of December, limiting access for people without a snow machine. Cutting is not allowed in the Lily Lake Cross Country Ski Area.
Permits for the Mt. View area go on sale, Monday, November 16, 2009. Permits are $10.00, one permit per household, one tree only. Permits can be purchased at the Mountain View Ranger District, 321 Highway 414, Mountain View, Wyoming, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday only. Permits may also be purchased at the Maverick Store (307) 782-6693 located at 655 N. Highway 414 in Mountain View, Wyoming, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Any species of tree may be cut, but Lodgepole Pine is the main species in the area.

Mountain Valley Extreme Mustang Makeover

Just wanted to invite everyone to the Mountain Valley Extreme Mustang Makeover next weekend on Nov 7 at Heber City. There are 29 really nice horses that are wonderfully trained and will be competing for up to $10,000 in prize money!

All events will take place on Saturday Nov. 7th at the Wasatch County Events Center

$5.00 - 8 AM - All horses will complete the Body Condition judging and

Obstacle/Riding Course
$25.00 - 2 PM - Top 10 horses will perform in a Freestyle competition!

FREE! - 4 PM - All horses will be available for adoption

Or pay $25 and watch all day!

Ogden and Farmington Bays scheduled for Burns during Fall Months

This fall, as weather conditions permit, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) will burn phragmites at both the Ogden Bay and Farmington Bay waterfowl management areas (WMAs). To ensure hunters' safety, the DWR will temporarily close these areas during a burn. Hunters have asked many questions about the burns and closures:

What is phragmites?

Phragmites (pronounced frag-mite-ees) is an invasive plant that can reach heights of 13–15 feet. It spreads rapidly, forming dense thickets that outcompete native plants and wildlife in Utah's marshes. Areas with phragmites are inhospitable to water birds and practically inaccessible to hunters. The DWR has used a combination of herbicides and follow-up burns to remove thousands of acres of phragmites over the past few years.

Photo Courtesy Wikipedia

Why is the DWR planning to burn phragmites during the waterfowl hunt?

Weather conditions — including temperature, wind speed/direction, air quality and other factors — have to be exactly right before the DWR can burn phragmites. Those conditions did not occur in the spring or summer of 2009. There are now approximately 4,000 acres of herbicide-treated phragmites that have not yet been burned. If the weather cooperates this fall, the DWR needs to burn these treated areas.

Where and when will the burns occur?

Burns may occur in parts of two WMAs: Farmington Bay and Ogden Bay. Because burns are weather-dependent, the DWR cannot schedule them months or weeks in advance. DWR habitat crews usually have only 12 hours' notice before a burn is authorized. The DWR hopes to complete a total of three or four burns between early October and early December. Burns will only occur on weekdays.

How long will the WMAs be closed?

DWR personnel will lock the WMA gates the night before a burn occurs. The WMA will likely remain closed throughout the following day. Fire safety officials will monitor the area and let the DWR know when it is safe to reopen.

How will hunters know about WMA closures?

To notify hunters about an impending burn, DWR personnel will:

*Hang informative banners on the locked WMA gates

*Send e-mails to hunters

*Post a notice at the top of this Web page http://wildlife.utah.gov/burn/

*Post notices on Twitter (at www.twitter.com/DWRburn  )
*Alert the media
*Closures will be temporary — probably a day or two at most — and may not affect the entire WMA.

How will these burns affect hunting on the WMAs?

Hunting will improve significantly. Within two or three weeks, waterfowl will flock to the burned areas in large numbers. Hunters will need to be careful, however, because newly burned phragmites remnants are very sharp. Within a year or so, these remnants will disappear and be replaced by pockets of open water and native marsh plants. DWR employees have seen vast improvements in areas that were burned a few years ago.

In-depth information
Invasive and noxious weed control: How the Utah DWR is working to control noxious weeds on Utah's Waterfowl Management Areas. http://wildlife.utah.gov/waterfowl/pdf/Invasive_weed_control.pdf

2009 Moab Bighorn Sheep Watch set for November

PRICE — On November 20–21, 2009, the Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) will sponsor its annual Moab Bighorn Sheep Watch. The event is free to the public. There is no pre-registration. Sheep watchers are encouraged to bring a pair of binoculars, spotting scope and camera.

The DWR will guide participants to locations where bighorns have recently been observed, and will have extra spotting scopes and binoculars for public use. The DWR will also provide a large passenger vehicle for those who wish to ride-share.

The event begins on Friday evening at 7 p.m. in the Moab Information Center, located at the corner of Center and Main. Justin Shannon, DWR regional wildlife program manager will present a PowerPoint program on bighorn sheep ecology and life history. Mr. Shannon's graduate thesis was on this very subject. Bighorn skulls and horns will be displayed as part of his presentation.

The following morning, participants will meet at the Moab Information Center, where they will search for bighorn sheep in the Moab area. Bighorns are almost always seen from asphalt roads in Moab Canyon and along the Colorado River, so don't worry about your vehicle's off-road capability. For those who ride-share, the field trip generally finishes by noon or early afternoon.

Mid-November is the peak of the bighorn sheep rut, when bighorn rams compete for breeding rights with horn clashes and other threatening behaviors to intimidate rivals. Head-butting occurs only when competing rams are equally matched in horn and body size. Otherwise, more subtle harassment of inferior rams occurs.

Because bighorn sheep are wild and unpredictable, the DWR can't guarantee that sheep will be seen at close range or even at all. Participants need to be aware of that possibility at the outset. However, in the event that no bighorns are observed, participants can still enjoy the unmatched beauty of the Colorado River Scenic Byway. For more information, contact Brent Stettler at 435-613-3707 or BrentStettler@utah.gov

Fishing Report for Southeastern Utah

A tiger trout and three rainbow trout at a fish cleaning station at Scofield Reservoir.

Photo by Randall Stilson

ABAJO MOUNTAINS: (October 28) A week ago, Conservation Officer Paul Washburn reported good fishing at Lloyds Lake with a gold or silver Jakes Spin-A-Lure. Caught rainbows ranged from 7 to 13 inches. Try fishing the area around the dam.

BOULGER RESERVOIR: (October 28) Fly-fishing is good with a floating line and a midge or caddis pattern.

ELECTRIC LAKE: (October 28) The lake was sampled by the DWR on Oct. 15. Nets contained a fairly even balance of tiger and cutthroat trout, indicating good survival of stocked fish. Most trout ranged from eight to 18 inches. More fish were netted this year than the last time sampling occurred. Trout appeared healthy and well fed. Fortunately, no zebra mussels were found during this year's sampling. The primary prey species is the redside shiner. Anglers should try using dead minnows, lures or crankbaits that imitate the three-inch baitfish. Good lure choices include silver/red Kastmasters, or the silver/red Rapala X-Rap or Husky Jerk.

HUNTINGTON CREEK: (October 28) Try a size 10 beadhead Montana nymph with one split shot 12 to 18 inches above the fly. The catch in this creek will consist mostly of brown trout with a few cutthroat trout. Most fish are smaller than 14 inches.

HUNTINGTON RESERVOIR: (October 28) Fly-fishermen should try sinking line with a black and green soft hackle fly on a size 8 hook. Spincasters should use a silver spoon or Jakes Spin-A-Lure. This water has special regulations. It is closed to the possession of cutthroat trout.

JOES VALLEY RESERVOIR: (October 28) Joes Valley Reservoir is closed to fishing to protect spawning splake from Nov. 1 until Saturday, Dec. 12. The largest splake are more vulnerable during the spawn, so the temporary closure will be implemented to protect these voracious chub predators. A week ago, Aquatics Program Manager Paul Birdsey reported fair fishing. He fished the rocky east shoreline with a black and silver three-inch Rapala. Birdsey's catch consisted mostly of 15-inch tiger trout.

LAKE POWELL: (October 28) For an in-depth look at Lake Powell fishing conditions, read this week's full report from Wayne Gustaveson, the DWR's Lake Powell project leader.

LA SAL MOUNTAINS: (October 28) Aquatics Biologist Darek Elverud fished Kens Lake on Oct. 19. He used black and brown plastic worms to catch several 10-inch bass. The trout limit at Kens Lake has been increased to eight with no size restrictions. This increase allows anglers to harvest trout that would otherwise be lost when the lake is drawn down to 100 acre feet of storage by Nov. 1. There is no change in the daily limit for bass.

SCOFIELD RESERVOIR: (October 28) Tom Ogden reports good fishing from a tube on the west side. In five hours, he caught 26 fish. His biggest fish was 22 inches, but most were cutthroats in the 12- to 14-inch range. He used slow sinking line in 6 to 12 feet of water with a black and green tinsel soft hackle fly in sizes 2 and 4. Boaters also report good success trolling gold or silver lures with red spots or stripes. The best bait choices are worms, dead minnows or chartreuse PowerBait. Boaters report the best luck around the island. Most shoreline anglers have been fishing in the dam cove or along the east side. Scofield Reservoir has special regulations. Please see page 28 in the Utah Fishing Guidebook for details.

Major Big Game Hunting Changes possible in 2011

Significant changes for Utah Big Game Hunters may be in the works for 2011 if proposed changes are approved.

Several months ago, the Utah Wildlife Board directed the state’s wildlife agency to:

- give big game hunters more hunting options to choose from

- reduce crowding among hunters who are in the field.
The ideas the Division of Wildlife Resources has come up with wouldn’t be implemented until the 2011 hunts. But the changes are big enough that the DWR wants to get the ideas out now so there’s plenty of time for you to comment.

Rules for the 2011 hunts will not be approved until November 2010.

“The ideas we’ve come up with would give hunters some new options,” says Anis Aoude, big game coordinator for the DWR.

You can learn more about the DWR’s ideas—and provide your input and suggestions—at five Regional Advisory Council meetings held across Utah.

Citizens representing the RACs will share with the Utah Wildlife Board the input received at the meetings.

You can participate and provide your input at any of the following meetings (two notes: the Southern Region meeting begins at 5 p.m. The Central Region meeting will be held on a Thursday.):

Southern Region
Nov. 3
5 p.m.
Richfield High School
510 W. 100 S.
Richfield



Southeastern Region
Nov. 4
6:30 p.m.
John Wesley Powell Museum
1765 E. Main St.
Green River



Northeastern Region
Nov. 5
6:30 p.m.
Western Park, Room #1
302 E. 200 S.
Vernal



Northern Region
Nov. 10
6 p.m.
Brigham City Community Center
24 N. 300 W.
Brigham City



Central Region
Nov. 12
6:30 p.m.
Springville Junior High
165 S. 700 E.
Springville

 
E-mail
You can also provide your comments to your RAC via e-mail. E-mail addresses for your RAC members are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings .

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



Big Game Ideas for 2011
The following are among the ideas the DWR is considering. A calendar that shows when the proposed seasons would be held is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings/info/09-11-03.pdf  :


General Deer and Elk Hunts
Four major general-season deer and elk changes could occur in 2011:


Two general rifle deer hunts
The first idea would keep the number of general rifle buck deer permits the same as it is now (no more than 97,000 permits), but it would split Utah’s general rifle deer hunt into two hunts.

Each hunt would be nine days long, just like the hunt is now, but hunters could choose to participate in an early hunt or a late hunt.

The early hunt would be held at the start of October. The late hunt would happen at the end of October.

Having two rifle deer hunts would reduce by half the number of hunters in the field at any one time.

“You’d still be able to hunt the same number of days you can hunt now, but you’d have fewer hunters in the field with you,” Aoude says. “We think this change would make your rifle hunt even better.”



Hunting deer and elk at the same time
Another idea would let you hunt deer and elk at the same time. The DWR is considering holding the general rifle buck deer hunt and the general rifle bull elk hunt on the same days.

“This change would allow you to hunt deer and elk at the same time,” Aoude says. “But you wouldn’t have to do that. If you wanted, you could obtain a deer permit to hunt during either the early or the late season, and also obtain an elk permit to hunt during the season when you’re not hunting deer.

“This change wouldn’t take anything away from you. But it would give you another option you could take advantage of, if you wanted to.”



Hold muzzleloader deer and elk hunts at the same time
In addition to holding the rifle deer and elk hunts at the same time, the DWR is considering holding Utah’s general muzzleloader deer and muzzleloader elk hunts at the same time too. The general muzzleloader deer and elk season would be held in the middle of October, between the two rifle hunts.

The DWR is also considering adding a second muzzleloader elk hunt—a general any-bull elk hunt. That hunt would happen in mid November.



Same start dates every year
A third idea is to start all of Utah’s big game hunts on the same calendar days every year. For example, if Aug. 21 was chosen as the day to start the general archery elk hunt, the season would start on Aug. 21 every year, even if Aug. 21 didn’t fall on a Saturday.

The only exception would be if a start date fell on a Sunday. Then the season would probably begin on the proceeding Saturday.

“This idea would keep the season dates consistent from year to year,” Aoude says.



Limited-entry Deer and Elk Hunts
The DWR also has two ideas for Utah’s limited-entry deer and elk hunts:

Dates for limited-entry elk hunts
One idea would change the dates of the limited-entry elk hunts. It would also give archers first chance at the elk.

Starting in 2011, biologists would like to start the limited-entry archery elk hunt in early September and end it in mid September. That’s when the elk are at the peak of their breeding season.

(The breeding season is also known as the rut. During the rut, elk are less wary because they’re focused on breeding. That makes it easier for hunters to take them.)

After the limited-entry archery hunt ended in mid September, the limited-entry muzzleloader elk hunt would start the next day. Muzzleloader elk hunters would have the elk to themselves for four days. Then the limited-entry rifle hunt would also begin. Both the muzzleloader hunt and the rifle hunt would end on the same day in early October.

“Because they use rifles, rifle hunters have a better chance at taking an elk than archery or muzzleloader hunters do,” Aoude says.

“Even if we move limited-entry rifle hunters to the latter part of the rut, they’re still going to be successful,” he says. “But allowing archery hunters to hunt during the rut would really increase their success. And their success rate would probably still be lower than the success rate rifle hunters find during the rut.”

Hold the general and limited-entry rifle deer hunts at the same time

An additional idea is to hold the limited-entry rifle buck deer hunt at the same time the general-season rifle buck deer hunt is held.

The hunt on some limited-entry deer units would happen at the start of October. The hunt on other units would happen at the end of October.

“Limited-entry deer hunts and general-season deer hunts are held on completely different units,” Aoude says. “Holding the hunts at the same time shouldn’t create any conflicts between limited-entry hunters and general-season hunters. They’d be hunting on separate units.”


Once-In-a-Lifetime Hunts--Bull moose season
Utah’s bull moose season is currently split into two hunts. The DWR is considering combining the two hunts into one hunt. The hunt would be held from late September to mid October.

The bull moose change is the only once-in-a-lifetime species change the DWR is considering for 2011.

“The ideas we have right now are a starting point to get our biologists and sportsmen talking about possible changes for 2011,” Aoude says. “We’re wide open to the suggestions hunters and o, ther folks have.”

Upcoming Utah State Parks Events

November 7 Antelope Island State Park - Syracuse

Creatures of the Night: Meet at the visitor center at 6 p.m. for a night of mystery as we learn about the island’s animals who come out after the sun goes down. Enjoy an indoor presentation then venture outside to catch a glimpse of the island’s nocturnal predators. (801) 773-2941

November 7 Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum - Blanding
Sneak a Peek: Discover how artifacts are cared for and curated, and view perishable and environmentally-sensitive artifacts up close. Enjoy tours from 2 to 4 p.m. Free with paid admission, with a special rate for San Juan County residents. (435) 678-2238

November 10 Frontier Homestead State Park Museum – Cedar City

Children's Story Time: Pre-school children are invited to learn about the past through stories and history-related activities from 12:30 to 1 p.m. (435) 586-9290

November 12 Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum - Blanding

Perishable Artifacts of Chaco and Aztec: Dr. Laurie Webster shares her research examining sandals, basketry samples, cordage, textiles, and other perishable artifacts from the Four Corners area. A slide presentation focuses on her analysis of materials discovered at both Chaco Canyon and Aztec Pueblo. Program begins at 6:30 p.m. and is free to the public. (435) 678-2238

November 13 Escalante Petrified Forest State Park - Escalante

Star Gazing: Celebrate the International Year of Astronomy with an evening of star gazing. Join the park naturalist on a tour through the galaxy as we search for planets, constellations and other celestial wonders. Meet at the visitor center at 7 p.m. Dress warmly and bring folding chairs or blankets. Hot drinks will be served. (435) 826-4466

November 13 Snow Canyon State Park - Ivins

Simple Campfire Desserts: Gather around a toasty fire at 7 p.m. to bake and sample simple campfire desserts. Leave with recipes for your next camping trip. Space is limited and registration is required. (435) 628-2255

November 13 Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum - Vernal

Movie Night at the Museum: Watch Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian at either 5:45 p.m. or 8 p.m. This event is free, but tickets are required and can be picked up in advance at the Uintah Community Center in Vernal. (435) 789-3799

November 14 Antelope Island State Park - Syracuse

Hands-on Bison: Join the park naturalist from 1 to 3 p.m. for an afternoon of hands-on bison activities. Compare a bison and cow skull, explore horns and fur, and learn why this animal is so unique. (801) 773-2941