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Show . , -. ... f , r , . m i - : ; A I , -OM-.gAt w:- l uy yX.- PHEASANT SEASON opens Nov. 7. Hunter is Peer faun? flwns oui good, pheciGGBUvs raeiia By Hartt Wixom Vernal Express Outdoors Writer Deer hunters looked at a vast array weather moods, and some even rted at bucks through rain, fog, snow r sunshine. When it is all over, the !i! tally might be a mite less than last si 33-5 percent due to poor access j:he opener. Traditionally, most deer success will at Die first three days. This time sndMa Nature was not particularly .apathic, drenching back roads until four-wheel drives stopped short of station points, while many con-Sional con-Sional vehicles were trapped. Only a :rg hike got many nimrods into deer MID', only to find fog cutting ility. True, sunshine did help matters .Eiderably after the first weekend, ji'.ers got into the spirit of the r':m quest with more heart after although deer were no longer i'ding around posing in open -adows and saddles. With the shoot ilng Oct. 27 (after seven days in f uthern units from Kanab to -wsharem) only anterless permit .riders have a crack at it now with ce exception. The muzzleloaders, at ''(I those "mountain men" who have yiy purchased the proper permit ..i didn't score during the regular ason, will give it an old-fashioned go ' s the end of the month. , liter that, first' Saturday in ' Member, the pheasant shooters go ! &ld for the fall's last major hunt , per. It's an 8 a.m. start on Nov. 7 1 'd it appears more and more to be a ( Pled unit affair. Cost of permits, if , Mean get the first come-first served 1 ts, is about $3. There are rumors of ( -gher prices in some areas, but it can , Checked out quickly with the locals, il'tahDiv. Wildlife Resources. Just ; ''example, their chart shows the rich ( "-'da area of northern Tooele County to ' k 300 permits at $2 apiece, and it is " Wty much the same in other sectors, t vMng Uintah County, Summit and as well as Utah and Salt Lake ji ''"unties. V of these units must put 50 . f 5wnl of their total permits on sale to f general public. But, here is a ' jr -sttstion: if you don't get one of the shown walking a back road in quest of quail, pheasants. coveted permits (and most of the money is used to help local communities, com-munities, or farmers sustain damages during the hunt), don't give up. There are a number of overlooked pheasants in the state and federal marshlands. They almost always remain open longer than the peewee seasons on agricultural lands. Try the lowland swamps, stream drainages, back road fence rows, and especially the duck hunting hot spots where tall grass and cattails abound. This hunter has watched many a pheasant fly out onto lakes where matted grass or thick cattails can offer a roosting spot over the water. Some scattergunners even don hip boots to go after them. I've seen a good many pheasants in Uintah and Duchesne Counties (some of them on the Ute lands) the past few years in the corn and hay crops but only for the first few days. Afterward they seem to have a yen for rougher places, including the Duchesne River, sage benchlands, even the oak and brush above farmlands. You might find another legal target there, the quail. Incidentally, make sure you study the proclamation, since some pheasant units are only open three days. Watch out for the ringneck's favorite trick of running from you rather than . flying. A top dog can help. Otherwise, try to keep your hunters spread out, watching out for such tactics, and stop every so often (as in rabbit hunting) to make the birds go. A colorful cockerel will let you walk right on past if you'll do it, and he figures as much if you don't slow down. Be certain your shotgun gauge matches your shells. And remember sportsmanship on private land! |