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Show Bartering Important In Growth Of Wildlife Years ago, bartering was a way of life for most people; and today, the tradition lingers on as game and fish managers from one state arrange trade-offs with wildlife managers from other states or countries. Utah has fared favorably in the wildlife barter system. MANY OF Utah's big game animals have reached present population numbers as a result of interstate transplanting, which eventually even-tually resulted in intrastate moves, further increasing the size of resident herds. The state's numerous elk Ijerds have resulted largely from animals brought into Utah from the Yellowstone area. Antelope were sig-.- nif icantly enhanced by out-of-state transplants. BOTH Rocky Mountain bighorn and mountain goats have been established in Utah mountains from populations in neighboring states and Canada. Upland game hunters have reaped the benefits of wildlife bartering, too. Chukar, turkey, ptarmigan and even pheasant were introduced to Utah soil from other states. FOR ALL this wildlife imported im-ported into the state, Utah has exported very little in the way of game animals and birds. Other states have requested and received various fish species from Utah and lave thus established more viable fisheries in their respective domain. Currently, Utah game managers are negotiating with wildlife officials in Colorado in an effort to repay them for wildlife they have previously supplied to Utah. COLORADO Division of Wildlife game managers have proposed plans which would establish moose in available, suitable habitat. The proposed release site is in the southeast corner of Jackson County on National Forest land. The objective of the move is to establish a self-sustaining moose population insuitable habitat to provide the Colorado public with the opportunity op-portunity to observe moose and to attain a population goal of 100 animals before allowing limited and controlled hunting. hunt-ing. UTAH game managers are projecting the translocation of approximately 12 moose from the Uinta north slope, where moose populations are currently approaching the carrying capacity of the range. This small number of moose is sufficient to help Colorado begin the establishment establish-ment of another moose herd and will help alleviate some pressure on the north slope-feeding-areas. Pragmatically, wildlife managers must take positive actions to protect rangeland from damage by animal populations that grow beyond the carrying capacity of any given area. IN THE case of the Uinta north slope moose range, continued growth and expansion expan-sion of the moose population would result in detrimental effects upon the land's ability to support the animals. When the carrying capacity is reached, managers must reduce the number of animals by hunting, transplanting or by paying debts to other states. Many Utah sportsmen are aware that game managers transplanted 37 moose from the Uinta Mountains to the north Manti Mountains in 1973-74. The purpose of the transplant was two fold: Available, unused habitat existed in the Manti Mountains Moun-tains and opportunity existed for Utah to expand its moose population; at the same time, the transplant relieved some pressure on the moose range of the Uintas. AN Environmental Impact Statement has been prepared in Colorado on the proposed release site and has been approved, indicating that the site is available and suitable to support a moose population. |