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Show STRAY DOGS DO MORE DAMAGE TO DEER, CLAIM The deer are having their troubles with the stray dogs on the winter ranges again, and Director Ross Leonard of the Utah Fish and Game Department has asked dog owners' cooperation for the "umpteenth" "ump-teenth" time. The appeal was made today following a slaughter of a large doe deer on the range east of Salt Lake City. The doe was carrying twin fawns. "Dogs do more damage in some areas than coyotes or cougars, and are our worst predators," Leonard said. "We have never made it a practice to kill stray dogs, and have always appealed to the residents resi-dents within the areas of the winter win-ter ranges to watch their dogs. We hope that they will do that again this year." The game chief pointed out that deer are weak from the winter range stay, and dogs bunch up to chase the animals in that weakened weaken-ed condition. It is too much for many of them, especially when they will be dropping their fawns within a few weeks, and they fall prey to the dog packs. Heavy drifts are another hazard, the deer being slowed down while the dogs are able to run on top of the crusted snow without hindrance. This is the time, Leonard said, when pheasants and quail are beginning be-ginning to nest. Dogs and stray cats make heavy inroads on upland birds during this time of the year, and sportsmen should take this dog and cat problem seriously. Now is the time when game is being be-ing produced for the fall hunts. If we are to have game birds they should be protected during the hatching and fawning season, Leonard explained. |