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Show vonip News Filo Elox 6310 Lincoln, Neb, 60506 Sportsmen's advice rejected by Utah Bia Game Board Nearly 60 Moub urea sportsmen Hi tended a hearing held in Green River last week by the Utah Hoard of Big Game Control, but their nearly unanimous recommendations failed to impress the Hoard, Following (hat hearing -- and a number of others held around the State -- the Board voted to stage a full eleven-day deer hunt on all hunting units in the State. Moub sportsmen, who last yeur challenged the Board in court, had urged that the hunt in Southeastern Utah be cut to seven days and that the hunt on the South Book Cliffs be cancelled altogether. On Saturday, the Board, by a three to two vote, decided to OK a full eleven day hunt statewide. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Director Don Smith, the chairman of the board who only votes In case of a tie, joined U. S. Forest Service representative John Mumma and cattlemen's cattle-men's representative Richard Leigh in voting for the 11 -clay season in southeastern Utah. Sportsmen's representative repre-sentative Harold Hintc led the fight for the seven-day buck only season and was joined by woolgrower's representative Newell Johnson. The vote came after a marathon debate. Member Hintze argued that the board should listen to the recommendations recommenda-tions of sportsmen in southeastern Utah. Opposition to that argument, however, argued that biologically, an eleven-day hunt would effect fawn production very little more than a seven-day hunt. Those who voted for the full, state-wide hunt also expressed the fear that by bowing to the wishes of area sporstmen might set a precedent that would lead to other areas of sportsmen pressure, and would place a burden on other deer hunt units in the state. In Moab, Sportsmen's Club President Dwight Johnston this week expressed his "dissatisfaction with the decision of the Big Game Board. "If they're going to disregard ull the input they get at their public hearings, along with their very expensive deer herd studies and treat the stale all the same, then they are wasting a lot of taxpayer money conducting those studies," he said. Mr. Johnston stated that his club will be holding a barbeque and meeting in the very near future to decide what course of action the club will follow now. i "We are seriously considering another court action to test the constitutionality of the Big Game Board," he said, although that decision has not yet been firmed up. Last year, the Moab Sportsmen's Club challenged a Board of Big Game Control ruling which extended the hunt in Southeastern Utah several days after the general hunt had ended elsewhere in Utah. Losing in a lengthy court case which backed the decision of the state agency, sportsmen urged hunters to stay away from the LaSal Mountains during the deer hunt. This year, they organized well in advance of the meeting where the hunt rules were set, and that resulted in the large turnout of members at the hearing in Green River last week. Complete regulations for this year's hunt are published elsewhere in this issue. |
