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Show Dinosaurland Outdoors By Hartt Wlxom . Vernal Express Outdoors Writer ' Hunting for trophy bucks Most Utah big game hunters were basically happy with the seasons announced in July particularly the decision to stick with one deer archery, another deer during the Oct. 23 regular rifle quest. However, the Board of Big Game Control did not give hunters any of the old late season trophy buck opportunities. Members figure buck-only buck-only regular seasons are harvesting enough antlered animals that sportsmen may not soon see the traditional November-December "glory shoots" again. I, for one, have missed them. It seemed the fall hunting quests couldn't conclude until a few die-hard cronies and I had plied the Book Cliffs, Rock Creek, Daggett, or even Nebo foothillls for those giant bucks which held high to the hinterlands through the regular season. They were there all the time, of course, but your chances were much better with the early winter snow, and but a few other competing rifle-toters. One of the best was close to homo: above Santaquin. With either-sex hunting, many bucks were headed for trouble here about mid-November, getting into southern Utah County orchards, and even suburb fitzers. The only way they could be harvested was to hold a special buck hunt. If they weren't, many were sure to succumb later to winter's icy grip. However, this isn't to particularly place any heat to the game managers. They are getting a buck harvest during the buck-only season, and the emphasis now is on post-season antlerless hunts. (You can take a buck then, but the antlers had better not be higher than five inches.) In fact, Utah will hold scheduled shoots for 16,585 does, and this does not count the post-season sorties called for removal of crop-damaging crop-damaging deer. Most of this 1 ,500 doe permit increase has resulted from growing herds in south-centeral Utah, good news in that muleys are flourishing there for the first time since drought in the late 1970's severely curtailed fawn production from the FYice area down into San Juan country. However, things have not improved much on Elk Ridge. Paunsaugunt, Dixie-East Pine Valley, which remain closed for any hunting again this year. The Board decided in setting seasons and permits that only a small sector of northern Utah suffered much from what had seemed a devasting winter. The herds were hit hard after January, ; but fortunately, light snow and mild i temperatures (in a particulary cold winter) were delayed long enough that deer wintered well through late 1 autumn. Kill would have been very ' heavy otherwise. You can buy a permit for the August 21 archery joust anytime until closure Sept. 6, but things are different with the muzzleloader's "primitive" shoot Nov. 6-14. You must buy your permit for this one before the regular Oct. 23 season, and this is at the loader's request. They want it as much like pioneer times as possible, and this means fewer hunters. If you plan to go with the regular hunt, too, you can, but you can't carry a blunderbuss afield if you scored during the rifle shoot. In other words, even if you buy the muzzleloader permit before Oct. 23, you cannot take a buck during both hunts. If you do not apply for any other special permit, besides regular rifle, you can apply for a "control" (antlerless deer) this year, However, check the proclamation for deadlines. Ditto for those on other big game. Every year someone missed out on the restricted elk, and even open bull eik deadlines. You have until Aug. 6 on open bull elk. Cost this year will be $2 for handling-postage, in addition to actual price of the permit. An interesting trend has developed on elk, one I have campaigned for an applaud: number of elk hunters out won't change, but number applicants for restricted units will. If you obtain one this year, you are not eligible again until 1985, or every third year. With moose, state studies have determined the north slope of the Uintas can hold more than originally thought, so permits have been reduced. A new area, Uinta slope (a herd has been building steadily here from Rock Creek to Whiterocks) w ill be open for the first time. Unfortunately, the Cache-North Rich unit had to be closed entirely due to illegal moose kills. This has been predicted, and more units could close if sportsmen do not band together to report and halt the shooting of moose during elk and deer hunts, as well as during winter vulnerability. Once again permits on desert sheep, goats, and buffalo will be presented to a high bidder. Some have expressed proposition to this, but the money is utilized to improve habitat, and to transplant these species to other areas of the state. But back to those late season buck hunts. It would seem worthwhile even if the state has to declare some regions either-sex (such as Daggett or Nebo) so a trophy buck hunt could be held later. The "trophy" buck hunts on South Book and Henry's mountain units pare the take there; but they are held too early to offer truly monster buck hunting. This begs the question: are there any giant bucks left in Utah? The answer is yes. Y'ou only have to hike around in late November-early December to see first hand. |