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Show Big game harvest for 1982 told, deer 34 Compilation of the deer harvest figures for the 1982 season is now complete and results show a total of 222,305 hunters harvested 75,094 bucks for a 34 percent success rate. The figure is down slightly slight-ly from the record buck harvest of 1981 when 80,627 buck deer were taken by 211,467 hunters. In the spring of 1982, biologists noted winter losses in the northern areas of the state, and in the Sanpete and Spanish Fork areas. Division of Wildlife Resources Big Game Program Coordinator Coor-dinator Grant Jense says the losses were a major reason for the slight decline in last year's buck harvest. In addition to the buck harvest, 10,890 antlerless deer were taken, a slight increase in-crease from the previous year. Even though the number of antlerless permits available in some northern area units decreased more permits were available in the southern and central regions. This resulted in a slight increase in total harvest. Interest in both archery and muzzle-loader muzzle-loader hunts was up last year. Jense feels this reflects the increasing deer herds in many areas of the state. Nonresident license sales were also up. Many out-of-state hunters may be returning to Utah as deer hunting continues to improve. Jense added that deer herds overall are on the increase and harvest in other areas did much to pick up the slack. Total deer harvest this year amounted to 85,984 compared to 90,809 for last year. The number of elk hunters also increased in-creased this year. About 21,000 hunters met with 14 percent success during the open area bull season. Overall, the 16 percent success rate for all elk hunts was the same as last year, but the number of harvested elk increased slightly from 3,456 to 3,573. The major snowstorm that occurred opening day and continued into in-to the weekend spread hunting pressure out during the whole season. Other than that, it had little effect on the elk harvest. Success on most of the other big game hunts either increased slightly or remained re-mained about the same as last year. Antelope hunters realized a 90 percent success; moose hunters, 89 percent; buffalo, buf-falo, 100 percent; desert bighorn sheep, 55 percent; and Rocky Mountain goat, 100 percent. Hunting opportunity in the state is as good or better than it has ever been. Utah hunters may pursue a variety of big game animals. In addition to some of the finest mule deer, elk, and antelope hunting in the world, Utah offers once-in-a-lifetime hunting opportunities for buffalo, buf-falo, moose, desert bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain goats, according to Division of Wildlife officials. |