OCR Text |
Show Dinosaurland Outdoors By HarttWixom Vernal Express Outdoors Writer o t - t t4 tuft Make plans now for big game hunt April may be a strange time to think about big game hunting, but doing so can greatlv enhance your chances for next fall. There are also three excellent reasons to do so: 1. Securing a guide or outfitter for the place you want to hunt, particularly par-ticularly for elusive species like elk or bighorn sheep. This is required in many states or provinces of Canada, and in some lower 48 wilderness areas. 2. Scouting the area. Before long, big game species will be high and scattered back into summer ranges where they will be difficult to locate. It is ease of finding such species as deer which has prompted Utah conservation officers to make their annual range rides now. Just contact a regional office of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (Ogden. Springville, Vernal, Salt Lake City headquarters) or a CO in most communities. 3. Obtaining all necessary' permits, especially in those regions where an allotted number of licenses are sold. In the latter case, most permits are gone by the time hunt openers arrive. You can't start thinking about scoring on antelope or moose, for example, day before the shoot opens. In two states. Colorado Col-orado and Montana, you can still hunt elk and deer by plunking down the fee (no draw) but a cutoff point on license sales dictates you think ahead. Many of Utah's extra permits, such as restricted bull elk, become available in mid-summer, but you need to know what areas you want to put in for. This is where I recommend late spring scouting. In most cases, wapiti still have their antlers, but it matters little from a practical prac-tical standpoint. If you find cow elk, you will also have a pretty fair idea where to locate bulls in September early October Oc-tober rutting season. This time of year you can find elk more docile than summer or fall, due to high country forcing them down, green shoots near valley streams, open warm south slopes etc. Some of mv most memorable I scouting sessions have been this sprjx ! including the observation of bui 'isr antler strength by sparring. n:d fighting, etc It is a common error a 5;-pose 5;-pose bull elk do this only during the : rut for domination of cows. It is js. another aspect of wildlife watchig ziTz readily possible this time of year. : During past spring forays Tve io found where some of those refuge 1uj normally reside. (A visit to Erin.f Ranch during January indica'.e-d 5-:ce mighty wapiti eluded hunters in 'JSL It's my suspicion many did it hzzi a in canyons from top of BlacksnuF:ct into the upper ledges of Logan top: and westward to the Wasatch Mou-'uc face. Likewise, I'm now aware oiber. locations on the northwest and noruiss Uintas. (some reside much loser zz. , hunters might realize in the less se.::" used canyons). Bear River driujf al. and most of it on public fores', service domain. ! In some units you can do landers-a landers-a favor by catching both elk and ierjS above farmlands and orchards agricultural damage is severe. Oneisu , Wasatch face in Cache County. Sp Valley from both east or Mantis:2 the western sector, Nebo above Sz quin. other areas where it is notcne-to notcne-to find the evidence in April ui binoculars L .Another thing you'll want to rua---of is your permit-licenses. Then te out references with guides and take time to write or talk wiis'-- two clients. With elk in partial P; having excellent game country fi enough. You'll want to have the r. people showing you how to get of your rifle. and i-' you score, good horses to bring me- ' -. If you do it on your own. you'll 'J avoid harrassing the animals tu to hunt opener. It is a veritable tr of the elk quest that well-mean:-: ; last minute nimrods push their Q ;. into the next county. A success.---' begins now |