| Show I Wildlife Resources assessing results of fall hunts By Hartt Wixom Vernal Express Outdoors Writer There Isn't any off season for Utah's Wildlife Resources biologists In fact right now Is a busy time for them assess assess- assessIng assessing Ing results of the states state's fall hunts Much of this analysis involves legal as aswell aswell well as illegal kills For example big game biologist Grant Jense has been stu- stu studying studying dying some 50 moose killed in Utah dur- dur durIng during Ing 1982 deer and elk seasons Will hunts be allowed next year where these illicit kills occurred I asked Jense Those decisions are made by the board of big game control But they usually go on the hard evidence and recommendations of our office And It could be based on our findings that several moose units which could have been open wont won't be due to out season carelessness and what In some cases appears to be other than accidental Jense also stated that sportsmen com com- complaints plaints of high winter kill in northern Utah Utah Utah- up to 80 percent in some Morgan County units units- units should not be blamed on the state We did our best to get out suf suf- sufficient nt doe permits In these critical areas because we knew what could happen But mu much h of this Is private land and we have no control over the number of hunters allowed on it It Is true there was much waste In what happened But most of these private lan Ian downers are charging fees to take deer with the hunter not harvesting many of the does which we would like to have seen taken taken- taken f Jense also predicts that when the final count Is In Utah's mule deer tally for this year will be very near last years year's ex ex- ex excellent 34 percent somewhere between 35 30 percent lIe He said the number of deer taken through the Daniels Daniels Canyon check station was on a other years but bluebird weather for the 82 opener Is always a major factor In the type of success enjoyed this past season He does not predict from frum available counts that hunting will be allowed on the three deep south units which have been closed for several years This In In- In Includes several where deer numbers are recuperating from severe drought and low fawn production like Elk Ridge near Blanding but not enough to turn hunting pressure on It again Jense expects trophy only hunting four points on at least one side to con con- continue for deer units Henry Mountains and the south Book Cliffs It is known that elk and deer are on the Increase In wilder sectors of the Book Cliffs up into the ute Indian Reservation but the latter re- re remains remains mains off limits to non Indians Continued energy fuel exploration has move moved more roads and more people Into the public lands on Book Cliff units and continues to cut into deer herds there Some large bucks were taken In 1982 but animals have been greatly reduced where access Is becoming In in- in increasingly easier officials are also keeping keeping their eye on a potential number one world record Young Pope buck bagged In the Beaver region with bow Some exceptionally large bucks were also nailed by hunters In the juniper pinyon-juniper pinyon juniper terrain west of Cedar City while many have been hunting them In the pines on higher habitat Jense emphasized Utah enjoyed high success on antelope again up around 95 percent on on many units biological statistics show As you might expect elk harvest hf is highest In Inthe inthe the tougher back In country frequent ly on the restricted areas Biologists have repeatedly said the mushrooming number of wapiti seekers up to In some years haven't hurt the resource because when hunting becomes harder the elusive bull elk Is bothered by fewer rifle again for several years until numbers build once again Will Utah return to the sex either hunt again soon I queried Grant Not likely at all In the near future If we should the recommendation would go with it to do so only for a year or so We Weare Weare are harvesting on most areas what we need to take the surplus animals ting protecting Important all all Important range fe feed d although we need more hunters to harvest more deer in key regions Whether we have taken enough will be answered primarily by the number of deer which die in the winter ahead In- In Incidentally Incidentally now is a good time for sport to get out and see what we hunters missed Bucks are In foothills and In the rut inthe If they dont don't starve you'll find them in the region next year |
