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Show Forest Service, BLM, Want Change in Method Of 'Guessing' Deer Count For 20 years, the Utah Fish and Game Department, assisted by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Managment, has had a definite policy and method in managing Utah's deer herds. It was a combination combi-nation of studies involving pellet counts, reading of browse transects, tran-sects, and riding the winter ranges early in the spring to observe the condition of the range and the number of deer in certain selected areas. These studies have been made at approximately the same time in the same area, and by approximately ap-proximately the same number of persons each year. No one can deny that this method has resulted in a fantastic deer harvest. Neither can anyone deny that there has been a definite adjustment of the herds to a declining supply of feed on the ranges. Many of Utah's hunters have been clamoring for several years that the special doe kill was too heavy, and some even have voiced a fear that some of the herds would be wiped out. This fear is probably baseless as it is practicably prac-ticably impossible to wipe out a deer herd by hunting pressure alone. It is an indisputable fact, however, that numbers can be drastically reduced, and this has been done in some cases. Now, however, as we get most of our problem herds in check with these proven methods, we are confronted con-fronted with a demand by the Forest For-est Service and the Bureau of Land Management that trend counts of deer be either discontinued or discounted dis-counted greatly and a new method J of pellet counting be substituted. After the proper preparation and agreement by the joint Interagency members mentioned above, it is possible that trend pellet count could be worked out that would substitute for the actual deer trend count. However, it must be understood under-stood that, before this can be adopted, a definite program must be set up and agreed upon by all the Interagency members. No sudden change without the proper preparation could possibly work. Certainly, a pellet trend count would have to embrace a considerable area and not just a few selected, heavily used spots. This, however, was the intention of some of the Interagency members mem-bers this spring. The general feeling feel-ing by others on this matter is that now the trend counts are showing a definite decrease in the deer herds in some areas, it would be advisable to change methods so the public could be further confused con-fused and the already reduced herds could be further reduced. The trend count this year shows the Beaver herds reduced 63 and the Parowan herds reduced 73 these figures just from last year! It would seem we should at least wait until the '60 hunt and see what the kill is in these districts. W. S. BOLTON, President Southern Utah Wildlife Federation |