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Show Anyone wishing to "join up" for such a survey should contact the district game manager, local warden, nearest forest service off;cial, or BLM representative for the area of their interest. First requirement is a horse and saddle, with additional equipment necessary in certain areas where the rides amount to more than one day and camping out is called for. A major construction and improvement im-provement project is going forward, for-ward, during the winter months at the State's Clear Lake Refuge in Millard county, according to Director J. Perry Egan of the fish and game department. The present project includes fencing the 4,722 acres of refuge lands, construction of cattle guards on access roads, and build ing of a headquarters house for a refuge manager. Lack of adequate fencing in the past has caused overgrazing of these marshlands by livestock to the detriment of nesting cover cov-er and the total hunting area. The refuge is surrounded by grazing lands. FISH AND G AME j HIGHLIGHTS i I Beaver pelts taken during the i fall and early winter months were recently sold at a Denver fur auction, according to spokesmen spokes-men for the Utah Fish and Game department. Gross receipts for the 1,148 'Utah pelts sold amounted to $5,- i ;!!!!). 15. Lcs.s sales commissions and express charges of $408.02, 'final net return from the furs was $4,990. 13. The average price of $4.35 per pelt sold is one of the lowest returns re-turns in many years. Prices rang ed from a low of 25c for kits to ! $13.50 for "blankets" or top : grade large furs. The spokesmen attribute thf low net return to the fact that fewer such furs are being used : in coat making, as well as sev- era 1 other factors. Of the 1,148 pelts, some 5C3 were taken by 30 pennit trappers trap-pers who will receive $2,022.31, or an average of 75 per cent of the net receipts from the sale of these 563 furs. I Male traj;:nT.i and wardens took 585 pelts from which all net sale receipts go into the fish and game fund. Net returns from the : furs, plus the average 25 percent credited to the state from furs taken by permit trappers, leaves a total net return to the department depart-ment of $2,967.82. It is noted that beaver increases increas-es -jt be cropped the same as any other game creature. When pelt prices are low it becomes an incrcasinif problem to do so, with the financial return often not covering the expenditures incurred. Annual late winter-early spring big game counts and range surveys sur-veys will soon get underway in all sections of the state. Game department officials are again cuouraging all interested individuals and organizations to take part in these rides. They note that anyone participating in these surveys not only helps n collecting data necessary to recommending re-commending types of hunts, length of seasons, etc., but also is able to see the animals and feed conditions when they are concentrated on the winter ranges. rang-es. Since the winter range is in short supply over most of the state it forms the key to herd numbers in nearly all of the 62 deer herd units. |