OCR Text |
Show Pheasant workshop to discuss decline ... -. - . - - , '; j ? s -, - - : y . - ' J J J - r I, ' ' I- ; ' I. s ' ' I By JOHN CANNON Outdoor Editor SALT LAKE CITY - Pheasant populations in Utah are now at the lowest level since their introduction in 1895, and a two-day public workshop aimed at finding a solution solu-tion is set for Jan. 11-12. Alarmed by the drastic decline of the colorful game birds across the state, the workshop, to be held at the Olympus Hotel, will feature leading experts from the United States and Britain. In 1989, only 50,382 hunters harvested an estimated 80,769 birds in Utah, compared with an all-time high harvest of 309,015 birds by 88,290 hunters in 1958. The free conference is sponsored by the UDWR, Pheasants Forever, Utah Wildlife Leadership Coalition, Utah Dept. of Agriculture, USU Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife, Soil Conservation Service and the BYU Dept of Botany and Range Science. Pheasant numbers have been declining across the state and in Davis County. This rooster was recently photographed near Highway 89 in Fruit Heights. (Clipper photo by John W. cannon) |