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Show 2B Emery County Progress. Castle Dale Utah Tuesday October 13, 1998 Sponts amdl unMaixmirs Higher deer numbers expected throughout most of state I Iunters afield for the opening of Utahs 1998 general season buck deer hunt on Oct. 1 7 should find increased numbers of deer awaiting them through most of the state. Deer numbers are stable, or are increasing, throughout Utah, said Mike Welch, biggamecoordi-nato- r for the Division of Wildlife Resources. Welch credits stable and increasing numbers of deer to a relatively mild winter through most of the state, which resulted in good fawn survival. A wet spring also provided good forage, allowing lactat ing does with newborn fawns to remain in good nutritional condition. The only management unit Im aware of, that experienced a significant winter loss of fawns, was the Cache Unit (in northern Utah), Welch said. More than 80,000 hunters are expected afield for the 1998 hunt, In 1997, which runs Oct. of Utahs genalmost one-thireral season hunters were successful in bagging a buck. Welch reminds those going afield that written permission is required to access private lands and that hunters need to be careful wit h fires as fire danger is high , due to increased amounts of vegetation brought about by heavy 17-2- d precipitation earlier this year. Those who havent purchased a permit to hunt in the Divisions Northern, Central or Northeastern regions may still do so, as permits are still available from hunting license agents statewide and Division offices. Permits to hunt in the Divisions Southeastern and Southern regions have sold out. Northern Region land-Cornic- While deer populations are up on all of the regions unit s but one, advanced scouting and snowfall in higher elevations will be important to hunter success this year, said Lou Cornicelli, Northern Region wildlife manager. Last year 27 percent of those who hunted the N orthern Region during the general season were successful, with more than 22,600 hunters taking more than 6,000 deer. If we receive some good snowfall up high the deer wall move down, but right now theyre still high and scattered, Cornicelli said. A wet summer resulted in an abundance ofwater in the region, spreading deer out over a large area. Advanced scouting, to locate areas deer are using, is extremely important to hunter success this year. Cornicelli suggests locating travel lanes, bedding areas, and actively used water holes. Hunters need to spend time in the field and learn where the deer are moving, Cornicelli said. Dont rely on a traditional area unless that area has paid off during a year when conditions are similar to what we have thisyear Hunters should find increased numbers ofdeer on all the region s unitsexcept the Cache Unit, where . hunt provides. 7) an extra knife and; 8) a small pad of paper and a pencil (for leaving information at your last location, about yourself and the direction youre traveling, should you become lost). Firearm Preparation: Make sure you have the proper ammunition for your firearm; be as familiar as sible with pos- your firearm know how to load and unload it, and where the safety is and how to operate it. Enjoy the entire experience of the hunt, said Firearm Safety: Lenny Rees, hunter education coordinator for the Never carry a loaded Division of Wildlife Re- firearm in your vehicle; sources. before shooting make Good friends, a good sure of your target and camp, a chance to observe whats beyond it. wildlife and the beautiful Vehicle Preparation: Make sure your vehicle state we live in are all fordeer in is hunters are good mechanical conthings tunate enough to enjoy dition; carry a shovel, ax, tire during their time afield, he said. chains, jumper cables and Rees passes along the a tow chain in your vehicle; if you experience mefollowing tips for an enjoyable and safe hunting chanical problems with experience: your vehicle or become Personal Preparat- snowed in, stay with your vehicle-do- nt leave it. ion: Obtain the proper hunting permits--you- r Habitat Authorization and the proper buck deer re- . Before Leaving On Your Trip: Let someone know where youre going and gion permit. Southern and when you expect to return. While In the Field: Southeastern region per-- , mits have sold out. NorthNever hunt alone; wear proper safety ern, Central and Northeastern region permits are clothing 400 square still available; inches of hunter orange on Know the area youre your back, chest and head. Field Dressing Your going to hunt. If possible, scout the area before the Animal: hunt. Put together a survival kit. The kit should include: 1 ) a small first aid kit; 2) three ways to make a fire (matches, cigarette lighter, firestarters, etc.); 3) quick energy snack foods; 4) a cord or rope; 5) a compass; 6) a flashlight; Use a sharp knife. A sharp knife is safer for field dressing than a dull one; cut away from you never bring a knife blade towards you while cutting. Your Well-bein- Physical g: Know elh bucks. Because of a 50 to 60 percent fawn loss two winters ago, hunters should not expect to see a lot of mature bucks on the unit, he said. Hunters should fmd good numbers of deer on all of the regions remaining units, all of which enjoyed a good fawn crop two years ago and experienced minimal deer loss this year. Hunters are reminded that with the exception of the North Slope of the Uintas, all of the remaining units in the region are on private property and hunters must obtain written permission from landowners prior to hunting. Cornicelli also encourages hunters who take a deer, to stop at one of the regions many deer check stations, where Division biologists will check the wreight, determine the age, take antler measurements and check the overall body condition of their animal. These check stations allow us tocolled important biological data that allow us to better manage northern Utahs deer herds, Cornicelli said. Northern Region hunters wall fmd check stations in the following areas Hunters should see a few more of these as officials anticipate a good hunt throughout most of the state. Most of the units enjoyed a good fawn crop two years ago and experienced minimal deer loss this year. Snowville in Box Elder County, Logan Canyon and Blacksmiths Fork Canyon in Cache County, Pineview Reservoir in Weber County, the Mountain Green rest area in Morgan County, and Silver Creek Junction in Summit County. Cornicelli also provides hunt ers the following reminders: All Division Wildlife Management Units in the region are closed to motorized vehicles. Some U.S. Forest Service areas are closed to the use of vehicles. Contact the U.S. Forest Service ranger district office that manages the areayou ll be hunting, to learn restrictions. For your safety, when afield make sure youre wearing of 400 square inches of hunter orange material on you head, chest and back. Central Region Deer numbers have increased (Continued on page 3B) New Fish and Wildlife legislation is an historic step Preparation key to safe deer hunting experience Big game hunters throughout Utah arp eagerly awaiting the beginning of the states general buck deer hunt Oct. 17. Preparations now, in the form of gathering materials and gaining knowledge, are key to a safe big game hunting experience. And, while taking a deer is typically the highlight of any deer hunt, hunters should remember to enjoy all the experiences a deer whiter resulted in 50 percent of its fawais being lost. The winter was late enough that we lost almost no adult deer on the unit, so hunters can expect to find a higher proportion ofolder deer there, Cornicelli said. Overall, though, deer numbers on the unit are down from last year. On the Box Elder Unif-th- e regions unit with the most public reports minimal deer loss from this past winter and that hu liters should expect to see decent numbers of young a harsh , late This years hunt looks promising, only Cache had major winter loss your physical limitations and dont exceed them; be prepared for A new law allowing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expand the use of volunteers and partnerships and simplify donations made to specific national wildlife refuges was applauded recently by Service Director Jamie Rappaport Clark as a historic step. President Clinton signed the National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998 Oct. 5. This is a very significant piece of legislation for this agency because volunteers are critically important to our ability to meet our wildlife con- servation mission, Clark said. It will allow the Service to take giant steps in three very important areas: in the recruitment and use of volunteers, in the expansion and use of partnerships, and in simplifying the rules governing financial donations to specific refuges. We're very excited about all that this bill will make possible and look forward to putting these new pieces in place, she added. The law, introduced in the Senate by Senator John Chafee and in the House of Representat l ves by Congressman Jim Saxton, will: Enable the Service to implement pilot projects through up to 20 volunteer coordinators who will recruit, tram, and supervise volunteers in the Services seven regions. Authorize establishment of a Senior Volunteer Corps focusing on volunteers over the age of 50, paying some incidental volunteer ex- penses, and allowing the Service to make cash awards, not to exceed $100 each, to out- standing volunteers. Provide authority for organizing and collaborating with partner organizations nationwide and streamlining the requirements for establishing community partner or organizations such as the Friends of the Refuge Initia- tive. Partner organizations may provide financial and technical support and serve as liaisons between a refuge and its community. Clarify that gifts or bequests made to a particular refuge may be spent by the same refuges, while allowing Federal fundingto match (but not exceed) the amount of gifts and donations. This provision will give individual refuge managers the opportunity to use discretionary funds already available to help secure additional funds in the form of cash, property, services. or Require the Secretary of the Interior to develop refuge education programs to further the mission of the Refuge System and the purpose of individual refuges. The programs are to pros vide outdoor classroom for students on wildlife refuges that combine edud oppor-tunitie- cational curricula with the personal experiences of students, to promote understanding and conservation of resources of the refuges, and to improve scientific literacy in conjunction with both formal and informal education programs. The Services reliance on volu nteers dates back to 1903 when the first refuge was es- tablished at Pelican Island Florida and manned initially by volunteers. The Volunteer and Partnership Enhancement Act signed recently strengthens t he Fish and Wildlife Improve Act of 1978, through which Congress authorized the Secretary of the Interior to recruit and train volunteers. Today there are more than 28,800 volunteers donating more than 1.5 million hours of their time on refuges. Almost 20 percent of all work performed on the refuge system is done by volunteers, amounting to about $14 milin lion worth of services the government that cost only $780,000. The Service also collab- orates with conservation groups, academic institutions, business organizations, and other entities to provide services for the refuge system. Those services span a broad range and are generally performed at the local level, with individual communities supporting specific refuges in their area. In 1996, the Service established what it call the Friends Initiative to more formally encourage and organize efforts to promote community involvement. With the support of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the National Wildlife Refuge Association, and the National Aububon Society, 24 new F riends groups have been formed by local citizens in support of nearby refuges. Nearly 30 million people visit wildlife refuges each year for bird watching and other wildlife observation, hiking, fishing, hunting, nature photography, and environmental education. At least one national wildlife refuge is located within an hours drive of almost every major city in the United States. F or more information about the National Wildlife Refuge System, call or visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service homepage atwww.fws.gov on the Internet. Click on National Wildlife Refuge System and scroll to the information category of your choice. Look under Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in the Federal Government section of your telephone directory to find the wildlife refuge nearest you. Spectacular elk viewing up north at Hardware Ranch An opportunity to view season, offering a chance to the fall activities of elk at the see bulls chasing other bulls Hardware Ranch Wildlife and cows, and to hear bulls Management Area (WMA) bugling and cows and calves is fast approaching. October is normally an ex- cellent time to see and hear the wonders of elk during the breeding or rutting sea- chirping. On some early mornings, as many as five or six bulls have been heard bugling to each other. There are very few occasions or locations that offer this chance to see normally elusive elk. Each fall, with increased human activity in the backcountry, about 200 elk move onto an area closed to have been as many as 25 bulls present, with 15 of them being animals. The implementation of a general season spike only hunt in the area has resulted in more mature bulls being son. hunting at the Hardware Ranch WMA. The elk normally remain this area until after the big game hunting seasons. While elk are in the area, they are easily visible to the public from the parking areas below the WMAs visitor in center. Elk are still engaged in the tail end of the breeding In the last few years there branch-antlere- d present. The best times of day to see and hear the elk are early mornings and late afternoons, when elk are usually most active. However, elk are usually visible all day long. Be sure to bring binocii' lars or a spotting scope to gpt a closer look. The elk on page 3B) some-(Continu- |