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Show Page 7 November 19, 2003 duce rifle elk hunting opportunities on some units and in- Big game hunting rules for 2004 approved by Utah Wildlife Board A simpler, fairer and more consistent approach to limited entry elk hunting in Utah in 2004 was approved by the Utah Wildlife Board at its Nov. 13 meeting in Salt Lake City. The board also approved a change aimed at increasing the chances hunters ages 14 to 18 will obtain a buck deer hunting permit in Utah. The board, which consists of seven citizens appointed by former Gov. Mike Leavitt, approved the changes after hearing recommendations from Division of Wildlife Resources biologists and citizens representing Utahs five public Regional Advisory Councils. Board members also ap- proved a revised Mule Deer Management Plan, which will guide the management of mule deer in Utah through 2008. The plan contains new goals, objectives and strategies aimed at increasing the number of deer in the state. Copies of the plan will be available soon on the DWRs Internet Web site (wildlife. Utah govhunting). Elk Hunting Changes The board approved several significant elk hunting . changes. The thing we keep hearing from elk hunters is that the regulations are too complicated, said Jim Karpow-itz- , big game coordinator for crease the number of archers and muzzleloader hunters on the units, Karpowitz said. This will lay the groundwork the Division of Wildlife Resources. They also want the regulations to be fairer and more consistent across the board. At the same time, they dont want the quality of their hunting experience to decline. We believe the recommenda- tions the board approved will provide hunters what theyre looking for. Three major elk hunting changes were approved by the board: Limited entry elk permits will now be allocated on all units in a consistent way, based on weapon type 25 percent archery, 60 percent any weapon and 15 percent muzzleloader. This distribution will re- - Cougar hunting permits available beginning November 25th Permits to hunt cougars on harvest objective units in Utah will be available from Division of Wildlife Resources offices only beginning Nov. 25. There are 39 harvest ob- jective units in Utah. When buying their permit, hunters may choose up to three units to hunt. There are three main ways in which harvest objective units differ from traditional limited entry units, says Suzette Fowlks, information specialist with the Division of Wildlife Resources. There is no limit to the number of permits that may be sold for each unit and hunters may purchase them she said. The hunt on each harvest objective unit may close before the official end of the season, r, Nephi, Utah (Die a unit, the hunt on the unit closes when 10 cougars are taken, even if the end of the season hasn't been reached. During the season, hunters may exchange their harvest objective permit for a permit to hunt a different unit. A $5 handling fee is charged for each exchange and the permit is not valid until the day after the exchange is made. All exchanges must be made at a Division of Wildlife Resources office. The 2003-200- cougar 4 season begins Dec. 13 on most of Utahs harvest objective units. Hunters should study the 2003 - 2004 Utah Cougar Proclamation to choose their harvest objective units, Fowlks said. Unit descriptions begin on page 14. Proclamations are available from hunting and fishhowever, if the number of ing license agents statewide, cougars to be taken on the Division of Wildlife Resources offices and the DWRs Interunit is met. For example, if the objecnet Web site (wildlife. Utah, tive is to take 10 cougars on gov). for elk expanded limited entry hunting opportunities in the future, because archers and muzzleloader hunters are less successful than rifle hunters. It will also distribute hunting pressure over three hunts, which will lessen hunting pressure during the rifle hunt and provide a better experience for rifle hunters. AR301 archery elk permits have been eliminated. These were special archery elk permits that allowed 300 archers to hunt all of the states general any bull elk units, as well as several spike bull and limited entry units. Archery hunters will still have plenty of opportunity, however, because the number of limited entry archery elk permits has been increased wildlife conservation dramatically. ML300 muzzleloader elk permits have also been eliminated, and the 1,300 ML300 permits that have been available in the past have been added to the general any bull elk permit cap. In 2004, the any bull elk cap will be 14,300 permits. When hunters buy an any bull permit, they can choose whether they want their permit to be a rifle permit or a muzzleloader permit. 15 Percent of General Buck Deer Permits in Each Region Set Aside for 14- - to Hunters Hunters 14- - to will have a better chance of obtaining a general buck deer permit after the board voted to set aside 15 percent of the permits in each region for youth hunters. The number of young people participating in hunting has been declining for Karpowitz 9aid. Its important to the future of years, (435) Mon-Fr- i. Sat. 623-550- 6 10 to 6 p.m. 9 to 5 p.m. FALL SALE SPECIALS Hunters are reminded that harvest objective permits November 19th November 26th American Eagle .22 Bullets Zebco Combo Fishing Rods $8.49 $16.95 Cass Creek Electronic Game Calls $19.99 desired harvest, cougar hunting pressure can be increased on particular units, reducing cougar numbers and their predation on deer. Before each hunting trip hunters must call toll-fre- (5466) to verify their harvest objective unit is still open to hunting. The phone line is updated by p.m. daily, providing hunters with closure information for the next days hunt. 8 One thing is clear from the Nov. 10 meeting of Utahs Wolf Management Working Group group members want help from the people of Utah in writing a wolf management plan for the state. The plan the group is working on will guide the management of Northern that may one day make their way to Utah from surrounding states. To accomplish their goal, group members set March 8 to 19, 2004 aside as the time when 10 public meetings will be held around the state. These meetings will give people a chance to learn about wolf issues the group has identified and give people a chance to provide their input to the group. sent the peak of the migration this year, said Tom Aldrich, waterfowl coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. A large storm front this past week has accelerated their migration this year. Swans are also distributed more widely this year, with some swans observed at gun clubs on the south shore of the Great Salt Lake and on the lake below the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, the marshes, and the Howard Slough and Ogden Bay WNLAs. Dry summer conditions on the Bear River Refuge and in the Willard Spur area likely resulted in little food being produced in those areas this year, Al- drich said. Swans are having to forage more w idely for food this year. Most of the swans spotted during the Nov. 12 morning survey were on the private Bear River Hunting Club west of Brigham City. A total of 9,62 swans were spotted on the club. A total of 8,461 swans were also spotted on Unit 1 of the public Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. Unit 1 is not open to hunting but swans from the unit may fly over units 2, 1A. 3A and 313, which are open to 1 hunting," Aldrich said. A few swans are also flying be- - Group members have also asked the Division of Wildlife Resources to establish a wolf portion on its Internet Web site. Minutes of the groups meetings and the latest in- formation about Northern gray wolves will be posted at the site. People can also send the group comments about gray wolves through the site. These comments will be compiled, together with comments from the March 2004 meetings, and considered by the group as it drafts a Wolf Management Plan for Utah. The group will work with the DWR to draft a plan to present to the Utah Wildlife Board in 2005. The wolf portion of the Web site (wildlife. Utah. govwolfi should be up and running the week of Nov. 17. Formed by the Division of Wildlife Resources, the Wolf Management Working Group consists of 13 people who represent various wolf interests, including livestock owners, hunters and environmentalists. The group is being facilitated by the Dynamic Solutions Group, LLC, a team of professional facilitators who recently conducted the public scoping effort for Wyomings state wolf management plan. The Wolf Management Working Groups meetings are open to the public. The next meeting will be held Jan. 20, 2001 in Salt Lake City. Im very impressed with this group and their desire to put their differences aside to draft a wolf management plan for Utah, said Kevin Conway, director of the Division of Wildlife Resources. Im also excited about the public input process they've adopted. It will give everyone in Utah a chance to stay current on what the group is doing and to provide their input to the group. Let us help you make your wedding easy and save you money in the process. We can help you to send out your announcements in an easy and inexpensive manner. In a fraction of the time that it will take you to hand address your invitations, you can make your selections from our list. The cost is only 25 for each one you select from our list and only 31 for invitations that you hand address. We mail anywhere in the United States. Come in today and find out how you can take the hard work out of your wedding and save money at the same time. up-to-da- te - News eJimes 7 - 5r th Main, Nephi, Utah Call today J G23-052- The second big game draw, which took place in May, has been eliminated. Permits not taken in the first big game draw in January will be available, on a first-com- e, basis, first-serve- d beginning June 17. Limited entry, Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit and hunters will be required to report their hunt success via telethe Internet or a phone fine. Hunters who dont report their hunt success will lose the opportunity to apply for permits the following year. once-in-a-lifeti- toll-fre- e swans observed during November 12th aerial survey The fall migration of tunpurchased after the season has started are not valid until dra swans through Utah is seven days after the date of well underway, making it a great time for the 2,000 purchase. Following the lead of other hunters with swan hunting Western states, Utah es- permits to visit the marshes tablished harvest objective where theyre staging. An aerial survey conducted units in 1996 to help speed the Division of Wildlife Reby of the recovery deer herds in regions where predation sources the morning of Nov. is one of the factors limiting 12 found 29,821 swans on deer population growth. By the Great Salt Lakes eastern selling an unlimited number marshes. That number may repreof permits and setting a large gray wolves include: More than 29,000 Wolf public meetings set 190 South Main Nephi, UT 84648 that we recruit young people into the hunting ranks. If all of the permits set aside for young hunters arent taken in the big game draw, theyll be available to all hunters. Other 2004 big game changes approved by the board tween the Bear River Refuge and the Harold Crane Waterfowl Management Area, and a few swans have been taken at Harold Crane in the early morning and late afternoon. Swan hunters are reminded about requirements designed to help the DWR and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service obtain as accurate a count as possible of the number of trumpeter swans that hunters might accidentally take this season. Within 72 hours of taking a swan, hunters must have the bird examined and measured at a DWR office, or the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. Also, everyone who drew a 2003 swan permit must return their harvest questionnaire within 10 days of the close of the season, even if they dont hunt or take a swan. People who fail to do these things wont be allowed to obtain a Utah swan permit in 2001. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to make sure that all of the trumpeter swans that hunters might accidentally take are counted, Aldrich said. We think the number of trumpeters taken by Utah hunters each year is very low. This monitoring program will help us know for sure. Hunting Tips With the fall migration in full swing, now is a great time for the 2,000 hunters with swan permits to visit the marshes. For increased success, Aldrich advises swan hunters to spend time watching the birds and learning their patterns. Tundra swans are very consistent in the times of day they fly and the routes they take. Hunters who learn these patterns will have the most success. Swan activity also increasas es during the first swans search for new open ice-u- water areas. Factors that can change a swans pattern include hunting pressure, weather changes and food availability, Aldrich said. Hunters are reminded that the LT.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has closed all areas north of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and north of Forest Street (the road leading from Brigham City to the refuge) to tundra swan hunting. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is restricting tundra swan hunting to try and minimize mortality on trumpeter swans, which are less abundant than tundra swans, i The TimesNews Aldrich said. Utahs swan hunting 96 South Main, Nephi sea- son runs through Dec. 14. Mays Towing Is every car you have ever owned still in your yard? VJe will tow themaway for you for free, just call and ask fot Corey 633-150- 8 m 5 ) |