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Show WWW Tuesday, October 3, 1989 By LAYNE MILLER Sports editor National Hunting and Fishing Day was celebrated recently, were you aware of that? I am not aware of any local or state activities to commemorate the occasion. It is not because Utahns dont hunt or fish, because they do. Anyone driving past Scofield Reservoir on any Saturday can see fishing is still alive and well in the area and the state. Or is it? I do believe that more people are enjoying wildlife for wildlifes sake. They enjoy watching a msy estic elk with a pair of binoculars or through a telephoto lens attached to a camera. Just knowing that mule deer and elk abound in the mountains around here makes me feel good. One of my goals is to shoot a desert bighorn sheep and have life-lon- g the results framed and mounted on my wall at home. I couldnt find a more beautiful photo anywhere. Going to the mountains or the desert to watch wildlife is an exciting activity for my family and for many other families in Utah. But, will there always be bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk or, for that matter, fish, in Scofield? Interest in hunting is dropping.' There have been the same number of hunters looking for the big buck on opening day for the last several decades. If the weather is good there will be around 200,000 of them out there. If the weather is miserable, only about 170,000 show up. The only exceptions to the rule are the primitive weapons hunts, such as the bow and black Tennis victory The girls tennis team at Carbon High School took second place in the Region 7 tournament. Six of the seven girls qualified for the state tourney. The girls are: Kim Watts, who took Swan hunt permits Bowling tournament results SALT LAKE CITY Only hunters waterfowl 1,600 applied for the 2,500 tundra swan permits authorized by the Utah Wildlife Board this year, in sharp contrast to the halcyon days of the 1970s and early 80s when swan permits and tough were highly-prize- d to draw. Some quick arithmetic reveals that 901 permits are still available. The permits will be sold on a e basis by to mail or licensed waterfowl hunters at the Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) Salt Lake City office, 1596 West North Temple, beginning Monday, Sept. 25. Interest in the swan hunt steadily waned through the 80s after Great Salt Lake flooding wiped out vast areas of waterfowl habitat and sent two-doll- ar first-serv- over-the-count- er swans southward without their traditional lengthy stopover on northern Utah mar- shes. But DWR waterfowl supervisor Tom Aldrich says he expects much better swan hunting this year, thanks to improving conditions on the marshes. More exposed feeding areas and vegetation means we should hold quite a few more birds this year," Aldrich said. Swan hunting has always been a popular sport along the Green River near the town of Green River. Officials expect hunters will find the river lower than in the past but hunter success should not be affected. WERE FIGHTING FOR YDURUFE American Heart Association 0 o HELPER Kris took first place over the weekend in the singles division of the King Koal ladies bowling tournament with a 672 total. Saccomanno was followed by Rose Craven with a 649, Sandra Bogdin was third with a 634. In the doubles division, Lou Arnold and Virginia Wilson were on top with a 1203, while Linda Anderson and Lynnette Johnson came in second with Sacco-mann- available first-com- e, second singles; Lisa Story in second singles; Amy Zollinger and Jennifer Brady in second doubles; and Becky Blackburn and Chantell Kantor in first doubles. first place in 1191. Lori Dixon and Kari Pilling were third with 1185. In the all events-scratc- h division, Lou Arnold took first with 1090. Rose Craven was second with 1049, Kari Pilling was third with 1042. p The all also went to Kris Saccomanno with a 1265, Lou Arnold was second with 1262, Rose Craven was third at 1217. The tournament was held at Gateway Lanes in Helper. events-handica- Sun Advocate, f Utah5A rice. a new booklet on areas in the powder. The decline is dramatically illustrated in the numbers of Utahns purchasing small game licenses. Waterfowl hunters have dropped from over 40,000 a few years ago to under 20,000 now. Pheasant hunters have gone from over 80.000 to around 45,000 now and are still declining. Im sure some of the decline can be blamed on the destruction of the marshes around the Great Salt Lake and the increasing acreage of private land posted as no trespassing, but the problem exists and more and more of us are turning from shooting big and small game with weapons to shooting them with a 35mm camera. Fishing faces the same situation. Decent fishing holes are becoming harder to fmd. The controversy over the littering problem at Scofield is an offshoot of the problem. Locals are becoming more resentful of residents from the Wasatch Front coming into their backyard and littering their drinking water. Angler numbers have been holding steady at around 450.000 for the last several years, but the fishing holes closest to the Wasatch Front have not been yielding the nice fishing experience they once did. As I have talked to the personnel at the Division of Wildlife Resources, they urge me to talk about the places. The nearreservoirs are overrun and by the fishing is not very good. The DWR seems to acknowledge the increased nonconsumptive use of wildlife. They are currently working on state that offer outstanding opportunities to view wildlife. The booklet will highlight the areas and discuss the types of wildlife you may see. But, if license sales are down or remaining constant at best, how will the division generate the needed income? License increases are not the answer. That will only help send more of the casual hunters away from the rifle to the camera shops. I can shoot several rolls of film much cheaper than a hunter can shoot several boxes of shells. Innovative programs must be developed to include the man with the camera as well as the man with the gun. Programs like the program must be developed to allow people to put their money where their interest is. The division must take an Adopt-an-Ott- er interest in the mountain biker, the hiker, the bird watcher and the Sunday driver who just enjoys getting away for an afternoon and watching for eagles and hawks. They must work with groups such as the Utah Wilderness Association and the Red Rock Four Wheelers. These groups could be a source of added support and added income. STARTTHEATR0 PARENTHOOD toon. Please cafl ends Oct ay iS msF f' 6-1- 2 7Pm Please call 9 pm show for 687-927- 5 |