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Show bf Salt akc Sri Inin r Thursday Morning, October Section I) 15, 1981 Page 10 Deer Hunt Affects Utahns in Different Way rON By Tom Wharton Tribune Outdoors Editor Thursday is a time of preparation for Utah's 200,000 deer hunters. It is a day to Ret rifles cleaned, camping gear e ready, groceries purchased and for finalized Saurdays plans opener. It is a day that, in terms of number of people involved, is almost unequaled in Utah. Nearly everyone is, in one way or another, affected by this one big last-minut- weekend. Grocery stores are jammed. Sporting goods stores make special orders. Law enforcement officials are busy. Far- mers start watching their land. Schools are closed. Athletic schedules are changed. And land managers and game wardens work overtime. Everyones Affected Even those who don't participate in the hunt are affected, if only in their feelings towards those who do. Obviously, the deer hunt means many different things to many different people. For Pick Harwood, vice president of Harmons supermarket chain, the opening of the deer season means one of the busiest weeks of the year. "In our stores on the west side of the valley, this is the second biggest week Tribune Staff Layout by Tim Brinton of the year. Only Christmas is busier," said Harwood. "In our east side stores, its the third biggest weekend with Christmas and July 4th being busier. Deer hunting is very big business. You have 200,000 people in the hills and they all go at once. "It takes some planning. In addition to many of your canned stews and chili you sell, snack items are exceptionally good. In the sporting goods department, you sell far more than shells. Coolers, lanterns, sleeping bags and the whole line of outdoor equipment move well. While people might buy these things during the course of the year, they tend ,o choose this time of year to buy." that And, according to Harwood and Mike Willard, the store manager of Wolfes downtown store, bad weather tends to help business. The whole thing for us hinges on the said Willard. "If we get weather, some inclement weather, that makes a difference. You sell expensive foul weather gear. If its blue jay weather MP( iHtf i things don't sell as well. "Its a big time of the year, hut it comes in a relatively compact space of time. In terms of dollar volume, its extremely important, but its not as important as ski sales which are stretched out for a longer period of time. You gear yourself up for the deer hunt and, if you get bad weather, the people come in." Restaurant Business Restaurant business is affected as well, especially in the smaller towns where hunters may stop on their way to their hunting spot. "Of course, there is an increase, said Sue Olsen of the Wagon Wheel restaurant in Heber City. "But were not opening any sooner than usual like we used to. A lot of people have their own campers and eat there. It will be busier than normal. We wont have any more help than normal, but we do have to order extra food. The hunt, however, has a negative impact on some establishments in the larger cities. "Our business decreases drastically," says LaDonna Reynolds, who manages bars and restaurants at the Tri Are TraveLodge in Salt Lake City. "The women are home and the men are gone. Years ago, wed notice an See Page Column r ;.r,A nAfj D-l- l, jvhi'Cko a hi I NU-K- PROi it ( ALVIKT LIST CO i f ttsr N VC |
