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Show r fife wSMftjfljPi ,v ": " Jja?- - "WPS'i 'Aw'- - tfi I Page 22 UINTAH BASIN STANDARD. October Ift. 2001 - Hunters should find good hunting for rabbits, grouse I)i!M!filmg on the urea hunted, Blue ( Irmise, Ruffed Grouse and cot- tontail ruhhit hunters should find gixxl hunt inK in Utah this full, while Pheasant hunters will f:nd hunting thats only probably ssir to fair With many or Utahs full upland King-necke- d game hunliiigKPieoiiMicfiring, Dean Mitchell, upland game coordinator liir the Division ofWiUllireKesounR, provides hunters with information t onhowdrought-likuioiiditionsinigh- affect hunting this yeur, and what to expect for eacii Annual fluctuaiinns in upland game bird and mammal xipululions, prolsihly more so i. n i any ot her group of wildlife simries, are very closely correlated wit li aimiial climatic Serene, iiixui winters mean that more upland game survive to reproduce I he folluwingsprmg. burly spring precipitation during March, April and Mav make for increases in full upland giinie populations. Wurm, dry weal her.espcciallyduringJune, i vital lor the survival of newly born young fliukur Partridge mpiilntionBarc sis-cii-- 1 s. iiiosi clu-el- t v i"l limn lainiury through Apu!. Above average precipitation imi receive;! and April, and temperatures re mained above normal from January through July. Ideal neatingund brood rearing habitat conditions were prevalent during early spring, but plants quickly desiccated through Juneand July, which likely impacted chick survival and recruitment. The DWRs west desert helicopter survey, conducted on Aug. 20, 2001, indicated that bird numbers arc down 29 percent from last year. On the survey transect this year, biologists counted a total ofSHchukans. In 2000, a total of 96 chukars were counted, while in 1999 a total of approximately 600 chukars were counted. In 1998 close to 900 chukars were observed. Basedonthissurvcy.chukar populations appear to be down noticeably from 2000 and down excessively front 1999 and 1998. The best hunting strategy for chukars is to begin at the top of a mountain range and hunt down on the birds. Listeningforthechukara call is an excellent way d to locate coveys of birds. Northeastern Kegion: Numbers are still low and populations are scattered. Hunting will be difficult for this species in the Northeastern Rewell-define- gion. You must obtain a permit to hunt Sharp-taile- d Grouse. A total of 663 permits will be available this year. Hunters maypick them up, first- - served, at DWR offices statewide. e populations throughout the state, and throughout western North America, are at all time lows. Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation are mqjor causes for population declines. In 2001, hunt ing will remain confined to core areas: western Box Elder Countyand Rich County in northern Utah, Blue and Diamond Mountains in the Uintah Basin in northeastern Utah, and ParkcrMountain in southern Utah. Northeastern Region: Strutting ground counts and brood counts continue to Bhow a stable population of in the eastern Uintah Basin, particularly on the Diamond Mountain and Blue Mountain plateaus. The extremely dry summer has held down brood production, although springBtrutiingground numbers were about the same as lastycar. Blue and Ruffed Grouse (forest grouse) observations are favorable across Utah this year. A lot of small broods have been reported by field biologists. . Northeastern Region: Production appears to be fair to good. Hunters two-bir- d first-com- e, Sage-Grous- sage-grou- sage-grou- se tliut know where to pursue both Blue and Ruifod Grouse should find reasonably good hunting this year in the mountainous areus of the Northeastern Region. Hunters desiring a trip into the highest of Utuhs alpine country can Ptarmigan. try for the White-taile- d In 1976, ptarmigan were transplanted from Colorado to the GunsightPassPainterBaBinareaof the Uinta Mountains. Since being released in Utah, ptarmigan have increased their distribution to many drainages in the Uintas. A free permit is required to hunt these birds. The Division is highly interested in ptarmigan sightings in the Uinta Mountains. Hikers, hunters and anyone else who observes ptarmigan are encouraged to notify Dean Mitchell, Uplund Game Program Coordinator, nrdwr.dmitcheK&state.ut.ua with a location, date and number of birds observed. California Quail populations are scattered throughout Utah. Main concentrations are found within urban areus along the Wasatch Front, eust into the Uintah Busin and southeast into the Carbon and Emciy county ureas. California Quail populations appear to be the same as last year. Recent and ongoing transplants of Culifomia Quail from the Wasatch Front to suitable habitats in outlying areas are responsible for quail beihg seen by hunters in new areas. Ducl.esne,Uintah, Sevier and Emeiy counties are traditionally the best areas to hunt. Northeastern Region: Populations of quail again appear to be in good shape throughout the Uintah Basin. Numbers have been up for several years and brood production this year appears normal. The extended opportunity to hunt quail in the Uintah Basin through December has provided some good recreational opportunity for hunters. Cottontail rabbit hunting will be fair to good throughout most of the state. When hunting for cottontails, hunters should focus their efforts on dry, brushy draws with dense, rank bigsagebrush. No permit is required for jackrabbits. Northeastern Region: Rabbit populations appear to be the same as last year in much ofthe Uintah Basin. Hunters should still find good hunting for this species in the Northeastern Region. Ring-necke- ON chccrlcading thing during the the part. and dressed Tl Cl II- lr T at: email through d Pheasant hunters should concentrate on areas with remaining suitable habitat. Most of Utah's pheasant hunters participate during the opening weekend only. Those with persistence, and who hunt during weekdays, are successful in harvesting birds. Do not expect the 2001 pheasanthunt to compare with the heyday of pheasant hunting in Utah. Too much habitat has been lost. At best, Utah pheasant ll be poor to fair throughout the state thisyear. Northeastern Region: Poor to fair hunting is expected. hunt-ingwi- Roosevelt Junior High seventh grade boys traded places with the girls and did the and 8 grade powder pufTfootball game. The guys took their job pretty seriously countdown to wolf recovery started in 2000 Three-ye- ar agement practices would adequately conserve the wolf population, the Service will propose that wolves be removed from the protections ofthe Wildlife Service The countannounced that its three-yedown to wolf recovery willstart in the year 2000, meaning that the Service ianowinitsaecondyearwhichallowa for a possible future proposal to delist the gray wolf possible in 2003. This new recovery information came with a recent confirmation by the US DA Wildlife Services and the Nes Perce Tribe of a recently discovered Gold Fork wolf pack, south ofMrCali, Idaho. The discovery of this pack, the 30 known pair to successfully raise pups in 2000, made 2000 the first year of the three-yea-r count down toward reaching the northern Rocky Mountain wolf recovery goal The wolf population in the northern Rocky Mountains will be considered recovered" when there are 30 breeding pain of wolves evenly distributed throughout western Montana, central Idaho, and the Greater Yellowstone area for three successive years. After the wolf population reaches recovery levels and, aa .required by the Endangered Species Act, the UJS. Fish ana Wildlife Service is assured that state wolf man ar Endangered Species Act. The delisting process includes extensive public involvement and the opportunity for comment which could begin in early 2003. UB. Department ofAgricultures Wildlife Services and the Nes Perce and Tribe captured, released the previously undocumented packs alpha male and ayear-lin- g male in early September. Just last week Tribal biologists confirmed the pack contained at least another yearling wolf in addition to this year's pups, meaningit can be counted as an official" wolfbreedingpair in 2000. Because wolf pups stay with their pack until they are nearly it is possible to determine if a pack successfully raised pups in a previous year by finding yearlings the subsequent year. Further information and maps showing the location ofwolves in the northern Rocky Mountains can be obtained at http; radio-collar- d, fwg.govwoIf mountain-prairi- e. annualrptOO. Restoring beavers may help streams Mountain streams that flow into Strawberry Reservoir will soon be receiving help from beavers, who could be repairing damage people have done over the years. Members of the group Friends of Strawberry Valley received an update this past Wednesday on the first year of study on how to improve the ecological health of the popular area about 75 miles east of Salt Lake City. Detailed analysis was done on about 50 sections of stream thisyear, and according to Bob Gecy, a hydrologist for theUis. Forest Service, many showed signs of damage from century of water diversions, grazing, heavy recreational use and road building. A formal plan for healing the streams wont be made until after next year. However, Gecy said return ofbeavers may be a large part of the solution" in certain areas. Friends of Strawberry Valley is an organization made up of representatives from the diverse groups that use the area. Jim Carter, organizer ofthe rae-reati- group, said that many ofthe decisions will be baaed on a watershed rehabilitation study being done with $260,000 grant from theU.S. Forest Service. Beavers are important because of their dams, which slow the flow ofthe streams and trap sediment This stops the streams from cuttingtheir channels deeper and slows erosion from exposed dirt banks. Apparently beavers were more abundant in the Strawberry Valley than now, accord- ing to Gecy. Only a few beavers remain along most of the upper Strawberry River and many of the willows were poisoned decades ago in an plan to improve grazing conditions, and the now river is loaded with silt and slowly eroding a deep channel into a dry plain. Restoring beavers on the most severely damaged sections of river may be difficult because there no longer are the willow and aspen three animals need for survival, said Gecy. But other streams in the valley still have the habitat to support beavers. free-flowi- 4k DONT LET THEM FOOL YOU!!! A Weve been promised: 5 Council Members Elected from Districts and 2 Council Members Elected At Large Yet with 3 out of 5 Districts encompassing Vernal City and history showing that At Large candidates arc usually elected from the most populated area. The result would most likely be: 5 OUT OF 7 COUNCIL MEMBERS COMING FROM VERNAL CITYIIII Ask yourselves just how much Is this really protection from representation will the East and West sides of our county REALLV Have??? Centralized Power? Or an effort to centralize the power to Vernal City??? Will we really be BETTER off? V. i f . VOTE AGAINST NOVEMBER 6TH Judge: BLM wrong to release wild horses without consulting with local governments If a memorandum opinion rendered by Judge Bruce S. Jenkins is upheld, all wild horses in the Bonanza Area will have to be removed pending any formal amendment to the Book C lifts Resource Management Plan. Without Uintah County and the Ute Tribe stepping up to set the precedent that the BLM must consult with local governments, seek consistency review with local land use plans and coordinate activities on public lands with those of local government, we would never have been able to have a meaningful voice on public land issues, said Thomas W. Bachtell, Salt Lake City Attorney for Uintah County, the Ute Tribe. In Nov. 1 999, after an outbreak of equine infectious anemia, the BLM gathered and tested nearly 250 wild horses from the Bonanza Herd area about 30 miles southeast of Vernal. The BLM destroyed the horses, and continued to hold the horses. The agencys original decision was to remove all tret-positi- tret-negati- horses from the Bonanza Herd area, however, due to the horses, high number of the BLM amended its decision, determining to return all horses to the Bonanza Herd area. Uintah County Commissioners contend that the wild horse release violated the BLM'a 1985 Book Cliffs test-negati- test-positi- teat-negati- Resource Management Plan states that no wild horse should be in the area and calls for removal of any wild horses in the (BCRMP) which area. The Ute Indian Tribe contended that the BLM failed to consult with the Tribe concerning any change to the BCRMP allowing wild horses in the Bonanza areq, contrary to its own rules concerning coordination, consultation and consistency review. BLM Vernal field supervisor, David Howell, Tuesday stated the memorandum opinion was not Judge Jenkins final order and thatthe BLM is drafting a response to the memorandum. Read The Uintah Basin v For Delivery IN the Uintah Basin Area ONE YEAR $2400 TWO YEARS $37.00 THREE YEARS $49.00 For Delivery OUT of the Uintah Basin Area ONE YEAR TWO YEARS $36.00 $56.00 Uintah Basin Standard Give A Gif! 268 South 20Q East Roosevelt, Utah 84066 Name Subscription !! We will send a Card in your behalf Announcing Your Gift! Address Use your VISA or MasterCard St. City Z'P I 555 foiSKSi 1 Li NEW RENEWAL Year 2 Years 3 Years (poor C( |