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Show It'll Be O.K To 'Hunt9 Antlers All Year Long SALT LAKE CITY Antler "hunters" will not have to wait until May 1 to gather antlers shed by big game animals next year. At a Dec. 7 meeting in Salt Lake City, the Utah Wildlife Board reversed a decision it made in November No-vember to establish a 2000 shed antler gathering season that would begin May 1. The board voted to establish a shed antler gathering season at its Nov. 17 meeting after the Northern Regional Advisory Council (RAC) asked for the season to help protect big game animals from harassment by people gathering shed antlers during the winter and early spring. At the board's Dec. 7 meeting, Don Peay of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife asked that board to reconsider the season because a proposal pro-posal for a season to begin May 1 had not been taken to all of the (See ANTLERS on page 5-A) N , ANTLERS From Front Page state's five RAC's for consideration. considera-tion. To allow people throughout Utah a chance to comment, the board reversed its decision and eliminated the May 1 start date. People may not gather shed antlers during any day of 2000. The board voted to have the idea of a shed antler gathering season taken to the public at RAC meet- ings next year. The RAC meetings where the issue will be discussed will be determined and announced at a later date. The gathering of antlers shed yearly by deer, elk and other big game animals has grown in popularity popu-larity in Utah in recent" years. Problems associated with the gathering gath-ering include harassment of big game animals during months when they're wintering and damage to big game wintering areas. |