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Show Utah Deer Kill Highest InState History The Utah deer kill during the 1954 hunting .seasons totaled 107,-S96 107,-S96 animals, according to recently recent-ly compiled data from Department Depart-ment ol Fish and Game offices. This represents a substantial Increase over the 05,003 animals harvested by hunters during the 1953 season and is an all time riigh, according to department records. The final figures represent information in-formation compiled from check stations, hunter kill card report, season checking of hunters afield and other sources. "They show 133,948 sportsmen eligible to hunt deer through the TjniTchase of either a big game or combination fishing and hunting license. Of this number, 123,231 gunners were in the field hunting hunt-ing deer during ln54. Beg alar and Special Hunts Of the total kill some 93,43-1 animals were taken on the regular regu-lar hunting license. The balance, or M,1G2 deer, were taken on a-pecial or extra tags to bring Ihe final figure to the above 107J896 animals. Hunter success for the regular license hunts averaged 75.8 per cent compared to 71 per cent during dur-ing 1953. Neither figure includes the special typa hunts wherein hunter success is usually higher Buck and doe ration of kill on the regular license showed G8.7 per cent of the .nimals had antlers, ant-lers, with 30.3 per cent being does and fawns. Ration of kill for the additional tag and special permit hunts figured G2.7 per cent bucks and 38.3 per cent does. The latter typo shoots were scheduled mostly for the taking of doe only from critical problem prob-lem ranges. The greater total kill and high-c-r hunter success during the 1951 season occurred in spite of a Sieavy storm which blanketed a large portion of the state during dur-ing the first wfok end of the 15eneral season in October. Game managers credit the sue-cesful sue-cesful season chiefly to two things one being the lack of any appreciable amount of foliage fol-iage on trees and shrubs during 1954 for the first time in several sev-eral years. Also, much credit is given to a greater disbursement of hunters into deer concentration concentra-tion areas. The Board of Big Game Control Ff.heduled earlier hunts, longer seasons, Bnd special spe-cial seasons of many kinds to attract hunters into the problem areas. A compilation of final figures for the 1954 elk hunts shows 1,-350 1,-350 permit holders harvesting 848 animals for a hunter success fig-tire fig-tire of 63.7 per cent. This compares com-pares favorably to the 1953 elk hunts when 1,397 permittees took 9C7 animals for a success of 65.2 per cent. Sportsmen drawing the 75 an- telope permits Issued by the board for 1954 bagged Gl animals ani-mals for an 85 per cent kill.. These were the lirst such permits per-mits authored for several years. |