OCR Text |
Show Deer Harvest improving Utah's 1977 11-day general deer hunt is history, with the season producing very few surprises for Division of Wildlife Resources personnel per-sonnel w ho had predicted a harvest somewhat better than that of last year. Data collected to date indicates that preseason speculation as to the availability of deer was correct; and success was much improved in the northern half of the state, while improving slightly or holding steady in the south. Division biologists had predicted that last years mild winter would have a positive effect on deer herd Populations, and most hunters reported seeing more deer this year than in rerent previous seasons Early reports indicated that most of the animals harvested har-vested were relatively young, with large bucks uncommon. This year Division of Wildlife Resources people working in the field and at check stations collected teeth from harvested deer so Division biologists can get an accurate determination deter-mination of the ages of the animals taken. This information in-formation will be used as part of the continuing game management program. As always, there will be a few hunters who will swear that deer simply do not exist in Utah's mountains. But for many others who have taken home their buck, deer season 1977 was a success and a pleasure. |