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Show Outdoor Wisdom By Hartt Wixom Most Utah big game hunters hunt-ers were basically happy with the seasons announced in July, particularly the decision to stick with one deer archery, another deer during the Oct. 23 regular rifle quest. However, the Board of Big Game Control did not give hunters any of the old late season trophy buck opportunities. Members Mem-bers figure buck-only regular seasons are harvesting e-nough e-nough antlered animals that sportsmen may not soon see the traditional November-December November-December "glory shoots" again. I, for one, have missed them. It seemed the fall hunting quests couldn't conclude con-clude until a few die-hard cronies and I had plied the Book Cliffs, Rock Creek, Daggett, or even Nebo foothills for those giant bucks which held high to the hinterlands through the regular reg-ular season. They were there all the time, of course, but your chances were much better with the early winter snow, and but a few other competing rifle-toters. One of the best was close to home: just above Santaquin. With either-sex hunting, many bucks were headed for trouble here about mid-November, getting into southern Utah County orchards, and even suburb fitzers. The only way they could be harvested was to hold a special buck hunt. If they weren't, many were sure to succumb later to winter's icy grip. However, this isn't to particularly place any heat to the game managers. They are getting a buck harvest during the buck-only season, and the emphasis now is on post-season anterless hunts. (You can take a buck then, but the antlers had better not be higher than five inches) In fact, Utah will hold scheduled sched-uled shoots for 16,585 does, and this does not count the post-season sorties called for removal of crop-damaging deer. Most of this 1,500 doe permit increase has resulted from growing herds in south-central Utah, good news in that muleys are flourishing there for the first time since drought in the late 1970's severely curtailed fawn production from the Price area down into San Juan country. However, things have not improved much on Elk Ridge, Paun-saugunt, Paun-saugunt, Dixie-East Pine Valley, which remain closed for any hunting again this year. The Board decided in setting seasons and permits that only a small sector of northern Utah suffered much from what had seemed a devastating winter. The herds were hit hard after January, but fortunately, light snow and mild temperatures tempera-tures (in a particularly cold winter) were delayed long enough that deer wintered well through late autumn. Kill would have been very heavy otherwise. You can buy a permit for the Aug. 21 archery joust anytime until closure Sect. 6. but things are different with the muzzleloader's "Primitive" "Primi-tive" shoot Nov. 6-14. You must buy your permit for this -one before the regular Oct. 23 season, and this is at the 'loader's' request. They want it as much like pioneer times as possible, and this means fewer hunters. If you plan to go with-the regular hunt, too, you can, but you can't carry a " blunderbuss afield if you scored during the rifle shoot. In other words, even if you buy a muzzleloader permit before Oct. 23, you cannot take a buck during both hunts. If you do not apply for any other special permit, besides regular rifle, you can apply for a "control" (antlerless deer) this year. However, check the. proclamation for deadlines. Ditto for those on other big game. Every year someone missed out on the restricted elk, and even open bull elk deadlines. (You have until Aug. 6, on open bull elk.) Cost this year will be $2 for handling-postage, in add ition to actual price of the permit. An interesting trsno! has developed on elk, one I have campaigned for and applaud: number of elk hunters out won't change, but number of applicants for restricted u-nits u-nits will. If you obtain one this year, you are not eligible" again until 1985, or every third year. With moose, state studies have determined the north slope of the Uintas can hold more than originally thought, so permits have been reduced. A new area, Uinta south slope (a herd has been building steadily here from Rock Creek to the Whiterocks) will be open for the first time. Unfortunately, the Cache-North Rich unit had to be closed entirely due to illegal moose kills. 'This has been predicted, and more units could close if sportsmen do not band together to report and halt the shooting of moose during elk and deer hunts, as well as during winter vulnerability. Once again permits on desert sheep, goats, and buffalo will be presented to a high bidder. Some have expressed opposition to this, but the money is utilized to improve habitat, and transplant trans-plant these species to other areas of the state. But back to those late season buck hunts. It would seem worthwhile even if the state has to declare some regions either-sex (such as Dagett or Nebo) so a trophy buck hunt could be held later. The "trophy" buck hunts on South Book and .Henry Mountains units pare the take there; but they are held too early to offer truly monster buck hunting. This begs the question: are there any giant bucks left in Utah? The answer is yes. You only have to hike around in late November-early December De-cember to see first hand. |