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Big game application period moved back

11/25/2005

Getting a hunting application just after the start of the year isn't something Utah's big game hunters will be doing in 2006.

The Utah Wildlife Board has moved the state's big game application period back two weeks. The application period begins Jan. 17, 2006 and ends Feb. 16.

Board members voted to move the application period back at their Nov. 22 meeting in Salt Lake City. All of the big game hunting rules approved by the board for 2006 will be available in the 2006 Utah Big Game Proclamation. The proclamation should be available during the first week in January.

Application period moved back

Getting more input from hunters about big game hunting decisions in Utah resulted in a chain of events that moved the application period back.

"The public meetings to discuss big game hunting rules for the following year used to be held in mid-October," said Judi Tutorow, wildlife licensing coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. "Many hunters had a difficult time attending the meetings because a lot of big game hunts were going on at the same time. We want this input from our hunters, so we moved the meetings back to November this year."

Moving the meetings to November moved the process of getting the rules approved by the board, and the big game proclamation designed, printed and into the hands of hunters, back two to three weeks.

"That's why we had to move the application period back two weeks," Tutorow said. "We're getting so many applications via the Internet now that we'll still be able to conduct the draw and have the results of the draw available by the end of April, just like we have in the past."

The 2006 Utah big game application period runs Jan. 17 to Feb. 16, 2006. Draw results will be available by April 28.

No other major changes

The board did not approve any other major big game hunting changes for 2006.

"We have a plan that will guide the management of deer through 2008 and a plan that will guide the management of elk through 2010," said Craig McLaughlin, big game coordinator for the DWR. "We want to stick with those plans and see where they get us."

The plans were put together with broad input from the public and are available for review at the DWR's Web site at wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/biggame.html

The following are two major items the board did NOT approve:

- A recommendation to lengthen the general rifle buck deer hunt in the Southern and Southeastern regions from five to nine days. Board members voted against this DWR proposal after citizen representatives from the Southern and Southeastern regional advisory councils voted against it.

- A recommendation to eliminate Utah's statewide general archery buck deer hunt and have archery hunters hunt in specific regions. Citizen representatives from the Southern and Southeastern RACs brought this proposal to the board. The Northern, Central and Northeastern RACs voted against the proposal, and the board also voted against it.

For more information, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR's Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.

 

 

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