A tiger trout and three rainbow trout at a fish cleaning station at Scofield Reservoir.

Photo by Randall Stilson

ABAJO MOUNTAINS: (October 28) A week ago, Conservation Officer Paul Washburn reported good fishing at Lloyds Lake with a gold or silver Jakes Spin-A-Lure. Caught rainbows ranged from 7 to 13 inches. Try fishing the area around the dam.

BOULGER RESERVOIR: (October 28) Fly-fishing is good with a floating line and a midge or caddis pattern.

ELECTRIC LAKE: (October 28) The lake was sampled by the DWR on Oct. 15. Nets contained a fairly even balance of tiger and cutthroat trout, indicating good survival of stocked fish. Most trout ranged from eight to 18 inches. More fish were netted this year than the last time sampling occurred. Trout appeared healthy and well fed. Fortunately, no zebra mussels were found during this year’s sampling. The primary prey species is the redside shiner. Anglers should try using dead minnows, lures or crankbaits that imitate the three-inch baitfish. Good lure choices include silver/red Kastmasters, or the silver/red Rapala X-Rap or Husky Jerk.

HUNTINGTON CREEK: (October 28) Try a size 10 beadhead Montana nymph with one split shot 12 to 18 inches above the fly. The catch in this creek will consist mostly of brown trout with a few cutthroat trout. Most fish are smaller than 14 inches.

HUNTINGTON RESERVOIR: (October 28) Fly-fishermen should try sinking line with a black and green soft hackle fly on a size 8 hook. Spincasters should use a silver spoon or Jakes Spin-A-Lure. This water has special regulations. It is closed to the possession of cutthroat trout.

JOES VALLEY RESERVOIR: (October 28) Joes Valley Reservoir is closed to fishing to protect spawning splake from Nov. 1 until Saturday, Dec. 12. The largest splake are more vulnerable during the spawn, so the temporary closure will be implemented to protect these voracious chub predators. A week ago, Aquatics Program Manager Paul Birdsey reported fair fishing. He fished the rocky east shoreline with a black and silver three-inch Rapala. Birdsey’s catch consisted mostly of 15-inch tiger trout.

LAKE POWELL: (October 28) For an in-depth look at Lake Powell fishing conditions, read this week’s full report from Wayne Gustaveson, the DWR’s Lake Powell project leader.

LA SAL MOUNTAINS: (October 28) Aquatics Biologist Darek Elverud fished Kens Lake on Oct. 19. He used black and brown plastic worms to catch several 10-inch bass. The trout limit at Kens Lake has been increased to eight with no size restrictions. This increase allows anglers to harvest trout that would otherwise be lost when the lake is drawn down to 100 acre feet of storage by Nov. 1. There is no change in the daily limit for bass.

SCOFIELD RESERVOIR: (October 28) Tom Ogden reports good fishing from a tube on the west side. In five hours, he caught 26 fish. His biggest fish was 22 inches, but most were cutthroats in the 12- to 14-inch range. He used slow sinking line in 6 to 12 feet of water with a black and green tinsel soft hackle fly in sizes 2 and 4. Boaters also report good success trolling gold or silver lures with red spots or stripes. The best bait choices are worms, dead minnows or chartreuse PowerBait. Boaters report the best luck around the island. Most shoreline anglers have been fishing in the dam cove or along the east side. Scofield Reservoir has special regulations. Please see page 28 in the Utah Fishing Guidebook for details.

Significant changes for Utah Big Game Hunters may be in the works for 2011 if proposed changes are approved.

Several months ago, the Utah Wildlife Board directed the state’s wildlife agency to:

- give big game hunters more hunting options to choose from

- reduce crowding among hunters who are in the field.
The ideas the Division of Wildlife Resources has come up with wouldn’t be implemented until the 2011 hunts. But the changes are big enough that the DWR wants to get the ideas out now so there’s plenty of time for you to comment.

Rules for the 2011 hunts will not be approved until November 2010.

“The ideas we’ve come up with would give hunters some new options,” says Anis Aoude, big game coordinator for the DWR.

You can learn more about the DWR’s ideas—and provide your input and suggestions—at five Regional Advisory Council meetings held across Utah.

Citizens representing the RACs will share with the Utah Wildlife Board the input received at the meetings.

You can participate and provide your input at any of the following meetings (two notes: the Southern Region meeting begins at 5 p.m. The Central Region meeting will be held on a Thursday.):

Southern Region
Nov. 3
5 p.m.
Richfield High School
510 W. 100 S.
Richfield

Southeastern Region
Nov. 4
6:30 p.m.
John Wesley Powell Museum
1765 E. Main St.
Green River

Northeastern Region
Nov. 5
6:30 p.m.
Western Park, Room #1
302 E. 200 S.
Vernal

Northern Region
Nov. 10
6 p.m.
Brigham City Community Center
24 N. 300 W.
Brigham City

Central Region
Nov. 12
6:30 p.m.
Springville Junior High
165 S. 700 E.
Springville

 
E-mail
You can also provide your comments to your RAC via e-mail. E-mail addresses for your RAC members are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings .

The group each RAC member represents (sportsman, non-consumptive, etc.) is listed under each person’s e-mail address. You should direct your e-mail to the people on the RAC who represent your interest.

Big Game Ideas for 2011
The following are among the ideas the DWR is considering. A calendar that shows when the proposed seasons would be held is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings/info/09-11-03.pdf  :

General Deer and Elk Hunts
Four major general-season deer and elk changes could occur in 2011:

Two general rifle deer hunts
The first idea would keep the number of general rifle buck deer permits the same as it is now (no more than 97,000 permits), but it would split Utah’s general rifle deer hunt into two hunts.

Each hunt would be nine days long, just like the hunt is now, but hunters could choose to participate in an early hunt or a late hunt.

The early hunt would be held at the start of October. The late hunt would happen at the end of October.

Having two rifle deer hunts would reduce by half the number of hunters in the field at any one time.

“You’d still be able to hunt the same number of days you can hunt now, but you’d have fewer hunters in the field with you,” Aoude says. “We think this change would make your rifle hunt even better.”

Hunting deer and elk at the same time
Another idea would let you hunt deer and elk at the same time. The DWR is considering holding the general rifle buck deer hunt and the general rifle bull elk hunt on the same days.

“This change would allow you to hunt deer and elk at the same time,” Aoude says. “But you wouldn’t have to do that. If you wanted, you could obtain a deer permit to hunt during either the early or the late season, and also obtain an elk permit to hunt during the season when you’re not hunting deer.

“This change wouldn’t take anything away from you. But it would give you another option you could take advantage of, if you wanted to.”

Hold muzzleloader deer and elk hunts at the same time
In addition to holding the rifle deer and elk hunts at the same time, the DWR is considering holding Utah’s general muzzleloader deer and muzzleloader elk hunts at the same time too. The general muzzleloader deer and elk season would be held in the middle of October, between the two rifle hunts.

The DWR is also considering adding a second muzzleloader elk hunt—a general any-bull elk hunt. That hunt would happen in mid November.

Same start dates every year
A third idea is to start all of Utah’s big game hunts on the same calendar days every year. For example, if Aug. 21 was chosen as the day to start the general archery elk hunt, the season would start on Aug. 21 every year, even if Aug. 21 didn’t fall on a Saturday.

The only exception would be if a start date fell on a Sunday. Then the season would probably begin on the proceeding Saturday.

“This idea would keep the season dates consistent from year to year,” Aoude says.

Limited-entry Deer and Elk Hunts
The DWR also has two ideas for Utah’s limited-entry deer and elk hunts:

Dates for limited-entry elk hunts
One idea would change the dates of the limited-entry elk hunts. It would also give archers first chance at the elk.

Starting in 2011, biologists would like to start the limited-entry archery elk hunt in early September and end it in mid September. That’s when the elk are at the peak of their breeding season.

(The breeding season is also known as the rut. During the rut, elk are less wary because they’re focused on breeding. That makes it easier for hunters to take them.)

After the limited-entry archery hunt ended in mid September, the limited-entry muzzleloader elk hunt would start the next day. Muzzleloader elk hunters would have the elk to themselves for four days. Then the limited-entry rifle hunt would also begin. Both the muzzleloader hunt and the rifle hunt would end on the same day in early October.

“Because they use rifles, rifle hunters have a better chance at taking an elk than archery or muzzleloader hunters do,” Aoude says.

“Even if we move limited-entry rifle hunters to the latter part of the rut, they’re still going to be successful,” he says. “But allowing archery hunters to hunt during the rut would really increase their success. And their success rate would probably still be lower than the success rate rifle hunters find during the rut.”

Hold the general and limited-entry rifle deer hunts at the same time

An additional idea is to hold the limited-entry rifle buck deer hunt at the same time the general-season rifle buck deer hunt is held.

The hunt on some limited-entry deer units would happen at the start of October. The hunt on other units would happen at the end of October.

“Limited-entry deer hunts and general-season deer hunts are held on completely different units,” Aoude says. “Holding the hunts at the same time shouldn’t create any conflicts between limited-entry hunters and general-season hunters. They’d be hunting on separate units.”

Once-In-a-Lifetime Hunts–Bull moose season
Utah’s bull moose season is currently split into two hunts. The DWR is considering combining the two hunts into one hunt. The hunt would be held from late September to mid October.

The bull moose change is the only once-in-a-lifetime species change the DWR is considering for 2011.

“The ideas we have right now are a starting point to get our biologists and sportsmen talking about possible changes for 2011,” Aoude says. “We’re wide open to the suggestions hunters and o, ther folks have.”

November 7 Antelope Island State Park – Syracuse

Creatures of the Night: Meet at the visitor center at 6 p.m. for a night of mystery as we learn about the island’s animals who come out after the sun goes down. Enjoy an indoor presentation then venture outside to catch a glimpse of the island’s nocturnal predators. (801) 773-2941

November 7 Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum – Blanding
Sneak a Peek: Discover how artifacts are cared for and curated, and view perishable and environmentally-sensitive artifacts up close. Enjoy tours from 2 to 4 p.m. Free with paid admission, with a special rate for San Juan County residents. (435) 678-2238

November 10 Frontier Homestead State Park Museum – Cedar City

Children’s Story Time: Pre-school children are invited to learn about the past through stories and history-related activities from 12:30 to 1 p.m. (435) 586-9290

November 12 Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum – Blanding

Perishable Artifacts of Chaco and Aztec: Dr. Laurie Webster shares her research examining sandals, basketry samples, cordage, textiles, and other perishable artifacts from the Four Corners area. A slide presentation focuses on her analysis of materials discovered at both Chaco Canyon and Aztec Pueblo. Program begins at 6:30 p.m. and is free to the public. (435) 678-2238

November 13 Escalante Petrified Forest State Park – Escalante

Star Gazing: Celebrate the International Year of Astronomy with an evening of star gazing. Join the park naturalist on a tour through the galaxy as we search for planets, constellations and other celestial wonders. Meet at the visitor center at 7 p.m. Dress warmly and bring folding chairs or blankets. Hot drinks will be served. (435) 826-4466

November 13 Snow Canyon State Park – Ivins

Simple Campfire Desserts: Gather around a toasty fire at 7 p.m. to bake and sample simple campfire desserts. Leave with recipes for your next camping trip. Space is limited and registration is required. (435) 628-2255

November 13 Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum – Vernal

Movie Night at the Museum: Watch Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian at either 5:45 p.m. or 8 p.m. This event is free, but tickets are required and can be picked up in advance at the Uintah Community Center in Vernal. (435) 789-3799

November 14 Antelope Island State Park – Syracuse

Hands-on Bison: Join the park naturalist from 1 to 3 p.m. for an afternoon of hands-on bison activities. Compare a bison and cow skull, explore horns and fur, and learn why this animal is so unique. (801) 773-2941

–Moab, UT~ The two time pumpkin chuckin’ world record holders–the ‘Big 10 Inch’ air cannon team– have traveled across the country from the Delaware River Valley to attempt to break the Guinness World Record at the Youth Garden Project’s Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival this Saturday October 31st in Moab, Utah at the Old Airport Runway, just south of town.

Ralph Eschborn II, spokesperson for the ‘Big 10 Inch’ team is confident that with favorable weather his team has an excellent chance of grabbing the Guinness Record in Moab on Halloween.  They’ve achieved their previous farthest distance of 4,211 feet twice, in 2005 and 2007, both times at sea level.  The Guinness World Record currently stands only slightly farther,  at 4,491 feet.

“We looked at Moab in part for the elevation, because we think we can shoot farther in the thinner air, and Moab’s event is a perfect tune up for us since it is just a week before the World Championships in Delaware,” said Eschborn.  “Being the first to pass 5000 feet is the second big milestone to shoot for, along with being the first to chuck a mile,” he added.

But Eschborn and the ‘Big 10 Inch’ crew chose Moab not just for the elevation, but also out of appreciation for the Youth Garden Project of Moab, the nonprofit group sponsoring the event.

“Our team was excited by the community service aspect of the Youth Garden Project, and wanted to support their organization, and they’ve been great to work with,” Eschborn said.

The addition of this Guinness World Record bid tops off an already packed program, full of creativity and hometown splendor.  Fashioned in the spirit of an old time fair, the event features pumpkin pie eating and seed spitting contests, costumed Wiener dog races, a straw-bale maze for kids and other games and activities for children.

In medieval times, catapults and trebuchets launched projectiles into enemy territory. With the advent of gunpowder, they were quickly cast aside in favor of more powerful artillery, but the allure of flinging objects through the air never faded.  The lost art of making inanimate objects soar will be rediscovered this fall as the Youth Garden Project presents the fourth annual Moab Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival.

This fall harvest festival includes contests for people of all ages, live music and entertainment, vendor booths, and a wide range of characters roaming the festival grounds. The festival’s main event, the Pumpkin Chuckin’ Contest, is open to anyone craving a challenging experience that requires creativity, ingenuity, and a love of launching stuff. Entrants compete in one of four divisions: catapults, trebuchets, air cannons, and sling shots with a special youth category in each division.

No knowledge of physics or math is required to watch the launching competition or to enjoy live bluegrass music by Cosy Sheridan and T.R. Ritchie in the morning and the Metamoocil Mountain Boys in the afternoon.  A variety of talented local and regional artists will have their work available for sale.

The event brings together community organizations, local farmers, artisans, and musicians with members of the community to celebrate the harvest – and is a perfect way to enjoy the crisp Utah fall weather amidst the towering LaSal Mountains and red rock mesas. Proceeds from the event support the Youth Garden Project, a non-profit in Moab that grows food, kids and community.

Hunters should find more ring-necked pheasants in Utah this fall.

Photo by Brent Stettler

Dave Olsen upland game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says a wet, warm spring—with limited spring snowfall—provided great conditions for upland game chicks.

“An upland game chick eats mostly insects during the first 30 to 40 days of its life,” Olsen says. “The warm rains really improved upland game habitat in the state. And that habitat allowed insect populations to flourish, so the chicks had plenty to eat.”And the state received very little late-spring snowfall this year, so it appears chick survival was pretty good this past spring.”

Utah’s upland game hunts started Aug. 22 with the white-tailed ptarmigan hunt. They won’t end until Feb. 28, 2010, when the cottontail rabbit and snowshoe hare hunts wrap-up. Olsen provides the following preview for Utah’s upland game hunts:

Chukar Partridge
2007 and 2008 were tough years for chukar partridge in Utah. Hot, dry conditions caused chukar numbers to plummet. But plenty of rain this past spring has improved the vegetation on most of Utah’s rangelands. The rain has also provided plenty of water sources for the chukars. As a result, chukar populations have rebounded.

“The state’s chukar populations aren’t all the way back, but they’re doing much better,” Olsen says. “Hunters should see more chukars this fall.”

Hungarian Partridge
Hungarian partridge have gone through the same struggle chukar partridge have—2007 and 2008 were tough years for the birds, but their populations have rebounded this year.

“‘Huns’ are found almost exclusively on private land,” Olsen says. “Before you hunt, you must get written permission from the person who owns the land you want to hunt on.”

Forest grouse (dusky and ruffed)
Dusky and ruffed grouse can be a little harder for biologists to get a read on: their populations are spotty, and they’re harder to track.

“Forest grouse seem to have responded well to the improved habitat conditions,” Olsen says. “Hunters who are familiar with the birds and the areas in which they live should have good success.”

Ring-necked pheasant
Ring-necked pheasants are getting harder to find in Utah because their habitat continues to decline. However, there are still areas around agricultural fields in the state that harbor good numbers of birds. And these areas should provide good action again this year.

“Pheasants did pretty well this year in the areas that still have good habitat,” Olsen says. “Most pheasant populations are found on private land. Make sure you have written permission from the landowner before hunting.”

Cottontail Rabbits
Cottontail rabbits generally follow a population cycle that runs for about 10 years. Hunting can be fast and furious when rabbits are at the top of the population cycle.

Currently, most of Utah’s rabbit populations are on the lower side of the cycle, but some of the populations are showing improvement.

“Even though you may not see rabbits running across the road like you did a year or two ago, there are still plenty of rabbits in Utah to hunt,” Olsen says.

To find success, Olsen suggests brushing up on the type of habitat rabbits prefer. And when you go rabbit hunting, make sure you take someone with you. “Cottontail rabbit hunts can be great outings for families and youth groups,” he says. “They’re also a great way to introduce young people to hunting.”

Snowshoe Hares
Olsen says snowshoe hares are a Utah upland game species that most hunters don’t pay much attention to. That could be a mistake.

“If you have a pair of cross-country skis or snowshoes, and you want to enjoy some quiet winter solitude, consider going on a snowshoe hare hunt,” Olsen says. “Hunting snowshoe hares isn’t always easy. But it can be relaxing and a lot of fun.”

You’ll usually find snowshoe hares in areas that have plenty of pine trees. Looking for their tracks and trails they leave in fresh snow is one of the best ways to find them. Look for their tracks along low-hanging pine limbs, and near logs and under-story vegetation. The low limbs and log-covered coverts provide good cover for snowshoe hares to loaf in during the day.
You’ll have plenty of time to hunt snowshoe hares this season. The snowshoe hare season begins on Sept. 12 and runs until Feb. 28, 2010.

Gambel’s quail
You’ll find Gambel’s quail in the deserts of southwestern Utah. Olsen says they’ve responded well to the improved habitat conditions this year, and hunting should be good.

California quail
Olsen says California quail populations are doing great in Utah. Unfortunately, most California quail populations are near urban areas where hunting isn’t allowed. However, those who scout for the birds can usually find California quail in huntable areas on the foothills or in brushy areas in the bottom of valleys.

When hunting California quail, make sure you remain at least 600 feet from homes and other buildings. And remember that you must have written permission from landowners before hunting on private land.

Reminders
Olsen has three upland game hunting reminders for you this fall

Take a kid hunting
Utah’s upland game hunts, especially the cottontail rabbit hunt, are a great way to introduce kids to hunting. “Taking an animal from the field, cleaning it, preparing it and then sharing it at the family table helps all of us stay contacted with the cycle of life,” Olsen says.

Respect private property
If you want to hunt on private property, you must obtain written permission from the person who owns the property. After you obtain permission, take care of the landowner’s property; leave it in better shape than you found it.

Take notes
Every spring, the DWR does a random survey of upland game hunters to learn more about the number of days they spent hunting and the number of birds, rabbits and hares they took.

“If you jot down some brief notes after each hunting trip, you’ll be able to provide us with good, accurate information,” Olsen says.

Season Dates to Remember

Chukar Partridge

• Season dates: Sept. 26, 2009–Feb. 14, 2010
• Areas open: Statewide.* The following areas will be closed to general public hunting on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009 to facilitate youth chukar hunts: Morgan and Summit counties, the Henefer-Echo WMA; Tooele County, the Carr Fork WMA; Uintah County, the RT Thacker Walk-in-Access property; Carbon County, the Gordon Creek WMA; and Millard County, the Pahvant WMA. These areas will reopen to general public hunting on Sept. 6.
• Bag limit: 5, Possession limit: 2 bag limits
• Footnotes: Antelope Island is closed to upland game hunting.

Cottontail Rabbit
• Season dates: Sept. 12, 2009–Feb. 28, 2010
• Areas open: Statewide*
• Bag limit: 10, Possession limit: 2 bag limits

Forest-Grouse (Blue and ruffed)

• Season dates: Sept. 12–Dec. 31, 2009
• Areas open: Statewide*
• Bag limit: 4, Possession limit: 2 bag limits
• Footnotes: Limits singly or in the aggregate

Hungarian partridge (General season)
• Season dates: Sept. 26, 2009–Feb. 14, 2010
• Areas open: Statewide*
• Bag limit: 5, Possession limit: 2 bag limits

Pheasant (General season)

• Season dates: Nov. 7–Nov. 22, 2009
• Areas open: Statewide*. The following areas will be closed to general public hunting on Saturday, Nov. 14 to facilitate youth hunts: Box Elder County, the Douglas/Sorensen walk-in access area; Duchesne County, the Mallard Springs WMA; Emery County, the Huntington WMA; Tooele County, the Carr Fork WMA; Millard County, the Pahvant WMA. These areas will reopen to general public hunting

on Nov. 15.*
• Bag limit: 2, Possession limit: 2 bag limits
• Footnotes: Only males may be harvested. No 8 a.m. restriction on opening morning. The Goshen Warm Springs WMA in Utah County is closed to all hunting.

Pheasant (Extended season)
• Season dates: Nov. 7–Dec. 6, 2009
• Areas open: CAUTION: Not all counties are open for the extended season. Only the following areas are open: All state and federal land in Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, Grand, Juab, Millard, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Tooele and Uintah counties (including private land leased by the Division subject to restrictions and closures imposed by administering agencies). Also, see above closures for youth hunts on Nov. 14.*
• Bag limit: 2, Possession limit: 2 bag limits
• Footnotes: Only males may be harvested. No 8 a.m. restriction on opening morning.

Quail (California and Gambel’s)
• Season dates: Nov. 7–Nov. 22, 2009
• Areas open: Box Elder, Carbon, Davis, Grand, Juab, Kane, Millard, Piute, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Tooele, Utah and Weber counties. All of Emery County except the Desert Lake WMA, which is closed. Also, see closures for youth hunts listed under general pheasant hunt.*
• Bag limit: 5, Possession limit: 2 bag limits
• Footnotes: No 8 a.m. restriction on opening morning.

Quail (California and Gambel’s—extended season)
• Season dates: Nov. 7–Dec. 31, 2009
• Areas open: Duchesne, Uintah, Daggett and Washington counties. Also see closures for youth hunts listed above under general pheasant hunt.*
• Bag limit: 5, Possession limit: 2 bag limits
• Footnotes: No 8 a.m. restriction on opening morning.

Quail (Scaled)
• Season dates: Closed
• Bag limit: Closed

Snowshoe hare

• Season dates: Sept. 12, 2009–Feb. 28, 2010
• Areas open: Statewide*
• Bag limit: 5, Possession limit: 2 bag limits
*Excludes closed areas and all Native American trust lands statewide

Salt Lake City – Utah’s state park museums reveal and preserve Utah’s history, which may include ghosts. Museum employees and paranormal investigators say activity has been recorded at Frontier Homestead and Camp Floyd/Stagecoach Inn state park museums. Are these parks really haunted?

According to Frontier Homestead State Park Museum Manager Todd Prince, digital voice recorders used in a recent investigation of the Hunter Home at Frontier Homestead revealed growling, knocking, and whispering voices within the empty home.

Joseph S. Hunter, an early settler of Cedar City, built the Hunter Home in 1866. Various Hunter family descendants lived in the home over the years, which is the oldest remaining home in Cedar City. The Hunter Home was moved to Frontier Homestead in 2005 to protect the home from demolition.

Camp Floyd/Stagecoach Inn has hosted both novice and experienced paranormal investigators who record their eerie encounters on tape and film. Recordings show orbs or balls of light, which some believe to be energy fields. Other recorded findings include whispering, sounds from moving furniture, mists and ribbons, and unexplained streaks of light.

Once home to members of Johnston’s army, this area was a bustling community until 1861 when tensions between north and south resulted in civil war. Troops were ordered back East for the emergency and nearly all the buildings were dismantled or demolished. Today, only the cemetery and the commissary building remain.

Beginning Ghost Hunters recently joined in a paranormal investigation of Camp Floyd on Saturday, October 24 as visitors brought their own tape recorders, film, digital and infrared cameras. Park staff assisted participants in the use of their equipment in finding paranormal orbs, mists and sounds. Following a brief presentation, these visitors were able to practice ghost hunting techniques and investigation. Materials are still being reviewed from the investigation.

To visit Camp Floyd, take Lehi Exit 279 off I-15, which is Lehi’s Main Street. Continue west along this street, which turns into Highway 73. Continue along this highway to the town of Fairfield, approximately 22 miles from Lehi. Once in Fairfield, follow the highway signs into the park.  Admission fees are $2 per person or $6 per family.

For more information on these museums or upcoming events, visit http://www.stateparks.utah.gov/  .

Applications for Utah’s most prized hunting permits accepted soon
Applications for next year’s most prized Utah hunting permits—2010 sportsman permits—will be available by Nov. 2.

Only Utah residents may apply for sportsman permits. One sportsman permit is offered for each of the following species: Desert bighorn ram, Rocky Mountain bighorn ram, buck deer, buck pronghorn, bull elk, bull moose, hunter’s choice bison, hunter’s choice Rocky Mountain goat, black bear, cougar, sandhill crane and wild turkey.

If you draw a sportsman permit, the dates you can hunt vary. But in most cases, they’re longer than the regular season dates. You can also hunt on almost any unit in Utah that’s open to hunting the species you drew a permit for.
Highly prized

“Sportsman permits are highly prized,” says Judi Tutorow, wildlife licensing coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. “If you’re one of the lucky hunters who draw one, you’ll have plenty of days—and plenty of areas—to hunt.”

You can apply for a sportsman permit starting Nov. 2 at http://www.wildlife.utah.gov/ . Applications must be submitted no later than 11 p.m. on Nov. 19 to be entered in the draw for permits.

Draw results will be posted by Dec. 10. If you draw a permit, you’ll also receive a letter in the mail. “Not many hunters draw these permits,” Tutorow says. “If you receive a letter in the mail, it wouldn’t surprise me if you frame it!”

For more information, see pages 23 and 24 of the 2009 Utah Big Game Guidebook (www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks ) or call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office. You can also call the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.

Vernal — Anglers are raising their eyebrows at Steinaker Reservoir. “What is this fish I just caught?” many of them are asking. “It looks like a ghost. Is it radioactive?!”

No, the fish isn’t radioactive. And it’s not a ghost, either. It’s just a strain of white rainbow trout the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has developed and raised to give anglers an unusual and unique fishing experience.

“We’ve stocked white rainbow trout for years in the Uinta Mountain lakes along the Mirror Lake Highway,” says Roger Schneidervin, UDWR regional aquatics manager. “Anglers and wildlife watchers really like the fish. The fish are easy to see. And they’re quite unusual.”

After Schneidervin learned that one of the DWR’s hatcheries had some extra white rainbows, he asked the hatchery workers if they would put them into Steinaker and the Kids Canal in northeastern Utah this fall.

“They stocked a few into the canal and roughly 15,000 into Steinaker a couple of weeks ago,” Schneidervin says. “It’s been fun talking with the anglers who have caught them. Some are familiar with the fish. Others have asked if the fish are radioactive!”

If you catch a fish that’s white at either water, don’t panic. It’s not a ghost, and it’s not radioactive. It’s just an unusual genetic variation that’s sometimes found in rainbow trout. DWR hatchery managers have managed to isolate some of the fish. Now the fish are being bred and raised in Utah’s fish hatcheries.

For more information, call the DWR’s Northeastern Region office at (435) 781-9453.

The facts are in, and the findings are clear—based on the acres of public land that have deer habitat, the Southern Region doesn’t have any more archery hunters in it than any other region in the state.

In fact, based on the number of acres per archery hunter, the Southern Region is actually the least crowded region in Utah.

For that reason, the Division of Wildlife Resources is proposing that general archery deer hunters be allowed to hunt anywhere in Utah that’s open to general-season hunting.

(In 2009, archery hunters had to choose one region to hunt in during the first two weeks of the hunt. After the first two weeks, they could hunt anywhere in Utah that was open to general-season hunting.)

All of the DWR’s recommendations for Utah’s 2010 big game seasons are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings .

Learn more, share your ideas

Once you’ve read the proposals, you can share your thoughts and ideas one of two ways:

RAC meetings

Five Regional Advisory Council meetings will be held across Utah. Citizens representing the RACs will take the input received at the meetings to the Utah Wildlife Board. Board members will use the input to help them set rules for Utah’s 2010 big game hunts. They’ll set those rules at their Dec. 3 meeting in Salt Lake City.

You can participate and provide your input at any of the following meetings (two notes: the Southern Region meeting begins at 5 p.m. The Central Region meeting will be held on a Thursday.):

Southern Region
Nov. 3
5 p.m.
Richfield High School
510 W. 100 S.
Richfield

Southeastern Region
Nov. 4
6:30 p.m.
John Wesley Powell Museum
1765 E. Main St.
Green River
Northeastern Region
Nov. 5
6:30 p.m.
Western Park, Room #1
302 E. 200 S.
Vernal

Northern Region
Nov. 10
6 p.m.
Brigham City Community Center
24 N. 300 W.
Brigham City

Central Region
Nov. 12
6:30 p.m.
Springville Junior High
165 S. 700 E.
Springville

E-mail

You can also provide your comments to your RAC via e-mail. E-mail addresses for your RAC members are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings .

The group each RAC member represents (sportsman, non-consumptive, etc.) is listed under each person’s e-mail address. You should direct your e-mail to the people on the RAC who represent your interest.

Acres of land per hunter

“The data is clear—archery hunters are not the only reason some people feel the Southern Region is crowded during the first part of the archery hunt,” says Anis Aoude, big game coordinator for the DWR.
Aoude bases his finding on two statistics:

- the acres of public land in the region that have deer habitat
- the number of archers who hunt in the region.

You can see the statistics at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings/info/09-11-08.pdf .

Crowding—what’s causing it?

Even though the Southern Region has more acres of public land per hunter than any region in Utah, that doesn’t mean certain parts of the region aren’t crowded from mid August to mid September.

“Southern Utah is a very popular place to camp and hike. And that’s what’s causing most of the crowding,” Aoude says. “We don’t feel we should restrict and penalize archery hunters because other people enjoy being in the woods too.”

Aoude says archers can also be part of the crowding challenge, but that situation isn’t unique to the Southern Region—it happens in every region in the state. “There are certain areas in every region that are popular and draw a lot of hunters,” he says.

Archery committee

A committee helped the DWR draft the statewide proposal for 2010. The committee included three archery hunters from southern Utah, two members of the Utah Bowhunter’s Association, two members of Bowhunters of Utah and Bill Fenimore, a member of the Utah Wildlife Board.

“The data helped the committee see that archers aren’t the only reason the Southern Region gets crowded during the first part of the archery hunt,” Aoude says. “The committee took the data, looked through it and then recommended to us that Utah return to a statewide hunt for the entire general archery season.”

Overview of Utah Lake courtesy NASA

There is only going to be one public meeting to share your concerns for the future of Utah Lake and the resulting impact of a bridge across it. Your voice and interest can make a difference.

The Utah Lake Commission will be conducting a Public Hearing to understand the support and opposition to a proposed bridge crossing Utah Lake on Thursday, October 29, 2009, at 6:00 PM in Room 2500 of the Utah County Health and Justice Building located at 151 S. University Avenue in Provo. It will include a brief presentation of the proposal from the applicants, a brief presentation of the proposal review process, and opportunity for public comments.

More information can be obtained at http://www.utahlakecommission.org/ , or by calling the Commission offices at (801) 851-2900.

Thank you for your interest,

Carin Green
Executive Assistant
Utah Lake Commission
(801) 851-2900