Time is Running Out
Big game hunt applications due by March 1
If you want to hunt big game animals in Utah this fall, the clock is ticking. Applications for hunting permits are due no later than 11 p.m. on March 1.
The best way to apply is at www.wildlife.utah.gov/biggame.
Once you arrive at the web page, you’ll find all kinds of information that will help you decide which permits to apply for. And, once you’ve made your decision, you can apply at the page.
Lindy Varney, wildlife licensing coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says maps, drawing odds from 2017 and the success hunters found on various units last fall are among the items you’ll find on the web page. Access to the free 2018 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook is also available at the page.
“The page is a great resource that will help you narrow down which hunts you want to apply for,” she says. “I hope you’ll submit your application no later than March 1. Good luck in this year’s draw.”
In addition to applying for a permit, if you’d like a chance to hunt all three general deer seasons, Varney encourages you to consider joining Utah’s Dedicated Hunter program. You can learn more about the program, and how to join it, at www.wildlife.utah.gov/dh.
More information
If you have questions about applying for a 2018 Utah big game hunting permit, call the Utah Hunt Application office at 1-800-221-0659 or the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office.
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Watch the Sky Turn White
See as many as 20,000 snow geese
Delta -- It’s a sight you have to see to believe: thousands of snow and Ross’ geese lifting off Gunnison Bend Reservoir amid honks and the beating of wings.
You can see this spectacle yourself on Feb. 23 and 24 as the Delta Chamber of Commerce hosts the annual Delta Snow Goose Festival.
Part of the festival includes a snow goose viewing event offered by the Division of Wildlife Resources. The event will be held at Gunnison Bend Reservoir, just west of Delta. Admission is free.
As many as 20,000 geese—mostly snow geese—have been at the reservoir during past festivals. Except for the black tips on their wings, snow geese are pure white.
Phil Tuttle, regional conservation outreach manager for the DWR, says DWR biologists will set spotting scopes up, so you can get a close look at the geese. “We’ll also be available to answer any questions you have,” Tuttle says. “Wildlife watching is a fun activity for the whole family. We encourage you to come out and see the spectacle.”
You can learn more about the festival at www.deltagoosefestival.com.
The best times to see the geese
The areas where you’ll see the geese vary according to the time of the day.
If you arrive in Delta early in the morning, you can watch the geese feeding in fields that surround the reservoir. Then, between 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., the geese take off and fly back to the reservoir. “That’s an exciting time to be at the reservoir,” Tuttle says.
After landing on the reservoir, the geese usually spend the next few hours there. Then, sometime between 4 and 6 p.m., they take off again and fly back to the fields. “Watching and hearing the geese take off can take your breath away,” Tuttle says.
DWR biologists will watch which fields the geese fly to. If you arrive after the geese have left the reservoir, the biologists will direct you to the fields where the geese are feeding.
Viewing tips
· Use binoculars or a spotting scope to view the geese. If you get too close to the geese, you could scare them away.
· If you pull off the road to view the geese, pull as far off the road as you can. And watch for cars.
· The weather could be cold and wet. Bring the proper clothes so you can stay warm and dry.
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See Bald Eagles in Northeastern Utah
Free viewing event happens Feb. 24
Ouray National Wildlife Refuge -- A month of viewing bald eagles in Utah wraps up Feb. 24 with a free viewing event in northeastern Utah.
Matt Bartley, special events coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says this year, the agency expanded its former Bald Eagle Day to include several Saturdays of viewing. The Feb. 24 event is the final event for 2018.
Viewing on Feb. 24 takes place from 8 a.m. to noon near the headquarters at the Ouray National Wildlife Refuge in Randlett. The headquarters is at 19001 E. Wildlife Refuge Road.
To reach the site, travel on U.S. 40 about 14 miles west of Vernal, or about 13 miles east of Roosevelt, and turn south on state Route 88. Travel south on SR-88 for 14 miles, and then turn left into the refuge entrance. The refuge headquarters is one mile down the entrance road.
The Ouray National Wildlife Refuge and the DWR are co-sponsoring the event.
Get a close look
Bartley says spotting scopes will be available so you can get a good look at the eagles. “If you have any challenges spotting the eagles,” he says, “our biologists will help you find them. We’d also be happy to answer any questions you have.”
You can also pick up a Bald Eagle Month button. Handouts and information about bald eagles, wildlife watching and birding opportunities in Utah will also be available. The button and information are free.
Items to bring
If you attend Bald Eagle Day, dress in warm clothes and bring waterproof boots. Also, if you want to take photos of the eagles, bring a telephoto lens.
“You need a telephoto lens to get good, close-up shots of the eagles,” Bartley says. “The eagles will be fairly close to the viewing sites, but you still need a telephoto lens to get good photos of them.”
More information
If you have questions about the Feb. 24 event, call the DWR office in Vernal at 435-781-9453.
Fishing reports - available at http://wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots .
