Northeastern Utah
Releasing black-footed ferrets in the Uintah Basin
What: Later today, nearly a dozen black-footed ferrets will be released in Utah! Only a few decades ago, biologists thought black-footed ferrets were extinct. Now, thanks to successful breeding and release programs, there are ferret colonies throughout the West. The 11 ferrets arriving today include seven adults and four kits. DWR biologists will release them into a ferret population that already lives in the remote northeastern part of the state. Reporters and photographers are welcome to cover the ferrets’ arrival and release. It’s a great opportunity to obtain footage of these fun, chattering animals in action.
When: The release is scheduled for this afternoon (Nov. 15). Please call one of the contacts ahead of time for exact details about where and when to meet.
Where: Coyote Basin (Call one of the contacts for directions and the best place to meet.) Important: the road is rugged, so you may want a four-wheel-drive or high-clearance vehicle to access the area.
Northern and Central Utah
Restoring habitat after intense wildfire season
What: Utah’s summer was hot, smoky and full of wildfires. Now, multiple DWR habitat crews — and other partners in Utah’s Watershed Restoration Initiative — have begun working in many of the burned areas. The teams will use a mix of aerial seeding and drill seeding, along with chaining, to help restore a variety of grasses, flowering plants and shrubs. The plants will increase food for wildlife and livestock, stabilize soil to reduce erosion, and prevent invasive species like cheatgrass from establishing. The habitat crews will also plant some firs, pines and other trees in certain areas to speed up forest recovery. Reporters and photographers are invited to visit any of the project areas and learn more about the widespread partnership working to restore thousands of acres of Utah lands.
When: The work is already underway in many areas and will continue over the next month or two.
Where: Work is planned or already underway in the following areas:
· Goose Creek Fire — West of the town of Grouse Creek in Box Elder County. Approximately 25,000 acres will be reseeded and chained to restore habitat for sage-grouse, mule deer and other wildlife.
· Pole Creek and Bald Mountain fires — Rehabilitation work will occur on approximately 22,000 acres burned in Utah County, near the junction of US-89 and US-6.
· Coal Hollow Fire — Reseeding will occur on more than 3,600 acres of private property, city watersheds, Forest Service land, and DWR land (south of US-6 and west of the Dairy Fork Rd). After the seeding is complete, the crew will use heavy equipment to drag a large chain through about 1,300 acres of the seeded area. The chain works the seed into the soil, ensuring that it doesn’t get swept away by wind or water.
· Hilltop Fire — Crews will reseed more than 1,800 acres and chain about 1,100 acres in the fire scar area, east of Indianola.
Contacts: The contacts vary, depending on which project area you want to visit:
· Goose Creek Fire — Nathan Long, 801-476-2740 or nathanlong@utah.gov
· Other fire areas listed above — Robby Edgel, 435-671-0160 or redgel@utah.gov
Statewide
Releasing thousands of pheasants
What: DWR personnel are still releasing thousands of pheasants in areas across Utah. These releases provide birds for the 2018 pheasant hunt, which began Nov. 3. Reporters and photographers are invited to join us as we pick up birds and release them at wildlife and waterfowl management areas across the state. You’ll learn more about this large-scale release and why it’s a priority for the DWR and Utah’s hunters.
When: Birds will be released right before every weekend of the hunt — usually on Fridays — but please confirm timing with the area contact (see below). The hunt ends on Dec. 2.
Where: Areas across Utah (call one of the contacts below to arrange details)
Contacts: The release contacts vary, depending on where you go:
· Northern Utah — Randy Wood, 801-388-2542
· Northeastern Utah — Dax Mangus, 435-790-5320
· Central Utah — Riley Peck, 435-979-0749
· Southern Utah — Teresa Griffin, 435-691-0638
· Southeastern Utah — Morgan Jacobsen, 435-609-9589
Remember to Join us for New Team Night!
November 29, 2018
If you have ever wondered what Girls on the Run is all about, and the impact it could make at your school, this is your chance to find out! Girls on the Run Utah would like to invite you to our New Team Night at our office on Thursday, November 29th, at 6:00 PM.
What we will discuss:
· Who We Are
· What We Do
· Program Specifics
· Girls on the Run Impact
· Our Local Presence in Utah
· How to Become a Coach or Site Liason
Over 1.5 million girls across the nation have participated in Girls on the Run, and we believe that all girls in Utah would truly benefit from the experience. Come to our office on the 29th to see the impact first-hand and find out how you and your school can join this powerful, inspirational movement.
Girls on the Run is for EVERY girl. It’s Fun. It’s Effective.
Girls on the Run Address: 1625 Foothill Drive., Salt Lake City, UT 84108
(You can park on the north side of our office by the Taqueria 27.)
Our Girls on the Run and Heart & Sole programs are fun, effective, and a place where girls can be 100% themselves!
Questions? Contact our Program Director Ivy Denihan at ivy@girlsontherunutah.org or 419-296-3775.
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Thursday, November 15th, 2018 at 9:00 am - BRIGHTON IS OPEN FOR THE 2018 - 2019 SEASON! With recent snowfall combined with extensive snowmaking, Brighton Resort will be offering a base averaging between 10-20 inches on 5 runs serviced by 2 lifts. Lifts will be running 9am - 4pm, 7 days a week.
A limited terrain ticket rate is available at $48 for ages 11 and up. Kids 10 and under ski free with paying adult. Brighton Resort will also limit the amount of tickets being sold to avoid over crowding the slopes.
Ticket windows open at 8:30 a.m. For more information, call 801.532.4731
Snow Report Hotline: 855.201.SNOW
Friday, November 16th is your last chance to purchase a Bright-n-Early season pass for the 2018 - 2019 season.
The Bright-n-Early Season Pass offers unlimited skiing and riding day or night opening day* though Dec 22, 2018. After December 22nd, your Bright-n-Early Season Pass will expire but, we won't leave you without the option to upgrade! We will apply the amount you paid for your Bright-n-Early Season Pass toward the purchase of any other 2018 - 2019 season pass product. Yes, we know, we're almost too generous but don't sleep on this one because the Bright-n-Early Season Pass is only available for purchase until November 16th, 2018!
Fewer cottontail rabbits
Rabbit population nearing bottom of 10-year cycle
Cottontail rabbits have done really well in Utah over the past few years. It was only a matter of time, though, before the ups and downs of a 10-year population cycle caught up to them.
This year, there are about half as many rabbits in Utah as there was in 2017. And the current number is a tenth of what it was when the population experienced its latest peak in 2015.
Fewer rabbits doesn’t mean you shouldn’t head afield and hunt them, though. Jason Robinson, upland game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says there are still plenty of rabbits in Utah. “You’ll likely have to walk farther and cover more ground to find them,” he says, “but they’re there.”
Robinson says the cottontail rabbit hunt is a great hunt for hunters of all ages and abilities, including those who are just getting started. “The terrain rabbits live in is usually relatively flat and easy to walk through,” he says. “The equipment needed is basic, light and easy to carry. And—if you do get into a bunch of rabbits—you’ll get lots of shots.”
You can see where rabbits live in Utah, and learn more about them, on pages 38 and 48 of the 2018 – 2019 Utah Upland Game Guidebook. The free guidebook is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks
Four counties have the highest numbers
Biologists aren’t sure why it occurs, but cottontail rabbits across the country experience a 10-year population cycle. After bottoming out, the number of cottontails will climb slowly for about five years. Once the population peaks in number, it will usually stay close to the peak for about three years. Then, numbers will abruptly fall for a couple of years until the population bottoms out and numbers start to climb again.
From late July through mid-August, DWR biologists count rabbits along 15 survey routes in the state. Based on what the biologists saw, four counties—Duchesne and Uintah in northeastern Utah, and Emery and Iron in southern Utah—are the areas with the highest number of rabbits this year.
“Rabbit numbers were best in those four counties,” Robinson says. “With the exception of Iron County—where rabbits are doing well—the western half of Utah was the area where biologists saw the fewest rabbits.”
Utah’s cottontail rabbit hunt runs until Feb. 28, 2019.
Finding rabbits
To find rabbits in lower elevations, look in the bottom of valleys that have tall sagebrush and deep, loose soil that have burrows the rabbits can hide in. If you’re in mid-elevation areas, look for hillsides that have large boulders, thick sagebrush or other thick vegetation in which the rabbits can hide.
Also, consider hunting early in the morning and late in the afternoon. “That’s when rabbits are away from their resting areas and are the most active,” Robinson says. “Early morning and late in the afternoon are prime times for rabbits to feed.”
Hunting tips
Shotguns and small-caliber rifles, such as the .22, are perfect firearms to hunt rabbits with.
If you’re hunting with a small-caliber rifle, finding a spot that’s higher in elevation than the area around it—and then sitting down, scanning the surrounding area and waiting for rabbits to appear—is a good choice. It’s critical to hunt early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when rabbits are the most active and moving around.
If you’d like to walk and flush rabbits out of cover, a shotgun is the best firearm to use. If you’re hunting with one or more people, form a line—spacing each hunter about 20 yards apart—and then walk through areas that look promising. Be ready to click your safety off: a flushing rabbit doesn’t give you much time to shoot!
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Fishing reports - available at http://wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots .
