Help fight poaching in Utah
DWR provides tips
In addition to being observant, what’s the best thing you can do to fight poaching in Utah?
Get a license plate number for the vehicle the suspect is driving, says Trevor Doman, a Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officer in northern Utah.
“That’s the critical thing we need,” Doman says. “Having a license plate number will lead us to the individual so we can interview the person and start investigating.”
DWR officers patrol huge swaths of land in Utah, and they can’t be everywhere. That’s where you come in. “We need your help,” Doman says. “Please keep your eyes and ears open, and report suspicious activity to us. Working together, we can keep wildlife in Utah safe.”
While wildlife violations can happen any time of the year, a spike typically occurs during the fall hunting seasons. Doman provides tips to help you get officers the information they need:
Tip 1 – Get a license plate number
As mentioned, a license plate number is the most critical piece of information you can provide. If you’re not able to get a license plate number, please provide the officer with as much information as you can. “The type and color of the vehicle the person was driving, how many people were involved and a description of what you saw are really helpful,” Doman says. “And, if you can give us a GPS coordinate, that can guide us quickly to the area where the possible violation occurred.”
Tip 2 – Don’t confront the individual
Don’t confront someone who might be committing a violation. “Stay out of harm’s way,” Doman says. “Report what you saw, and let us contact them.”
Tip 3 – Call the Utah Turn-in-a-Poacher (UTip) hotline
Calling the UTip hotline is the best way to get information to officers. The hotline—1-800-662-DEER (3337)—is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you witness a possible violation, and you can’t remember the hotline number, do a quick Internet search on your phone. Or, look at your hunting or fishing license. The number is available on it.
Another option is to call 911. Doman asks you not to do this, though, unless you’re certain a poaching incident has occurred, you can’t remember or find the UTip number, and you feel the incident must be reported immediately.
“Also,” Doman says, “if you have a license plate number but you can’t get cell reception, it’s totally fine to wait and report the incident when you get home. A license plate number will lead us directly to the suspect.”
Tip 4 – Don’t call UTip for information
Please remember that the UTip hotline is not an information line. Only call to report possible poaching and other wildlife-related crimes.
Doman says he gets a few UTip calls every a month from people who are simply looking for information.
“Every time an officer receives a UTip call,” he says, “even if it isn’t related to a wildlife crime, he or she has to file a follow-up report. Filing the report takes time away that could have been spent fighting wildlife crime in Utah. Please call the UTip line only to report wildlife crimes. If you’re simply looking for information, call a DWR office. The person who answers the phone will be happy to help you.”
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Treatment will remove illegally released goldfish
Goldfish dumping threatens fishery
Payson – In mid-October, biologists with the Division of Wildlife Resources will use rotenone to remove goldfish that were placed illegally in Maple Lake.
The lake is in Payson Canyon. Chris Crockett, regional aquatics manager for the DWR, says the goldfish—that were once the pets of those who placed them in the lake—have multiplied over the past few years. The goldfish population has reached the point that it’s competing with trout in the lake for food.
“And that’s not all,” Crockett says. “The goldfish are eating the native plants and reducing the lake’s water quality by stirring up sediment. None of those things are good for the health of the lake.”
Rotenone treatment
Biologists plan to treat the lake with rotenone (a substance derived from the roots of a plant in the bean family) in mid-October. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved the use of rotenone to control and sample fish populations in lakes, ponds and streams. Utah has used it many times to control invasive species and to restore native and threatened species.
“We don’t anticipate any impacts to downstream fisheries or water quality,” Crockett says. “We’ll restock the lake with trout in spring 2019.”
The water level at Maple Lake is being drawn down to increase the effectiveness of the treatment and allow water users to inspect the dam at the lake.
Public access
Right now, there is no public access to Maple Lake due to a forest fire in Payson Canyon. And the Maple Lake campground is closed for the season.
If public access reopens this month, access for recreational activities, including wading, swimming, boating and fishing, will be prohibited while the rotenone is being applied and for 14 days after the lake is treated. For more information, call the DWR office in Springville at 801-491-5678.
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Dry conditions, tougher hunt
Utah’s general rifle buck deer hunt starts soon
Months of hot, dry weather will likely make this fall’s general rifle buck deer hunt a tougher hunt.
Covy Jones says hot, dry weather makes deer less active. “Instead of moving,” says Jones, big game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, “the deer bed down in the shade. They stop feeding earlier in the morning. And they don’t leave their bedding areas, to feed again, until just before sundown. Because they’re not moving much, they’re tougher to find and hunt.”
Despite the tough conditions, more than 60,000 hunters, along with their non-hunting family and friends, are expected to enjoy time in the backcountry during Utah’s most popular hunt.
This fall, the general rifle hunt is split into two hunts: an early hunt that starts Oct. 10 on seven hunting units in Utah, and a late hunt that starts Oct. 20 on 29 units.
Dry conditions
A quick visit to www.drought.gov/drought/states/utah confirms what you likely already know: drought has Utah in its grip. Jones says drought conditions are extreme in 40% of the state. “The eastern part of Utah is especially dry,” he says.
In addition to areas under extreme drought, 7% of Utah is experiencing exceptional drought. “Exceptional drought is as bad as it gets,” Jones says. “Conditions like that haven’t been seen in recent history.”
Despite the dry conditions, spotty areas across the state have received some rain this summer. And rain between now and the start of the hunt could cause some grasses to ‘green up’ and help rejuvenate some of the browse species deer rely on in the winter.
“Spots that have green vegetation might be ‘deer magnets’ during the hunt,” he says.
You can learn more about conditions on the unit you’ll hunt at https://dwrapps.utah.gov/huntboundary/hbstart. That’s the address for the Utah Hunt Planner website.
More than 360,000 deer
The number of mule deer in Utah peaked at 384,000 in 2016. That’s the highest count since the 1980s. A tough winter in parts of northern and northeastern Utah in 2016 – 2017, and severe drought in 2017, dropped that number to an estimated 363,000 bucks, does and fawns after the hunts were over in 2017. And only a few of those deer died this past winter.
“There are still a lot of deer in Utah,” Jones says, “but, because of the tough hunting conditions, they’ll be more difficult to find this fall.”
Also, don’t be surprised if the antlers on the buck you take are smaller than normal. “A buck deer’s body will meet its nutritional needs first before putting energy into antler growth,” Jones says. “Because of the drought, many of the plants the deer eat don’t have the nutritional value they normally have. So, on average, antler growth probably won’t be as good this year as it would normally be.”
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Tips for rifle buck deer hunt
If you’re one of the 60,000 hunters who’ll participate in Utah’s general rifle buck deer hunt, Gary Cook, Hunter Education coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, has some advice to share. He says preparing in advance and following the basics of firearm safety are two ways to ensure you have a great experience. And, while taking a deer is always the highlight of a hunt, so much more awaits.
“Just being in the outdoors,” Cook says, “enjoying the mountains and wildlife with your family and friends, is really what it’s all about. My family and I recently participated in the state’s general muzzleloader deer hunt. Spending time in the outdoors together was just awesome.”
This fall, the general rifle hunt is split into two hunts: an early hunt that starts Oct. 10 on seven hunting units in Utah, and a late hunt that starts Oct. 20 on 29 units. Cook provides the following tips to help you have a safe and enjoyable time:
Preparing your firearm
- Be as familiar as possible with your rifle. Know where the safety is and how to operate it, and how to load and unload it properly.
- Make sure the barrel doesn’t have any obstructions in it.
- Make sure you have the correct ammunition for your rifle.
- Visit a shooting range, and sight in your rifle. When you sight in your rifle, make sure you use the same ammunition you’ll use during the hunt. A list of shooting ranges in Utah is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/shooting-centers-home.html.
If you recently bought a rifle, you can enjoy a free day of shooting at the DWR’s Lee Kay and Cache Valley public shooting ranges. To shoot for free, just bring the sales receipt for your rifle to either range within 30 days of buying it.
The Lee Kay Public Shooting Range is at 6000 W. 2100 S. in Salt Lake City. The Cache Valley Public Shooting Range is at 2851 W. 200 N. in Logan.
Firearm safety
- Always control the muzzle of your firearm. Never let the muzzle point at anything you don’t intend to shoot. And make sure you don’t accidently point the muzzle at yourself.
- Never become careless or complacent while handling a firearm. Treat every firearm like it’s loaded.
- Do not put your finger on the trigger until your sights are on the target.
- Before you shoot, make sure the animal you’re shooting at is a buck deer. Also, be certain that the area behind the target is safe to shoot into and will stop any bullet that doesn’t hit the target.
- Never carry a loaded firearm in your vehicle. Carrying a loaded firearm in your vehicle is illegal and dangerous.
Personal preparation
- If you haven’t yet, try to scout the area you’ll hunt at least once before the season starts. “If you want to be successful,” Cook says, “you need to learn where the deer are and their daily patterns. Also, if you scout before the hunt, you’ll know in advance if any road or camping conditions have changed.”
- Put a survival kit together. The kit should include:
* a small first aid kit
* three ways to make a fire (e.g. matches, a cigarette lighter, fire starters)
* quick-energy snack foods
* a flashlight
* an extra knife
* a cord or rope
* a compass or Global Positioning System unit
* a small pad of paper and a pencil (if you become lost, you can leave information at your last location about yourself and the direction you’re traveling).
Vehicle preparation
- Make sure your vehicle is in good mechanical condition.
- Before you leave for your hunt, make sure a shovel, an ax, tire chains, jumper cables and a tow chain are in your vehicle.
- If you experience mechanical problems with your vehicle or you get snowed in, stay with your vehicle—don’t leave it.
Before leaving on your trip
- Let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to return.
While in the field
- Wear proper safety clothing: 400 square inches of hunter orange on your back, chest and head. This is the minimum amount that’s required. “It’s a good idea to wear even more,” Cook says. “Hunter orange really helps you stand out to other hunters.”
- If possible, try not to hunt alone.
Field dressing your animal
- Use a sharp knife. Because a sharp knife cuts better than a dull knife, it’s safer to use.
- As you cut, cut away from you. Never bring a knife blade towards you while cutting.
Your physical well-being
- Know your physical limitations, and don’t exceed them.
- Prepare yourself for weather changes by dressing in layers. Dressing in layers allows you to regulate your body temperature by adding or removing clothes as needed.
- Drink plenty of water, no matter how cold the air temperature is. “It might be hard to believe,” Cook says, “but you can become dehydrated, even in cold weather.”
- Hypothermia (the loss of body temperature) can occur in temperatures as warm as 50 degrees.
Be aware of the signs of hypothermia. Some of the first signs are violent shivering, stumbling or becoming disoriented. “If you notice these signs,” Cook says, “sit down immediately, and build a fire. Get yourself warm and dry as fast as you can.”
- Frostbite. If you’re hunting in cold weather, watch for signs that you’re getting frostbite. White spots on your skin are the first sign. Check your face, feet and hands regularly. You’ll notice the first signs of frostbite on your face sooner if you’re hunting with a companion who can alert you.
If you get lost
- Don’t panic. Sit down and build a fire, even if it isn’t cold. A warm fire has a soothing effect. “It’s amazing the effect a small campfire can have,” Cook says. “Building one can help you calm down, relax and think clearly.”
After calming down, try to get your bearings and think your way out of the situation. If you think you know the direction you need to travel, get the pad of paper and pencil out of your survival kit, and leave a note at your location. Indicate on the note who you are and the direction you’re traveling. If you find other hunters as you’re walking, don’t be embarrassed to ask them for help and directions.
If you don’t know which direction you should travel, stay at your camp. If possible, build a shelter several hours before sundown. Build a smoky fire (this type of fire can be spotted from the air) or build three fires (a distress signal that can also be spotted from the air).
Remaining at your camp is usually a good option. “You might not know this, “Cook says, “but you can live without food and water for several days. Staying at your camp, rather than taking off and possibly traveling in the wrong direction, is usually a good choice.”
Alcohol and firearms don’t mix!
- Do not handle a firearm if you’ve been drinking alcohol.
- Do not give alcohol to someone who’s cold. Rather than warming the person, alcohol will actually make them colder.
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Young hunters get first crack at pheasants
Pheasants will be released before Oct. 13 - 15 hunt
Oct. 13, 14 or 15 might be the best time this fall to take a young person pheasant or quail hunting in Utah. The state will host its annual youth pheasant and quail hunt on those days. Those who were 17 years of age or younger on July 31, 2018 will have Utah’s pheasants and quail all to themselves.
Pheasant releases
To increase the chance young hunters take a bird, Division of Wildlife Resources biologists will release more than 1,000 rooster pheasants before the hunt. All of the birds will be released on state wildlife management areas and Walk-In Access areas. Visit www.wildlife.utah.gov/uplandgame, before Oct. 13, to learn which areas will receive birds.
Special guided hunts in southern Utah
The DWR has partnered with conservation groups to offer young hunters some special guided pheasant hunts in southern Utah. Eight different hunts will be offered in October and November.
Please visit www.wildlife.utah.gov/youth-upland-game-hunts to learn more about the hunts and how to sign up to participate.
Requirements to participate
If you were 17 years of age or younger on July 31, and you’ve graduated from Utah’s Hunter Education program, you can participate in the hunt. You must also have a hunting license and follow all of the state’s upland game hunting rules.
You can find the rules in the 2018 – 2019 Utah Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook. The free guidebook is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks.
If you haven’t completed a Hunter Education course, you still might be able to participate through Utah’s new Trial Hunting program. Visit www.wildlife.utah.gov/trial to learn more.
After Oct. 15, the pheasant and quail hunt will close. The hunt will reopen—for hunters of all ages—on Nov. 3.
Finding a place to hunt
With the exception of Gambel’s quail in the Mohave Desert in southwestern Utah, most of Utah’s pheasant and quail hunting happens on private land. That doesn’t mean you should stay home, though—plenty of places are available to hunt:
Walk-In Access
Jason Robinson, upland game coordinator for the DWR, says the state’s Walk-In Access areas are great places to consider. Walk-In Access areas are private property that’s open to public hunters and anglers through agreements the landowners have made with the DWR.
Robinson says many of the Walk-In Access (WIA) properties have pheasants and quail on them. “If you’re looking for a place to hunt,” he says, “the Walk-In Access areas are the first places I’d try.”
More information about the WIA areas, including which ones have pheasants and quail, is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/walkinaccess.
WMAs
The DWR manages several wildlife management areas and waterfowl management areas, also called WMAs, across Utah. All of these areas are open to the public. And many have pheasants on them.
More information about the WMAs is available in the “Access to Wildlife Lands in Utah” book. To get the free book, visit www.publications.utah.gov. Once you arrive at the website, type “Access to Wildlife Lands in Utah” into the search bar. Then, hit return.
Private land
In addition to the WMAs and WIA areas, another option is getting written permission from a private landowner to hunt on his or her property. A permission card you can print off and take to the landowner is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/law/permissioncard.html.
Robinson encourages you to be polite and understanding if a landowner doesn’t give you access. “If you get access,” he says, “make sure you respect the landowner’s property by leaving it better than you found it.”
Robinson says you should not wait until the morning of the hunt to try to get permission. “Get written permission as soon as you can,” he says.
Finding pheasants and quail
Robinson says farm land in Box Elder, Cache, Weber, Davis, Utah, Juab, Millard, Duchesne and Uintah counties are among the best places in Utah to find pheasants. Many of the wetlands near Utah Lake and Great Salt Lake also hold good numbers of birds.
California quail aren’t as widespread as pheasants, but good numbers are found in parts of Duchesne, Uintah and Juab counties.
(Parts of Davis, Salt Lake and Utah counties also hold good numbers of California quail. But most of these birds are within city limits where hunting is not allowed.)
Gambel’s quail are much easier to access—they’re found almost entirely on public land in the Mohave Desert in the central and western parts of Washington County.
More information
If you have questions about the youth pheasant and quail hunt, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at 801-538-4700.
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Time to hit ‘restart’ at Pelican Lake
Rotenone treatment will improve fishing
Randlett -- The time has finally arrived to make positive changes at Pelican Lake: on Oct. 10 and 11, the Division of Wildlife Resources and its partners will release rotenone into the lake. The rotenone treatment will remove common carp. Removing the carp will improve water clarity and start the process of restoring the fishery.
Waiting for the right conditions
Pelican Lake is about 25 miles southeast of Roosevelt. Historically, it was ‘the place’ to go to catch big bluegill in Utah. It also hosted a healthy population of largemouth bass. After an influx of large numbers of common carp in 2008 and 2009, however, the quality of the bluegill fishery declined rapidly.
Trina Hedrick, regional aquatics manager for the DWR, says the treatment has been anticipated for years.
“In 2016,” she says, “agency representatives and anglers that make up the Pelican Lake Management Team made the decision to remove common carp from the lake. The only way to completely eradicate carp is through the use of rotenone. We needed to wait for low water levels, though, to ensure no carp escaped the treatment. This year’s drought dropped the lake to the target water levels. It’s time to treat it.”
Treating the lake
Rotenone is a natural substance that comes from the roots of a tropical plant in the bean family. It’s a piscicide (a substance poisonous to fish), but it does not pose a risk to people, pets or wildlife.
Rotenone will be applied throughout the lake, and it will have an immediate effect. Within a few hours, the fish will be dead, and clean-up will begin. Hedrick says the lake will be signed and closed to the public from Oct. 10 to Oct. 31.
By the end of October, the rotenone will have completely dissipated. Restocking will begin once water starts running into the lake from a nearby canal. Luckily, biologists already have a population of fish to stock into the lake.
"We’ve been holding large bass and healthy bluegill that we took from Steinaker Reservoir over the past two years,” she says. “We can begin stocking the lake once it starts refilling with water. In addition to increasing the water level, the inflow will bring bugs and other food for fish into the reservoir. The rotenone treatment will reduce the amount of food in the lake, but the food supply should increase quickly as water flows in.”
At first, biologists will stock mostly bluegill. “Largemouth prey on bluegill,” Hedrick says, “so we need to keep largemouth bass numbers low to give the bluegill population time to establish itself.”
Hedrick asks anglers to be patient. “After the treatment this fall,” she says, “it will take a few years for fish in the lake to grow to a catchable size. The wait will be worth it in the end, though."
What to expect during the treatment
Depending on the temperature and wind direction, homeowners around the lake may notice the smell of decaying fish after the treatment is over. “Only about 30 percent of the fish will float to the top of the water with the rest sinking to the bottom,” Hedrick says. “That will reduce the smell, but it will be present for awhile.”
Hedrick says biologists will spend a few days removing dead fish, but there will be too many to remove them all.
Recreation and waterfowl hunting
Pelican Lake is a great place to recreate, whether you’re boating, fishing, camping or hunting. This year’s treatment will close the lake to all recreational use, from Oct. 10 through Oct. 31.
Though the boat ramps will be closed, the Bureau of Land Management will keep the campground on the south side of the lake open. During the closure, Brough Reservoir and the Green River will be the next closest places to fish or boat. Launching a boat at either water is difficult in the fall, though.
The lake is also a hotspot for migratory birds—especially waterfowl—to stop and refuel as they travel south for the winter season. This closure happens to fall in the middle of waterfowl hunting season. While the lake is closed, waterfowl hunters will want to plan ahead and look for hunting areas elsewhere in the Uintah Basin.
Keep some fish
Before the treatment starts on Oct. 10, Hedrick encourages you to visit Pelican Lake and fish. Currently, there’s no limit on the number of bluegill you can keep. And the largemouth bass limit has been doubled to 12 fish a day. For more information, call the DWR’s Northeastern Region office at 435-781-9453.
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Fishing reports - available at http://wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots .
