Enjoy free and discounted shooting at DWR ranges
August is National Shooting Sports Month
If you have a new rifle, handgun, muzzleloader, shotgun or bow, and you want to try it out on some of the best shooting ranges in Utah, check out this offer from the Division of Wildlife Resources:
· Through Aug. 31, you can enjoy a free day of shooting at either of the DWR’s two shooting ranges. To qualify, just bring the sales receipt for your firearm or bow to either range within 30 days of purchase.
· If your new firearm is a shotgun, you won’t be able to shoot for free, but you can shoot one round of trap or skeet for half off the regular price.
The DWR is offering the free and discounted offer to celebrate National Shooting Sports Month. You can take advantage of the offer at either of these ranges:
Cache Valley Public Shooting Range
2851 W. 200 N.
Logan
Lee Kay Public Shooting Range
6000 W. 2100 S.
Salt Lake City
“Our public shooting ranges are among the best in Utah,” says Gary Cook, Hunter Education coordinator for the DWR. “They’re great places to shoot. We hope you’ll take advantage of the free offer and visit us.”
For more information, call the Cache Valley Public Shooting Range at 435-753-4600 or the Lee Kay Public Shooting Range at 801-972-1326.
Editor’s note: A unique wildlife-viewing event happens Aug. 11 on the Tushar Mountains in southwestern Utah. It’s time to see some mountain goats!
The following news release is the DWR’s annual reminder about the free viewing event.
See mountain goats in unique terrain
Free viewing event Aug. 11 on Tushar Mountain
Beaver -- You could see as many as 100 mountain goats on Aug. 11. And you might not need binoculars to see them. At some past viewing events, goats have gotten as close as 35 feet to those viewing them.
On Aug. 11, the Division of Wildlife Resources will host its annual Goat Watch on the Tushar Mountains east of Beaver. The event is free.
The trip will begin at 8 a.m. at the Cardwell convenience store and gas station. The business is at 215 N. Main St. in Beaver. (The station is at the start of state Route 153, in the center of town.)
From the station, participants will caravan to the top of the Tushar Mountains. When you reach the top, you’ll be close to 11,500 feet above sea level.
Phil Tuttle, regional conservation outreach manager for the DWR, says the view from the top of the Tushars is amazing. “From the top of the mountain,” he says, “you can see all of southern Utah. Seeing wildlife at such a high elevation is truly remarkable.”
If you need binoculars or a spotting scope, the DWR will have some you can borrow. But, if you have your own viewing equipment, please bring it.
Tuttle also encourages you to bring water, a hat, a jacket and a sack lunch. It’s also a good idea to travel in a vehicle that has high ground clearance. “Towards the top,” he says, “the road is quite rocky.”
In addition to seeing mountain goats, attending the viewing event will allow you to explore the alpine-tundra ecosystem the goats live in. Found only above the timberline at high elevations, it’s an ecosystem seldom seen in southern Utah. Tuttle says unique animals live in this alpine-tundra terrain, including yellow-bellied marmots and pika.
For more information about the goat watching event, call the DWR’s Southern Region office at 435-865-6100.
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Find water, find the deer
General archery buck deer hunt starts Aug. 18
If you have a permit to hunt during the general archery buck deer hunt, finding water should be your primary goal.
In addition to serving as the Division of Wildlife Resources’ big game coordinator, Covy Jones is an avid archery hunter. He says a lack of water this year makes finding a water source more important than ever.
Jones says deer get water from three sources: ‘free water’ from ponds, puddles, streams and lakes; ‘preformed water’ from plant material; and ‘metabolic water’ that oxidizing carbohydrates, fats and proteins release inside the animal during digestion.
“Deer get a lot of the water they need from the plants they eat,” he says. “The forage is extremely dry this summer, though, and it isn’t holding much water. Deer are having to rely a lot more on free water from ponds, seeps and other water sources.”
Jones says hunting from tree stands isn’t popular in the West, but this season might be the perfect time to give it a try. “If you can find a water source, and then wait in a tree stand near that source, the chance you take a deer will go way up this year,” he says.
(Please remember that you cannot build a tree stand on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Hunting from a portable tree stand is fine, though.)
Jones says deer numbers have dipped a bit in Utah this year, but—at 363,000 bucks, does and fawns estimated in the state in January 2018—plenty of bucks are still available to hunt.
Utah’s general archery buck deer hunt starts Aug. 18. If you’re among those heading afield, Jones has the following tips, advice and reminders:
Tip 1 – Keep the meat cool
After you take a deer, don’t hang it in a tree to try to cool the meat. The hot temperatures will spoil it. And, hanging a deer in a tree might draw bears into your campsite.
Instead, after taking your deer, cut the animal up in the field, and remove the meat from the bone. After removing the meat, place it in a cooler. “Dry ice can be used to cool the meat quickly and keep it cool for a prolonged period,” Jones says. “Keep the meat as cool as possible.”
Tip 2 – Be careful with fire
Several massive wildfires have burned in Utah this year, and conditions are prime for more.
Before you head afield, contact the USFS or the BLM to learn if campfires are allowed in the area you’ll hunt. If they are allowed, keep your fire small, and make sure it’s completely extinguished before you leave it. Pour water on the fire, stir, more water, stir, until it’s cold to the touch. If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave!
Tip 3 – Be patient
Finding success during the archery hunt requires stealth and patience. For example, if you’re going to spot and stalk, don’t walk through the woods, hoping to find a deer without spooking it. Instead, spend time glassing the area to find deer and the areas where they’re bedding. Then, after they’ve bedded, plan your stalk, remaining quite and doing all you can to approach the deer at an angle that keeps your scent from reaching the deer.
Tip 4 – Walk 90 degrees into the wind
As the sun heats the ground, the wind direction changes. For example, wind almost always blows up canyons in the morning and down canyons in the afternoon. To know the direction the wind is blowing, buy an inexpensive item called a wind or breeze checker. Releasing powder from the checker will let you know the direction the wind is blowing.
Once you’ve determined the direction the wind is blowing, approach the deer from the side (a 90-degree angle) rather than approaching it with the wind in your face (180-degree angle).
If you approach with the wind in your face—and then the wind shifts and starts blowing from your back—it’ll blow your scent directly to the deer. Approaching from the side lessens the chance that a wind shift carries your scent to the deer.
Tip 5 – Be courteous, and have fun
If you’re going to hunt on public land, you’ll be hunting with other hunters. “Be courteous,” Jones says, “and help each other have a good experience. The archery hunt is a great time to be in Utah’s mountains. Enjoy your time afield.”
Tip 6 – Visit the Utah Hunt Planner
Before you go afield, visit www.wildlife.utah.gov/huntplanner. That’s the url for the agency’s Utah Hunt Planner website. As you navigate the site, you’ll find notes from the biologist who manages the unit you’re going to hunt, general information about the unit, and safety and weather items. Information about the number of bucks on the units, compared to the number of does, is also given. You’ll also find maps that show the units’ boundaries, which land is public and which is private, and the various types of deer habitat on the unit.
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Tips for a safe archery hunt
If you’re an archery hunter, the Division of Wildlife Resources has some simple tips to keep you safe.
RaLynne Takeda, assistant Hunter Education coordinator for the DWR, says archery hunting doesn’t involve firearms, but it does present two unique risks. “Every year,” she says, “we receive reports of hunters falling from trees or jabbing themselves or other hunters while carrying arrows in their hands.”
Another risk is letting an arrow fly without being certain what’s behind the target. Arrows, especially carbon arrows, can hit with great force at distances as far as 100 yards from the point of release.
“Hunting is one of the safest and most enjoyable activities you can participate in,” she says. “It’s easy to reduce both of the risks I mentioned.”
Utah’s general archery buck deer and archery elk hunts start Aug. 19. Takeda provides the following tips to keep you safe:
Tree stands
Before placing a portable tree stand in a tree, look at the stand’s weight rating. Make sure it will support both your weight and the weight of your equipment.
“Hunters sometimes forget to factor in the weight of their equipment,” Takeda says. “If the combined weight of your body and the equipment is greater than the weight the stand can support, it could easily collapse, sending you and your equipment to the ground below.”
Another risk is falling while you’re climbing a tree. Falling from your stand, once you reach it, is also a risk. “Before you start climbing,” Takeda says, “attach an approved safety harness, also called a fall arrest system, to yourself and the tree. And keep it attached until your hunt is over and you’re on the ground again.”
Another risk is trying to carry your equipment with you, as you climb the tree. “Don’t do that,” Takeda says.
Instead, attach a haul line to your equipment, leaving plenty of slack in the line. Then, attach your safety harness to the tree and start climbing, holding the haul line in one hand or tied to your belt. After you’re on your stand, use your haul line to lift your equipment to you.
Takeda also reminds you that it’s illegal to build a tree stand on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management. “Only portable stands can be used,” she says.
Uncovered arrows
Another risk is carrying arrows in your hand, or nocking one in your bow, before you’re ready to shoot. Broadheads are extremely sharp.
“Every year,” Takeda says, “we receive reports of hunters stabbing themselves, or someone walking near them, while carrying arrows in their hands that should be in a quiver.”
Takeda says you should not remove arrows from your quiver until it’s time to shoot. “It only takes a few seconds to remove an arrow from a quiver, nock the arrow and shoot it,” she says. “The few seconds you’ll save, carrying arrows in your hand or nocked on your bow, aren’t worth it.”
More tips
In addition to the safety tips, Takeda and the Division of Wildlife Resources provide advice on preparing for the hunt, safety items to remember while you’re afield, and information on how to track animals and care for game meat.
- Preparation
* Equipment checks – make sure the laminations on your bow are not flaking or separating. And make sure the strings on your bow are not fraying. If you have a compound bow, make sure the pulleys and cables are in good shape. Also, make sure your arrow’s spline (the stiffness of the arrow’s shaft) matches your bow’s draw weight. If your bow’s draw weight produces more force than your arrow can handle, your arrow could even fly off target or shatter or break as you release it.
* Broadhead sharpening – when you sharpen your broadheads, take your time, and be careful. Your broadheads need to be razor sharp. But make sure you don’t cut yourself while sharpening them.
* Practice shooting as much as possible. Use the same broadheads you’ll use during the hunt.
* Obtain written permission from private landowners before hunting on their property or using their property to access public land.
* Know the boundaries of limited-entry units and other restricted areas in the area you’re going to hunt.
* Take the DWR’s Bowhunter Education class. You can learn more about the class, and sign up to take it, at www.wildlife.utah.gov/huntereducation.
* Visit the Utah Hunt Planner website at www.wildlife.utah.gov/HuntPlanner. Once you arrive at the site, you’ll find notes from the biologist who manages the unit you’re going to hunt, general information about the unit, and safety and weather items. Information about the number of bucks on the unit, compared to the number of does, is also given. You’ll also find maps that show the unit’s boundaries, which land is public and which is private, and the various types of deer habitat found on the unit.
- Never take a shot at a deer or an elk that is beyond the maximum range you’re comfortable shooting. Also, before you release your arrow, make sure of your target and what’s beyond it.
- After the shot
* Watch the animal and determine the direction it took. Then, go to the spot where you last saw the animal, and find your arrow. If there’s blood on it, and if you have a compass, take a bearing on the direction the animal went. Then, wait 30 minutes before tracking it. If you track the animal too soon, you can spook it into running. If you wait at least 30 minutes before tracking it, most of the deer and elk you shoot will be found dead within a reasonable distance of your starting point.
* When you track an animal, look for blood not only on the ground but on the brush too. If you begin to lose the animal’s trail, tie a piece of biodegradable marking tape near the last blood spot. Then, search for the animal’s trail by walking a circular pattern out from the tape. The tape will serve as a marker that will let you know where you started.
Also, tying tape at the locations of the last three or four blood spots you see, and then standing away from the tape and looking at the trail, can help you visualize the direction the animal took.
* Once you’ve found the animal, check to see if its eyes are open. If they’re not, the animal probably isn’t dead. If its eyes are open, touch one of the eyes with a long stick. If the animal is still alive, touching one of the eyes with a long stick will keep you out of harm’s way. Once the animal is dead, field dress and cool the meat immediately. Temperatures are usually warm during the archery hunt. The warm temperatures can cause the meat to spoil quickly.
Here’s some advice about campfires:
- Learn if there are any fire restrictions and if campfires are allowed in the area where you’ll hunt. If campfires are allowed, make sure it’s completely extinguished before you leave it. Pour water on the fire, stir, more water, stir, until it is cold to the touch. If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave!
Finally, here are some tips for reducing conflicts with landowners and those who don’t hunt:
- Find access points to your hunting area well in advance of the season.
- If access requires crossing private land, you must obtain written permission from the landowner. If you can’t obtain written permission, find another access point.
- Before you start hunting, make sure you’re well beyond the minimum distances you must maintain from roads and dwellings. If you’re going to hunt in Salt Lake County, please remember that the county’s hunting restrictions are more restrictive than the rest of Utah. Read the 2018 Utah Big Game Field Regulations Guidebook closely for more information. The free guidebook is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks.
- Avoid hunting in areas that a lot of people use. Also, whenever possible, avoid hunting near heavily used trails.
Takeda says most Utahns choose not to hunt. But they support hunting as long as hunters are legal, safe and ethical.
Extended archery areas
If you want to hunt the Cache Laketown, West Cache, Ogden, Wasatch Front or Uintah Basin extended archery areas, please remember the following:
· Before hunting any of these areas, you must complete the DWR’s Archery Ethics Course. The free course is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/extendedarchery.
· While hunting in an extended archery area, you must carry two items with you: your 2018 general archery buck deer permit and your Archery Ethics Course certificate. If you’re a member of the Dedicated Hunter program, you must also carry your Dedicated Hunter certificate of registration.
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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Don’t wait to get a bull elk hunting permit
If you want to hunt bull elk in Utah this fall, it’s easy to get a permit to hunt during the general season. Just log onto www.wildlife.utah.gov, or visit a Division of Wildlife Resources office or your nearest Utah hunting license agent, and buy one.
A total of 30,000 rifle and muzzleloader permits went on sale July 17.
Lindy Varney, wildlife licensing coordinator for the DWR, says permits are selling fast this year, and she encourages you to get a permit as soon as you can. She also says a new option is waiting for you this year.
“For the first time ever,” she says, “you can buy a multi-season general bull elk permit. The permit allows you to hunt all three general elk hunting seasons—archery, rifle and muzzleloader. You’re still limited to taking only one bull elk, but you’ll have three seasons to take one.”
In addition to the general rifle and muzzleloader elk permits, general archery elk permits also went on sale July 17. General archery elk permits aren’t limited in number, so you’ll have no problem getting one.
You can learn more about the various general season bull elk permits in the 2018 Utah Big Game Field Regulations Guidebook. The free guidebook is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks.
Two types of units
Before you buy a rifle or muzzleloader permit, you need to decide which units you want to hunt on: any-bull units, where you can take a bull of any size, or spike-only units, where only spike bulls may be taken.
If you buy an any-bull permit, you can hunt on all of the any-bull units in Utah. If you buy a spike-only permit, you can hunt on all of the spike-only units in the state.
While many hunters dream of taking a large, branch-antlered bull, Varney says a hunt on a spike-only unit provides several advantages.
“One of the neat things about hunting on a spike-only unit is the chance to hear and see big, mature bulls,” she says. “The spike-only hunts are held on the same areas where the limited-entry hunts are held. You can’t take a branch-antlered bull with a spike-only permit, but you can still experience the thrill of being near these big elk.”
The spike-only units are mostly public land, so you’ll have lots of places to hunt. And—just like taking a branch-antlered bull—taking a spike bull will provide you with lots of tasty, healthy meat.
If you’d rather hunt branch-antlered bulls on an any-bull unit, Covy Jones, big game coordinator for the DWR, says two units in the Uinta Mountains—the North Slope unit and the South Slope unit—are the most popular units in the state. “Any-bull units can be challenging places to hunt,” Jones says, “but they hold some big bulls.”
A map that shows Utah’s spike-only and any-bull units is available on pages 58 and 59 of the 2018 Utah Big Game Field Regulations Guidebook (www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks).
Utah Hunt Planner
As you prepare for the hunt, Jones encourages you to visit www.wildlife.utah.gov/huntplanner. That’s the url for the agency’s Utah Hunt Planner website.
As you navigate the site, you’ll find notes from the biologists who manage the units you’re thinking about hunting, general information about the units, and safety and weather information. Information about the number of bulls on the units is also given. You’ll also find maps that show the units’ boundaries, which land is public and which is private, and the various types of elk habitat on the units.
Jones says DWR biologists want you to have a great experience hunting bull elk in Utah this fall. “The experience you have is important to us,” Jones says. “We hope the information we provide on the site helps you plan one of your best elk hunts ever.”
If you have questions about hunting elk in Utah, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at 801-538-4700.
Fishing reports - available at http://wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots .
