I took my first pack trip with horses three years ago, and since then, I have been hooked on this great way to see remote areas. Last summer, I went on 12 trips in three states.

Learning to fly is a process, not a single event, and almost all peregrines come down to earth at least a few times. And the downtown area is a difficult place to learn to fly. Everywhere you look, there are hard surfaces: asphalt, concrete, brick, metal, glass and motor vehicles.

My first introduction to drift fishing actually happened by accident. I laid down on the bottom of the canoe, secured my fishing pole in the rod holder and enjoyed the gentle rocking of the waves. The clouds floated overhead, my eyelids began to close, and then…WHAM!

As a wildlife photographer, I am always looking for an opportunity to get close to wild animals. Several years ago, when rumors started to fly about California Condors frequenting the Kolob area near Zion National park, I decided to investigate and see for myself.

The Sunnyside bighorn herd consists almost entirely of rams, which number around 25, depending on the day and year. This particular group of bighorns is accustomed to both vehicle traffic and humans, and can often be observed and photographed at close range.

Before heading into the field, we practiced. Josh worked on using the turkey box call, and we practiced sighting in the shotgun on a silhouette of a turkey. After explaining where to shoot the bird (to avoid damaging the breast meat) and discussing many other safety tips, we were finally ready!

The challenges of managing mule deer on the Kamas unit are not much different from those of most other northern Utah locations. Development, highway mortality, depredation issues and increased recreational use on critical winter ranges have all taken their toll on mule deer populations throughout the Intermountain West.

Scofield Reservoir is one of the most popular and heavily used fisheries in Utah. Recently, however, the reservoir has experienced some challenges that have reduced the number of anglers who fish there. The biggest challenge was the discovery of Utah chubs in the reservoir in 2005.

Last year, I worked to restore an abandoned pipeline system. This system provided water to two separate drainages. Accompanied by local ranchers and dedicated hunters, we repaired approximately 15 miles of pipeline and restored water to areas that hadn’t seen moisture for years.

The DWR has been working to identify a pure population of Colorado River cutthroat trout and to develop a broodstock that can be used to repopulate areas in southeastern Utah. Those obstacles have finally been overcome, and we are ready to begin restoration efforts.

Today’s tackle options are almost limitless when you consider all the different lures and their variations in size, weight and color. If you want to stock your tackle box with some productive fishing gear, consider the following choices for this upcoming fishing season.

This family wanted to change the cheatgrass desert back into the productive rangeland it once was. The focus was to bring back a lot of the critical mule deer winter range, while at the same time planting seed mixes that would feed livestock.