Upland Game Hunting Guide available

It's hot in Utah right now, but a sign that cool fall weather is on its way is waiting for you at your local sporting goods store or the Division of Wildlife Resources' Web site.

Utah's Upland Game Hunting Guide for the 2007–2008 season is now available.

In addition to sporting goods stores and the DWR's Web site (wildlife.utah.gov/proclamations), you can pick the guide up at your nearest DWR office.

"Utah's upland game hunts begin with the ptarmigan season on Aug. 25," says Dean Mitchell, acting Conservation Outreach Section chief for the DWR. "The upland game season doesn't end until the cottontail rabbit and snowshoe hare hunts end on Feb. 29. That's six full months of hunting."

In addition to providing hunters with lots of opportunity, Utah's upland game also provide a lot of diversity.

"Utah has 15 different species of upland game," Mitchell says. "If you want, you can hunt white-tailed ptarmigan high in the Uinta Mountains one day and chukar partridge on the rocky slopes of the West Desert the next."

Mitchell says upland game hunting is also a great way to get young people into hunting. "The Utah legislature has removed the minimum age at which a young person can hunt small game in Utah," he says. "If you're a parent, we encourage you to take advantage of this change and take your kids hunting this year.

"But kids must still pass our Hunter Education course before they can hunt, so make sure you register them early for the four-week class. Once they pass the course, they'll receive a free hunting license."

A list of Hunter Education courses is available at wildlife.utah.gov/huntereducation.