Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
 

Stop poachers

Posted Monday, September 15, 2003

Meeting minutes, Sept. 9, 2003

Opening

A meeting of the Utah Upland Game Advisory Committee was held on this date.

Present:

  • Todd Ballantyne
  • Mark Durtschi
  • Jim Gaskill
  • Prince Jacobson
  • Dean Mitchell (DWR Upland Game Program Coordinator)
  • Ernie Perkins (Acting Secretary)
  • Dan Potts
  • Dewey Pratt
  • Travis Proctor
  • Terry Sanslow
  • Hal Smith
  • Mark Smith
  • John Staley (Chair)
  • David Taylor
  • Brad Townsend
  • Jason Walker
  • Brandon Wells

Old business

Guzzler study update
The study is progressing well. The cameras for the Box Elder County study arrived and are taking good pictures of a lot of wildlife. Several placement and usage refinements have been discovered, and one suspected problem is still under investigation. However, they do work very well, and are a great tool.

Significantly more Chukar use is being noted in all locations this year — as compared to last. A lot of good data has been collected and will be analyzed in the months to come. Adult, as well as brood use, on a frequent basis has been documented.

The turkeys that stayed near the guzzlers are doing fine. Those that moved away from the guzzlers did well for quite a while, but eventually the juveniles, and then even almost all of the adults died.

There are some interesting questions developing — along with some (preliminary and early) answers that will have to stand up to more rigorous analysis and time. The study still has lots of important questions to answer several more years may be required to get really solid answers to all of the key questions.

Chukar transplant
The transplant effort is all set to go between September 12 and 18. Eight hundred birds will go out in each of the regions. The usual press release describing general release locations will go out by the 12th.

Walk-in access
This program is also moving forward. The Habitat Council and Blue Ribbon Fisheries Advisory Council have both indicated full support and partial funding for a pilot program. In August the DWR Leadership Team reviewed the concept and proposal, and again endorsed a three-year pilot program in the Northern Region.

At present, additional work is being done to improve cost estimates, program specifics, and integration with existing programs.

The goal is to have the program up and running by the start of the 2004 hunting season with an atlas of participating lands out in mid-August.

New business

"Utah Chukar Foundation" organization
Travis Proctor advised the Committee that he is interested in starting a "Utah Chukar Foundation." This would be similar to the very successful Nevada Chukar Foundation, which has had great impact developing Nevada Chukar populations.

The Committee members were supportive of the contributions this conservation organization could make in Utah, and encouraged Travis to proceed. Several offers of support, and specific suggestions for getting started, were made.

Ernie Perkins will send Travis some basic Nevada Chukar Foundation information and documentation that he had gotten.

On a side note to this discussion, Dean Mitchell advised that Upland Game Conservation Organizations can do a lot more for the resource by working projects in their entirety as opposed to just raising money and giving it to the Division, with the expectation that their project will rapidly happen. As we all understand, the Division has significant manpower and workload priority problems in these time of reduced budgets and unfilled manpower positions.

Travis will come to the next meeting with further information, and a proposed organization kickoff meeting date.

Guzzler sites identification
All committee members were challenged to identify at least one recommended guzzler site during the next several months. Locations that add to current individual guzzlers or complexes would be a priority. Ideally sites would be in a location where animals would look for water (e.g. a canyon), and have good shrub and escape cover in proximity. All locations should be where water is considered to be the "population limiting factor".

Dean Mitchell asked that these come to him and he will send them to the appropriate region for their use.

Upland game on the Internet

You can get more Utah upland game information at http://www.wildlife.utah.gov/uplandgame/ including the past minutes for this committee, news, proclamations, and information about upcoming public meetings.

Agenda for next meeting

Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 4 at 6:00 p.m. at the DWR State offices at 1594 W. North Temple, Salt Lake City.

Topics will be:

  • Chukar and turkey guzzler study update
  • Chukar Foundation Organization discussion (Travis Proctor)
  • Chukar release
  • Walk-in access update
  • Youth pheasant hunts — update and any problems to be worked

Everyone is invited to attend these meetings; it's an opportunity for you to get any issues you know about onto the table.

Let us know of donations, projects, etc., made by your group we want to publicize good activities!

If you know of other interested parties who should get copies of the minutes, and who are involved in upland game organizations or programs, please get us their name. If you want to make an electronic mail input, please send it to one of the following:

Respectfully submitted
Ernie Perkins