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Updates on Utah's wildlife from the DWR

Each week the DWR publishes interesting and informative stories about Utah's wildlife. If you want these stories delivered to your inbox just as soon as we publish them, please sign up for our weekly email.

Waterfowl hunters should watch for harmful algal blooms while hunting around Utah

Many of Utah’s waterfowl hunts opened on Oct. 5 and 12, and hunters are getting out on the water across the state to harvest migrating geese and ducks. While they are prepared with decoys, dogs and ammunition, some hunters may not be as prepared to recognize and avoid harmful algal blooms on some Utah waterbodies.

What hunters should expect for the upcoming general season deer hunt

You breathe in the crisp fall air as you sit quietly scanning the hillside with your binoculars. You see some movement and your heart skips a beat as you see a buck deer slowly walking up the ravine. The brilliant yellow aspen leaves seem to glow around you, and you smile at the picturesque scene of another perfect day hunting deer in Utah’s beautiful outdoors.

DWR launches new website highlighting waterfowl migration data

Each spring and summer, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources employees spend several days riding on airboats and plucking geese and ducks out of the water before placing little metal bands on their legs and then releasing them back into the wild. This work has been going on for decades, and the data collected from these banding efforts provide valuable information about the migration patterns of many waterfowl species. Now, for the first time, that information will be available to the public as well.

Wildlife Board approves bighorn sheep unit management plans

The 10-year statewide management plan for bighorn sheep in Utah was approved in November 2018, and on Thursday, the Utah Wildlife Board approved plans for each of the specific regions in Utah that have bighorn sheep populations.

October is hot for fishing; here’s where you can take the whole family

When people think of October, images of fall colors, Halloween decor and pumpkin patches typically enter their minds. However, this month also has some really hot fishing in Utah, and because there are fewer people on the water, it’s a perfect time to take the whole family.

What DWR conservation officers want hunters, anglers to know

The deer you shot on public land ran onto private property and then died. You shot and killed what you thought was a spike elk only to discover that it was actually a cow elk. You just finished filleting the six rainbow trout you caught before realizing that the catch limit at the reservoir was actually four. Before you find yourself in any of these scenarios, here’s what Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officers would like you to know.

3 spots in Utah that offer great shore fishing in September

The autumn leaves around you flash brilliant yellows and reds as you stand on the riverbank. The air has just a hint of coolness as you cast your fishing line into the clear water. Fall fishing has arrived.

DWR officers to begin citing trespassers at old Tintic Mill

Despite misinformation online saying that the old Tintic Mill near Goshen is a good place to take photos, the area is actually closed to the public due to safety concerns, and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officers will be actively issuing citations to trespassers.

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