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.
Beginning Oct. 14, 2019, anglers must immediately release any bluegill they catch while fishing at Steinaker Reservoir and Pelican Lake. The bluegill is a popular sportfish that’s relatively small and easy to catch.
Hunting season is in full swing, and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officers are hard at work patrolling the state to protect wildlife and make sure hunters are obeying the laws.
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.
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.
Many upland game and waterfowl hunts are already underway across Utah, and the general rifle deer hunt will be opening soon as well. The youth pheasant and quail hunts take place Oct. 12-14, and the general pheasant and quail hunts open Nov. 2. If you are planning to target either of these birds, here is what you should know.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you are planning to hunt ducks, geese or swans this fall, here is what you should expect.
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