Wildlife blog
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Walleye on the dinner plate

Spring means all kinds of walleye activity around these parts, and we're pretty excited about it. Our aquatic biologists are currently in the middle of spawning operations out at Willard Bay, preparing to grow millions of sterile walleye to plant into waters throughout the state.

A rare sighting of the elusive Gila monster

I heard my husband yell, "Look at that!" I turned and looked toward where he was pointing and saw a 2-foot, yellow-and-black reptile slowly crawling across the ground to the right of me. I gasped at how large it was — and because I'd never seen one and had no idea what it was.

Utah's Serengeti

It may be a long way from Africa, but Utah has its own little Serengeti where herds of deer and elk roam. As a wildlife biologist for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) I've flown over a hundred wildlife surveys during the last quarter century. It was on one of those long days of flying in a helicopter counting elk that I began to realize how amazing this area really was.

Becoming a hunter

There I was, stomping through a field in the middle of Montana, shooting at pheasants. My first hunt was happening — and it was with a group of skilled hunters and professional guides. I felt confident, and surprisingly excited, about shouldering a shotgun and pulling the trigger.

Living life to the fullest

How do you begin to write a story about one of the greatest hunters and hunting writers of the last several decades? Well, I won't pretend that I have any ability to tell an eloquent story, especially through writing, but I will describe a person and an experience that has given me fond memories and taught me lessons I hope to carry on.

Rabbits over reindeer on Christmas Eve

I do not consider myself to be a traditional hunter. I'm still the only one in my family to ever hunt, and I learned to shoot a gun in my first job out of undergrad as a wildlife technician.

Lessons learned

It's a photo of a skinny kid. He's soaked, cold, straining to heft a game carrier filled with ducks his dad took that day. And straining to smile and hold back a tear.

Two of Utah's best shooting centers

The first time I visited the Cache Valley Public Shooting Range, I was just expecting to do some recreational shooting and relieve some of the stress. It was 1996, and I was a busy college student that had moved my young family to Logan so that I could pursue a fisheries and wildlife degree at Utah State University.

A busy time of year

Most of the major 2018 general-season big game hunts are winding down now, but officers with the Division of Wildlife Resources continue to work tirelessly to protect the investment of Utah sportsmen by enforcing state wildlife law. Here's a snapshot of what law enforcement staff accomplished between September 1 and October 31.

Stopping time

There are few moments in life that seem to last as long as the minutes you spend waiting to go after an animal you've just shot with an arrow. In that small eternity, you think about everything leading to that moment — the weeks of backyard archery training; time spent memorizing roads, terrain and boundaries; miles hiked in silence; and a continuous replay of your arrow flying away from you. A year's worth of emotion packed into a few quiet minutes.

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