Aoude said it is estimated there were roughly 320,000 adult mule deer in Utah this past spring, which is up from 296,000 counted in the spring of 2006.

Special hunts for buffalo, antelope, moose and bighorn sheep are traditionally among the most successful hunts.

On many of those hunts, every hunter with a permit tags an animal. And predictions are nothing will change this year.

Another of the more popular hunts, the pheasant hunt, will be marginal. Shrinking habitat has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the number of birds.

This year, in some areas, hunting will be even slower than last year.

With the exception of the pheasant hunt, this fall should prove to be one of the more successful for those hunters planning to go afield.

Hunting seasons

• General muzzleloader — Sept. 26-Oct. 4
• General any weapon deer — Oct. 20-28
• General deer — Southeastern Region — Oct. 20-24
• General deer — Southern Region — Oct. 20-24

• General buck/bull combination — Oct. 6-18
• General season spike bull elk — Oct. 6-14
• General season any bull elk — Oct. 6-18
• General muzzleloader elk — Nov. 1-9
• Youth general any bull elk — Sept. 15-25
• Pheasant — Nov. 3-9