More hunters could be hunting on some of Utah's best big-game units this fall. There are many reasons why, but in most cases the bottom line is the same — big game animals in Utah are doing well.

"This is a great time to hunt big game in Utah," said Anis Aoude, big game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. "Utah has a wider variety of animals to hunt than ever before. And despite some loss of animals this winter, the state's big game populations are doing well."

The DWR will present its big game permit recommendations for this fall at a series of public meetings. Management plans for each of Utah's limited-entry elk units and updates to Utah's Bighorn Sheep Management Plan also will be reviewed.

The DWR's proposals are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings.

Interested parties can make comments in two ways:

Five Regional Advisory Council meetings will be held across Utah in March. Citizens representing the Regional Advisory Councils will take the input received at the meetings to the Utah Wildlife Board. Board members will use the input to set permit numbers for this fall's hunts.

Meeting dates:

• March 18 — Southern Region at 7 p.m. at Beaver High School, 195 E. Center

• March 19 — Southeastern Region at 6:30 p.m. at John Wesley Powell Museum, 885 E. Main in Green River.

• March 20 — Northeastern Region at 6:30 p.m. at Western Park, Room No. 2, 302 E. 200 South in Vernal.

• March 25 — Central Region at 6:30 p.m. at Springville Junior High School, 165 S. 700 East in Springville.

• March 26 — Northern Region at 6 p.m. at Brigham City Community Center, 24 N. 300 West in Brigham City.

Remarks can also be made by e-mail to www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings.

After last fall's hunting seasons, biologists found an average of 18 bucks per 100 does on public land hunting units in the Northern Region.

Even though the number of bucks they found was on the high end of the 15 to 20 bucks per 100 does objective, biologists are recommending 1,000 fewer permits for the region this fall.

"We want to be cautious," Aoude said. "The deer herds in parts of northern Utah had a tough time this winter.

"When we do our after-winter surveys later this spring, we'll know better how many deer were lost. But our big game permit drawing happens in April, so we need to set the permits numbers before we do the surveys."

Elk, deer and moose permits are among the permits DWR biologists believe can be increased.