Utah elk doing well, but deer are struggling

Winter surveys of big game animals in prime hunting areas show Utah's elk are doing well, while deer are still struggling.

When the Utah Wildlife Board meets on April 1 to set limited entry and once-in-a-lifetime hunts, recommendations from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will be:

• Reduce the number of permits for limited entry deer units by 10 percent. Last year there were 908 draw-buck permits.

• Increase the number of limited entry elk permits by nearly 30 percent, or bump the number of tags available from 957, issued in 2003, to 1,270 for 2004.

• Increase the number of antelope and moose tags. There were 394 antelope buck permits and 96 moose tags in 2003.

• Decrease the number of buffalo and bighorn sheep. There were 63 buffalo permits last year and around 40 bighorn tags.

• Leave permits for Rocky Mountain goats about the same as last year. There were around 30 goat tags in 2003.

The recommendations will be presented before the five Regional Advisory Councils this month in order to gather the publics' views on the recommendations. Information will then be submitted to the board in April.

According to Jim Karpowitz, big game coordinator for the DWR, he is asking that the number of limited entry deer permits be dropped because the overall conditions of the herds in those areas "is not meeting our management objectives.

"We continue to get poor fawn production in those areas. Also, under the new plan, in order to develop the trophy units hunters have asked for, we've increased the ratio of bucks-to-does. What we're trying for now is 25 to 35 bucks per 100 does."

Units open for the general rifle hunt are targeted at 15 bucks per 100 does.

Winter surveys show that Utah's elk are doing much better.

"In most units we're above the age-class objective, therefore is make sense to offer more permits," he said.

"We still have room for improvement in some units. In terms of quality, however, we're meeting our objectives. Overall, we have elk herds that are in really good shape and hunters can expect good hunting opportunities in the future."