Outdoor notes

APPLICATION DATE MOVED

The Utah Wildlife Board has moved the state's big game application period back two weeks. The application period begins Jan. 17 and ends Feb. 16.

All of the big-game hunting rules approved by the board will be available in the 2006 Utah Big Game Proclamation. The proclamation should be available during the first week in January.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources moved a fact-gathering meeting from October to November to gather better information from hunters. This necessitated the move in the application dates.

Draw results will be available by April 28.

NO CHANGE TO DEER, ELK PLANS

No other major changes were made by the board during its November meeting.

"We have a plan that will guide the management of deer through 2008 and a plan that will guide the management of elk through 2010," said Craig McLaughlin, big game coordinator for the DWR. "We want to stick with those plans and see where they get us."

The plans were put together with broad input from the public and are available for review at the DWR's Web site — wwww.wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/biggame.html

The board did not approve:

• A recommendation to lengthen the general rifle buck deer hunt in the Southern and Southeastern regions from five to nine days.

• A recommendation to eliminate Utah's statewide general archery buck deer hunt and have archery hunters hunt in specific regions.

HOLIDAY EXHIBITS AT EDGE OF THE CEDARS

Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum is offering two exhibits through the holiday season telling the story of Blanding.

Patchwork Prehistory features oral histories from Blanding residents about the archaeology of Blanding. A number of local people contributed to this exhibit, allowing the museum to borrow artifacts found on private lands within Blanding.

The History of Discovery exhibit tells the story of the beginning of the museum and the role local citizens played in making the dream of a community museum a reality. It also tells about the Pueblo site on museum grounds and the history of research and discovery. Artifacts found during excavations are on display.