Outdoor notes

WINTER GAMES COMPETITION

The Utah Winter Games has wrapped up its free clinics and is moving into competition mode. More than 800 people participated in the various winter sports clinics.

Throughout January, competitors of all ages and abilities will compete in skiing, snowboarding, speed skating and biathlon. Competitors will range from beginners to Olympic hopefuls.

Today, athletes of all ages and abilities will compete in short track speed skating at the Utah Olympic Oval. Skiers will complete at Snowbird and Park City Mountain Resort in the UWG's Western Region Elite FIS Tech Series Jan. 7-10.

For more information on the Utah Winter Games events, visit the Web site at www.utahwintergames.org or e-mail uwg@xmission.com

FREE BIRD WALKS

The Layton Wild Bird Center will be holding free nature/bird walks during January and February. The tours will leave the center, 1860 N. 1000 West in Layton, at 10 a.m. and carpool to the destination. The walks are designed for birders of all levels, especially families. Those attending should dress for the weather and brings binoculars.

Walks will be: Jan. 7 to Ogden Nature Center; Jan. 21 to Beus Pond; Feb. 4 to USU Botanical Gardens and Ponds in Kaysville; Feb. 11 to Eagle Day at Farmington Bay; and Feb. 25 to Kayscreek.

For information call 801-525-8400.

BIG GAME APPLICATIONS

The 2006 Utah big game application period has been set back two weeks and will now run from Jan. 17 to Feb. 16.

Beginning Jan. 17, applications for general buck deer, limited entry, once-in-a-lifetime and Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit hunts will be available from hunting and fishing license agents statewide, the Division of Wildlife Resources' Web site, www.wildlife.utah.gov and DWR offices.

Hunters can review hunts in the 2006 Utah Big Game Proclamation, which is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/proclamations. Printed copies of the proclamation should be available by the week of Jan. 9.

Draw results will be available by April 28. For information call 801-538-4700.

SAFETY INSTRUCTORS NEEDED

New hunter safety instructors are needed in northern Utah. In January, the DWR will hold training sessions in Salt Lake City and Randolph to train new instructors.