'10 deer hunt will be shorter to stabilize the herds

This year's general deer hunt will be shorter. Five days instead of nine; one weekend instead of two. In five regions, hunting will be limited to three days.

The reason is simple enough: stabilize the herds.

Utah deer herds have never fully recovered from the extremely harsh winter in the early 1990s. Currently, estimates are that the Utah population is holding steady at around 300,000 deer. The statewide objective is 426,000.

The hunt will officially open at first light on Saturday. It will close Wednesday, with the exception of five units that have Monday closings. Those hunters 18 or younger will be able to hunt nine days in all units but the five three-day units.

The five three-day units are the Cache, Ogden, Oquirrh-Stansbury, South Slope/Vernal and Monroe units. The reason for the shorter hunts is because the number of bucks has fallen below the recommended 15 per 100 does.

Anis Aoude, big game coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, predicts that those hunting northern areas can expect to see more yearlings or year-old bucks, while those hunting in southern areas will likely see fewer young bucks. Most of the deer taken on the annual hunt are yearlings.

Breaking down the units, the DWR report shows:

 Northern Region — Range conditions have been good and the past two winters have been mild, said Darren DeBloois, region biologist, so few fawns were lost to winter kill.

As a result hunters should see good numbers of two-point bucks in the Cache and Ogden units, he added.

On the Box Elder unit, very few fawns were lost and range conditions are good, so hunting should be good. Buck-to-doe ratios are 19 to 100.

Because of the warmer temperatures, archery hunters had little luck on the Uinta North Slope unit because deer stayed at higher elevations.

 Central Region — Some areas promise to be good, while others will be slower. The area East of I-15 from Spanish Fork Canyon north to I-80 in Salt Lake City offers the best habitat and the highest buck-to-doe ratios.

Ratios on the three-day units are only five to six bucks per 100 does.

 Northeastern Region — The region received a mild winter, but heavy precipitation in the spring resulted in good habitat. And most of the deer made it through the winter.

The dry summer, however, has dried the vegetation, which will make it difficult for hunter to walk quietly.